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Showing posts from February, 2020

‘The Queen is tremendously disappointed’ Royal biographer Lady Colin Campbell's view on what the Queen really thinks of Harry and Meghan

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When Meghan and Harry stepped down as senior royals and relocated to Canada at the start of the year, many assumed that the Queen wouldn’t be impressed with the couple. But while she admitted that she would have ‘preferred them to remain full-time working members of the Royal Family’, she also insisted that she was ‘entirely supportive’ of the Sussexes’ decision to break away. ‘Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family,’ Her Majesty said in a statement. ‘I support their wish for a more independent life.’ But royal expert Lady C tells Woman magazine that behind closed doors, she thinks it’s a different story… Credit: Getty ‘Disappointing and divisive’ Lady C told Woman: ‘The Queen is a very astute woman and if I have been able to come to the conclusions that I have – on rather more limited knowledge than the Queen possesses –  I will be very surprised if logic has defeated her.’ She adds that the Queen is undoubtedly disappointed. ‘I know tha...

‘Why I got married’ Phillip Schofield tied the knot with Stephanie Lowe 27 years ago despite the internal battle with his sexuality

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When Phillip Schofield poured his heart out on national TV, telling the world he was gay despite being married with two children, it looked like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Presenter Phil, 57, was no stranger to rumours about his sexuality even before he tied the knot – confessing that, deep down, he knew the truth before marrying Steph. ‘I am not saying I didn’t know,’ Phil admitted: ‘Whatever was “there”, I thought, “OK, whatever this is, you stay back because I am happy”. If you ask anyone who is gay, they know – there is no confusion.’   But rewind to 1992 and Piers Morgan, author of Phillip’s unofficial biography To Dream A Dream: The Amazing Life of Phillip Schofield, was aware of people questioning Phil’s sexual orientation. Piers wrote, ‘The rumours, which tend to haunt any unmarried TV personality who prefers not to show off his girlfriends in public, have dogged Phil on and off for years.’ But it’s clear his early relationships with women ke...

Lotus Biscoff biscuits dipped in chocolate exist! Here’s where you can buy them

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Lotus Biscoff biscuits dipped in chocolate are now a thing and here’s where you can buy them! These little iconic biscuits have had so many guises: from spread to ice cream there has even been a hybrid Kit Kat version! Now, and we can’t believe this hasn’t been done before, you can buy Lotus Biscoff biscuits which have been dipped in Belgian chocolate. So if you’re a Lotus biscuit enthusiast, you need to head to your local ASDA, Sainsbury’s or Poundland as they are all stocking this dreamy new launch. Chocolate covered Lotus Biscoff!!! The game has changed pic.twitter.com/krh775onrM — hi (@ybees3) February 27, 2020 Fans on social media have been sharing their delight at the new launch, one person commented: “I need of these”, while another joked: “ooooooo, that’s it… diets out the window!”.  Twitter user @ybees3 responded dramtically to to the news, exclaming “The game has changed”. Lotus began baking their famous ‘speculoos biscuits’ back in 1932. They were created ...

Makrut lime: the weird and wonderful citrus at the heart of Thai flavours

Knobbly, warty and sharply sour, once you master how to use makrut lime, it will lift your Thai dishes. Just don’t call it kaffir Have you ever eaten a Thai dish and wondered how so many flavours can have been crammed into it? All those layers of intricate nuances that gently tickle or tackle your olfactory senses, and sometimes hardly any fat to carry or bind it at all. But still the flavours linger. Fresh aromatics such as lemongrass , galangal, garlic, shallots , chillies, peppers and coriander plus a multitude of soft herbs and makrut lime leaves are the answer. They form a synergistic relationship that is the basis of many signature Thai flavours. Continue reading... from Recipes | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2TbXklW via IFTTT

Yotam Ottolenghi's 10 recipes perfect for an Australian autumn

As the weather cools, leafy greens, pumpkins and figs come into season – use them in recipes that are a little warming but light enough for temperate days Four types of mushroom and two types of cheese give this lasagne the most satisfying, savoury intensity that, to my mind, makes it the most glorious meat-free lasagne you’ll ever have. There’s a fair amount of heat here, so to make it child-friendly, reduce the amount of pepper and omit the chilli altogether. If you don’t have a round, 28cm baking dish, use a 30cm x 20cm rectangular one. To get ahead, build the lasagne one day, chill, then bake the next. Continue reading... from Recipes | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Tvskfk via IFTTT

Stacey Solomon supports ‘graphic’ advert as she opens up on ‘traumatic’ reality of childbirth

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Stacey Solomon has spoken out in support of a graphic advert, while opening up on childbirth. The Loose Women panellist spoke out during an episode of the daytime talk show, as the team discussed an advert that had been banned for being “too graphic”. American brand Frida Mom, which sells products to help alleviate postnatal problems, released an advert showing a new mum struggling with postnatal bleeding as she changes her hospital underwear. However, the advert was branded “too graphic” to be shown at this month’s Oscars awards, which led to worldwide uproar. 'We've got to stop being offended by these incredible bodies that grow life and then push them out.' The #LooseWomen think we should be more open and honest about what really happens after you give birth. What do you think? pic.twitter.com/dhujOCtDXT — Loose Women (@loosewomen) February 27, 2020 And speaking about the video, mum-of-three Stacey, who welcomed youngest son Rex last year, said that the a...

Billie Faiers launches exciting new project alongside children Nelly and Arthur

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Billie Faiers has launched an exciting new project with her two children. The former The Only Way Is Essex star took to her Instagram page to announce the drop of her new line in collaboration with supermarket Asda’s George line. The TV icon, who stars alongside sister Sam Faiers in their reality show The Mummy Diaries, has launched a children’s wear line name Billie by Billie Faiers with the budget supermarket. The line includes both boys and girls clothing, from trendy dungarees to chic suede shoes and even adorable cuddly toys. MORE: Billie Faiers delights fans as she CONFIRMS lovely family news! And it all comes in for super affordable prices. Starting at £5 for a kids’ summer hat, the range goes up to only £18 for which you can get a full girls’ outfit, including a fluffy gilet, or a pair of high-quality shoes for either boys or girls. And the star’s children, five-year-old Nelly and two-year-old Arthur, have both modelled for the stylish line, with the mum-of-two taking...

Tamal Ray’s recipe for toscakaka, or Swedish almond cake | The Sweet Spot

One taste of these crusty-topped, chewy Swedish almond cakes will make them favourites in your repertoire I’m often asked what my favourite cake is. Interminably indecisive as I am, I can never think of an answer (see also ‘what’s your favourite book, film or episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer?’), but toscakaka would definitely be in the running. If you’ve never tried this Swedish classic, think of a rich, buttery cake with a topping of toasted almonds and caramel. It’s a bit like baking a giant florentine on to a cake, which is every bit as delicious as it sounds. This version also includes a little grated marzipan to the caramel for extra almondy chewiness. Continue reading... from Recipes | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2TalL36 via IFTTT

Meera Sodha’s vegan recipe for tarka dal | The New Vegan

A tomatoey, garlicky dal tempered with a spicy tarka oil There’s a lot to love about ceramicist Maham Anjum . Her hands that move with well-practised grace on her pottery wheel, moulding large, unfriendly-looking boulders of clay into elegant bowls and biryani pots. Her rickety, wooden studio in the midst of an overgrown garden that’s filled in summer with hollyhocks, butterflies and a curious little fox. Her work, of course, out of which we ate this heavenly dal. And the manner in which she introduced it: ‘I just put it all in a pot and stir it.’ It’s that simple, and now it is one of my favourite things to make and eat most weeks. Continue reading... from Recipes | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Pus7rN via IFTTT

Hearty, veg-based mains: Yotam Ottolenghi’s winter vegetable recipes

Spring may be around the corner, but there’s still time to enjoy winter veg in the form of celeriac steaks, barley stew and a Tunisian potato and butter bean stew With spring officially three weeks away, ingredients that provide ballast are still very much the order of the day. Starchy root veg – potatoes, kohlrabi, celeriac – bring both sustenance and reassurance that, at this time of the year, it’s OK for our raw materials to be pasty-white, knobbly-kneed and slightly hairy – nothing that a lick of oil and a bit of heat won’t sort out. So enjoy the delights of hibernation for a while longer yet. Stack the shelves with jars of creamy butter beans, briny capers, salty anchovies and nutty barley. Fill the fridge with soft herbs, rich cream and sweet little tomatoes. Continue reading... from Recipes | The Guardian https://ift.tt/32GzEZN via IFTTT

How to sew your own cross stitch flower cushion

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You can make this cross stitch flower cushion in your favourite colours, replicating the style of spring blooms. It's a great addition to any room! Welcome spring with this floral stitched cushion, it’s a stunning addition to any sofa or bedroom, especially as you can brag to all your visitors that you made it yourself. If you’re feeling generous, why not make it for a fellow flower-lover. You could even make it up as a Mother’s Day gift with the colours of your mum’s favourite flowers. To make this cross stitch flower cushion you will need: 50cm of 140cm wide 35-count linen fabric in Pale Rose 1 skein of Anchor stranded cotton embroidery thread in 254 Lime Green, 240 Mid Green, 264 Light Green, 140 Mid Blue, 160 Light Blue, 36 Mid Pink, 10 Light Pink Size 28 tapestry needle Matching sewing thread 40cm square cushion pad – (finished size: 40 x 40cm) Time to make: 8 hours Spring blooms cross-stitch chart: How to embroider the cross-stitch: Each cross-stitch is taken...

Four Welsh recipes for St David’s Day | Tommy Heaney

Four Welsh dishes to welcome the onset of spring: a thick soup-stew, Welsh rarebit, a smoky fish soup and the veggie phenomenon that is the glamorgan sausage This isn’t a traditional Welsh cawl – it’s more a combination of cawl and Irish stew. I like mine cooked just long enough for the potatoes to break down and naturally thicken the stew. I also add a little Worcestershire sauce, because it reminds me of eating stew as a kid – my grandma used to put brown sauce on everything. Continue reading... from Recipes | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2T6U6zY via IFTTT

An alternative to potatoes: loaded jerusalem artichoke skins – recipe | Waste Not

Don’t throw away jerusalem artichoke peelings: load them with seasoned and mashed flesh and any topping you fancy Prolific and perennial, jerusalem artichokes are delicious roasted until chewy, then eaten whole or stirred into salads to add their nutty flavour; they also make a wicked addition to mashed potatoes – just a few will boost the flavour and nutrition considerably, bringing all of their gut bacteria-friendly antioxidant and prebiotic properties. You rarely see them in supermarkets, but they are available seasonally in good greengrocers, farm shops and via veg box schemes. Their skins are often muddy, with a darker pink or brown colour than the flesh, which is why many people, not least chefs, feel the need to refine them by peeling and discarding the skins. But the skins are ultra-nutritious, rich in iron, inulin and vitamins. And if you like your mash skin-free, don’t fret: load them instead, much as we do potato skins. Continue reading... from Recipes | The Guardian ht...

Why women propose on Leap Day and other Leap Year traditions

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Thinking of proposing to your man on Leap Day? You’re not alone – it’s still the most popular day for women to say ‘Will you marry me?’. Getty In fact, trends suggest more women than ever before will pop the question on Leap Day 2020. A recent survey by Chillisauce showed just over half the women who would be willing to propose would do it on Leap Day, compared to only a quarter who’d propose on Valentine’s Day. But… it seems we’re still a nation of shrinking violets. Just three in 20 women (in heterosexual marriages) popped the question last year. Still, the good news for grooms-to-be is that’s three times more than 10 years ago. Why do women propose during a Leap Year? Well, you’ve an Irish nun to thank – St Bridget complained to St Patrick, no less, that the lads were a bit backward in coming forward and the lassies were waiting too long for their suitors to propose. So, they struck a deal. St Patrick decreed that on Leap Day in February, which occurs once every four years...

'Keeping It Simple' cookbook: Recipes from scallops and brussels salad to tomato poached cod

From one-pot dishes to quick mid-week dinners, this book is all about whipping up good food without fuss from The Independent - Recipes https://ift.tt/3cg5TU5 via IFTTT

What happens if the Queen retires?

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Amid rumours that our longest-lived monarch might step back in 18 months’ time, could there be a bigger role for Prince Charles? Big birthday The Queen will turn 95 in April 2021 and it is increasingly speculated that after a lifetime of service she might use this milestone to take a well-deserved but unofficial ‘retirement’ from official duties – while still remaining as the British monarch. Credit: Getty In Charles at Seventy: Thoughts, Hopes and Dreams, Robert Jobson suggests the Queen could ‘trigger a period of regency’ at the age of 95 that will give her eldest son the ‘full power to reign’. So she wouldn’t be abdicating, but the Prince of Wales would carry out royal duties in her name. Abdication Despite a palace insider saying she had given ‘considerable thought’ to ‘passing the reign to Charles’, a separate royal expert reveals that’s not officially possible. ‘The Queen cannot retire without abdicating,’ they insist. A ‘shadow king’? While the Queen is in good health...