Innholdsfortegnelse for 20-Oct-2020 i Woman's Weekly

Meal-planning nirvana One thing I have finally learned as an adult is that batch-cooking is the answer, but I’m embarrassed to say this has only been a recent revelation. I now look back on how much easier my life could have been if I had been a bit more organised with family meal planning. However, thanks to the time I have gained through working from home during lockdown (and beyond), I have discovered making food for more than one meal at a time and freezing it really does mean less time in the kitchen – which, for me, is a good thing! With this in mind, our food team have picked their favourite freeze-ahead recipes from page 22. Editor-in-Chief catherine.westwood@futurenet.com…

ANNETTE DOLAN, 61 Tell us about your look I like casual comfort, but with a little edge. I am a jeans girl at heart. Where I’m going or what I’m doing will dictate how I wear them. Heels and a blazer can look smart. My jeans are boyfriend style from M&S, my shirt is Levi’s, the shoes are from Clarks, and my scarf is a gift from a friend. And the best bit of your body? My legs. JULIA FRASER, 51 Tell us about your look I love these separates from Monsoon. The style is ultra-relaxed, and the blouse is a Tencel fabric, making it feel soft on the skin. I will get good use of these clothes when out and about at the weekends. And the best bit of…

When is a Cornish pasty not a Cornish pasty? The answer is… when it’s produced outside of Cornwall. It’s just one of 88 British food and drink products that have been granted geographical protected status – meaning they must have been made in a specific area, sometimes using a particular, often traditional, method. On the other hand, Lincolnshire sausages and Cheddar cheese, voted the nation’s favourite, don’t have such legal protection, and can come from anywhere. So, what other popular British classics have protected status? Here are a few… … Irish Whiskey It’s said that the ‘e’ was added to the spelling of ‘whisky’ to distinguish the Irish drink from its rivals. Whatever the truth, Irish whiskey is one of the oldest spirit drinks in Europe, having been made since…

My go-to remedy Sleep! Whether it’s a tricky problem I’m trying to solve, a dip in creativity or a mood ‘funk’, sleep is crucial. It has such a profoundly beneficial effect on overall function that there’s little that isn’t a least improved by a good night’s kip. My favourite meal Spaghetti and meatballs. It’s been a favourite since childhood, and it’s so delicious, satisfying and comforting. I have Italian family so there’s lots of Italian food in my life, which makes me extremely happy. How I keep fit and healthy Looking after my brain is my priority. So I include brain-healthy foods like oily fish, leafy greens, berries and nuts most days. And then I do movement that I enjoy, whether that’s a fitness class, a run in the park…

1 COLD COMPRESS It can help reduce itching. Ask your pharmacist about antihistamine tablets and creams or short-term steroid skin applications. 2 KEEP AN EYE ON IT Bites reach maximum size at two to three days, or up to seven days. Effects depend on what bit you. General reactions could last 10-14 days. 3 TAKE A PHOTO Draw a line around the edge and monitor for enlargement. Think about what bit you, such as a bee, wasp or ant, and be ready to seek advice. 4 SEE YOUR GP… …if you’re worsening, have signs of infection, mouth swelling or breathlessness, or if generally unwell or have known allergies.…

MELTING MOMENTS Pastry, plus buttercream, plus jam equals biscuit perfection! MAKES 12-14 For the pastry: ✣ 225g (8oz) unsalted butter, softened ✣ 50g (1¾oz) icing sugar, sifted ✣ ½tsp vanilla extract ✣ 225g (8oz) plain flour ✣ 50g (1¾oz) cornflour For the filling: ✣ 75g (2½oz) unsalted butter, softened ✣ 150g (5oz) icing sugar ✣ 1tsp vanilla extract ✣ 3tbsp raspberry or strawberry jam 1 Heat the oven to 180C/ Gas 4. In a bowl, beat together the butter and icing sugar. Add the vanilla extract, plain flour and cornflour, and whisk slowly to combine. 2 Line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper. Using your hands, quickly roll teaspoonfuls of the mixture into small balls – you should make around 24-28 balls. Line up the balls on the baking trays.…

Difficulty level YOU WILL NEED ✣ Towels with a woven strip at the end ✣ Patterned fabric ✣ Ruler and pen ✣ Matching sewing thread ✣ Hand sewing needle ✣ Iron STOCKISTS: Blue Super Soft cotton towels, from £4 each, George Home 1 Begin by measuring one of the woven strips at the end of the towel – this is usually located about 10cm from the edge. Add 2cm to each of these measurements, transfer to the reverse of the patterned fabric, and then cut out. 2 Use an iron to press each edge under by 1cm. Unfold the edges and then fold in the corners. Fold the sides under again and, this time, the raw edges will be concealed at the corners. 3 Place the fabric over the woven…

Difficulty level MEASUREMENTS To fit sizes 81-86 (91-97) (102-107) cm/32-34 (36-38) (40-42) in. Actual measurements 112 (123) (133) cm/44 (48½) (52¼) in. Width from cuff to cuff 151 (157) (162) cm/59½ (61¾) (63¾) in. Side seam All sizes 33cm/13in. Length 65 (66) (67.5) cm/25½ (26) (26½) in. Sleeve seam All sizes 47cm/18½in. MATERIALS 10 (11) (12) 100g (196m) balls of Stylecraft Special Aran (100% acrylic) in (Pomegranate 1083)*. Pair of 5mm (No. 6) knitting needles. Yarn is available from theknittingnetwork.co.uk. TENSION 14 stitches and 38 rows, to 10 x 10cm, over fisherman’s rib pattern, using 5mm needles. ABBREVIATIONS K, knit; p, purl; st, stitch; sl, slip; inc, increase (by working twice into same st); dec, decrease (by working 2 sts together); k1d, k1 down (k into next st 1 row…

Pulpit Rock by Kate Rhodes (£9.99, ebook, Simon & Schuster) It’s back to the Isles of Scilly with Rhodes’ fourth DI Kitto novel. As Kitto and his team prepare for a swimathon on St Mary’s, they discover a body, dressed in a bridal gown. It becomes clear there’s a killer preying on women – and everyone’s a suspect. Desperate to avoid another murder, Kitto shuts down the island, but the killer always seems one step ahead. Clever, atmospheric and compelling, it’s another masterclass in plotting. Heroic Animals: 100 Amazing Creatures Great and Small by Clare Balding (£20, HB, Hodder & Stoughton) Despite being shot twice, a pigeon in World War One delivered a message that saved the lives of 194 soldiers, and Trakr the police dog searched Ground Zero to…

Valerie Fisher, 1959 My husband Colin was on two weeks’ leave from National Service when we married. I carried freesias attached to a ribbon held in my prayer book. This year, we celebrated our 61st anniversary and I still have the pressed freesias in the same prayer book. ✣ We’d love to see how great you looked in any era up to and including the 1980s. Please send a good-quality photo with your name, address and daytime phone number clearly written on the back, to: Fashion Dept, Woman’s Weekly, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP. Photos will be returned.…

A lot of good health comes down to good balance – a well-balanced diet, a decent work/life balance and the ability to move about without falling over. ‘Although falls can happen to any of us at any age, they’re the leading cause of death in older people,’ says Dr Melanie Wynne-Jones. It’s the combination of decreasing muscle mass and strength as we age, plus weaker bones, which can break more easily if we fall. ‘One in three people over 65 falls at least once a year,’ she explains. ‘More than 70,000 suffer hip fractures, a quarter of which are fatal.’ But there are plenty of things we can do to maintain muscle strength and balance as we age. Keeping moving is key because it helps improve stability and muscle tone.…

ULTIMATE FISH PIE Delicately poached fish, topped with a vibrant sweet potato mash and finished with a blanket of golden crispy cheese. SERVES 4 ✣ 500ml (16fl oz) skimmed milk ✣ 1 bay leaf ✣ Grating of fresh nutmeg ✣ 350g (12oz) skinless, boneless salmon fillet ✣ 60g (2oz) butter ✣ 30g (1oz) plain flour ✣ 100ml (3½fl oz) white wine ✣ 1tbsp parsley, chopped ✣ Finely grated zest of ½ lemon ✣ 250g (9oz) cooked, peeled prawns ✣ 500g (1lb 2oz) potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks ✣ 500g (1lb 2oz) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks ✣ 60g (2oz) half-fat Cheddar You will need: ✣ A 2-litre (3½pt) ovenproof dish 1 Place 400ml (14fl oz) of the milk in a pan with the bay leaf and nutmeg,…

1 IT LOWERS YOUR RISK OF COVID-19 Cooler weather may drive us indoors to workout but a fresh-air workout offers better ventilation and makes it easier to social-distance. 2 IT BOOSTS YOUR MOOD Exercising outdoors improves your mental wellbeing – even 20 minutes in a park helps, according to a study by the University of Alabama. 3 IT BURNS MORE CALORIES The terrain (hills and uneven ground), and even wind resistance make your body burn more calories and work a wider range of muscle groups.…

✢ Being inactive, becoming dehydrated and having a high-protein/low-fibre diet put you at risk – consider what you can do to address these. ✢ Medication, including aspirin, antacids, some diuretics, epilepsy and antibiotic medication, may put you at risk, so discuss with your GP whether you need to change. ✢ Ask your GP to check for gout or conditions causing high blood calcium, measure your blood urate and calcium levels, and urine for crystals. ✢ Aim to drink up to three litres of clear fluid, every day, keeping your urine clear to stop concentrated waste products forming stones.…

My friends don’t want to see me Q I had COVID-19 about three months ago and I‘m still feeling unwell. I’ve been told by doctors that it affects people differently and that I should feel better with time. I’ve had several tests to confirm that I‘m negative and no longer infectious, and doctors say I’m safe to meet others, as long as we all follow the rules. Some of my friends have said they’d rather not see me. Name and address withheld A I’m sorry you’re not feeling well, the virus sadly does seem to cause a sense of tiredness and general feeling of unwellness in some. I can see that it doesn’t make sense for your friends to feel uncomfortable meeting you. I don’t think any of our reactions…

All in the prep It may seem early to think about Christmas, but to have a gorgeous container of flowering plants for the festive table, or to give one as a gift, you have to prepare them well in advance. The trick is to create a period of cold ‘winter’, then bring the bulbs into spring-like conditions of light and warmth, to entice them into flower. This process of ‘forcing’ is easy to do – all you need is a little patience! Dainty daffs Slender paper-white daffodils, such as ‘Ziva’ or ‘Avalanche’, have a heavenly scent and will reliably flower six to eight weeks from planting. Choose a pretty container (at least twice as deep as the bulbs), add a layer of grit and arrange the bulbs closely, but not…

“A man came to the charity shop door the other day, peered in, noticed that the shop was pretty much empty, and announced, ‘I’m afraid I’ve forgotten to bring my mask. Would you mind if I came in anyway? I haven’t got a cough or anything, not even a slight sniffle.’ There were no other customers, so my colleague Grace and I couldn’t see why not. However, these days you can’t be too careful. So I stood guard outside the door, just in case anybody came along, while Grace accepted custody of a box of old paperbacks, and sold him a biography of King George V. ‘I’ve always admired George V,’ said the customer. ‘He collected stamps, you know.’ Outside, where I was pretending to look at something in the…

“I love musicals. When I was a young girl, a family trip to the theatre was my yearly birthday treat. We would head to London’s West End just as dusk was falling, with the neon and glitter lighting up all around. And then there was the magic of the show itself – sitting in the dark, mesmerised by the costumes, the dancers, the music. On the way home, I would stare out the window reliving every minute, an afterglow of excitement keeping me warm. ‘The perfect part had always eluded me’ By the time I was 10, I was also a good singer. I’d sing myself to sleep, keeping everyone in the house up while I belted out medleys from my favourite shows. I dreamt that one day I might…

Watch the tone Put simply, uneven skin tone is the result of excess melanin production, which is the body’s natural tanning pigment. ‘Sun damage is a major – although not the sole – cause of pigmentation,’ says Dr Howard Murad, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Murad Skincare. Certain medication, hormonal changes and lifestyle factors, such as smoking, all have the potential to stimulate the skin’s pigment-making cells into overdrive. ‘As we age, the number of melanocytes in our skin decreases,’ says Dr Murad. ‘The remaining melanocytes attempt to compensate for the missing ones, so we have an overproduction of pigment in one area and a decline or complete absence in another. This is why dark spots form. ’ WHAT’S YOUR TYPE? ✣ Hyperpigmentation This is the all-encompassing term for skin…

Yes – it helps them to organise their money ‘They see that, without a budget, their salary can easily disappear’ Oi-Wa Wright, 55, works in finance and lives in Southfields, London, with her husband, Stephen. They have two daughters, Gaby, 22, and Franki, 20. I was born in Hong Kong and gave my family half of what I earned. It’s a Chinese value to respect your elders, and a tradition I’m keen to keep going. Franki worked for a year before she went to uni and I made sure she set up a direct debit to give me money every month. I was cleaning and ironing for her, and paying for her food, and she needed to show her mother appreciation. Now Gaby has graduated, she has a job and…

Stones develop in the body of the kidney or in the ureter – the tube draining urine from the kidney to the bladder. They may occur in one or both kidneys, being commonest in those aged 30-60, with previous stones, gout, recurrent infections and on certain medications. Kidney stones form when waste products in the blood form crystals that collect inside the kidney. Over time, these crystals form stony lumps, which may remain in the main kidney or, if small, are passed down into the ureter, causing pain from spasm. Stone formation occurs if you’re dehydrated, have chronic disorders raising the levels of certain body chemicals, or are on some types of medication. The commonest stones are calcium, others are uric acid (urate) stones such as in gout, and struvite…

Aspirin, aka acetylsalicylic acid, is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to reduce fever and relieve mild to moderate pain, such as muscle aches and headaches. It blocks a natural blood substance called prostaglandin, and also thins the blood slightly. Your doctor may prescribe low-dose aspirin to prevent arterial blood clots forming in order to reduce stroke or heart attack risk, but only in people who’ve already had symptoms such as angina or a transient ischaemic attack. It’s also used after blocked artery surgery, such as bypass surgery or stenting after a heart attack. Various other benefits have been suggested but recent studies have shown that aspirin doesn’t prevent cognitive decline. Conversely, the main risk from aspirin is that, because it thins the blood, it increases the risk for bleeding…

We only viewed this property to completely rule out new-builds,’ says Kat. ‘My partner Chris and I were moving to Bristol and I was adamant I wanted a home with character, so a brand-new property was out of the question.’ ‘We arrived at the development determined not to like any of the properties, but we were instantly won over. The houses were built with modern living in mind, they were much more energy efficient and I liked having the comfort of the various warranties. Unexpectedly smitten with the prospect of life in a modern property, we bought one. ‘The developers recommended we resist decorating for the first six months to give the house time to dry and settle. It gave us time to acclimatise, become familiar with the rooms and…

ARIES 21 Mar – 20 Apr This is a brilliant time to start something new. If you are willing to step outside your comfort zone, an exciting opportunity may appear. TAURUS 21 Apr – 21 May Focusing on your health and wellbeing is important right now. Make sure that you listen to your body and you get the rest you need. GEMINI 22 May – 21 Jun You may find yourself going to extremes this week. Finding the middle way is the key to regaining your balance. CANCER 22 Jun – 23 Jul If you are not quite sure about an important decision, give yourself more time to think and don’t allow yourself to feel pressurised. LEO 24 Jul – 23 Aug Financially you may receive some positive news this…