Category Archives: Life & Style

Sherlock Holmes & Count Dracula – The classified Dossier – by Christian Klaver

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A supernatural myster to shiver the timbers. Sherlock Holmes and Count Dracula must join forces to banish a terrifying enemy.

This is a  robust novel from the Sherlockian author Christian Klaver – the final instalment of The Classisfied Dossier where we see Sherlock and Watson battle the villains of Gothic literature, and terrifying they are too. They include Dracula, Jekyll and Hyde and Dorian Gray all wrapped up in a classy hardback edition ripe for the Christmas season.

Sherlock is dead. His body lies in a solitary grave on the Sussex Downs but Dr Watson survives and is now given permission to release tales in Sherlock’s classified dossier. These are cases that are of the most outre and grotesque nature.

Count Dracula arrives in Baker Street….

Nope, that’s enough. Buy this for Christmas for someone, but read it first. Good page turning stuff. Sleep with the light on.

Sherlock Holmes & Couynt Dracula by Christian Klaver

 

SAUCE IT is a new and truly exciting way to buy restaurant-quality ingredients at home

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BBC’s Matt Tebbutt opens the chef larder
for the real foodie with the launch of SAUCE IT

Just think of it as the food and drink concierge for those in the know, giving you access to the chef’s personal larder – essentially their first choice of ingredients – so you too can finally shop like a chef!

Just open our exclusive ‘little black book’ of suppliers, producers, cooking professionals and sommeliers who can offer you chef designed boxes, filled with incredible ingredients discovered over years of working in the trade. SAUCE IT gives you access so you can discover for yourself how these rigorously sourced ingredients can ultimately change the way you cook and create.
The result of years of research and tasting, every item on SAUCE IT has been trialled and tested extensively by the expert who puts their name to each recommended ingredient or product. If you are looking for the wow factor, look no further, as SAUCE IT source the impossible to find; the ingredients you won’t find in Waitrose or even famous food halls.

sauce it box sauce it box

The SAUCE IT boxes
To celebrate the launch of this exciting new concept, TV favourite Matt Tebbutt has created a new box The Weekend Collection by Matt Tebbutt. To coincide with the launch of Matt’s new book ‘Weekend’, this box contains a selection of ingredients, handpicked by Matt, and featuring in his new recipes such as the Cabernet Sauvignon Vinegar used in Matt’s Anchoiade dip or the beautifully packaged ‘Las Hermanas’ hot smoked paprika made using age old methods, ideal for Matt’s Smokey chicken with sweet corn and mango salsa.
Matt commented ‘SAUCE IT is an exciting new way to shop like an award winning chef does, giving you access to all the very best produce that was once only available to the restaurant world’.

If you are a shellfish fan, you’ll love Salcombe’s finest shellfish box which includes the finest Salcombe crab and lobster from a small day boat, packed on the quayside and sent direct to you, straight from Chris the fisherman. Is there anything finer than a simply boiled fresh crab with lemon, mayo and crusty bread? For the lobster, the king of crustaceans, the BBQ is perfect! Salcombe is famous for its crab and lobster, in fact it reaches nearly every corner of the globe, and if you’re looking for fresh seafood for that family feast, our shellfish is landed by one small boat and delivered straight to your door.

For the Spanish food lover, the El Gordo box has the most amazing Spanish products; ones that you will only find in restaurants such as Barrafina or Pizarro. SAUCE IT have brought together the absolute best of the best small Spanish producers of outstanding quality. Sit back, relax, imagine you are taking in the sights and sounds of San Sebastian, and indulge in some the worlds finest ingredients, enjoyed with a glass of Manzanilla sherry, naturally!

There are also boxes from well-known chefs such as Ben Tish, Sabrina Ghayour and Jane Baxter. A selection of wine boxes are available, handpicked by the team at SAUCE IT and their black book of wine experts.

Those involved in SAUCE IT, and we suspect, our customers, are pioneers in a world of discovery, fans of independent travel and favour self-selection rather than the package choice. When you purchase a box with SAUCE IT, an order is then placed with our suppliers. For example, your Salcombe crab is in the sea right up to the time it’s sent to you, your vegetables are picked to order and the ingredients for your box are collated on the day of dispatch. We supply our chef-collated boxes direct to your door in our eco friendly packaging, avoiding singular product or environmentally damaging deliveries. You will not find expensive and unnecessary packaging with SAUCE IT, we let the ingredients themselves do the talking!

All the boxes are compiled by the country’s finest restaurant suppliers. Buying from SAUCE IT supports fabulous fishermen, awesome organic vegetable growers, higher welfare meat producers and farmers, and some amazing but small artisan food heroes. Matt and the team at SAUCE IT will also give you fantastic hints, top tips and fabulous recipes to go with your outstanding ingredients. This is undoubtedly the concept epicureans have been waiting for!

We love it!

Sprout, The World’s First Plantable Makeup Pencils

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eyeliner, plantable, eco-friendly, sustainable, These makeup pencils are pretty special, and sustainable from start to end. Recycling in the beauty industry is notoriously difficult, but here’s a clever, patented invention by eco-pencil company Sprout World, that is designed to not only reduce waste, but give something beautiful and useful back to the planet.

Simply use the makeup pencils as normal, and instead of throwing them away when they become too small to use, flip them around, stick the end (green capsule facing down) into a pot of damp soil, and ta-da – beautiful wildflowers will start to sprout within 1-2 weeks!

Sprout Makeup Pencil
Where did the idea come from?

Sprout World is made up of 70% female employees. It was during a routine discussion about the waste problem within the beauty industry, that the team flagged how the majority of people in that room used make-up pencils daily, and therefore, they could potentially play a huge role in giving a second life (and a beautiful one at that) to products that would otherwise end up as waste.

Kind to the skin and planet

Sprout Makeup Pencil
Every element of the pencil is made from natural, kind-to-skin ingredients and materials:

100% natural and ethically sourced
Made from sustainable certified wood
Recyclable sugar cane cap
Plant-based soluble cellulose cap that dissolves when planted, releasing wildflower seeds
AllergyCertified, plastic-free and paraben-free
Sprout Makeup Pencils

Available as an Eyeliner (Black or Brown) and Browliner (Brown)

Price: £10.95 per pencil / £20.95 per two-pack

Stockists: amazon.co.uk and sproutworld.com

How To Protect Your Income When You Are Self Employed.

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tea, #30daysofgratitude , 30 days of gratitudeIf the Covid pandemic has taught us anything it’s that anything can happen. No matter how hard we work something can blindside us and affect our business. When you are self employed you have to be extra cautious and have plans in place.

For all of the benefits of self employment: flexibility, the ability to work anywhere, and being your own boss; there are the things that make being self employed tough: no holiday pay, sick pay or pension. It is important to protect your income when you never know when the next pay check is coming from. Here are some tips for income protection, which is something everybody needs.

The first thing you can do is get some income protection. Income protection pays out a percentage of your salary if you’re signed off of work through illness or injury. It’s one of the least bought types of protection in the U.K, despite being a perfect choice for literally anyone earning – whether they’re self employed or work for someone else, have a family or live alone. It can really help if something unexpected happens.

Other than getting insurance to protect your income you can also make sure you have a buffer of savings. It is important to have at least three months savings to protect you if your income dries up. When you are self employed it can take people months to pay you, and your income can dry up for a few months. Save a percentage of your income every month. Then you will not have to panic if work slows down.

Being self employed is a fantastic thing but it can have its drawbacks. Make sure you are protected if things go wrong.

Collaborative post with our brand partner.

 

Michael Rowan raises a toast to some absolutely superb Sourdough

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I have always liked Sourdough, particularly that slightly sharp yeasty taste that sets it aside from other types of bread. However, I have to confess that until now I have always thought that all Sourdough tasted the same.

How wrong could I have been? Jason’s Sourdough is beyond delicious, but don’t for a minute think that I took his word for it.


Oh no, nothing is too much trouble for the readers of Frost Magazine. First of course, I had to try it toasted. Initially, slathered in so much butter that it refused to accept any more, other than as a trowelled layer. So,obviously this was beyond delicious, but was that due to the butter or was the bread really that tasty?

On with the experiment and the addition of marmite which I realise divides the nation but to those with the finest of taste buds this took the bread to another level.

Tirelessly (and on another day) we tried it with Marmalade and also with Honey and by now I was sold on Jason’s Sourdough which tasted just as fresh on day 2 as it had when it first arrived.

That wasn’t the end of my commitment to you dear reader. Oh no. I then made French Toast or as some will have it Eggy bread, not the fabulous recipe that Jason has on his website but a far simpler version, and I can report that this was still a dish made in heaven, undoubtedly aided by the regularly sliced pieces of Sourdough.

Now, I have tried cutting a loaf, and it is fair to say that I have mixed success, usually some are cut to perfect proportions, but mostly as Goldilocks might have said, too thin or too thick. The ones delivered are perfect to fit in the toaster, under the grill, on the griddle and yes in the frying pan, the latter to make the yummy French toast.

Apparently it is the sprouted spelt grains that are soaked in the famous Jason’s Sourdough culture, before being added to the final dough that lends an added extra resulting in such a delicious flavoursome bread.

The loaf brings all the deliciousness that Jason’s is famous for, alongside the health benefits associated with Sprouted grains, such as gut-health properties and high nutritional content.

Jason’s Sourdough is slow proved over twenty-four-hours, typical of artisanal sourdough, delivering that special and unique flavour that the loaves are famous for. All Jason’s breads, and there is a complete range, are free from any added sugars or nasties – perfect for those looking for great tasting bread made up of minimal ingredients.

 Jason’s Sourdough Straight Up – The Great White, and Superb Sprouted Grains (450g) are available in most good Supermarkets online & in store including Marks and Spencer, Waitrose and Tesco.

Niacinamide for your body?

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Niacinamide is a holy-grail skincare solution to help strengthen the skin’s barrier, prevent moisture loss, improve skin tone, reduce enlarged pores and provide anti-oxidant properties to protect against oxidative damage and premature ageing. This sought-after ingredient can often be found in facial serums, moisturisers and cleansers – but when did we decide good skin days just belonged to our face?

Elevate your daily body care with MESSIAH and EVE Body Cleanser .02 (£21 / 300ml) – a luxurious blend of premium, results-driven skincare ingredients including Niacinamide, AHA’s and Pentativin, so you can enjoy brighter, clearer, smoother, softer skin…from the neck down!
MESSIAH and EVE Body Cleanser .02 (£21 / 300ml, messiahandeve.com)

messiah and eve , body cleanser, beauty, review
  • Your daily skin smoother to gently reveal fresh, radiant, supple skin – without the scrubby mess.
  • Alpha Hydroxy Acids – derived from fruit enzymes to gently exfoliate, keep skin smooth and blemishes at bay.
  • Niacinamide – improves skin tone, brightens dull skin, strengthens your skin barrier and reduces trans epidermal water loss for hydrated skin all-over.
  • Vitamin E – a skincare staple that moisturises and protects the skin
  • Pentavitin – provides instant, deep hydration and protect skin from post-shower dryness.
  • And the scent! ‘Modern Unity’ contains a mix of bespoke blended French fine fragrances, combining essential oils and botanicals of blackberry, birch tar and guaiacwood – this mysterious and unique sweet, yet woody fragrance, is the embodiment of sophistication, designed to subtly last on your post-shower skin.
  • Responsibly designed – vegan, cruelty free, recycled and recyclable.

    • messiahandeve.co.uk    | @messiahandeve

Deliveroo and BGT’s Kojo Anim Launch Christmas Crackers That Will Help to Crack Hunger for UK Families in Need

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Deliveroo has teamed up with Britain’s Got Talent finalist and cult funnyman Kojo Anim, to launch a range of magical charity Christmas crackers called ‘Crackers Cracking Hunger’, to help provide crucial meals for families in need.  

Each box of six crackers is beautifully festive and costs £10, all of which will be donated to The Felix Project and FareShare.

Instead of finding silly throwaway toys inside the crackers, customers will find a Christmas hat and a rather witty bespoke joke from Kojo Anim himself. 

crackers, christmas

Each £10 box will provide the equivalent of a week of meals for a household in need by redistributing good food that would otherwise go to waste. The crackers are made from 100% recyclable materials. 

This comes as it was reported that 1.3m UK families relied on food parcels over the festive period* last Christmas, and this year, millions will also rely on food banks and charities.

Customers should search ‘Crackers Cracking Hunger’ to find an Editions near them. Any Deliveroo customers who are not within delivery of a participating Editions, or who would like to make a monetary donation rather than receiving crackers, can still support the cause by making a donation on the ‘Crackers Cracking Hunger – Make a Donation’ page. 100% of all donations will support Deliveroo’s efforts to deliver more meals to families who need them via The Felix Project and FareShare. 

Each box of six crackers costs £10 and 100% of this cost will be donated to the charities. Delivery and service fees will still apply.

Shakespeare’s Clock by Jan Moran Neil reviewed by Natalie Jayne Peeke, West Country Correspondent

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It’s 1984. Patricia Vickers returns like a phantom to deliver an unwelcome revelation. Jayne Thornhill is reminded of those spiteful 1960s’ schooldays: bullying, Charlie the skeleton, séances, strip poker and sexual encounters with the school’s handymen. Jayne’s confessions have now been whitewashed from lavatory walls, only to be unearthed in a third school friend’s 1969 diary. A cloud of sadness is cast over the three women’s lives and only by revealing their own stories in later life can they move the stubborn hands of the undertaker’s clock forward. In doing so, something shockingly out of line is revealed …

Beginning in the 1960s the structure’s foundations are securely laid, and it proceeds to be mapped with fulsome use of  letters and diary entries by the main characters Jayne, Patricia, Rachel Shelly, Danny and Benji, all of whom are linked, rather than bonded together by tragedy.  The varying points of view, melded with time travel (from 1969 to 2020) are nonetheless  tracked, and revealed.

Shakespeare’s Clock’s raison d’etre is to expose the intricacies of bullying, relevant  in an age when bullying – ranging from face to face to anonymous trolling on social media give  pause for thought.  Wickedness, weakness, duplicitity, and almost collusion are revealed. Where does bullying end, and collusion begin? Well, that’s a question to ponder.

I found the book rather hard to get into, but in due course it became engaging and relevant.

Jan Moran Neil’s previous works include the award-winning ‘Death by Pythagoras’ for BBC Writers and broadcast on Radio 4 and her winning sonnet ‘Silver Surfing’ at Bloomsbury Publishing. She teaches creative writing and is the founder of Creative Ink for Writers and Actors, and Creative Ink for Young Writers.

Shakespeare’s Clock by Jan Moran Neil  is available :  here