Fattoria La Vialla 2015 Review: Glorious Organic Food From Tuscany

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

Anyone who reads Frost regularly knows that we love Fattoria La Vialla. In fact, I love it so much that I bought their wine in cases for my wedding. Everything from their food to their wine is superb. Which is why we were delighted when a present arrived. We promptly got to work reviewing it.

I never knew I loved salami until I tried Fattoria’s salami. It is wondrous. So superb, fresh and delicious. I could eat it everyday. Their Olive Oil is the real deal, you will never go back to the supermarket stuff. It has that green tinge that lets you know it is the genuine article. Their pasta is everything you think it would be. We try the fusilli and the linguine. Both are divine.

In this box of delicious heaven is the pecorino, their mature cheese. The ageing process takes nine months and it is amazing.

Vernaccia di San Gimignano is the most prestigious white in all of Tuscany, and you can tell. Smooth, full and complex with almond, dried fruit and floral notes on the nose. Fattoria make the best wines and I don’t say this lightly. Their Casa Conforto Chianti Riserva is superb. On the nose is a variety of aromas: violet and wild berries, secondary notes are mushroom, meat, light pine resin and sweet wood. I usually prefer white or rosé wine but I love this red. I had a Casa Conforto Chianti from a previous year as the red wine option at my wedding. The guests loved it and said it was the best wine they have ever had at a wedding, along with the others. Lo Chiffon is a sparkling white wine. It is cloudy and a straw yellow colour with metallic highlights. It tastes wonderful, both dry and smooth.

Their olive all’ arancia is wonderful. These dried orange olives are based on an old Tuscany recipe. Unusual and delicious.

Sugo Pomodori, olive & capper is a fabulous sauce. It has a kick to it and is a great combination of tomatoes (which are the star of the show), capers, olives, hot chilli pepper, parsley and garlic. Yum.

La Rosmarina is a rosemary tomato sauce. It also has a kick to it and is both fresh and unbelievably tasty.

Also in the parcel was an interesting, good book about Fattoria. Along with a wonderful card and other literature. Fattoria is a wonderful family business that really makes you feel like you are part of the Fattoria community.

Our love affair continues.

Fattoria La Vialla

Valentine’s Day Gift Guide 2015

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Frostie

Well, it’s here again: Valentines’s Day. It is a mere ten days away so it is time to buy your paramour something wonderful. Here are some ideas we put together.

The Biscuit Box You’re My Cup of Tea Biscuit Card- this is an iced teapot shaped biscuit with a personalised message. We thought it was super cute and the biscuit tastes great. Available from buyagift.co.uk

Mr & Mrs Family Edition

If board games are your thing then you will love this. But if, like us, you are not too keen on board games you will still love this Mr & Mrs Family Edition game. Perfect for finding out more about your family and friends as well as finding out how well they know you. Mr & Mrs Family Edition Box Game is available here.

Fraisier St Valentin from Paul. Tastes like heaven. The perfect size for two, heart-shaped and combines Genoese sponge, créme mousseline and fresh strawberries. It is then topped with pink marzipan. It costs £11.95 and is available from 12-15th February in London stores. You can also pre-order online.

Argania Desert Defence Shampoo and Conditioner.

Made with fairly-traded, certified organic argan oil to instantly nourish and hydrate hair, leaving it looking smoother, shinier and feeling healthier, naturally. A nourishing and restorative shampoo infused with certified organic Moroccan Argan. Great stuff that your girlfriend will love. Available from Boots.com

Personalised Love Print

Very cool, stylish and gives an excellent personal touch. From buyagift.co.uk

MIMI’s Sleeping Beauty Night Time Facial Oil

We love this. Such a smart idea and it looks great too. MIMI is a make your own skincare brand so you know exactly what goes into your skincare regime. All products are 100% natural and each kit can be mixed in minutes. You can also adjust the ingredients whilst mixing, tailoring it to your preferences. It can also be used as a massage oil.

Available online at www.makeitmakeit.com, there are currently 3 kits in the range from £22-£35 and includes a night oil, body scrub and face mask.

MIMI’s Sleeping Beauty Night Time Facial Oil makes 35ml and comes with all the ingredients, recipe, instructions, mixing equipment and elegant bottle. Used every night will last four-six weeks so you can carry on enjoying this luxury face treatment for much longer past Valentine’s Day.

Taittinger Brut Reserve Champagne 75cl Bottle and Taittinger Prestige Rosé NV

No words needed. Buy if you want them to love you forever more. Available from Amazon, sainsburys.co.uk and tesco.com

If you are stuck for where to take your love for Valentine’s Day then check out our Valentine’s Day restaurant guide.

Dating News: Men Prefer Older Women, Women Prefer Younger Men

Posted on January 20, 2015 by Frostie

Frost came across this rather interesting dating news, and some stereotypes are born out in the data, such as men increasingly looking for a younger partner as they age. It turns out that men aged 20-29 preferring older to younger women, and women also preferring a younger to older man as they age.

450,000 dating searches reveal the ideal age-gap for a modern relationship

Study of 450,000 online daters reveals age of perfect partner
Men aged 20-29 prefer older women
Women’s tolerance of older men decreases with age
Older men after the biggest age gap, wanting women 11 years younger

What difference does an age gap make when it comes to love? In 2015, are there still age-related dating taboos? Inspired by Stephen Fry’s marriage to a man 30 years his junior, new research by dating website EliteSingles, using anonymous search data from almost half a million of its members, reveals exactly what age differences singles look for in a match.

The study analysed the upper and lower age search limits for more than 450,000 of its members, finding that not all men are as focused on finding a youthful partner as the stereotype suggests.

As the male curve on the graph indicates, the stereotype of the older man seeking an increasingly younger partner does in fact ring true. Men aged 60-69 set, on average, a desired partner age of up to 11 years younger than themselves, while the oldest they would accept is someone just 1 year older.

But younger men buck the trend, with those aged up to 30 preferring to date someone older than younger. Between the ages of 20-29, many men indicate a preference for a partner 3-6 years older than themselves.

EliteSingles Partner Psychologist Sam Owen believes that ‘’the finding that men aged 20-29 prefer older women rather than the suspected “younger model” is likely indicative of the change in gender roles in modern society towards more equality between the sexes. Young men nowadays probably also recognise that older women are adept at diligently juggling so many responsibilities (career, children, housekeeping, fitness, finances, socialising), which makes them intriguing and attractive and a more secure option.’’

Women may not be so keen to play the ‘cougar’ though. The data from female users suggests that still women prefer to be the youngest in a relationship. Women aged over 50, for instance, tend to focus on finding a match who is ideally 6years older than their own age. There is not much wiggle room in this instance: anyone more than 5 years younger is deemed too young.

Younger women echo and even amplify this interest in men older than themselves. For 20-29 year olds, the average given age difference wanted was up to 10 years, whilst women aged 30-39 can imagine a partner 8 years older. And, for women aged 20-29, a man should be no more than 1 and 3 years younger.

What do you think? Do you think age matters in a partner? Do you prefer to go older or younger?

Golden Globe 2015 | Red Carpet Round Up

Posted on January 13, 2015 by Frostie

We love fashion and Hollywood glamour at Frost. Following the Golden Globes 2015, Styloko.com have teamed up with Frost to unveil the most popular trends and looks searched by UK users within the last 24 hours.

Editor in Chief, Emily O’Brien provides insights into how Styloko.com users reacted to the trends and styles as worn by the world’s most glamourous women;

Most clicked products:

– With a range of celebrities wearing stunning evening gowns, maxi dresses with an eveningwear focus accounted for 50% of the most clicked products from Sunday night;

– Celebrities including Sienna Miller and Joanne Froggatt looked incredible in detailed gowns. This was reflected with Styloko.com users searches which included embellishment, evening fabrics such as lace and glamourous details were a key focus for shoppers; embellishment accounted for 75% of the overall clicked dress styles.

The most popular Golden Globes trends translated from the red carpet back to Styloko.com were:

– Black

– White/nude

– Black searches by Styloko.com users outweighed white/nude 65% to 35%,

Other colours searched by Styloko.com users in the last 24 hours include blue and red which appeared to be a key trend on the night. Celebs such as Felicity Jones in teal Christian Dior and Alison Jones in her incredible red embellished strapless gown by Armani Prive showed off these trends with aplomb;

Lastly…

Styloko.com has seen a 300% MoM increase in number of jumpsuits clicked on site. Leading actress and fashion maverick Emma Stone continued to buck the trend with her stunning embellished jumpsuit by French fashion house Lanvin.

Who do you think was the best dressed at The Golden Globes?

Italian Festival – Come With Me & Meet Bafana By Amanda Brake, Frost’s Le Marche correspondent

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Margaret Graham

6th January Italian Festival – Come with me and meet Bafana. By Amanda Brake, Frost’s Le Marche correspondent.

We got up early on this glorious morning to do our normal hour of chopping wood for the fires. We have two fires. One heats the radiators, the other heats the hot water and is situated in the centre of our house keeping us warm. Our chopping and other chores finished, we relaxed, seduced by the warmth into staying inside. By mid-afternoon it really was time for us to kit up, and find where Bafana may be flying. But hang on, we were all feeling too cosy to adventure out into the cold, so stayed put for yet half hour.

Finally, shaking off our reluctance, we hurried into coats and boots, and we set off for our small town of Amandola . By the time we arrived things were just about getting started; in fact witches were everywhere.

There were many activities: balloon blowing, drawing for the children who created many and varied pictures of Bafana and over it all, music played. The walk had warmed us and we were all in the party mood as the atmosphere became more and more lively. As well as the games, which had begun for the kids, many of the girls had dressed as Befana, the witch.

It was a shame our boys were too shy to join at first but as more arrived and joined in the festivities so did they. Toys and sweets were finally given to all the children, and the band played their music into the night until reluctantly, we headed home.

So what is this festival? In Italy the festival is known as La Befana after the legendary old woman who delivers gifts on her broomstick. She is said to visit children on the eve of January 6 to fill their socks with sweets and presents if they have been good or a lump of coal or dark candy if they have been bad.

There are many versions. In Milan, authorities set up what they touted as the world’s longest Epiphany stocking – two kilometres long, it was made with thread derived from recycled bottles in the colours of this year’s world’s fair, Milan Expo 2015.

In Venice, a regatta is held in the Grand Canal with rowers dressed up as old women competing for best costume.
In Rome’s Piazza Navona, the holiday is focused on children with activities aimed at kids and the arrival of the three kings on horseback.
In the seafaring port city of Genoa, the Befana arrives on a water scooter, and Befana divers deposit a crown on the sea floor near Gallinara Island. Florence celebrates with a procession down the Arno River by 100 vessels from the city’s rowing club, while in Naples fire fighters organize a feast for children that also taught them about fire safety. In the southern city of Brindisi, the Hellenic Community carries out a traditional blessing of the port.

We look forward to next year’s local Bafana, at which we will meet our friends, and welcome in the New Year. I do hope that 2015 is a good one for all Frost readers.

Christmas Beauty Looks

Posted on December 23, 2014 by Frostie

Christmas Beauty Looks 2015

Christmas Beauty, don’t you love it? When else do you get to be so glam and over-the-top? As long as no-one mistakes you for a Christmas tree, it is all good. However, Christmas can feel like a marathon of endless parties and family get-togethers. Your hair and make up has to look good and last so here are our top tips and ideas from Frost.

Christmas is tiring so work on your skin first. A good base is all you need to stay looking fresh. A primer will help your make up last all day and make sure your skin is looking it’s best. Before you apply your primer use a good cleanser and then exfoliate as it gets rid of dead skin cells and leaves skin smooth and fresh. Using a weekly face mask before a big event will also make sure your skin is in it’s best condition. Making sure you drink enough water and cutting down on caffeine will keep skin looking healthy. Keep a concealer handy to freshen up underneath eyes and cover up any other flaws. Powder is very underrated but not much else sets make up like it. It will stop you looking shiny and keep make up in place.

Now for some Christmas touches.

A glittery nail polish. Not only glam but also very hard-wearing. Should last a week at least.

A beautiful red lipstick or red nail polish. Endlessly glamorous with the added benefit of being a very Christmas colour.

A shimmering eyeshadow. Something that catches the light gives an extra pop of glamour.

For your hair, do an up-do like a fish tail plait or a loose bun. Add a glitzy clip or a hairband and you are good to go!

Darts World Champions Return To Norwich For The BetVision Norwich Charity Darts Masters 2015

Posted on December 7, 2014 by Corinne Tuddenham-Finn

A host of former World Champion darts stars have signed up for the first BetVision Norwich Charity Darts Masters to be held at Norwich City Football Club on Saturday 27^th June 2015. The event itself will be held in the Norfolk Suite providing a fantastic location for a very prestigious event.

The event is being organised and promoted by Lord Russell Baker of Little Moulton who is looking to fundraise for the ‘Lord Baker Community Fund’ managed by The Norfolk Community Foundation. The main aim of the ‘Lord Baker Community Fund’ is to promote health and wellbeing; tackle disadvantage; support local solutions to meet local needs; promote community cohesion; develop sustainable and supportive communities and to deliver grant-making and charity support for the current fund beneficiaries that include East Anglia Children’s Hospices (EACH), Star Throwers Cancer Care & Support, Chapel Road School for Severely Disabled Children and Norfolk Community Foundation, who will also create a Community Grant programme which will be advertised and local community groups will be invited to apply for grants up to £1,000.

The World dart stars attending on the evening are Eric Bristow MBE (5 x World Champion; John Lowe (3 x World Champion); Peter Manley (former World No.1 and 3 x World Finalist) and from Suffolk – the youngest ever World darts champion, Keith Deller.

The event offers everyone on the night a chance to play at least one of these former World champions and master darts players. In addition there will be a small competition with the darts masters consisting of two semi-finals and a Final on the night – playing for the Norwich Charity Darts Masters Trophy. It is envisaged that this event and competition will become an annual event in Norwich for many years. The trophy itself has been donated by David Willimott from Carmichaels Dart Mart in Magdalen Street, Norwich. David Willimott is the former Suffolk darts champion and has had the privilege to play these players on many occasions. In fact a score card still hangs in Carmichaels Dart Mart when John Lowe played David some years ago; David Willimott will be attending on the evening as a special guest.

John Lowe said, “Eric Bristow, Keith Deller, Peter Manley and myself will by playing at the Norwich City Football Club in aid of the Norfolk Community Foundation and other local charities’. It will be a great night, for me it will be a reunion with friends made over many years. I first visited Norwich in the late 70’s and I have to say if ever I was to move from my beloved Chesterfield, Norwich would have been my first choice, not because they have a church for every day of the year and just as many pubs, but because I made friends that became everlasting friends.” John Lowe added, “The 27th June 2015 will have a great line up, but for me it will be the Norwich Big Reunion, see you there my friends.” Lord Baker said, “This is going to be a massive night and one that should put Norwich and Norfolk back where they belong, in the ‘Premiership’ of Darts. We are hoping to raise much needed funds to support local charities and community projects through the ‘Lord Baker Community Fund’, and I am expecting this event to become an annual community fundraising event for years to come, with various darts masters and former World champions attending each year.” Lord Baker added, “The Norwich Charity Darts Masters Trophy will hopefully become a prestigious trophy too, and over the years will bear the names of many World darts stars making the trophy a potential fundraising auction item too in the years to come”. Graham Tuttle, Chief Executive of the Norfolk Community Foundation said, “The first Norwich Masters Dart Event will be a great event on the Norfolk calendar next year and the Norfolk Community Foundation is really pleased to be working with Lord Baker in such an innovative fundraising event for local charities and community groups across Norfolk”. Steven Ho from Star Throwers said, “We are very grateful that Lord Baker is supporting Star Throwers again with this fantastic darts fundraiser. Russell organised a darts evening in May which was itself a fantastic evening but this one is looking like it will be even bigger and better! Russell’s continued fundraising means a great deal to our charity as it will help us to continue to provide advice and support to cancer patients and their loved ones”. Laura Carver from EACH said, “We are delighted to be one of the beneficiaries of Lord Baker’s fundraising events and thank him sincerely for his fantastic efforts in helping to ensure we can continue caring for children and young people with life threatening or life limiting conditions and supporting their families in the community. Lord Baker’s fundraising efforts are truly inspirational and we urge the public to support his events. They really are enjoyable occasions and what’s more, help to raise much needed funds for local charities”.

The BetVision Norwich Darts Masters 2015 is expected to be a sell-out with the VIP tickets already SOLD-OUT. Standard tickets for the evening are still available and these will make ideal Christmas presents for all those darts enthusiasts, so fill your loved one’s stocking this Christmas by visiting the On-line Ticket site – https://ncfdarts.eventbrite.co.uk/

This is your chance to give a special gift to those in your life and the chance of a lifetime to meet and possibly play one of the World’s most iconic darts stars in history – everyone on the night will have the chance to buy raffle tickets with the lucky winners able to play either Eric Bristow, John Lowe, Keith Deller or Peter Manley. So bring your darts!

For further information about the ‘Lord Baker Community Fund’ please visit the Norfolk Community Foundation web site – http://www.norfolkfoundation.com/funds/the-lord-baker-community-fund/

Vote For Frost Magazine in The UK Blog Awards 2015

Posted on November 20, 2014 by Frostie

The public vote for the UK Blog Awards is now open and we are asking our amazing readers to Vote for Frost magazine in the UK Blog Awards 2015.

If you love Frost, or even just like us then please vote for us here. Every vote counts and is much appreciated.

Thank you.

Frost Magazine

Books and Lifestyle

Tag Archives: 2015

Fattoria La Vialla 2015 Review: Glorious Organic Food From Tuscany

Valentine’s Day Gift Guide 2015

Dating News: Men Prefer Older Women, Women Prefer Younger Men

Golden Globe 2015 | Red Carpet Round Up

Italian Festival – Come With Me & Meet Bafana By Amanda Brake, Frost’s Le Marche correspondent

Christmas Beauty Looks

Darts World Champions Return To Norwich For The BetVision Norwich Charity Darts Masters 2015

Vote For Frost Magazine in The UK Blog Awards 2015

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