The 10 Minute Lunch

Posted on May 26, 2014 by Sarah Bacchus

Here is the quickest healthiest lunch you could possibly make! Faster than nipping off to the shops to buy a nasty sandwich and tastier than you can possibly imagine!

All you need is the following

1 Chicken breast per person
1 lemon 1/2 sweezed
chunk of ginger, grated
big dollop of mustard
2 tbs tomato paste
2 tbs maple syrup

Put a griddle pan on the heat while you quickly prepare the sauce. Mix the marinade ingredients together and cut the chicken down the middle so you have 2 flat slices, place the chicken in a bowl, pour over the sauce.

Hear it sing as it hits the heat!

Slice the chicken into smaller sections after about 4 minuets so it cooks through evenly and gets all the delicious charred, sticky and delicious sauce soaked right through. I don’t know about you but I love the crispy baked on edges of pies. The ones you just have to dig at at the end of the meal. Its the best bit like the skins on jacket potatoes. Now cook this for a while longer around 5 mins and serve on a bed of crisp lettuce. Or you can pop it on steamed rice for a quick supper.

Serve with a glass of fizzy water and the juice of the other half of the lemon, tantalising and tangy, just like the dish!

Don’t you just want some for lunch!!

For more recipes head off to my blog SLB Style and come and say hi over on Twitter @sarahbacchus If you are needing any photography work from Fashion brands, beauty companies or special occasions like weddings take a look at sarahbacchus.com

First Look Of Kim Kardashian’s Wedding Dress

Posted on May 24, 2014 by Frostie

We wish we didn’t care but we do. Here it is, the first peek at Kim Kardashian’s wedding dress, and we think it’s beautiful. She may be 33-years-old and on her third marriage, but that hasn’t stopped her going all-out again. Let’s just hope this one lasts. What do you think?

CrimeFest 2014

Posted on May 24, 2014 by Penelope Deacon

This year’s CrimeFest happened last weekend, May 15-18 at the Bristol Royal Hotel. So, what’s CrimeFest? It’s the annual gathering for anyone who has any interest in reading, writing, or simply talking about (sometimes quite loudly over several drinks) that curious and bloody phenomenon: crime. Especially crime fiction, but there’s always room for true crime, too. Why go? You want to meet authors? Find out what they’re writing? Try to work out how people with such deviant imaginations can be really great company? These are all good reasons. Mark Billingham, one of Britain’s best-selling thriller writers was one of the featured authors this year. His books are spell-binding and disturbing – and he gave one of the funniest interviews I’ve had the pleasure of hearing. At the rather less dark end of the spectrum of crime-writing, Simon Brett was on top form as a speaker. There was also masses to learn about the Iceland Noir writing which has acquired such an enthusiastic following on UK TV – you could even have won a trip to the Iceland Noir convention in Reykjavik.

CrimeFest4 B Forshaw EUROCRIME Panel

The long weekend is full of difficult choices: should I go to the panel discussion on historical crime or does it clash with the one which asks Does a crime novel have to have something to say? The one that deals with the problem of When your character isn’t qualified to solve crimes, or What have old thrillers ever done for us? Choices, choices, choices. There was a quiz on the Thursday evening when we discovered just how competitive we all were – who said you couldn’t argue with the judge? Not us. The Gala Dinner on the Saturday, was a triumph of organisation and good food, which kept us all comfortable in our seats, happy to celebrate the award of prizes for humorous crime, for e-books and audio books, for works in translation and for Euro Crime. And afterwards you could linger at the bar ….

The joy of CrimeFest is that it doesn’t discriminate between readers, writers (wannabe or distinguished), publishers or agents, nor does anyone show the slightest sense of exclusivity. You can find yourself talking to a top author or an ardent fan. You can discover how the Alibi Channel’s crime dramas Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and The Murdoch Mysteries have developed from page to screen; or hear the husband and wife team which makes up the author Nicci French (Nicci Gerrard and Sean French) discuss how they combine their relationship with writing international best-selling psychological suspense.

CrimeFest5 Alison Joseph, Felix Francis, Susan Moody

Alas it’s all over for this year – but it will happen again next year. If you enjoy crime writing or reading, or just want a slightly different weekend with a lively mix of people, all of whom seem eager to talk to you (I think writing, or reading, about terrible events must make people appreciate the good things about real life) then you might want to think about giving it a try.

Penny Deacon
Photos: thanks to Ali Karim of Shots Magazine

Verdi Italian Kitchen At The Royal Albert Hall | Restaurant Review

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Rather obviously, the first thing you take in when going to Verdi is the surroundings. As gorgeous and historical buildings go, it is hard to beat the Royal Albert Hall. You really do feel like you are dining in a piece of history.

We start off by ordering Mozzarella di bufala with Coppa: Salted, seasoned, dry cured thinly cut pork shoulder from the Mozzarella Bar, where you order either mozzarella di bufala or a burrata along with a side of your choice. I have the Gamberi Con Pancetta: Grilled pancetta wrapped prawns, rosemary, chargrilled lemon.

The prawns are sizzling when they arrive and of a decent size. They are meaty and the pancetta is smoky. It is well seasoned. It is a good starter. The mozzarella is soft and creamy. It has a beautiful texture but could do with more flavour. There is too much rocket and the pork is absolutely delicious but is a little stringy.

We also ordered some bread, which we would have liked to have been a little softer. It came with some good balsamic vinegar.

We also ordered some amazing cocktails: a Aperol Spritz: Aperol, Moët & Chandon, orange bitters, which not only tasted amazing, but also a little like Irn Bru, so perfect for the Scottish amongst us and an IL Verdi: Gin, sciroppo di fiori and pressed apple juice, which was delicious and refreshing.

The service was excellent throughout and the atmosphere was peaceful due to the fact we went in-between shows. For our mains we had Agnello Ripieno: Stuffed lamb breast, white beans, tomatoes, smoked pancetta, spinach, garlic, basil and a Gamberoni pizza: King prawns, asparagus, mushrooms, tomato, mozzarella. The lamb was soft and beautiful. It came in a nice sauce, the beans added texture but the stuffing was just a little bit too spicy. A good meal all in all.

For a side we had Patate Arrosto: Sea salt roast potatoes, sage, garlic. We were not overly impressed. They were okay but not roast potatoes as we expected. The pizza was superb. It had a thin and tasty dough and was just wonderful. The prawns were generous and the ingredients worked together amazingly well.

For dessert we have Tiramisu: Mascarpone, coffee soaked sponge,cocoa, coffee liqueur and I have some Gelato because I am full and mildly allergic to coffee. You get to choose three scoops and I choose chocolate hazelnut praline, natural mint and chocolate chip and lime. The tiramisu is excellent, with a thick layer of cocoa dust and a delicious liqueur soaked base. The gelato is equally as good and the portion is generous.

I would recommend Verdi for good food in a stunning location.

Verdi, Door 12, Royal Albert Hall

Kensington Gore,

London, SW7 2AP

Tel: 020 7070 4401

www.verdiitalian.com

You can enjoy fantastic free live music on Fridays from 8:00pm played by popular jazz artists including favourites from Ronnie Scott’s and the 606 Club. Live music will also be performed on Saturday and Sunday lunchtimes. Full list of music dates and performers.

Open All Hours By John Adsetts

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Frostie

Who and what might I find in a supermarket at 3.0am in the morning?
Shift workers catching up on their shopping? Insomniacs? Smelly old men dressed in rags trying to keep warm? It had been a hard day but my cupboards were bare. I drove towards the temple of mammon. I felt discombobulated, foolish, embarrassed even and was glad to see the 24 hr petrol station. Somehow that seemed less ridiculous so I squeezed in a few litres and cast a glance towards the store. Do people really go shopping in the middle of the night?

Expecting to find a cathedral of silence with wide aisles and an absent congregation, I entered what looked like the inside of a monster ant hill. Everywhere were boxes, pallets, torn cardboard, damaged packages and an army of grim looking minimum wage slave shelf stackers. No room to move anywhere. No eye contact anywhere. I clutched my shopping list and moved toward the Baked beans. No chance of getting even close: Branston- ‘four for two pounds’ and Heinz ‘low salt and sugar’ blocked my way. The extravagantly moustachioed young man’s T-shirt read ‘Get a Life’ I think that must have been elsewhere in the store. Leaving Beans till later I looked for Baking powder. No obstructions here just a carpet of snow. An accident with flour awaiting a sweeping brush to happen by. I headed beyond the Lady Chapel where fish should have been piled upon an icy altar. A few chilly pre-packed kippers winked at me. The bananas huddled together in a corner. Bruised and lonely.

Feeling disoriented and confused I sat on a pallet of ‘value’ minestrone to take stock. In my fantastical haze, it seemed as if that the Rastafarian hovering around the alcohol section was going to drink his fill in the store on the basis of some misunderstanding of the shoplifting regulations. A small crowd of nuns must have nipped in after compline but before matins. How would they pay? Did God issue a debit or a credit card? A little old man and his wife were pushing a trolley laden with ready meals, and a parasol. Wake up! Get your stuff and go.

Back to Baked Beans, Baking powder and Bananas and then the exit. A green light indicated the one automatic check out counter available No actual operator was provided for those uninitiated in the art of bar codes. Swiping my goods across the glass panel, I watched for the correct sum to be recorded on the screen. Beans- fine. Baking powder- OK. Bananas- no weight recorded. Red light.
Pressing the ‘assistance’ button I waited and waited (and waited). No-one came. The ants still toiled in the aisles but none was interested. Something inside me snapped. I stepped away from the check out counter and carefully emptied my entire trolley into a large messy pile by ‘Customer Service’ and strode out to where the first streaks of light were creeping into the night sky

Ashton Kutcher, Kit Harington, Courteney Cox, Emma Stone Read Mean Tweets About Themselves

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Frostie

A group of celebrities have rea celebsreadoutmeantweetsaboutthemselves d aloud mean tweets about themselves,and it is funny and sad at the same time. Jimmy Kimmel had a number of celebrities read out the tweets in his “Mean Tweets” segment on his show. Ashton Kutcher, Kit Harington, Courteney Cox, Emma Stone and Julia Roberts all joined in.

Mindy Kaling read out her mean tweet from @chipheuston94, “Mindy Kaling is not funny or attractive, she has an annoying voice and just plainly sucks…why does she have her own show.” and then quipped “I feel like this is more than 140 characters.”

Courteney Cox read out, “I hate Courteney Cox I f*cking hate her. P*ssy hoe” Courteney’s excellent response makes something horrible funny, “That’s sweet.”

What do you think? Would you read mean tweets about yourself?

La Roche-Posay Event | New Anthelios XL Products

Posted on May 22, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

I recently went to check out the new products in La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios facial sun protection range. The pimms and prosecco was flowing and the great and good of beauty was hanging out in the garden when they weren’t checking out the amazing range.

I wear sun protection every single day, even when it is snowing. In fact, I was wearing La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios AC 30 SPF to the event, something that made the La Roche-Posay people happy. I am sure it is why people think I am a few years younger than I actually am. I had my skin read by a machine that shows up every sign of aging like sun damage and wrinkles. Apparently I have skin that is younger than someone in their late-twenties. I put it down completely to using sun protection.

Here are some facts:

66% of UK women are concerned about ageing and proactively preventing it.

80% of premature skin ageing is due to exposure to UVA or UVB rays from the sun.

However only 3% of money spent on anti-ageing products is on facial sun protection.

And 70% of consumers use the same sun screen product on their body & face.

Hmm. A little worrying.

I love La Roche-Posay Anthelios as it is matte. Too many sun creams leave the face shiny, sticky and they also feel heavy. Anthelios is a light, matte fluid that makes you feel like you are not even wearing sun protection while protecting you.

The new packaging, thicker and shorter, more compact, looks great. You can buy the new Anthelios XL SPF 50+ for even higher protection and Anthelios XL Compact Cream SPF 50+, which looked natural when I tried it on my hand. It is skin perfecting makeup and sun protection all in one. Ideal for busy women and just very cool.

I love the new range and when my Anthelios AC runs out I will move on the the Anthelios XL.

The Secret to Perfect Skin

Posted on May 22, 2014 by Sarah Bacchus

Image 20-05-2014 at 17.55 Ladies do you want the secret to perfecting the youthful glow you always wanted. The anti ageing secrets that no one lets on about and keeps to themselves, well I am going to share with you my all time little secret and thats to add oil to my foundation. Not just any old oil you need a dry oil just like Oil Arganic.

This oil is perfect as it contains 8 skin nourishing ingredients like Argan oil, sweet almond oil and its 100% natural, organic and dries instantly. It is perfect for skin hydration and it can be used all over the body, its even fantastic for nails, hair and dropping into the bath for a sumptuous soak.

By adding this to your favourite long lasting foundation it will give you a healthy dewy glow, a really moisturised and hydrated boost, but most of all you will look fresher and the fine lines will be less noticeable, that they will almost disappear. I get asked about my beauty tricks nearly every day. Everyone is amazed at my real age and want to know all my little secrets! Well here is the best oil I have discovered recently after being sent a bottle of this to try for a pre tan boost. Whenever I try a new body oil that can be used on the face, one of the first things I do is dash off to get my foundation and plop a few drops on the back of my hand along with the regular amount of foundation. Grab a foundation brush and massage it into my skin. Some work, some don’t and boy does this baby do a brilliant job!

It blends seamlessly and dries with the foundation so perfectly its just a little gem. I have to say it work so well with most foundations I own too. Even the oil based ones and thats due to the ingredients and it being dry oil.

The properties of this oil:

Rich in antioxidants
Prolongs Tan
Ensures perfect fade to your tan
Multi-purpose
Contains Argan Oil
No oily residue
Citrus Fragrance
Oil Arganic, recently voted “Best Tan Preparation” by the Sunday Independent panel review. With its delicate rose and orange scent its refreshing and will create a subtle glow if used on its own. With regular use it can also give improved overall appearance to scars and stretch marks.

Purchase the Oil Arganic here for only £24.99

To follow my daily tweets I am @sarahbacchus and my photographic website is www.sarahbacchus.com along with my little blog www.slbstyle.com gosh thats a lot! Do come and say hello and ask me any anti ageing questions you like.

Frost Magazine

Books and Lifestyle

Category Archives: Life & Style