Monthly Archives: January 2012

Five Steps to Losing Weight and Debt in the New Year.

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MMI offers practical advice for losing weight and debt in the New Year.

Every New Year, shedding weight and debt is at the top of the list for millions of people resolving to change for the better. According to a recent Times Report, these two are also among the most often broken resolutions.

While experts have offered numerous techniques and strategies for losing weight and paying down debt, the fundamental lifestyle change remains consistent for both – consume less.  Financial stability begins with spending less than you make, followed by paying more on what you owe.  Losing weight begins with consuming fewer calories, and becoming more active.

If you are among the millions vowing to finally achieve a healthy waistline and a healthy bottom-line, consider the following five steps:

  1. Make the commitment.  When considering any lifestyle adjustment, the first step is to decide – are you ready to make the commitment to do what it takes to improve your health and financial wellbeing?  Are you ready to accept responsibility for changing your situation?  Do you believe that you can and will change the way you make decisions about food and money? It isn’t until you can truthfully answer yes to these questions that you will be ready to face the challenges of creating a healthier physical and fiscal life.
  2. Create a plan.  Creating a budget and a meal plan starts with tracking – tracking expenses and tracking calories.  Consider carrying a pocket notebook for noting every penny spent and calorie consumed.  Review your results and look for areas where you should and can make cut backs.
  3. Develop SMART goals .  One of the most important pieces to being successful in these areas is to set clear goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, rewarding and trackable.  Remember to create short-term, or milestone, goals as well as a target accomplishment.  If your ultimate goal is to become debt free, celebrate when you pay off 25 percent.  The same goes with weight lost. If you aspire to lose 50lbs., acknowledge every 5 to 10lbs. as an accomplishment.
  4. Eliminate temptations.  Once you have a clear calorie and spending budget outlined, remove any obstacles that may hinder your success.  Don’t carry your credit cards in your wallet and don’t keep high calorie sweets in the house.  Leave your cards at home in a safe place and only take them out when you have a planned purchase and payoff strategy.  The same applied with food temptations.  If you know you’re going to be in an environment where you’ll be tempted to indulge, eat a light snack before you leave the house.
  5. Stay flexible. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see the pounds or debt melting away as quickly as you had hoped.  Change doesn’t happen overnight, and there are no quick fixes. The important thing is to remain flexible and committed. If you aren’t meeting your goals, revisit and adjust your plans as often as necessary.

Remember, you are human and set-backs are inevitable.  However, if you are truly committed to doing what it takes to meet your goals, you can accomplish anything.  To learn more about staying committed to your New Year’s resolutions, visit MoneyManagement.org and down New Beginnings , one of MMI’s free eBooks.

THE ERA OF iPARENTING

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New mums turn to the internet for parenting advice

 

New mums are more likely to log on than go to their own mums for parenting advice, according to a new report released today.

 

A resounding eight in 10 mums (80%) turn to Google, parenting forums or Facebook before asking their own mums for advice (44%), according to the research commissioned by Growingupmilkinfo.com, a new website for parents providing information about toddler growth and development.

 

Psychologist Doctor Richard Woolfson comments: “The internet continues to be a growing influence with popular forums likes Mumsnet and Netmums being a key advice resource for new mums, whilst a third of mums (33%) head to Google for parenting advice. This is good because it means parents have immediate access to valuable advice, exactly when they need it.

 

“Unfortunately, that also means the traditional source of parenting support – from grandma and grandpa – is less popular. This is partly due to the younger generations moving further away from where they grew up so parents and grandparents are less likely to live around the corner than they used to.”

 

The Online Generation

Mothers over the age of 35 were most likely (71%) to rely on the internet for support and advice. However, the social network savvy under 25s were the biggest Facebook users for parenting queries (15% versus 9% national average).

 

Dr Woolfson continues: “Thirty years ago your family probably would have lived in the next street but now they might live on the other side of the country or even the other side of the world. Yet I still tell new parents to ask granny and grandpa for their advice. You don’t have to take it but there’s no harm in listening.”

 

Our Regional Differences

  • Southampton mums are the most reliant on friends and family for advice with three in four (75%) relying on their expertise, compared to less than half in Newcastle (44%)
  • Welsh mums are the least dependent on forums, with less than a third (29% versus 38% national average) relying on this source, compared to almost half (47%) the mums in Plymouth
  • Mums in the capital are twice as likely to tap video sharing site YouTube for tips and advice (10% versus 5% national average) while the opposite could be said of mums in the Scottish capital with one in five Edinburgh mums going it alone, asking advice from no one
  • Facebook is heavily used by mums in Brighton with more than a fifth (21%) seeking advice from Facebook friends, higher than any other city in the UK

 

Nutritionist Amanda Ursell comments: “With nearly eight out of 10 parents unaware that toddlers have different nutritional needs to adults, it is clear more needs to be done to help parents understand what nutrition they need to fuel their toddlers’ amazing growth and development. The toddler years are often overlooked but, thanks to the internet, a greater level of information is more widely available from a variety of sources including other mums, a wider network of friends, experts, brands, Governments and researchers.”

 

‘New’ Wives Tales

But new mums shouldn’t be too hasty to dismiss the wise adages of past generations, as experts confirm some of the ‘old wives’ tales’ are grounded in real facts. Nutritionist Amanda Ursell explains the truth behind some popular old sayings:

 

  • An apple a day keeps the doctor away. According to Amanda Ursell, “apples are great because they give us both soluble and insoluble fibre, as well as some vitamin C and a host of super nutrients. Obviously though, toddlers need to get a balanced diet that combines all major food groups. Between the ages of one to three, toddlers undergo an extraordinary period of growth and development and their nutrition needs are at least double an adult’s, relative to their size.”

 

  • Grow big and strong, like Popeye, by eating your spinach. “Spinach is a rich source of iron but it also includes a substance which makes it hard for the body to absorb this essential nutrient. Toddlers need a lot of iron – four times the amount of an adult for their size – but this can be from a range of sources. Good sources of iron include red meat, dark green leafy vegetables, eggs and hummus. One easy way to give toddlers some of the key nutrients they need is to use fortified foods and drinks, such as Growing Up Milk.”

 

  • Carrots help you see in the dark. “This was really a piece of World War II propaganda and it isn’t actually true but it’s certainly true that carrots can be part of a healthy balanced diet. They provide one of your 5-a-day and are a good source of beta-carotene, which is converted in your body to vitamin A – an essential vitamin.”

 

  • Take cod liver oil for your joints. “Cod liver oil is rich in vitamin D, which is needed for the growth and development of bones. However, it isn’t recommended for children these days. Other sources of vitamin D that children can eat include fortified foods like breakfast cereals or Growing Up Milk, as well as foods like egg yolks or oily fish.”

 

Growing Up Milk is made from cows’ milk enriched with key nutrients that toddlers need like vitamins A, C and D, iron and calcium. Giving your Little One-der two 150ml beakers of Growing Up Milk each day is an easy way to help provide them with the extra nutrients they need, as part of a healthy balanced diet.

What Dress Size Are You?

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One of Frost’s favourite things this week was being told about this site, that lets you know what dress size you are, by our writer Alexa Brown. It is a great site where you just move the tab around and it tells you what dress size you are in all of the different stores. From Top Shop to Jigsaw. Have fun!

You can also follow the creator on Twitter

Pizza Express New Leggera Launch Event

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I have always been a huge fan of Pizza Express. Ever since I was a small child I have admired the skill of the chefs as they created their pizzas and I confess I have always wanted to try making one.

You can therefore imagine my excitement when Frost was invited to a demonstration event of Pizza Expresses new Leggera range. Frequent Pizza Express visitors will already be familiar with the Leggera pizzas. A Leggera pizza has the same quantity of toppings as a normal pizza but cuts out a lot of the dough from the centre and replaces it with a scrumptious salad. The result is, a much healthier pizza, more delicious and guilt free pizza with under 500 calories. Following its initial success Pizza Express has now expanded its Leggera range to include five more pizzas.

We arrived at the Pizza Express in Islington to a very warm welcome. After a few drinks we were treated to a demonstration on how to make a Leggera by the extremely skilful and very friendly Leo. The pizza Leo made was the Padana (Tomato Sauce, Spinach, Onions, Goats Cheese, Garlic Oil, Oregano and Black Pepper).

The finished pizza is a work of art 

Next it’s our turn. We get to choose which Pizza we want to make from one of the new Leggera options.

Pomodoro Pesto – Light mozzerella and marinated santos tomatoes with fresh basil, pesto and garlic oil

Padana – Spinach, goats cheese and caramelised onions

Pollo Ad Astra – Chicken, sweet peppadew peppers, cajun spices, red onions and garlic oil

American/American Hot – Pepperoni, Mozzarella and Fresh Tomato

Gustosa – Prosciutto cotto ham, light mozzarella and Portobello mushrooms with red peppers

We both go for the Pollo Ad Astra. This is already one of my favourite pizzas and now I have the chance to try it as a Leggera. We arrive at our table greeted by Luigi a friendly young Italian chef who is there to watch over us. First we have to cut and roll the dough into a pizza base. This is much harder than you might imagine. Sure enough, rather than a perfect circle, my base sticks out horribly on one side. Luigi politely offers suggestions. I ask him how long it takes for him to make one and he says the whole pizza is usually finished in five minutes!

With my base roughly the right shape, I’m told to take my dough and fling it between my hands to remove excess flour. Despite our mistakes the whole process is the most fun I’ve had in ages.

15 minutes later our dough is in the pizza tins. We use a cutter to remove a large amount of dough from the centre of our pizzas and it’s on to the ingredients. I greedily add extra bits of everything, particularly the garlic oil which I love. Our pizzas are then whisked off to the oven where it only takes four minutes to cook them. Some rocket, beautiful ricotta salata cheese and balsamic dressing and our pizza is finished.

And wow it tasted amazing. There is something about Pizza Express pizzas (and I’m sure it’s the quality of ingredients) which has always put them far ahead of their rivals. Other pizzas never come close in taste.

My Pollo Ad Astra is delicious. The base is beautifully thin and crispy and provides the perfect platform for the wonderful combination of the succulent chicken mozzarella, tomato sauce, sweet peppers and red onions. The cajun spice gives the dish a delicious extra kick. The addition of the Leggera element provides a wonderful contrast. The rocket and dressing gives the dish a better balance. All in all the PERFECT PIZZA!

As we happily tuck in we are joined by the wonderful Juliet  who is a nutritionist. She tells us all the pizzas have under 500 calories despite having the same amount of ingredients as the classic pizzas. This is because of less dough and a scrumptious new lower fat mozzarella they are now using. She also introduces us to the delightful Leggera wines. All with lower calories and slightly less alcohol content. The red being 9.5% and the white 9%. They are delicious and we have soon finished our glasses.

The whole evening was a wonderful experience. It was incredibly well organised and everyone was extremely warm and friendly as I have always found Pizza Express to be.

This is a great British company with real authentic Italian cooking. It offers great value for money. Pizza Express never feels like a chain. Why settle for a shoddy alternative with poor quality ingredients.

 

5 spiced double cooked quail with poached pears meyer lemon relish

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Five spiced double cooked quail with poached pears meyer lemon relish

Quail

Bone quails whole marinate in Chinese five spice for 24 hours.

Steam quails for 3 minutes and blast chill

Meyer lemon relish

6 each meyer lemons

2 cup white wine vinegar

1/2 cup water

1 cooking apple

4 garlic cloves crushed

2 onions

safron pinch

1 tbsp horseraddish

2 tbsp ginger

1 tsp sea salt

2 cup castor sugar

Zest lemons and reserve juice lemons, then place zest juice water and

Vinegar in a non metallic bowl for 24 hours.

Mince all ingredients in robo coup and place on simmer reduce to chutney

Like consistency

Poached Pears

5OO ML of red wine pinot noir is good

1 stick of cinnamom

1 star anise

3 white pepper corns

125 grams of sugar

3 coriander seeds

1 clove

Method

Place all ingredients in pot and simmer allowing all flavours to infuse then add 2 -3 pears peeled leave core in poach slowly do not boil you want a firm texture not soggy.

Dish Presentation

Place quail into hot fryer and fry till skin is golden takes about 2-3 minutes take out and finish in oven for about 4 minutes

Take pears out of poaching liquid and slice into equal segements the lay 1 piece of crispy prosciutto then place crispy quail on top

Then add a small t-spoon of relish on top of quail

Salad garnish

Pick some fresh mint chervil and dill toss in olive oil and a little lemon juice.

The recipe has come from David Spanner, Executive Chef at Livebait Manchester.

Livebait seafood and fresh fish restaurant is housed in a stunning Grade 2 listed building which is tucked away on the edge of Albert Square right in the heart of Manchester’s city centre. The restaurant dedicates its menu mainly to fish and seafood dishes and executive chef, David Spanner is intent on showcasing the true beauty and simplicity of fresh fish. The restaurant boasts an excellent wine and champagne list fit to accompany any seafood feast.

 

www.livebaitmanchester.com

 

www.livebaitleeds.com

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Master Stock for braised pork belly cucumber pickle seared scallops {Recipes}

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Master Stock for braised pork belly cucumber pickle seared scallops

5 ltr White chicken stock

500 ml Kecap manis dark soy

400 ml Japanese light soy

200 ml Shaoxing rice wine

80 gm Rock sugar

3 Star anise

3 Cassia bark

1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns

2 Green Cardamon pods

4 Oranges peel no pith

4 Birds eye chilli whole

2 knobs Ginger peeled

3 knobs Galangal

2 tsp Fennel seeds

Mix all ingredients together and bring to boil/simmer to infuse flavours.

Adjust seasoning. Use 5-6 times for poaching pork bellies.

Wash belly well and pat dry.

Line a tray with baking paper and cover with rock salt

Lay on a bed of rock salt and cover well with more rock salt.

Leave overnight.

Wash belly well to remove salt.

Bring master stock to the boil.

Line a deep tray with baking paper, place the belly in the tray

cover with baking paper and the stock, seal with foil.

Braise for 2- 3 hrs @ 230- 260 F till just tender.

Sweet and Sour Cucumber

Cucumber pickle

20 Continental cucumbers

1 ltr Peanut oil

2 ltr Rice wine vinegar

2 ltr Water

2 kg Sugar

60 cloves Garlic finely sliced across

10 Lombok chilli julienne

30 Birds eye sliced across

15 tbsp Grated ginger

5 tsp Nigela seeds

Peel ,slice cucumbers, no seeds, blanch and refresh. drain well.

Bring to the boil the water sugar oil and vinegar, allow to fully cool.

Combine all ingredients.

Place on a paper lined tray and cover with more paper and press.

Dipping Sauce

1 liter of distilled white vinegar

1 liter of water

1 kilo of sugar

2 lemon grass crushed

2 kaffir lime leaves

2 tomatoes

2 star anise

2 chillies

Coriander stalks

Place 2 lightly seasoned hand dived scallops from Scotland on char grill and cook to just medium, place pork belly with sweet chilli dipping sauce under grill until lightly caramelized then place I piece of belly with cucumber pickle and then add scallop drizzle with sweet chilli reduction. Slowly reduce for 3 – 4 hours till syrup consistency

Place fresh mint leaves and coriander leafs through the pickle cucumber salad garnish with fried crispy shallots.

 

The recipe has come from David Spanner, Executive Chef at Livebait Manchester.

Livebait seafood and fresh fish restaurant is housed in a stunning Grade 2 listed building which is tucked away on the edge of Albert Square right in the heart of Manchester’s city centre. The restaurant dedicates its menu mainly to fish and seafood dishes and executive chef, David Spanner is intent on showcasing the true beauty and simplicity of fresh fish. The restaurant boasts an excellent wine and champagne list fit to accompany any seafood feast.

 

www.livebaitmanchester.com

 

www.livebaitleeds.com

 

Prince William is St Giles Trust's 50th Anniversary Patron

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Tonight, staff at St Giles’ Trust are celebrating after Royal endorsement from His Royal Highness Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge. He has agreed to become Patron of St Giles Trust for 2012 – the very year they will celebrating their 50th Anniversary. 
 
The Duke’s Patronage highlights his interest in affording people of all ages and stages of their lives – and especially those who feel disengaged or excluded from society – the opportunity to develop a sense of purpose and realise their true potential. 

Rob Owen, CEO of St Giles Trust, said: 

“We are honoured and delighted that the Duke of Cambridge will be our patron for our important 50th anniversary year.  By supporting us, he is leading by example in helping some of the most excluded, disadvantaged people in society who really need support.  We are very much looking forward to working with Prince William over the coming year.”
 
This will be the third generation of Royal endorsement St Giles Trust has enjoyed, with previous support from the Queen Mother who opened the original day centre in 1963 and HRH Prince Charles when he opened their premises in Camberwell in 1995.

St Giles Trust started out as a soup kitchen in the crypt of the still standing and used nearby church St Giles Church. St Giles Trust’s work has continually evolved to meet the needs of society’s most vulnerable. Their valued work includes work with the homeless, illiterate, innumerate, gang and community work and supporting people back into work.

As many as one in five of their staff are ex-offenders or ex-service users and they remain an organisation supporting people who have fallen through the gaps in the state’s safety net.

The Prince previously visited the charity in March 2009 when he met clients and staff at the charity’s head office in Camberwell, South London.

Should You Throw Your Makeup Out?

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The average women spends £130 a year on makeup and Debenhams says 68% of women only replace makeup when it has ran out. But should we really be putting this stuff on our face? Especially when it’s probably years old. Women put 515 different chemicals on their face A DAY.

I never took the expiration dates on makeup very seriously until I read an article in Elle where the writer sent her makeup to a lab to be tested. The results were not pretty, and that bacteria and candida(!) affects your skin. If you want good skin, don’t wear makeup.

Luckily EU guidelines require make up has the expiry date displayed on the label. The little jar on the back of your makeup with the number and ‘M’ next to it is it’s expiration date in months.

A general guide to makeup expiration dates are:

Mascara: six months. (though remember that if you are pumping the wand in and out you will be letting air in and it will let bacteria in. Be very careful with things that go near your eye)
Pencils: 18 months (though I have an eyeliner that has an expiration of 3 years on the back)
Power based make up: 2 years. Though this can be less if you are using your fingers.
Foundation: 3-6 months.
Lipstick: one year
Concealer: 6 months

Don’t ever share cosmetics and make sure the lid is on good and tight. Also store it in a cool, dry place and away from sunlight.