Innholdsfortegnelse for 17-Sep-2024 i Woman's Weekly

French fancy I think it’s fair to say that the British have a mixed relationship with the French in the way that two competitive siblings sometimes do; as our closest neighbours that’s not surprising. In fact for hundreds of years we were regularly at loggerheads, until Edward VII (who’d spent a lot of time in Paris having the sort of fun it’s best to draw a veil over) helped develop the Entente Cordiale, which has given the two nations peaceful relations ever since. Our family has had many holidays there – it’s close, and French is the only foreign language I have even a basic knowledge of – so we’ve come to love French cuisine. If you feel the same, have a look at page 34.…

‘If there’s a celebrity version of The Traitors, count me in!’ My obsession with reality TV started with the first series of Big Brother back in 2000. As a journalist, I was fascinated by how the housemates behaved in that intense, often claustrophobic situation. For me, the biggest draw of reality TV shows is watching human relationships. Naturally inquisitive, I like knowing about people and finding out their stories. It’s a bit like watching a David Attenborough documentary! One of my favourites for this is Channel 4’s Gogglebox. If somebody told you they’d made a show about people watching telly, it sounds strange and a bit dull – and yet it’s just genius. I think you can learn a lot about humanity by watching other people. A lot of what…

Creamy tarragon chicken We love a tray bake for an easy midweek dinner. The mustard adds a piquancy that cuts through the creamy sauce to perfection. SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins COOK 50 mins ✱ 1 leek, sliced into 2cm half-moons✱ 1tbsp olive oil✱ 4 skin-on, bone-in, free-range chicken thighs✱ 1tbsp wholegrain mustard✱ 400g tin cannellini beans (and the liquid)✱ 1tbsp freshly chopped tarragon, plus extra to garnish✱ 240g frozen spinach✱ 100g crème fraiche 1 Heat the oven to 200C Fan/ Gas 7. Toss the leek in a roasting tray with the oil. Prick the chicken thighs a few times with a sharp knife, season and arrange on top. Roast for 30 mins until the chicken is golden and the skin is starting to crisp. 2 Brush the mustard on…

Coping with NASAL POLYPS These are painless soft growths inside your nose, which can block it and cause complications A chronic inflammatory condition of the nose and paranasal sinuses, these polyps cause slow, progressive nasal obstruction, with accompanied reduction in sense of smell. Polyps will look generally pale (yellow-grey in colour) and are not sensitive to touch, while the inner walls of the nose (called turbinates) are pink or reddish, and sense light touch. Polyps are usually on both sides of your nose. Over a third of patients with nasal polyps also have asthma. Young people with allergic rhinitis can occasionally be misdiagnosed as having them. They are rare in children. It’s not clear exactly what causes nasal polyps, but certain things can increase your risk, such as having asthma,…

Brittany shortbreads A northern French speciality, they’re crisp on the outside but soft in the middle. MAKES 24 (2 rounds of 12) PREP 10 mins, plus cooling COOK 15-18 mins ✱ 170g plain flour✱ 4g fine sea salt✱ 6g baking powder✱ 60g egg yolks (about 3-4)✱ 120g caster sugar✱ 120g unsalted butter, softened YOU WILL NEED ✱ 12-hole non-stick muffin tray✱ Piping bag with a 1cm round nozzle 1 Heat the oven to 170C Fan/Gas 5. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside. 2 In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together, by hand, the egg yolks and sugar until pale. Fit the paddle attachment on to the mixer, add the butter to the yolks and mix on a low speed for a…

SPRING SHOW A cluster of Erythronium (dog’s tooth violet) makes a charming display in early spring. Each has an upright stem topped with white, yellow or mauve flowers with swept-back petals, like elfin hats. These woodland dwellers prefer cool, moist conditions in dappled shade. Plant the bulbs now (creamy yellow ‘Pagoda’, H35cm, is a reliable choice) for flowers in March and April. LIGHT BOOST If your houseplants suffer from a lack of light over winter, give them a boost with a stylish indoor grow light. Not only will the daylight-mimicking lamp help keep plants healthy, but the glowing light, beaming down on the leaves, makes an attractive room feature too. If you want to get ahead with seed sowing in spring, a grow light will help seedlings develop strong roots…

Difficulty level MEASUREMENTS To fit ages 3 (6) months. MATERIALS 2 x 50g (105m) balls of Stylecraft Naturals Organic Cotton (100% cotton) in Fondant (7169)*. Pair of 4mm (No. 8) knitting needles; 4 buttons. Yarn is available from theknittingnetwork.co.uk TENSION 22 stitches and 28 rows, to 10x10cm, over stocking stitch, using 4mm needles. ABBREVIATIONS Dec, decrease; k, knit; k2togb, k2tog through back of sts; p, purl; sl, slip; ss, stocking st (k on right side and p on wrong side); st(s), stitch(es); tog, together (dec by working as many sts together as stated); up1, pick up loop lying between needles and k into the back of it; wrap1, take yarn between needles to front of work after k st or to back of work after p st, sl next st…

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: pigman. Average = 25 More than 45 = 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…

Horoscopes ARIES 21 MAR – 20 APR Look for the good qualities in each person you encounter. Love is in the air for you this week in all your relationships. TAURUS 21 APR – 21 MAY Listen, watch, and observe how you act in all situations. You’ll have some inspiring and revealing ‘aha’ moments. GEMINI 22 MAY – 21 JUN You’re coming into a new chapter of your life. During this transition you may need to release the past in order to move forward. CANCER 22 JUN – 23 JUL Explore all your options carefully. There are solutions to the issues you’ve been facing, especially if you are willing to be creative. LEO 24 JUL – 23 AUG Your finances may need some reconstructing. Look at areas in your life…

ROSEMARY BREAKING NEWS: Sources confirm that a rebellion has been crushed at Dear Towers. There are no reports of casualties. It is thought that the uprising began when the rebel leader, Mr Thomas Dear, had a bit of a moment while mowing the lawn. ‘She doesn’t want the likes of us in the house’ ‘Why is it always me who has to mow the lawn?’ said Mr D, as he parked the faithful Makita cordless by the kitchen door and prepared to go into battle. ‘What are you moaning about now?’ I said, in my usual sympathetic manner, through the open kitchen window. ‘Mowing the lawn,’ he said. ‘We must have lived here for nearly 40 years now and week in, week out for most of the year, I’m the…

There’s no better escape from reality than a trip to the cinema, but some really do offer the VIP experience: lovingly restored art deco cinemas and nostalgic picture houses that are about as far away from a modern multiplex as you can get. We round up our favourites. Hyde Park Picture House, Leeds This highly original venue is one of the UK’s only cinemas to have been owned by a council – and the country’s only surviving gaslit cinema. With its distinctive facade, ornate balcony and exterior box office, the building is as colourful as its past. Opening in 1914, as World War One was getting under way, the cinema offered a welcome escape. Surviving the advent of TV and multiplexes, it has staged fun PR stunts – including using…

Lip service The mouth is an often-forgotten-about zone when it comes to sun protection, and yet the skin here is thinner and more susceptible to damage, leaving lips dry at best; sore, swollen and flaky at worst. If you’ve been burnt, apply a cool compress and treat lips with Lifeplan Aloe Vera Gel, £8.50, Boots, from the fridge. If you’ve neglected your lips and they feel dry, tight and chapped, apply E.l.f. Holy Hydration! Lip Mask, £7, elfcosmetics.co.uk, then follow with a daily dose of Clarins Lip Oil Balm, £27, clarins.co.uk, made with 99% skincare ingredients and a hint of colour. Don’t be so sensitive In moderation, the sun can relieve issues like eczema, but exposure can also be a trigger if you suffer with redness, flushing or rosacea. When…

Should I attend his funeral? Q My ex-husband and father of my children died recently. My children want me to go to the funeral and the wake, but his new wife doesn’t. My sisters-in-law said I would be welcome, but to remember that my ex wanted nothing to do with me. I want to support my children, who are in their early 20s, and don’t get on with their stepmother. I also want to pay my respects. Nicola, Liverpool A These events are often difficult when parents have divorced. The two main ‘players’ in this event are your deceased ex and his wife. It sounds like both of them wouldn’t want you there. That said, your children are important too and they have asked for your support. I think you need to ask them if there is a…

Difficulty level TRIO OF FRAMES Just add a piece of backing fabric, batting and a frame, and you can make these simple pictures – ideal for showing off your designs. YOU WILL NEED ✱ Hexagon, diamond and trapezium templates (right)✱ Fat quarter spot fabric✱ Fat quarter floral fabric✱ Matching thread✱ Hand-sewing needle✱ Scrap paper✱ White backing fabric✱ Batting✱ Small white/cream button✱ 23x23cm frames 1 Enlarge the templates by 200% and use these to trace out the templates on to scrap paper. Cut out seven diamond and 12 trapezium shapes from the paper. Pin the paper pieces on to your fabrics in the following configurations: hexagons, six spot, one floral; diamonds, seven spot; trapezium, six spot, six floral. Cut out each piece with a ¼in seam allowance. Cut three squares of…

Lido life This is a photo of my friend Kim reading Woman’s Weekly at our fantastic outdoor salt-water lido in Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire. It has just been voted one of the top 20 lidos in the country and is fed by natural brine from the town’s underground salt pits. We are very lucky to live near to it, as there are only two inland salt-water lidos in the country – Droitwich and Nantwich. Sheila Hampton, Droitwich Spa WE DO LIKE TO BE BESIDE THE SEASIDE I found this lovely old picture in a box of postcards in London’s Camden Market. Written on the back was ‘Westcliff-on-Sea’, which is just along the coast from where I live. I love the expressions on the ladies’ faces. They look so happy to be…

Tummy troubles An unbalanced gut bacteria can mean food is not properly digested, causing an upset stomach with diarrhoea, constipation, bloating and gas. Fix it Eat plenty of plant-based foods, including fruit, veg, wholegrains, beans, chickpeas, lentils, herbs and spices. ‘These provide food for the helpful bacteria in the gut, so they can produce beneficial compounds for our cells. The greater the variety of plant foods you eat, the greater the variety of “good” bacteria your gut can support,’ explains dietician Jo Travers. Aim for 30 different plants a week with Jo’s tweaks. ✱ Embrace beans Experiment with a medley of different ones to add diversity and boost fibre. ✱ Supercharge your salad Add a chopped apple. ✱ Liven up yogurt With nuts, seeds and berries. ✱ Sneak in the…

3 HEALTH RISKS In the bathroom 1 SHARING DIRTY TOWELS ‘Over time, without washing, towels can become home for various types of bacteria and fungi due to the moist environment and contact with skin cells,’ says GP Dr Donald Grant*. Clean towels after three to four uses to avoid skin and fungal infections. 2 FLUSHING WITH THE LOO SEAT UP Reduce your risk of E-coli and norovirus by flushing the toilet with the seat down. ‘When the lid is open, droplets of water can spray on to surfaces, such as flooring or the toilet bowl, leading to the spread of bacteria,’ says Dr Grant. 3 DRINKING WATER FROM THE TAP Water from bathroom taps may harbour bacteria, such as E-coli, warns Dr Grant. Only drink water from your kitchen tap. NEWSFLASH…

Books Frankie by Graham Norton (£20, HB, Hodder & Stoughton) What a talent Graham Norton is. Aside from being one of the nation’s most loved television presenters, he writes beautifully. In this warm and humorous novel full of heart, we meet Frankie – an elderly Londoner who has led a rich life that may have gone forgotten about for years. In telling her stories to Damian, the young carer who comes to look after her, we journey from 1940s Ireland to the dazzling art scene in 1960s London, encountering tragedy, vibrant escapades and compelling characters along the way. This decades-sweeping story is an absolute triumph – it’s Norton’s best yet. The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier (£20, HB, HarperCollins) From the author of Girl with a Pearl Earring comes a compelling…