Innholdsfortegnelse for 9-Jan-2024 i Woman's Weekly

A 2024 welcome to you As much as I love our modern Christmas, I sometimes think they organised things better in the old days, when the feasting began on Christmas Day and ended with a bang on Twelfth Night. The beginning of January can feel a bit bleak, so it seems to me like a good idea for the fun to continue into its first week. However, many people welcome the post-celebration return to calm and normality, with perhaps an accompanying opportunity to take stock and maybe make a few lifestyle changes. So, if you are looking for a new year refresh, either for yourself or your home, take a look at pages 12, 18 and 32. Happy New Year!…

Silent Witness returns for an astonishing 27th series next week. Emilia Fox joined the drama in 2004 as Dr Nikki Alexander, the forensic expert with a keen eye for crime and a deft way with a scalpel, and the intervening two decades have not dimmed Emilia’s enthusiasm for the job – she loves playing Nikki as much now as she did when she first appeared in the role. ‘It is a privilege to do something for 20 years that you really love,’ enthuses the 49-year-old actor. ‘What’s that phrase? “Choose a job that you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.”’ ‘I feel lucky that I’ve landed a part that I have loved playing for this long. Nikki has been an ally through all…

A Findus Crispy Pancake, a golden turkey, melon drenched in port – it’s funny how food memories can transport us to a time and place. For good or for bad, one bite can take us back to a particular moment, bringing with it everything we felt at that time. Findus pancakes were part of my childhood. With both parents at work, this was food we could forage from the freezer on our own. Christmas dinners were always special, though, with a big turkey. Even when my dad was in the later stages of motor neurone disease, I remember the joy of being together around the Christmas table. Apart from the year my mother got fancy and drenched a perfectly good, much-anticipated melon in port, making it inedible. Oh, the frustration!…

For most adults, fancy dress is a rare occasion – a Halloween party or Christmas, perhaps – but for Stephanie Lavery, it’s her everyday attire. Because, as a living history interpreter, she spends her days recreating female Viking traders, Victorian jailers and suffragettes, among many other people from the past. ‘To start, it used to get confusing and I would have to look down to remind myself who I was that day,’ laughs the 43-year-old from Cookstown, Co Tyrone, in Northern Ireland. ‘It’s great fun – I definitely think I’ve got the best job!’ Since she was a child, growing up in South Wales, near the ruins of Raglan Castle, Stephanie has always been fascinated by history. Gazing up at the imposing building, she’d wonder about the lords and ladies…

What’s that? It’s the latest issue of Woman’s Weekly Healthy Living magazine, which focuses on having your healthiest year ever. It’s packed with expert advice and the latest scientific research about healthier joints, losing tummy fat, what to eat to boost your brain and how to feel happier. NEWSFLASH Diabetes risk for sleep-starved older women Getting six hours of sleep or less every night may raise the risk of type 2 diabetes in women, particularly those beyond menopausal age, according to a new study. The trial, led by Columbia University in New York, found that women who usually slept for 7.5 hours and pushed back their sleep time to six hours had an increase in blood-sugar levels and insulin resistance, putting them at higher risk of diabetes. MY HEALTHY…

1 ADD A SPLASH OF COLOUR An affordable way to revamp your bathroom is to introduce pops of colour with accessories. In a monochrome scheme, try including a happy shade of yellow through towels, a bath mat and plant pots. Yellow not your colour? Try a teal, pale pink or even multicolours to jazz things up! ✱ Similar Koros yellow bath mat, £13, B&Q; similar towels in yellow, from £7 for a hand towel, Dunelm 2 BRIGHTEN WITH MIRRORS The more natural light you can achieve in your bathroom, the better. Not only does it give the whole space a more open and inviting feel, but it makes tasks like applying your make-up much easier. Choose the biggest mirror you can fit on your wall to allow it to bounce…

Books Cover the Bones by Chris Hammer (£20, HB, Headline) Amid an arid desert, palm trees flourish in a verdant paradise. The fictional township of Yuwonderie is a perfect example of an Australian Irrigation Area, where water trading is real and the wealthy ‘Seven’ rule the roost. When a tortured body is found in an irrigation canal, regional detectives Lucic and Buchanan realise that this fertile oasis is not as perfect as the inhabitants would have you believe. Is a century of hereditary secrets, feudal control, greed and violence about to trigger the collapse of this utopian idyll? Complex and twisty with a genius finale. The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan (£16.99, HB, Hodder & Stoughton) A new voice in historical fiction, Chan has crafted a moving, unflinching portrayal…

Horoscopes ARIES 21 MAR – 20 APR Keep a positive attitude and you will find that everything and everyone will work in your favour. Life will be magical! TAURUS 21 APR – 21 MAY You’re going through many changes now. Remember to be kind to yourself and you’ll come through just fine. GEMINI 22 MAY – 21 JUN This is a wonderful time for meeting new people and for making social connections. Wherever you go, you may find people seeking you out. CANCER 22 JUN – 23 JUL Your health is in the spotlight this week. Listen to your body and pay attention to its messages. If you do this, you’ll generate more energy. LEO 24 JUL – 23 AUG It’s time for action. No more procrastinating and sitting on…

PRETTY ENTERTAINING Strictly Come Dancing fans will have no trouble recognising one of Pretty Woman’s stars – 2016 Glitterball champ Ore Oduba plays Happy Man in the theatre production currently touring the UK and Ireland. The enduringly popular love story – made famous in the 1990 classic film starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere – is in Aberdeen and Liverpool this month. ✱ prettywomanthemusical.com Look out for nature Since 1736, dedicated nature-watchers have recorded how animals and plants respond to the changing seasons. Today, this valuable work is carried forward by Nature’s Calendar, a project run by the Woodland Trust. We can all join in, by monitoring when specific events in nature happen throughout the year. Even in these chilly months you can record the first snowdrop, the first thrush…

Our love affair with the humble cuppa started more than 350 years ago and is still as strong today as a legendary builder’s brew. We currently drink around 100 million cups of tea a day – which is not surprising, as we all know putting the kettle on can help solve just about anything! MILK FIRST OR LAST? It’s a debate that’s been raging for years, but science claims to have found the answer. Professor Alan Mackie, the head of Leeds University’s School Of Food Science & Nutrition, says pouring milk on a teabag before adding hot water helps counteract the high mineral content of hard water, which prevents flavour compounds from forming properly. He advises people living in hard-water areas to think about using the milk-first method. Tea fit…

1 CHOOSE TIMELESS STAPLES Avoid trend-led pieces and stick to classics you’ll wear time and time again. Sale shopping is the perfect opportunity to update your jeans, invest in a winter coat or freshen up your ankle boots. Before you buy, always ask yourself, would you buy it if it wasn’t on sale? ‘It’s easy to get carried away with all the great offers out there, so try to set a spending limit and keep this in mind while browsing the sales,’ says Jo Miller, head of design at Crew Clothing. 2 SHOP OUT OF SEASON Buying sandals in the height of winter can seem jarring but when demand for the product is low, you can nab yourself some real bargains. Again, look to capsule wardrobe pieces that you know…

Spiced shepherd’s pie A richly spiced sauce with dried fruits and garlicky mash topping make this extra special – the addition of lentils keeps it leaner on cost and cals. SERVES 6 PREP 35 mins COOK 45 mins ✱ 2tbsp olive oil✱ 500g minced lamb✱ 1 large onion, finely chopped✱ 3 garlic cloves, crushed✱ 2tsp cumin seeds✱ 1tsp ground allspice✱ 3tbsp tomato puree✱ 2-3tbsp harissa✱ 200ml white wine✱ 100g dried apricots, quartered✱ 100g dried green lentils, rinsed✱ 600ml lamb or chicken stock✱ Zest 1 lemon✱ 100g pitted green olives, halved FOR THE TOPPING ✱ 800g Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into even-sized pieces✱ 200ml milk✱ 1tbsp salted butter✱ 3 garlic cloves 1 Heat the oil in a large, lidded casserole or saucepan, then add the lamb and fry until…

ADVICE FROM OUR WOMAN’S WEEKLY DOCTOR Tracheostomy is a procedure to help air and oxygen reach the lungs by creating an opening into the windpipe (trachea) at the front of the neck. A person with one breathes through a tracheostomy tube inserted in the opening, if necessary connected to an oxygen supply and a breathing machine (ventilator). It may be needed if you’re unable to breathe normally after a head, neck or spinal cord injury, if your muscles are very weak (such as after a stroke, or in the cases of motor neurone disease or Guillain-Barré syndrome), or your throat is blocked by swelling, infection, tumour or a foreign body. Tracheostomy may also be carried out to remove fluid build up in the airways – for instance, if you’re unable…

Marmalade puddings with custard Individual desserts of sweet joy, made lighter on fat by whisking eggs and sugar with buttermilk. SERVES 6 PREP 15 mins COOK 35 mins ✱ 2 medium eggs✱ 80g caster sugar✱ 80g soft light brown sugar✱ 200g buttermilk✱ Zest and juice ½ orange✱ Zest ½ lime✱ ½tsp allspice✱ 200g self-raising flour✱ 1tbsp agave syrup or honey✱ 4tbsp bitter orange marmalade✱ Low-fat custard, to serve YOU WILL NEED ✱ 6 dariole moulds (155ml), non-stick or sprayed with low-calorie oil spray 1 Heat the oven to 160C Fan/Gas 4. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugars until thick and creamy. On a low speed, beat in the buttermilk, orange and lime zests, allspice and flour. 2 In a bowl, mix the orange juice, agave syrup…

Knitting Instructions overleaf Dif f iculty level MEASUREMENTS To fit bust 82-86 (92-97) (102-107) (112-117)cm/32-34 (36-38) (40-42) (44-46)in. Actual measurements 95.5 (108) (121) (133.5)cm/37½ (42½) (47¾) (52½)in. Length to back neck 55 (56) (57) (58)cm/21¾ (22) (22½) (23)in. Sleeve length All sizes 45cm/17¾in. MATERIALS 9 (10) (12) (13) x 50g (104m) balls of King Cole Merino Blend DK (100% superwash wool) in Pink (Raspberry 907) and 3 (3) (4) (4) balls in White (001)*. Pair each of 3.25mm (No. 10) and 4mm (No. 8) knitting needles; stitch holders. Yarn is available from theknittingnetwork.co.uk TENSION 22 stitches and 32 rows to 10x10cm, over stitch pattern, using 4mm needles. ABBREVIATIONS K, knit; patt, pattern; p, purl; skpo, slip 1, k1, pass slipped stitch over (to decrease 1 st); st(s), stitch(es); tog, together…

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, plural words are allowed. There is one nine-letter word in the grid, for which the clue is: signature. Average = 15 More than 25 = well done SUDOKU To solve this puzzle, fill in the grid so that each 3 x 3 box, each row and each column contains the numbers 1-9. 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.…

You’ll remember that last week’s episode took place in the chilly flat of my little sister Deb. You might also remember that we summoned help from that renowned domestic engineer Dr Dear, who quickly diagnosed a fault in the underfloor heating – Deb had forgotten to turn it on. ‘Why didn’t you do something earlier?’ he wondered. ‘I didn’t like to make a fuss.’ That was a few days ago, and my sides have only just become unsplit. Honestly, there is nobody in the known universe who enjoys making a fuss more than my sister. She is a leading, international-standard fusspot. If fuss was a type of food, Deb would win MasterChef. ‘Don’t be clever, Rosie – it doesn’t suit you’ Anyway, a few days have passed and we are…

Forget fad diets and overhauling how you eat, it’s the small, drip-drip changes that you make to the way you eat that can help you to get slim – and stay there. Follow these simple tips to get into shape. AVOID SWEETENERS ‘People who regularly use artificial sweeteners tend to gain weight – they can slow the digestive process and increase appetite,’ says nutritionist Dr Marilyn Glenville. MAKE A STAND Standing for just an extra two hours a day can have a positive effect on lowering blood sugar, blood fats and weight. GOOD-MOOD FOOD Include plenty of tryptophan-rich foods in your diet, such as turkey, eggs, bananas and walnuts. ‘Carb cravings are a sign of low levels of the amino acid tryptophan, which is necessary for serotonin production – a…

Wash your hair more often ‘Your scalp is a living tissue; it sweats, produces oils and sheds skin cells,’ explains trichologist Anabel Kingsley. ‘You wouldn’t leave more than three days between washing your face – apply the same thinking to your hair and scalp. I advise most of my clients to shampoo frequently to obtain the best scalp conditions for healthy hair growth. Every day for fine hair, every other day for medium hair and no more than three days apart for coarse or coiled hair textures.’ Massage your shampoo all over the scalp for a minute, then rinse thoroughly to remove all product, dirt and oil. Monday Clarify Shampoo, £4.99, Superdrug, is a deep-cleansing option, while Philip Kingsley Moisture Balancing Combination Shampoo, £24, philipkingsley.co.uk, delivers moisture to dry ends. Pop…

Help! Neighbours are a nightmare Q I have new neighbours on both sides, living in rental properties, and they seem to have no regard for the property they’re living in or mine. They leave mess in my garden, have parties till all hours and talk on their doorstep till dawn. I’ve asked them to be more considerate but nothing changes. And the letting agent has done nothing. Name and address withheld A It sounds like you’ve done the right thing by talking to them and the agents. If the dispute involves a statutory nuisance like unreasonable noise, you can make a complaint to your local council, which has a duty to investigate, and may tell the tenant to stop or they could incur legal charges. You can also put in a…

Dif f iculty level FINISHED SIZE 38x42cm YOU WILL NEED ✱ Two pairs of jeans (if purchasing the jeans from a charity shop, buy the largest you can find. A light and a dark pair will give the best contrast and, ideally, the denim would have little to no stretch in it)✱ 46x86cm lining fabric✱ Seam ripper✱ Sewing machine with denim needle✱ Embroidery threads✱ Embroidery needle✱ Heat-erasable pen✱ Cutting mat✱ Quilting ruler✱ Rotary cutter NOTE Sew 2cm seam allowances, and press seams open throughout unless stated otherwise. 1 Using a seam ripper, remove the belt loops, waistbands and back pockets. Cut away any zips, buttons and buttonholes, then tidy up any stray threads. Cut the two waistbands to the same length, then topstitch the raw edges closed to create the…