Innholdsfortegnelse for 21-Sep-2021 i Woman's Weekly

At the age of 81, The Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith could easily be forgiven if she wanted to retire, but the popular star has no plans to quit – and admits she is having the time of her life, both professionally and personally. But Prue, who was awarded a damehood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list this year, reveals today she couldn’t take on such a big TV role on Bake Off without the incredible support of her husband, John. They tied the knot in 2016 – 14 years after the death of Prue’s first husband Rayne, with whom she adopted daughter Li-Da, and had a son, Danny, who are both now grown up. ‘John is such a delight and he has my back so wonderfully. He…

1 Seasonal extremes Between bracing winds, bitter temperatures and central heating, our skin takes a beating during the winter months. This constant flux in temperature can damage our protective barrier, so skin feels more irritable. 2 Harsh ingredients Avoid any harsh cleansers, soap bars and skincare with alcohol and fragrance. According to CeraVe’s Global Skin Cleansing Survey, 31% of people spoke about their skin feeling ‘squeaky clean’ after cleansing, but this can be a distress signal for a damaged barrier. 3 Over-exfoliation One of the biggest culprits of a damaged skin barrier is excessive exfoliation, and using abrasive scrubs to perform it, which can cause micro-tears in the skin. 4 Hot water As tempting as it is to crank up the temperature of your bath, it will strip the skin’s…

SPAGHETTI WITH ALMOND CREAM, FRESH CRAB, CHILLI AND MARJORAM This recipe is inspired by a summer spent on the Aeolian islands. PER SERVING 620 cals, 21g fat, 3g sat fat, 77g carbs SERVES 4 ✣100g (3½oz) blanched almonds ✣300ml (10fl oz) full-fat milk ✣400g (14oz) dried spaghetti ✣Extra virgin olive oil ✣2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped ✣50g (1¾oz) brown crabmeat ✣100g (3½oz) fresh white crabmeat, picked over to remove shell or cartilage ✣Juice of 1 lemon ✣Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper ✣A handful of marjoram leaves 1 Put the almonds and milk in a saucepan and set aside to soak for 30 mins. Then bring to the boil and cook for 5 mins. Pour into a blender and blitz to a smooth sauce consistency. Season…

ROCKY ROAD CHEESECAKE Our simple, gluten-free biscuit recipe means you can enjoy a rocky road, and to make it extra special, we’ve topped it with a light and fluffy cheesecake. PER SERVING 529 cals, 41g fat, 24g sat fat, 34g carbs SERVES 10 For the biscuits: ✣60g (2oz) butter, softened ✣30g (1oz) golden caster sugar ✣100g (3½oz) medium oatmeal ✣75g (2½oz) cornflour ✣Pinch of sea salt For the base: ✣50g (1¾oz) butter ✣100g (3½oz) dark chocolate ✣50g (1¾oz) milk chocolate ✣1½tbsp golden syrup ✣50g (1¾oz) gluten-free mini marshmallows, plus extra for decoration ✣50g (1¾oz) hazelnuts, chopped ✣ ¼tsp sea salt flakes For the cheesecake topping: ✣300ml (½pt) double cream ✣340g pack cream cheese ✣1tbsp icing sugar ✣1tsp vanilla bean paste You will need: ✣18cm (7in) loose-bottomed cake tin, the base…

CREME CARAMEL Light and lovely, it’s surprisingly easy to make at home. PER SERVING 280 cals, 8.5g fat, 4.5g sat fat, 41.5g carbs SERVES 8 For the crème caramel: ✣90g (3oz) caster sugar ✣25g (¾oz) cornflour ✣400ml (13fl oz) whole milk ✣397g can of sweetened condensed milk ✣Grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon ✣ 4 eggs ✣ Edible flowers You will also need: ✣20cm (8in) shallow baking dish or 8 × 8cm (3¼in) pudding moulds 1 Heat the oven to 160C/ Gas 3. Place the sugar in a small pan with 3tbsp of water and heat until it turns an amber-coloured caramel. Pour into the baking dish or moulds to cover the base. 2 Place the cornflour in a bowl and mix with the milk, using a hand whisk. Add…

MEASUREMENTS To fit chest 86-92 (97-102) (107-112) (117-122) (127-132) cm/34-36 (38-40) (42-44) (46-48) (50-52) in. Actual measurements 104 (114) (124) (134) (144) cm/41 (45) (49) (52¾) (56¾) in. Length to shoulder 61.5 (63) (65) (67) (69) cm/24¼ (24¾) (25½) (26½) (27¼) in. Sleeve length 48 (49) (49.5) (50) (50.5) cm/19 (19¼) (19½) (19¾) (20) in. MATERIALS Scheepjes Stone Washed (78% cotton, 22% acrylic), 50g (130m) balls; 6 (7) (7) (8) (8) balls of Black (Black Onyx 803), 2 (3) (3) (4) (4) balls of Grey (Smokey Quartz 802) and 2 (2) (3) (3) (4) balls of Pale Grey (Crystal Quartz 814)*. Pair each of 3.25mm (No. 10) and 3.75mm (No. 9) knitting needles; stitch holders. Yarn is available from theknittingnetwork.co.uk TENSION 24 stitches and 32 rows, to 10 x 10cm,…

‘Is learning to play the accordion grounds for divorce?’ “It’s the day of the Liberation Fete, and there is quite a good turnout. We have a children’s fancy-dress competition, and three of them have come as the COVID virus. Have they no mercy? Two of the COVID viruses are twins, and they are currently sitting in the tea tent, working their way through lemonade and some scones. I have been coming to village fetes for more years than I care to remember, but I’ve never before seen viruses with such large appetites. Their costumes are vivid red spheres with little bits sticking out. A lady came in earlier, took one look at them, and put her mask on. We’re in-between busy times at the tea tent, so there is a…

KAIZARIN KALIFA, 48 Tell us about your look My dress was actually a gift. It’s by Joie. The wrap style is quite casual, but the exotic print and floaty fabric make it feel more luxe. I bought the bag in Indonesia and my Gucci trainers online from Net-a-Porter. My jewellery is my own from kaizarin.com. Creating beautiful designs has been a lifelong passion. And the best bit of your body? My eyes. EMMA DUNBAR, 59, WITH MUM-IN-LAW SHEILA HARRISON, 96 Tell us about your look It was a coincidence that Sheila and I are colour-coordinated. Sheila’s top is Hobbs, her trousers are M&S. Her shoes are from Barcelona. My top and trousers are from Toast. I’ve got on my Birkenstock sandals. I made my necklace and bought my basket online…

With collections ranging from the fabulously niche to the brilliantly bizarre, the UK is home to some of the most tr uly unusual museums. So if you’re on the hunt for the fascinating and unconventional, here are a few places to start. Baked Bean Museum Port Talbot Nothing quite captures eccentric Britain like Port Talbot’s own Baked Bean Museum. Run by caped superhero Captain Beany, the museum showcases all manner of baked bean memorabilia, from antique tins to branded bath mats. The museum’s proprietor is perhaps quirkiest of all, having legally changed his name to Captain Beany back in 1991! Five years earlier, he set a Guinness World Record by spending 100 hours in a bathtub of… you guessed it… and he is surely the only man with 60 haricots…

“Summer’s lease,’ wrote William Shakespeare, ‘hath all too short a date.’ And as our revered national poet, he should know, shouldn’t he? Well, yes – and then again, no. Every season has its merits, of course. Spring with its green shoots, and the first rays of summer, when we gratefully turn our faces upwards, factor 50 liberally applied. But then what? Summer is a torrid emotional roller-coaster – this year’s more than most. With the heatwave delivering 30-degree-plus heat, I was exhausted and fretful, too hot to sleep and spending days prostrate in front of a fan. ‘How I love those crisp mornings’ So you’d think I’d have welcomed the washout that followed – but my overriding memory is crouching under an inadequate umbrella during a long-awaited family lunch that…

SCULPTING JEANS Searching for jeans can be a minefield, but once you’ve found the perfect pair, you’ll wear them non-stop. There are clever designs with hidden panels, fabric that hugs contours, and high waists to lift your bottom. Read the details in the descriptions and you won’t look back. Part of the sustainability range that uses eco-friendly fabrics SMOOTHING SHAPEWEAR If you buy one thing this season, make it shapewear. Wear it and watch your silhouette smooth out as the compression fabric helps to lift and support. Forget squeezing into suck-you-in pants, shapewear is now made with breathable fabrics that act as a second skin. Made with anti-flush fabric to help you through the menopause SKIMMING DRESSES When it comes to frocks, don’t be afraid to celebrate your curves. It…

There should be no shame in getting paid ‘My daughter was adamant that she wanted to pay’ Carol Sansome, 61, a school dinner lady and cleaner from Leicestershire, left her job to look after her grandchildren. It was my daughter’s idea for me to leave my job to look after my 10-month-old granddaughter. She was due to return to work from maternity leave. I fancied a change so thought I’d give it a go. ‘I spent most of the money on the kids!’ My daughter was adamant that she wanted to pay me, as I’d given up my job. She saw it as me doing her a favour. It helped put her mind at rest, and she knew her daughter would get lots of love from me and her grandpa.…

1 DON’T USE COTTON BUDS Earwax protects your ears from dirt and germs. Don’t use objects to remove it, they’ll compact it further in. 2 USE DROPS Put three drops of pharmacy olive oil, or sodium bicarbonate, into your ear three times daily for five days. Softened wax will eventually fall out. 3 ASK YOUR PHARMACIST They can suggest other drops or treatments, including flushing the wax out with water and sucking the wax out (microsuction). 4 SEE YOUR GP If you still have hearing problems or earache, see your GP or practice nurse, so they can look into the ear canal and check it.…

SPRING STEPS Plant handfuls of spring bulbs now for masses of early colour next year (you’ll be providing a nectar buffet for pollinators too). For flowers that will bloom from January to March, plant a mix of snowdrops, crocuses, wood anemones and winter aconites (eranthis). Take the show through to April with daffodils, grape hyacinths (muscari), Siberian squills (scilla) and fritillaries. COOL SALADS If you have gaps in your borders or empty planters, fill them with super-hardy salads. Lamb’s lettuce, land cress, winter purslane and oriental greens, such as mizuna and mibuna, all cope with the cold, as will winter lettuces (try ‘Winter Marvel’). Sow now while the soil is warm and they should be a decent size before frost arrives. Protect them from the worst weather with fleece.…

MEASUREMENTS Completed cushion measures Approximately 40cm/16in wide and 30cm/12in deep. MATERIALS 3 x 100g (196m) balls of Stylecraft Special Aran (100% acrylic) in Duck Egg (1820)*. Size 4mm and 5mm crochet hooks; 40x30cm cushion pad; 5 small round buttons; sewing needle and thread. Yarn is available from theknittingnetwork.co.uk TENSION Two pattern repeats measure 9cm across, using 5mm hook. ABBREVIATIONS Ch, chain; dc, double crochet; slst, slip stitch; st(s), stitch(es); tr, treble crochet; 3-tr cl, 3 treble cluster, working over 3 sts thus: *yrh, insert hook into st indicated, yrh and pull a loop through, yrh and pull through two loops only, repeat from * twice more (4 loops on hook), yrh and pull through all loops to complete the cluster; 7-tr cl, 7 treble cluster, working over 7 sts thus:…

This is a photo of my mother and father on their wedding day in Milborne Port, Dorset. My mother was very fashion-conscious and had a wonderful figure. She’s now 94, fit and active, and working in our B&B. We call her the trolley dolly. ✢ 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.…

Over the years, a number of TV commercials have won a place in our hearts. The ones we stayed to watch, instead of making a cuppa. Here’s a selection that sometimes proved more entertaining than the shows. Andrex toilet roll It’s hard to believe now, but back in the 1960s, the TV regulators didn’t permit toilet roll commercials. Even when the rules relaxed, advertising agencies had to think creatively. So in 1972, it was an inspired decision to entangle an adorable golden Labrador puppy in Andrex loo roll. A number of six-week-old puppies were used for filming, but after being fed rice pudding, they kept falling asleep on set! Cadbury’s Smash instant potato One of the UK’s best-loved ads had a novel approach – laughing at the viewers! Its cheeky…

As Louise ties a bright pink scarf around her head, her identical twin sister Clare smiles her approval, and gives her shoulder a squeeze. ‘You look just like me!’ Clare chuckles, gesturing to her own blue headscarf. ‘Clare has always had a way of making me laugh and easing my worries,’ Louise says. ‘Growing up we shared everything, including our toys, clothes and make-up. We experienced everything together as sisters. Then, in 2014, as we both faced the biggest battle of our lives against cancer, I’d never felt more grateful to have Clare by my side.’ Louise and Clare are the youngest daughters of five siblings. ‘We were always up to mischief, particularly at school,’ Louise says. ‘Occasionally, for fun, we’d swap uniforms – I’d wear Clare’s cardigan and she’d…

If you’re a grandparent who cares for a child under 12 while their parent is working, you may be entitled to national insurance credits currently worth £260 each year. Known as Specified Adult Childcare credits, it’s a national insurance credit for those who are not working, which goes towards your state pension. These credits are only eligible for those under retirement age (66), but it can be backdated to when the scheme started in 2011. To see if you can claim, visit gov.uk and search ‘Specified Adult Childcare credit’, or call the National Insurance Helpline on 0300 200 3500. . You can only get Tax-Free Childcare to help pay for childcare provided by a relative if they’re a registered childminder and care for your child outside your home. You cannot claim…

My workload has been reduced Q My boss is slowly taking tasks away from me and giving me less to do, while everyone else has too much work. I’ve offered to do more but he hasn’t given me anything. Is this a way to get rid of me? Name and address withheld Sadly, this is a tactic used by some managers and it isn’t very honest. If you think that’s the case, you need to have a conversation with him and ask what’s going on. If you’re in a union, request that a rep can come with you. If not, invite a friend to be at that meeting. But, if he doesn’t like you, and he’s making life difficult and things don’t change, it may be the right time to…

CRUNCHY OVEN CHICKEN Take your pick: crunchy chicken or nutty chicken. Both are reminiscent of chicken Kiev, but less trouble and less butter. PER SERVING Crunchy: 628 cals, 39g fat, 9g sat fat, 19g carbs PER SERVING Nutty: 656 cals, 44g fat, 9g sat fat, 13g carbs SERVES 2 For the crunchy garlic chicken: ✣2 chicken breast fillets, skinless and boneless ✣4tbsp grated Parmesan ✣ 5tbsp mayonnaise ✣1 garlic clove, crushed ✣Zest of ½ a lemon ✣2tsp finely chopped fresh herbs ✣50g (1¾oz) panko crumbs ✣2 lemon wedges, to serve For the nutty chicken: ✣2 chicken breast fillets, skinless and boneless ✣4tbsp grated Parmesan ✣ 5tbsp mayonnaise ✣1tsp Dijon mustard ✣ ½tsp dried mixed herbs ✣30g (1oz) nuts of your choice, finely chopped ✣30g (1oz) panko crumbs 1 The method…

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth (£8.99, PB, Hodder & Stoughton) Fern and Rose are fraternal twins. Fern suffers from sensory processing disorder, so throughout their lives, Rose has been the one in charge, organising her sister. An avid bookworm, Fern works in the library, where her behaviours are camouflaged. But it’s there that she first meets Wally, who makes her realise that her reliance on Rose may not be as necessary as she believes. A riveting page-turner that asks when noble support becomes manipulation. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman (£8.99, PB, Penguin) Following on from Backman’s multimillion, best-selling novel A Man Called Ove, comes a poignant, quirky, uplifting and heart-wrenching book. When a reluctant robber takes everyone hostage at an apartment viewing, we find ourselves in the middle of…