I have always admired the art of meat curing, but I wasn’t sure if I could successfully make one without using nitrates or nitrites. Recently, I decided to test it out on a single piece of pork steak bought from the local supermarket.

The surroundings have turned lush and green, with flowers popping up everywhere. The weather has been so inviting that I spent a few wonderful hours outdoors, crocheting.I started aimlessly stitching, simply enjoying the day, but then an idea came to me: a wrist wallet! A few times while out biking or walking, I found myself needing just a bank card and a little cash — but I always had to carry a full bag. Once, while biking, I even lost everything from my pockets along the road!

Photograph: Seven CapitalA few years ago, while at work, I suddenly had the urge to get a cat. I searched for one and drove two hours from work in Solihull to Northampton, passing through the busy city of Birmingham to reach the seller.

Mushroom hunting early this morning, though I didn’t find any edible ones. A few mushrooms caught my attention:Firstly, this dryad saddle fell from a tree. It’s dried up, and this looks like just a quarter of it; the rest was broken into parts.

Every time I cook at night when it's dark, I end up running to the garden with my flashlight to try and spot some herbs.But tonight, I thought of a better way to keep my herbs easily accessible.Every year, I upcycle my Christmas tree into a multipurpose hanger, so this year I used the old one from last year to hang my herbs and planned to place it right by the kitchen door for easy access.

Dame Deborah James, podcast presenter, pictured before her passing six years after her diagnosis. Photo by Richard Pohle for The TimesSummary of the news:The NHS is trialling a new blood test that can help find bowel cancer and 11 other types of cancer. The test is made by the University of Southampton and a company called Xgenera. It works by checking tiny particles in a blood sample using artificial intelligence. This test is quick, using only a small amount of blood, and could cost around £120 to £300. Early tests on 20,000 people showed it was 99% accurate. The NHS trial will involve 8,000 patients.