Perfect after the night before and a doddle to make; you’ll be feeling better in no time.
Ingredients:
– 2 tsp. of vegetable oil
– A few cherry tomatoes, halved
– 1 spring onion, finely sliced
– 1 pack of microwavable brown rice
– 1 tbsp. of soy sauce
– 1 tbsp. of sweet chilli sauce
– 1 tsp. of toasted sesame oil
– Juice of 1 lime
– A good pinch of dried chilli flakes
– 1 free range egg
– Extra soy sauce and sweet chilli sauce to serve.
Method:
– Heat 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the spring onion and tomatoes. Cook down for a couple of minutes until softened and then add in the pack of rice, frying for a further 2 minutes.
– Pour in the soy sauce, sweet chilli and sesame oil and squeeze in the lime juice. Allow to fry for a further few minutes, stirring occasionally.
– In another small frying pan, heat 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil and fry the egg until cooked in the middle and crispy around the outside.
– Plate up the rice, top with the fried egg and add a dash of soy and sweet chill sauce to serve.
Some good news for poetry fans, you can get Catherine Balavage’s poetry book, What do you think?: A collection of poems, for free until the 27th January 2017. It is free on Amazon Kindle across the world. The book has received good reviews and has reached no 1 in the women’s poetry fiction chart on Amazon. Get your copy of What do you think?: A collection of poems here.
Frost loves the From a Mother to Another initiative and is proud to support it again this year.
From a Mother to Another, the initiative from JoJo Maman Bébé, starts collecting again on 22nd Feb 2017. The aim; to reduce the shocking levels of clothing waste that end up in a landfill whilst helping those in need in the UK with distribution via Trussell Trust food banks, and thousands of Syrian refugees living in Lebanon. For full details of how to donate visit http://www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/FAMTA
JoJo will be collecting good quality outgrown or unwanted baby and children’s clothes in, sizes 0-6 years and children’s shoes. Customers are requested to make up complete outfits, with shoes in a separate bag and donate at one of their 80 stores across the UK and Ireland. Full list of stores can be found here http://www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/stores.
Nearly a third of the UK’s clothing ends up in landfill, equating to 350,000 tonnes a year. By extending the life of clothes by just three months of active use, carbon and water waste could be reduced by up to 5-10% a year. Sending good quality, little worn hand-me-downs to those in need would mean they are worn by many more children, extending the clothes lifespan.
In the UK the emergency clothing packs will be distributed by some of the Trussell Trust’s 420 Foodbanks. In Lebanon the packs will be distributed by a number of partner charities on the ground. Helen Frank’s from Trussell Trust explains; “I am delighted Trussell Trust Foodbanks will be participating in the From A Mother To Another campaign for the second year running, it is a natural fit to The Trussell Trust’s ‘More Than Food’ approach, which offers additional services to help alleviate poverty in the UK. Over a third of three-day emergency food supplies provided by Trussell Trust foodbanks go to children in crisis. Last year the packs were gratefully received by over 1000 families”
Laura Tenison, founder & CEO of JoJo, visited refugee camps in the Bekaa Valley on the Lebanese Syrian border in early 2016. Laura explains what she found when visiting the camps; “The situation is dire and has not improved over the last 12 months. The millions of women and children living in makeshift tents are in urgent need of emergency humanitarian aid to help until it is safe to travel home – just a few miles across the border. They left Syria with whatever they could carry. Their children have outgrown their clothes long ago and are often in rags. The gift of a FAMTA pack brings tears of gratitude. Children are dying from the cold, we just had to help.”
JoJo Maman Bébé will cover the extensive costs of checking, sorting, shipping, customs clearance and managing the logistics of delivering the parcels to the partner charities in Lebanon and to the Trussell Trust’s Foodbanks across the UK.
Monday the 16th of January is Blue Monday. It is the point when January couldn’t get any worse – Christmas has become a distant memory, credit card statements begin to arrive and the temptation to abandon new year’s resolutions reaches crisis-point –it is known as the most depressing day. So I left the toddler at home with daddy and went to get my British Hygge on at Young’s House of Happiness. Situated in the wonderful and cosy Finch’s at Finsbury Square, Moorgate.
It was a head-to-toe immersive celebration of British hygge. Coats and bags were whisked away by happiness hosts and then I was handed a kit containing an eye mask and slippers to leave all traces of the outside world at the doors of the pub.
There were complimentary massages, pop-up chatter corners, letter writing stations, thought-provoking wellbeing talks and ‘happiness bursts’ hosted by Laughology. Other activities included:
Tea blending – beard grooming – shoe shining – make your own energy balls – whisky tasting – cake decoration – thank you card writing (posted into Young’s House of Happiness postbox) – swap shops – yoga – Young’s bookshop – snuggle spaces with hot water bottles and blankets – curated talks by happiness, mindfulness and lifestyle coaches
I then left with a goody bag which contained Haribo, which tells you all you need to know. Okay, okay, it also contained water, a sleep mask, slippers and whisky. There is no more that you need people, trust me. The toddler may not have been talking to me when I got home but it may have been worth it. I drank whisky, I listened to great talks from @laughology, I ate comfort food, I had rum punch, made some tea and a cake…the lists goes on.
It is not too late to head to the pub for a drink and some relaxation. Go get your hygge on. Young’s Pubs have been doing an authentic taste of British hygge since 1831. It is cold and dark outside and you deserve it.
REVEALED: IT’S THE SIMPLE PLEASURES THAT WILL MAKE US HAPPY IN 2017
A happiness survey conducted by Young’s Pubs shows that Brits don’t need a happiness formula – just take inspiration from the hygge trend and celebrate the simple things in life
Going on holiday, finding cash in an old pair of jeans and freshly washed sheets are the top three things that make Brits happy
Heading down the pub or to a restaurant emerged as the happiest places for Brits outside the home
Young’s Pubs have analysed the research to create the ultimate zen space this Blue Monday –Young’s House of Happiness. Tell Young’s Pubs how you’ll be beating the blues using the hashtag #HouseofHappiness
A poll of 1,000 people commissioned by Young’s Pubs has revealed that Brits have truly embraced and adapted the Danish trend of hygge, the art of creating cosy atmospheres and enjoying the simple pleasures with those around us. A third of Brits describe being at their happiest while wearing PJs and slippers, 43% said getting together with friends and family made them happy, with comforting dishes coming out on top of a poll of mood-boosting foods. Informed by these findings, Young’s House of Happiness Blue Monday pop-up welcomes visitors into a haven of head-to-toe simple pleasures and wellbeing sessions.
HOW TO COMBAT THE BLUES THIS MONDAY AND EVERY MONDAY
A calming environment is key to finding your home-grown hygge haven in 2017, with 38% of people linking where they live to feeling content. Beyond the sentiment of ‘home is where the heart is’, pubs and restaurants came top of the list of places linked to happiness; more than half of the population believe that going to the pub makes them happy, with 55% heading to their local to enjoy the company of friends and family, as well as indulging in pub grub.
HIGH ON THE HAPPINESS STAKES
The research by Young’s Pubs also lists the top three moments guaranteed to cheer Brits up as going on holiday, finding an unexpected £10 note and snuggling into clean bed sheets. By comparison, the top three things that bring the nation down are encountering rude, ungrateful or grumpy people in our everyday lives.
EAT YOUR WAY TO HAPPINESS
Clean eating isn’t fuelling the nation’s happiness, the research shows a traditional roast dinner with all the trimmings, a fish supper and chocolate are the top three foods we turn to for a pick-me-up. Women are three times more likely to turn to chocolate for a boost than men, while Londoners emerged as those most likely to opt for fish and chips than other popular comfort dishes.
FEEL-GOOD BEATS AND BOOKS
Many of us tackle negative thoughts with distractions plucked from popular culture; 64% of us watch our favourite comedy shows, stand-up acts or boxsets and nearly a third plug into uplifting pop ballads to raise a smile. When it comes to literature, romance and crime fiction top the list for putting us in a better mood.
Emma Dickinson, Young’s marketing and events manager, says: “The Danish concept of hygge feels like a new philosophy that the nation is adopting, but in reality, Young’s Pubs have been offering the same intangible sentiment since 1831. With Blue Monday heralded as the gloomiest day of the year we feel it is a great opportunity to remind the nation that our pubs are the perfect environment to get together with loved ones by a roaring fire to enjoy comforting food and drink.”
YOUNG’S HOUSE OF HAPPINESS
Hygge has invaded headlines, bookshelves and Instagram feeds this autumn and winter, with the latter voted in the survey the unhappiest season of the year. This Blue Monday, Young’s has used the research to create a House of Happiness, packed full of comforting experiences to make people smile and feel more positive, although the nation’s pubs have epitomised hygge for centuries.
As well as escapism pods designed to disconnect mind, body and soul from the stresses of everyday life, there will be complimentary slippers, massages, comfort food canapés, reviving teas, pop-up chatter corners, thought-provoking wellbeing talks and ‘happiness bursts’ hosted by Laughology.
For the other 364 days of the year, visit your local Young’s or Geronimo Inns pub for an authentic taste of British hygge since 1831.
Top 20 things that make us happy
Going on holiday
Finding a ten pound note in an old pair of jeans
Getting into bed with freshly washed sheets
Sitting in the sun
Booking a holiday
Seeing an old friend
Getting a quiet moment to yourself
Cuddles
Finding a bargain in the sales
Being surprised with flowers or chocolates
Chocolate
Listening to your favourite song
Going to the pub with friends
Hearing a baby laugh
Eating comfort food
Winning a tenner on the lottery
The smell of freshly baked cookies
Smell of cut grass
Looking back at old photographs
Getting a promotion at work
Top 20 things that make us unhappy
Rude people
Ungrateful people
Grumpy people
Feeling ill
Losing money
People taking you for granted
Dogownerswhodon’tcleanupaftertheirdog
Cold callers
Rude shop assistants
Badly behaved children
Queue jumpers
Screaming kids
It rains when you were due to have a day out
Noisy neighbours
Stressful workload
Rise in petrol prices
Slow internet connection
Automated phone systems
Tailgaters
Job instability
Join the conversation online this Blue Monday and throughout January and February with the hashtag #HouseofHappiness at @YoungsPubs on Twitter and Instagram.
Lets start with what you are thinking: yes, THAT Isla Fisher. She of Home & Away (if you are of a certain age, ahem), Wedding Crashers and Shopaholic. Her comic ability in acting transfers to the written world. She is now a bestselling children’s author. Isla has three children and has been making up stories at bedtime for them every night since they were born. She wrote her books to remind her children of all the fun they have had reading books and sharing stories.
Illustrated by the wonderful Eglantine Ceulemans, this book is the second in the Marge series and it is warm and witty, funny and mischievous. A great read for kids, but also enjoyable for adults to read. A real winner.
The second fun family story in the MARGE series by actor & comedian Isla Fisher, illustrated with wit and warmth by Eglantine Ceulemans.
Marge is back and exploring the neighbourhood with the kids! With some help from Jemima and Jake, can she stay in charge and keep ‘pirate’ baby Zara under control? And can the children make sure Marge behaves at Uncle Desmond and Annie’s wedding?
The Alzheimer’s Solution: A revolutionary guide to how you can prevent and reverse memory loss
Alzheimers is a disease that terrifies most people. We have been told for years that there is no cure. The medical profession are also unsure what causes it. Which makes this book revolutionary. It says it can reverse Alzheimer’s, and also gives those who already have it more years. A big claim indeed. Backed up with clinical studies and facts, this book IS very impressive indeed. It even has recipes to keep yourself brain healthy. A huge amount of research has gone into this book and I believe that everyone should read it, and follow it. I found this book fascinating. I will be trying my best to follow the programme. Especially as two-thirds of women end up with Alzheimers. More than men. Which is not just due to the fact that we tend to live longer but also because men have more cognitive reserve. Fascinating and life-changing. Get your hands on a copy.
THE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL, PROVEN PROGRAMME FOR REVERSING THE SYMPTOMS OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Alzheimer’s Disease affects over 47 million people worldwide but 90 per cent of cases can be prevented.
Based on the largest clinical study to date, The Alzheimer’s Solution, by leading neurologists and Alzheimer’s specialists Drs Dean and Ayesha Sherzai, provides the essential practical tools you and your family need to reverse the symptoms and prevent cognitive decline.
Alzheimer’s disease isn’t a genetic inevitability and a diagnosis doesn’t need to spell the end. Ninety per cent of us can avoid getting it and for the 10 per cent with strong genetic risk, the disease can be delayed by 10 to 15 years. This is based on the remarkable results Dr Dean Sherzai and Dr Ayesha Sherzai have seen in their own clinic.
This much-needed revolutionary book provides:
*The groundbreaking and successful programme for the treatment of Alzheimer’s
*A practical 5-part plan for reversing and preventing Alzheimer’s, covering food, sleep, exercise, stress-management and activities that keep your brain healthy
*A questionnaire for assessing your risk level and daily guides for optimising your brain’s health
*Delicious and simple brain-healthy recipes for you and the family to enjoy
I am always on the lookout for amazing things, and what could be more amazing than ending the stigma of mental illness? Laura Darrall has created a social media campaign for mental health awareness called #itaffectsme. It is a great campaign and I hope you can get behind it. Here is what Laura has to say: #itaffectsme is going globally viral with the aim of ending the stigma that surrounds mental health and to get Mental Health Education onto the school curriculum. It has celebrities like Tony Gardner and Antonia Laura Thomas already backing it and has reached America, Pakistan, Australia, Canada, Holland and Italy.
We need to get Mental Health Education on the curriculum to give our children a future where they too are unafraid to speak out and ask for help. We teach sex education, physical education so why not Mental Health Education. We teach them the symptoms of chlamydia, herpes, gonorrhoea, so why not OCD, depression and anxiety? 1 in 4 people suffer from mental illness that is 25% of the world’s population. It is staggering and we need to arm our children with knowledge, with compassion and build a world for them where the word “stigma” is extinct.
The idea for #itaffectsme first came to me after I came out the other side of a mental breakdown, six months of panic attacks, anxiety, OCD and depression. I was sat on the edge of my bed and for the first time in months I felt clarity of thought and a fire in my belly and I knew that I had to use it to make a change, to make people unafraid to speak out and to put an end to stigma. But I had no idea how, so I said a prayer, looked over at my desk, spotted the post-its and then it was like a light bulb switched on in my brain, a real Eureka moment, and it has snowballed from there.
I am so overwhelmed and thrilled with the response. If I can get just one person who is suffering to speak out and ask for help then it is worth every single tear I ever shed last year.
If anyone is suffering and is too afraid to speak out, I would say this: Take it ten seconds at a time and do not fear. Help is out there and only by talking and sharing can we find it. And you will come out the other side. You don’t know who else you may help by sharing your own sufferings and surely the one good thing that can come out of suffering is to help someone else when they experience it too. If we share our mental illnesses with people, they can be strong for us when we cannot. And people want to help, they want to hold your hand if you give them the chance. So do, talk to them and give them that chance.
If I could say one thing to my pre-treatment self it would be, “This is temporary”. Because when you are in the pits of mental illness, in a panic attack, an OCD spike, a black hole of depression, it feels like it will never end. But it will, and if you speak out and seek help you will find tools to help you combat it if and when it returns. I know that one day I may find myself attacked by mental illness again but I know that when and if that day comes I will be ready for it, fully armoured and unafraid.
To take part just take a selfie with a post-it note on the forehead with #itaffectsme written on it, upload it to social media with the link to the Mind donation page, donate and then share.
#itaffectsme is simply the statement the mental illness affects every single one of us, whether directly or indirectly and the selfie is to put faces to it, to stop people being embarrassed or afraid to ask for help. Mental illness has no prejudices about who it affects so we should have no prejudices about it.
Monday Club is a collective of creatives who meet once a week as a company of actors, dancers, writers, directors and more to generate new ideas and to share skills from our various artistic backgrounds. We encourage collaboration and the development of new writing and performance, and support individuals in the exploration and achievement of their artistic goals.
TAKE THE FLOOR
Take the Floor is an exciting new scratch night, hosted by Monday Club at Chelsea Theatre. The night promotes new work within all forms of the arts and forges connections for collaboration between these varying mediums. At the event, we encourage creative support between participants and we provide ‘no pressure’ networking opportunities. All of our pieces are handpicked from a variety of promising new artists with fresh and dynamic ideas.
The evening begins at 6pm when visual artists exhibit their new work in and around the bar. The auditorium then opens at 7pm for a number of eclectic ten-minute performances on Chelsea Theatre’s wonderfully spacious stage. The twenty minute interval sees the first of our selected singer-songwriters perform in the bar, with the second musician playing at the end of the night, when performers and audience members discuss what they’ve seen, and perhaps even swap details for future collaboration over a very reasonably-priced drink at the bar.
Following our first Take the Floor in October, writing partnerships have been formed, advice has been shared from participant to participant, and pieces shown have continued on their various trajectories with feedback from our Take the Floor audience to help shape their development.
A celebration of diversity and collaboration within the arts, Take the Floor is a stimulating evening of creativity for those interested in seeing short bursts of varied entertainment, and those who are looking for inspiration to create their own work.
Hangover Spicy Rice
