Innholdsfortegnelse for 28-Nov-2023 i Woman's Weekly

Having your cake Embarrassingly, I have to admit that when I was a child, I wasn’t a huge fan of Christmas cake. While I loved the icing, I was less keen on the marzipan or the fruit cake itself. Weirdly, when I became a young adult, I began to love the marzipan but now found the icing too sweet, and was still not wild about the cake. How wrong I was. Only now do I realise the profound error of my ways and understand that the combination of all three elements creates a magical whole, providing the ideal accompaniment to a cup of tea, and making the perfect Christmas centrepiece. If you feel the same, turn to page 22.…

Every day of my life is unexpected. There is no consistency. Not so long ago, I was in Maine, kayaking – my reward for working on my play I’m Not as Well as I Thought I Was [Ruby is currently completing the last sold-out shows at London’s Soho Theatre following a wider tour]. I’ve also been preparing to teach a six-day retreat at Broughton Sanctuary in Yorkshire, the most beautiful property on the planet. To reward myself for those two jobs, I’m planning a cycling trip along the Amalfi coast. It’s like I’m paying myself to have a great life. Only after a few weeks of performing a new show do I begin to relax. At first, I feel sick to my stomach, thinking, what if they don’t like it?…

These ideas will cover a tall, 20cm cake – find the 2023 recipe for our Christmas cake in our previous issue (21 November), at goodto.com/recipes/christmas-cake-brandy or scan the QR code here. If you’re covering a smaller cake, reduce the amount of marzipan and icing. HOW TO… Traditionally iced Christmas cake This method of covering the cake will give you neat, sharp edges – it’s perfect for a modern look. SERVES 20PREP 30-45 mins ✱ 1 tall 20cm Christmas cake (or 2 regular or supermarket cakes)✱ 4tbsp apricot jam, warmed✱ Icing sugar, for dusting✱ 1kg white marzipan✱ 1kg white fondant icing YOU WILL NEED ✱ 20cm cake board (optional) 1 Trim the top of the cake so it’s flat, then spread with half the jam. 2 On a work surface dusted…

3 WAYS TO... A healthier bed 1 GIVE IT AIR Don’t make your bed right away. When we wake first thing, our beds are warm from our body heat, creating an environment ripe for dust mites to thrive in. Pull back the duvet and let your bed air for at least half an hour. 2 WASH BEDDING EVERY WEEK This will help get rid of the build-up of sweat and bacteria formed while you’re sleeping. Wash stuffed animals and decorative pillows regularly too because they can harbour more dust and bacteria. 3 VACUUM YOUR MATTRESS This will help remove any dust. Don’t forget to do your pillows too. When choosing bedding, go for breathable materials such as cotton, which is less likely to trap moisture and easier to keep clean.…

Bright paintbox Once the last of the autumn leaves has fluttered to the ground, you might think that’s it for garden colour. Yet, when laid bare, the stems of some trees and shrubs draw bold lines of yellow, red, orange, purple and white across the garden. Position them where they catch the sun and can be seen from the house, to enjoy them without stepping outside. Sculptural willow Willow (Salix) is fast-growing and has slimline stems in lively shades, like copper-red ‘Britzensis’, bronze-red ‘Yelverton’ or amber ‘Golden Ness’. Its upright, flowing shape provides a fantastic focal point, especially if contrasted with low, spreading evergreens or carpets of heathers. The key to getting the best colour – and to keeping this vigorous tree at the size you want – is to…

“Once a year, at about this time, Mr Dear attends an unofficial school reunion. Unofficial in this case means that they meet in a pub restaurant and get slightly drunk. About five years ago, there was a special dinner in honour of a history teacher called Wilkinson. Wives were allowed to attend, and I had a long chat with Mr Wilkinson. ‘I don’t remember you,’ he said. ‘Well, you wouldn’t,’ I said. ‘It was a boys’ school.’ ‘Ah, that would explain it.’ He looked sadly down the tables at the shiny red faces. ‘I don’t seem to recognise anybody any more,’ he said. ‘They come up to me and chat as if it was only last week that they left school. But they rarely look like they did all those…

MAGIC, MURDER – AND MACBETH Ralph Fiennes takes on the title role in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a production designed to bring the audience closer to the action. Lusting for power after a tantalising prediction by three witches, and egged on relentlessly by his wife, Macbeth determines to make himself King… at any price. Opening at The Depot in Liverpool, then moving to Edinburgh and London. ✱ macbeththeshow.com Light up the night It’s the perfect time of year to catch one of nature’s most spectacular sights: the Northern Lights. During the aurora borealis, as they’re also known, millions of charged particles from space are lit up by the sun as they collide with our atmosphere’s magnetic fields. Scotland is blessed with some of the best places for seeing these dazzling light shows,…

After Eight Launched in 1962, the minty square with its own envelope has stayed true to its origins in that debonair decade. Originally manufactured at Rowntree’s York factory, the creation of After Eight was a technical triumph for the time. The fondant could not be covered in chocolate unless it was hard, so an ingredient was added to allow the peppermint middle to soften in the fortnight after production. Equally iconic is After Eight’s logo, which was based on an antique, baroque clock that appeared in early TV adverts. By the 1980s, the chocolate mint was so popular you could buy a silver-plated After Eight carriage to display them in. True to their name, three-quarters of these chocolates are eaten after 8pm! MILK TRAY Many a friend or relative will…

1 SPA TIME Containing a body scrub and body wash from the gorgeously scented lily and rose collection, this bath-time essentials kit gives the gift of pampering. Infused with 92% natural origin ingredients, the sweetly scented duo is a treat for the senses. Sanctuary Spa Lily & Rose Essentials Duo, £10, Sainsbury’s 2 POWER POUT You can’t get better value than Primark’s festive beauty gift sets and this one – which contains a luscious lip oil, super-shimmery lip gloss, everyday lipstick and liner – is a really great way to experiment with some new textures and colours… and all for just £7! PS… Lip Set, £7, Primark 3 SOFTER SKIN This sweet decorative drum contains nourishing clementine and clove hand cream, and a lip balm packed with vitamin E. The…

ADVICE FROM OUR WOMAN’S WEEKLY DOCTOR There are many causes of swollen ankles, from simply being in a hot environment or being overweight to more serious conditions such as deep-vein thrombosis, heart failure, kidney or liver failure, thyroid disease, inflammation of joints or soft tissues, lymphatic blockage and local infections, such as cellulitis. For most people, simply resting, cooling and elevating the legs is enough to make it settle. Avoid standing for long periods, wear soft flat shoes and don’t wear tight footwear, socks or tights. Swollen ankles are common in pregnancy, but can also be a sign of something more serious such as pre-eclampsia, so you should urgently talk to your midwife about it. If swelling (also called oedema) does not go down or gets worse, especially if you…

Books The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok (£14.99, HB, Viper Books) Jasmine Yang finds out her presumed dead daughter was sent to America – a result of China’s one-child policy – so she flees to find her. In New York, publisher Rebecca Whitney has it all, including a Chinese daughter – until a scandal threatens everything. Two women on a collision course hurtle through twists and turns to an ending that will have you tearing through the last pages. A novel about identity and belonging, ambition and motherhood – it’s a triumph. Water by John Boyne (£12,99, HB, Doubleday) One of contemporary fiction’s most loved writers, Boyne not only opens up conversations, he writes beautifully and sensitively. And he does this yet again with Water – the first part of…

Letter of the week Triple the charity effort These three ladies from the Craft Group at Fosbrooke House in Lytham are also readers of Woman’s Weekly. One of them spotted your pattern for a baby vest in your 27 June issue. Their desire to help people living in fuel poverty in the coming winter months got their needles clicking. A couple of other people joined in as well. Muriel, Dorothy and Betty (left to right) have a total age in excess of 270 years and are pictured here with the tops they made, all knitted with love! Betty Pedley, Lytham GET IN TOUCH WE LOVE LETTERS Woman’s Weekly, Future plc, 121-141 Westbourne Terrace, London W2 6JR. P.S. It really helps when you put your details in capitals. ✱ We do…

After rehoming two Shetland ponies, Lindsey Head’s inspiration came when she took one of them, Pickles, to visit her poorly father, John, at his nursing home in 2020. He had longed to see Pickles again and was able to have one more visit with her there, the day before he died. Lindsey was struck by the sheer joy that Pickles had brought him. How many others might benefit from meeting these charming, intelligent and cheeky little animals? And so, Pixie & Pickles Therapy Ponies was born and, last year, Lindsey took her ponies on special Christmas appearances for the first time, to care homes, hospitals and schools, to bring festive cheer to one and all. ‘I had been around horses all my life and when one of my horses passed…

How do I take it to the next level? Q I moved to a new town after I retired. I have since met a few people through my exercise class, and we go for coffee once a week. I like them and would enjoy spending time with them outside the class. I know they meet to go to the cinema together and have dinner, but they never invite me. I don’t know how to get into the group. Louise, Cardiff A It takes time to build relationships and to join an established group. That said, it sounds as though you are waiting for them to invite you to things rather than you being proactive. Next time you hear them talking about something, you could ask if you could come too. They’re unlikely to…

Difficulty level Finished size: 21 x 11cm YOU WILL NEED ✱ Tracing paper and pencil ✱ Access to a photocopier ✱ 40 x 40cm square of patterned fabric ✱ 25 x 15cm rectangle of medium-weight wadding ✱ Bodkin ✱ 60cm of 1.8cm-wide bias binding ✱ 37cm x 1.5cm wide elastic ✱ Matching sewing thread STOCKIST Tilda Bloomsville Flowertangle cotton fabric, £3.75 per fat quarter, Sewing Direct; sewingdirect.co.uk 1 Trace the template (right) onto folded tracing paper, matching the broken lines to the fold. Mark the arrows and dots, then enlarge on a photocopier. Cut out and open out flat. From patterned fabric, cut one 48 x 5.5cm bias strip for the elastic channel and one pair of sleep masks. From wadding, cut one sleep mask. 2 Fold the elastic casing…

Difficulty level MEASUREMENTS Width Approximately 30cm wide. Length 1 ball of yarn will make about 65cm/25½in of table runner. MATERIALS Enough 100g (290m) balls of King Cole Glitz DK (98% acrylic, 2% polyester) to make your desired length in White (Diamond White 483)*. Pair each of 3.75mm (No. 9) and 4mm (No. 8) knitting needles. Yarn is available from theknittingnetwork.co.uk TENSION 22 stitches and 50 rows to 10x10cm, over pattern, using 3.75mm needles. ABBREVIATIONS K, knit; patt, pattern; p, purl; st(s), stitch(es); tbl, through the back loops; tog, together (decrease by working as many stitches together as stated); y2rn, yarn twice round needle to make 2 sts. NOTES When joining in a new ball of yarn, work the join inside the 3 edge sts. Yarn amounts are based on average…

Wordwise You have 15 minutes to find as many words as possible using the letters in the grid. Each word must contain four or more letters, one of which must be the central square. No proper nouns, plurals or foreign words are allowed. There is one nine-letter word in the grid, for which the clue is: Able to be written correctly. Average = 15 More than 25 = well done LINKWORDS Fit 10 words into the grid so that each links with the end of the word on its left and the beginning of the one on the right. Then unscramble the letters in the shaded squares to make a word. CLUE: Town in County Durham, on the River Skerne. Crossword Try the easy or cryptic clues, then rearrange the…

Horoscopes ARIES 21 MAR – 20 APR Start work on new projects, making the most of any opportunities. Stay positive and doors will open for you. TAURUS 21 APR – 21 MAY You may have some important decisions coming up. Don’t let others influence you. Trust your inner wisdom to guide you. GEMINI 22 MAY – 21 JUN You’re going through many changes now, and everything is beginning to move forwards for you. Keep going and you’ll achieve your desired results. CANCER 22 JUN – 23 JUL Think carefully about your life. Which areas need more of your attention? Make time for the most important things first and the rest will fall into place. LEO 24 JUL – 23 AUG You have a natural generosity of spirit. Cultivate it as…