Warming beef stew recipe with harvest vegetables

Try making this lovely warming winter dish, using this recipe from Eden’s chefs. Or if you’re vegetarian, you might like our vegetarian Spanish stew recipe instead.

Ingredients
These amounts make four to six hearty portions.

• 1.5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 500g diced beef
• 400g diced potato
• 200g diced onions
• 150g diced parsnip
• 400g diced carrots
• 1 litre beef stock
• Salt and pepper to season

Method

1. Heat a large sauce pan and add the vegetable oil.
2. Add the diced beef and cook until browned on all sides.
3. Add the vegetables, the beef stock and salt and pepper.
4. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for one and a half to two hours.
5. Taste and add more seasoning if required.

Try this dish at the Eden Project – find out what you can eat, and where, on our food page.

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A Time of Gifts Calendar, Food

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A Time of Gifts, Christmas, Food

Winter walk bingo: a game for kids

Here’s a great way to spice up frosty winter walks with kids: a game of winter walk bingo. Follow the steps below and your youngsters will love being outdoors trying to spot the wintry plants, animals and other things – we’ve included a variety so that whether your walk is in a town or the countryside, your children should be able to rack up a score.

How to play winter walk bingo

1. Gather at least two young ‘bingoers’ to play the game.

2. Print out as many bingo cards as you need. There are two bingo cards on each A4 sheet.

3. Set off on your walk.

4. The first player to spot one of the things on the card will get the points shown for that item. That player then ticks the box for that item. The other players should put a cross in the box for that item to remind them they don’t need to look for it again.

5. Tot up the points when you return home.

If you enjoyed the game, why not create your own winter walk bingo card and share it with us on our Facebook Wall or via Twitter.

PS: If you do spot Father Christmas or Jack Frost, let us know!

Winter walk bingo card

Download the winter walk bingo card PDF

Outdoor play project

Find out more about Eden’s Mud Between Your Toes charity project, which aims to connect children and young people to the world they live in – to experience, understand and celebrate their sense of place and purpose in the natural world and in their communities.

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A Time of Gifts Calendar, Play

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A Time of Gifts, children, Christmas, Fun, kids, Play

Finding Christmas plants for decorations

There is a long tradition of bringing plants in to decorate the home at Christmas. There are various traditions associated with the Christmas tree and, of course, people often decorate their homes with holly, ivy and mistletoe.

We’d like to show you there are so many other Christmas plants that will look great in your house in the winter, so we asked Emma Gunn, the person who makes the wonderful plant-based decorations for the Eden site, to show you some alternatives in the video below.

She gathers bright berries, evergreen foliage and textural ingredients, which can either be displayed on their own or combined to make fantastic wreaths and other Christmas decorations.

Things to remember when gathering Christmas plants

• Some leaves and berries can be poisonous, so make sure you wash your hands when you’ve finished handling the plants.
• If you’re collecting greenery from the hedgerows, use a sharp pair of secateurs to make a clean cut – and take only a little from each plant.

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A Time of Gifts Calendar, Creativity, How to, Plants

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A Time of Gifts, Christmas, decorations, plants

Our favourite gifts under £5

Looking for some small but quirky gift ideas? We’ve cut the stress out for you by creating this handy gift guide of presents under £5 that are bound to please anyone. Plus, by ordering through us your money will help our educational charity right here at Eden.

1. Birdie bistro house £5

This is the stuff bird’s dreams are made of: a house built out of food, just like Hansel and Gretel’s! This fun gift is perfect for young or old, male or female. There are refills available once the birds have eaten the house.

2. Frog instrument £3.50

This frog instrument will sit proudly on any office desk. His hand-carved back creates a percussive sound when you scrape it with the wooden stick. Not just musical and cute, this little fella is made out of sustainable wood from Thailand.

3. Tagua bracelet £4.50

This popular bracelet is made out of the tagua nut – also known as ‘vegetable ivory’. Unlike real ivory, the story behind this material is a much better one to wear: the nut is simply left to dry out for three years before it’s hand shaped and polished, and coloured with natural dye. The bracelet is stretchy, so will look bright and funky on any sized wrist.

4. Baby teddy bear £5

This lovable bear isn’t just for toddlers and kids – we all need someone to cuddle. He’s made out of soft bamboo fibre, so he gives the warmest, cuddliest clutch. Bamboo is a great material because it grows much faster than cotton, needs fewer pesticides and can grow on the steepest hillsides.

5. Trigger torch £2.50

This torch contains no batteries, but charges up when you squeeze the trigger. Ideal for finding your way back to the car, getting home from school safely or keeping in an emergency kit. The LED light will stay bright for up to fifty times longer than a standard bulb, so it’s economical too.

6. Seed bomb £5

This kit makes up to 20 seed bombs to brighten up any garden. It’s a fun, quirky gift for only a fiver. Great for people who have a garden, allotment, window box, or even just a muddy strip by the house – it’ll liven up anywhere.

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• Shop

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A Time of Gifts, gifts, Sustainability

Win a family ice skate and lunch at the Eden Project

Today, we’re offering you the chance to win a free ice skate, for you and your family, on our glacial rink. The lucky winner will also get a free lunch in our Bakery, up to the value of £40.

The ice rink is open until 26 February 2012, so once we choose a name out of the hat after Christmas, you’ll have plenty of time to choose a day that suits you.

How to enter the prize draw

Enter your details into our online form by midnight 31 December 2011.

Take a look at our ice skating video if you need any persuading!

Prize draw terms and conditions

• The prize offered is: a 40-minute ice skating session on the Eden Project ice rink for a group of up to two adults and three children, at an appropriate time chosen by the winner (see skating timetable), and a voucher of £40 to spend at the Eden Project Bakery.
• Entry is free. One entry per household. Automated entries will not be accepted.
• The first name drawn at random after the closing date will receive the prize as detailed above.
• The prize is non-refundable, non-transferable and subject to availability. No alternative prize will be offered and there is no cash alternative.
• The draw is not open to employees of The Eden Project, their families, its agents or anyone professionally connected with the prize draw.
• All entries must be received by midnight on 31 December 2011. The winner will be notified by email after the closing date.
• By entering this competition you are giving the Eden Project permission to contact you at a future date. You can subscribe from this service at any time.
• Prize draw open to all UK residents. Entrants must be over 16 years of age.

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• A Time of Gifts Calendar

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A Time of Gifts, Christmas, Food, kids

Christmas in Cornwall: video of Eden’s winter festival

If you’re in need of some warmth and light on these long, cold evenings, join us for our winter festival.

We’re open late on certain evenings throughout December, for craft activities, music and song, food and drink, plus storytelling, massage and comedy for all the family – all topped off with a magical lantern parade.

Check out this video to see what’s on offer on 16, 17, 27, 28, 29, 30 December 2011.

Watch the video on YouTube

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A Time of Gifts Calendar, Community, Cornwall

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A Time of Gifts, children, Christmas, Community, Cornwall, Eden's 10th birthday, kids

Free neighbourhood planning event for communities

If you’re inspired by the idea of helping shape where you live, then the forthcoming neighbourhood Planning Camp at the Eden Project could for you.

The three-day, residential event has been designed to give residents and community leaders the know-how, inspiration and confidence to return home and make a real difference to the future of where they live and work.

It’s part of our work with the Building Community Consortium.

The three days will make the most of Eden’s iconic venue, as well as the surrounding area, including:

• Local site visits in Cornwall, to discover the amazing work communities are already doing, including community land trusts as well as accessibility and educational charities. We’ll visit places that have helped shape new large-scale developments and those that have opted for community asset ownership.
• Hands-on workshops to leave you feeling confident and enthused to start neighbourhood planning where you live. You’ll take away with you a whole raft of tricks and tips to get locals involved, create a perfect neighbourhood plan, and create strong leadership throughout the process.
• Debate and discussion, to help you understand, and share opinions on, the developing planning landscape. We’ll be unpicking the knotty topic of public engagement and working out how to develop effective approaches.
• Creative and team building exercises at Eden, such as treasure hunts, ice skating and lantern making. As well as being great fun, many of these are also good techniques that you can use to engage people where you live too.

When and where is the event?
It takes place at the Eden Project from 5 until 7 February 2012.

How can I take part?
This event is now fully booked, but we will be sharing our top tips on this blog after the conference. You can also follow the event on Twitter, using the hashtag #planningcamp.

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• Community

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Community, Design, Inspiration, society

How to make an ice sculpture Christmas decoration

These icy Christmas decorations are not only beautiful to hang in the garden and great fun for kids to make; they also offer a tasty supper for passing wildlife when they’ve melted.

Hanging ice decoration

To make this this one you’ll need:

• A saucer or small plate
• A selection of leaves (holly and ivy works best), seeds and berries (raid the kitchen if you can’t find any berries growing outside)
• Food colouring
• Ribbon, to hang

Here’s how to do it:

1. Arrange your leave, nuts and berries in an interesting pattern on your saucer.
2. Carefully pour some water into the saucer. Try adding a few drops of food colouring if you’d like to give your ice a coloured tint. If your leaves, nuts and berries swim around a bit, rearrange them into your desired pattern.
3. Fold the ribbon in half and place the folded end on the saucer in the water, so that once the water has frozen you will be able to tie the two ends of the ribbon together.
4. To freeze the decoration, leave it outside over night or, if it’s not cold enough, place it on a flat surface in your freezer.
5. Once the decoration has frozen, pour a little warm water on the underside of your saucer to help ease the ice away.
6. Hang the decoration up outside. It will not only be beautiful, but as it melts it will become a tasty treat for birds and other wildlife.

Ice candle holder

To make this one you’ll need:

• Leaves and berries (holly is ideal)
• A 2-litre plastic drinks bottle
• A plastic cup or yoghurt pot
• A tea-light candle

Here’s how to make it:

1. Cut the bottom off the plastic bottle.
2. Half-fill the bottle bottom with water. Try adding a few drops of food colouring if you’d like to give your ice a coloured tint.
3. Place the plastic cup or yogurt pot in the water in the plastic bottle. Weigh it down with something like sugar, so that the cup/pot almost sinks to the bottom.
4. Place the leaves and berries in the water around the edges, in between the bottle and the cup/pot.
5. Leave your candle holder outside overnight, or on a flat surface in your freezer, until it is completely frozen.
6. Remove the plastic cup/pot by emptying it of any contents you used to weigh it down and then pouring in some warm water so that it easily comes away from the ice.
7. You might need to also pour some warm water on the outside of the plastic bottle so that the ice can be easily removed.
8. Place your finished candle holder on to a saucer, then light a tea-light candle and drop it inside, for a shimmering table decoration.

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• A Time of Gifts Calendar

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Art, Christmas, kids, Play

Top tips to look after birds this winter

Spare a thought for our feathered friends this winter. Freezing temperatures, snow, ice and strong cold winds make it difficult for birds to find the food they need to survive. Here are few tips to help birds through the cold snap.

Ensure there’s always a supply of feed for the birds

Eden birdcake
This high energy blend of sunflower hearts and insects will attract a variety of birds including house sparrows, finches and tits. What’s more, a donation of your purchase will go towards the RSPB so you can help birds nationwide.

Tailor your feed to the birds you want to attract

Thrushes love fruit, such as apples and pears. They will reward you with sweet warbling, so put a little out to attract them. Expect to hear a lot of singing, as they tend to become more sociable over winter!

Just as we like to eat more wholesome meals in winter to keep our energy levels up, so do birds. Give them fatty suet for a little more nutrition over the cold spell. It’s especially beneficial for treecreepers and goldcrests. Our ball suet feeder is easy to fill and totally weatherproof so it will hang proudly through the wind and rain.


Keep their food sheltered from the elements

This beautiful bird feeder will not just brighten up your garden, but also keep high calorie seed mixes sheltered from strong winds and rain. Birds will only come to feeders if they feel safe, so make sure you place it somewhere close to the safety cover of trees. And make sure you keep the feeder away from your pet cat’s favourite haunts!


Plant a bird friendly garden

Plant plants such as hawthorn, ivy, honeysuckle and the exotic Japanese aralia that will provide berries in the winter for adult birds, and insects for young birds in spring.

Make a log pile

Pile up your logs in a shady spot to encourage all sorts of insects, moss and fungi, which birds just love. You may also attract hedgehogs and toads.


Look after your creepy crawlies!

Provide an insect home to give the birds fuel throughout the winter. The more insects you attract to your garden, the more birds will come. A wide range of insects use these structures to lay their eggs or hibernate through the winter.


2. Keep a fresh supply of clean water readily available

You could add little floatable objects such as twigs or balls to prevent the water from freezing. Don’t be tempted to add antifreeze – just keep it topped up daily.

Harness the power of nature and top up the bird bath with rain water. This oak finished water butt is particularly beautiful as it blends in with the garden.


3. Give the smaller birds a place to roost




This will help keep the birds sheltered from the elements, but also provide a nice place for breeding later in the year. Here at Eden, we have a wide selection of bird boxes, but this one has to be the most popular. If space is an issue, simply stick this window bird feeder on and enjoy watching the birds come in for shelter. This one is completely see through so you get a fantastic view as they can flit in and out with insects and worms.

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Environment, Gardening, Gift guides, Shop

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birdhouse, birds, Nature, suet, winter

A heart-warming story from Eden’s rainforest: The Lady of the Moon

Snuggle up with a warm drink to read this uplifting winter story.

Once upon a time, on a cold and dark night, the stars shone so brightly it was as if diamonds had been hung from the heavens. This was no ordinary night. Something stirred softly in the shadows and some creature from far, far below rose up, right there in a rainforest, a rainforest in a beautiful bubble structure.

A stillness fell among the many visitors to the rainforest, a moon rose high above the treetops, and a creature that looked like a lady appeared to fly with the moon. She sang a song so wondrous that, for a moment, it seemed as if heaven and earth had joined as one. In this moment the people forgot everything else. But as they looked up at the Lady of the Moon, they knew they would never forget that vision or that feeling.

The lady stopped singing and hovered above them. She looked all around her into the dark night and then she looked upon the people and asked: ‘Tell me, when will this dark night come to an end?’

The small voice of a girl rose up: ‘Is it when the sky changes colour and we first see the sun rising above the horizon?’

‘No…no’ said the lady gently.

Then a woman spoke up and offered: ‘Would it be when the morning star rises in the east just before sunrise?’

Once again the lady shook her head.

Then a small boy spoke up as he was lifted onto his father’s shoulders: ‘The night ends when there is enough light for me to see the lines on the palm of my hand.’

‘Not quite…’ laughed the Lady of the Moon.

After a few more suggestions the people pleaded that she give them the answer. The lady looked at them for a long moment in silence and then spoke: ‘The day will come when we will look at our neighbours, at our enemies and friends, and recognise each one of their faces as a reflection of our own, only then shall we know for sure that the long and dark night we all live in has come to an end.’

And in that moment the people knew they had been granted a wish. As they watched The Lady of the Moon rise up and sing the last of her song before disappearing, they knew that she was not a lady at all, they knew that she was the hope in all their hearts.

This heart-warming story was written by Wendy Taylor, one of our Pollinators at the Eden Project. Read more about Wendy’s role as a Pollinator.

You can watch Wendy ascend in the Rainforest Balloon as the Lady of the Moon and hear her sing as part of our Time of Gifts winter festival during December 2011.

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• A Time of Gifts Calendar

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A Time of Gifts, pollinators, Rainforest Balloon, Rainforest Biome, story