Snack Ideas: Kallo’s new rice cakes

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

I am one of those people who get grumpy and fainty when they are hungry so I am always looking for tasty new snacks to try. When these pastel coloured Kallo rice cakes arrived at Frost HQ I was quite excited. The packaging looks great and they looked tasty.

And they were. I loved the caramel flavour and the Blueberry & Vanilla. They are also low calorie, 36 for the blueberry and vanilla, and 40 for the caramel. although quite yummy so one is usually not enough. They are filling however and one rice cake will keep you going. I am now a fan and will be making sure I have some by my desk or in my handbag. Frost loves. A delicious guilt free snack.

This spring revamp your wardrobe, and your snacks, in this season’s prettiest pastel colours. Pale pinks, lilacs, spearmint and caramel shades dominated the catwalks for Spring/Summer 2013, showcased by top designers including Erdem, Valentino and Prada – and now in Kallo’s Sweet Jumbo Rice & Corn Cakes in Blueberry & Vanilla and Caramel flavours.

Newly launched in 2013, Kallo’s Sweet Jumbo Corn and Rice Cakes are presented in the sweetest lavender and caramel hues – perfect for matching with the latest spring fashion and make up trends. Delicious and satisfying, the Sweet Jumbo Rice & Corn Cakes are perfect for an afternoon pick me up at your desk, a delicious post dinner treat or on the move (in this season’s Mulberry Willow tote of course!)

Made from the finest wholegrain rice and corn with absolutely no artificial colours, preservatives, gluten containing ingredients or MSG, the Sweet Jumbos are suitable for vegetarians and clock in at just 36 calories per cake for the Blueberry & Vanilla and 40 for the Caramel flavour. Enjoy alone or try topped with berries, yoghurt and chocolate chips, caramel sauce and banana or even chocolate spread and strawberries! Just add a stack of fashion magazines and your new pastel nail polish for the perfect evening’s indulgence.

Kallo Blueberry & Vanilla Rice & Corn Cakes are launching in addition to Kallo’s successful savoury Jumbo Rice Cake range, and are the first fruit variety jumbo rice cakes on the market. Both varieties are available now in Tesco stores nationwide for £1.79.

Pet Loving Celebrities Go ‘Potty’ For Charity Fundraising Event

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Frostie

Pet loving celebrities including Cheska Hull, Laura Hamilton, Sinitta, Felicity Kendal, Arlene Phillips, Kristina Rihanoff, Lizzie Cundy, Meg Matthews, Liz McClarnon, Hayley Tamaddon and Jenni Falconer have joined forces to support this year’s Blue Cross Tea Party.

The celebrities have been challenged to showcase their artistic flair by designing their own special edition pet-themed teapot, to be auctioned to raise funds to help sick and homeless pets. The celebrities are also calling for the public to sign up to host tea parties across the country on Friday 10th May, to help make a difference to the lives of thousands of pets in Blue Cross care.

The fifteen pet loving celebrities supporting the great work of Blue Cross also include much-loved actresses Pam Ferris and Olivia Colman; plus fabulous TV personalities Debbie Bright and Ollie Locke, Made in Chelsea’s finest.

The colourful teapot designs range from Cheska Hull, Jenni Falconer and Laura Hamilton’s paw-print motifs, Liz McClarnon’s creative, cute cat artwork to Arlene Phillips’ pooch ‘Polly’ taking centre stage as the inspiration behind her teapot design.
Lizzie Cundy said: ‘I just love animals, I have two cats at home that I absolutely adore. The work that Blue Cross does really is so important in helping to provide happy homes for thousands of pets a year.”

Cheska Hull said: “I am a huge animal lover and it’s heart breaking that there are so many pets out there that don’t have a loving home. The work the Blue Cross does helps to ensure they can get a second chance at life. So take to your kitchens and get out your mixing bowls – Britain’s pets need you!”

Arlene Phillips said; “I have been busy mastering my baking skills for the Blue Cross Tea Party and I want to appeal to all the pet lovers out there to do the same. I used to really struggle with baking but ever since I did the Great British Bake Off, I love to shut myself away in the kitchen for a few hours whipping up a Victoria sponge or some scones to share with the family. I actually find it very therapeutic, and what’s great is that anyone can have a go to help this fantastic cause. With a huge rise in stray and abandoned pets over the last few years, Blue Cross needs our help more than ever to continue caring for pets in need.”

The auction will take place from (2^nd-12^th May) so don’t miss out on your chance to get involved and bid on your favourite pet-inspired teapot by visiting www.bluecross.org.uk/teapots. To order your free Tea Party host pack full of ideas and recipes, visit www.bluecross.org.uk/teaparty.

Puppy Bella was recently helped by Blue Cross. Part of an unwanted litter, when Bella first arrived she was covered in fleas and her tender skin was red and sore from scratching. Blue Cross nurses provided the vital veterinary care needed to slowly help Bella’s skin improve and she was cared for by a Blue Cross fosterer whilst she recuperated and returned to health. Bella has now found a permanent home with a family who give her the love she deserves.

Blue Cross is a charity dedicated to helping poorly, injured and abandoned pets for over 100 years, doing what’s needed to give every pet a healthy life in a happy home. They run four animal hospitals and 12 rehoming centres across the UK, which provide treatment and seek happy homes for thousands of cats, dogs, small pets and horses each year.

Blue Cross Tea Party, find out more at www.bluecross.org.uk/teaparty

Sleeping Arrangements Theatre Review

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

I love musicals. I really do. Which is why I really appreciate how incredibly brave doing a new one is. It is a move that I feel has paid off for Sleeping Arrangements. It is fun and frivolous. A comedy that makes you feel completely involved with the characters. The story about two families who end up in the same villa in Spain at the same time with hilarious consequences. It is a production set during a holiday and it really feels like one.

What the two families do not know is that Hugh and Chloe know each other. Their wealthy friend Gerard double booked them Was it on purpose and if so, why?

It must have been hard to write a musical from scratch but Chris Burgess has achieved it perfectly. I really had fun watching this musical comedy. It really did have some great one liners. All of the actors are just brilliant. I completely believed in all of their characters.

Sleeping Arrangements is based on the novel by Sophie Kinsella, which has been described as the ‘perfect holiday read’, and this theatre production completely encapsulates it. A really funny comedy that is definitely a go see.

Aria Entertainment Presents
Sleeping Arrangements
Landor Theatre
17th April – 12^th May

Sophie Kinsella’s Sleeping Arrangements adapted for the stage

Aria Entertainment is delighted to announce the full cast for the world premiere of Sleeping Arrangements, a new musical based on the novel by Sophie Kinsella, author of Confessions Of A Shopaholic.

The exceptionally high calibre cast includes Fascinating Aïda’s Liza Pulman and West End favourite Jenny Gayner who has trodden the boards as Roxie Hart in Chicago amongst other high profile roles and Sabrina Aloueche who is best known for playing the character ‘Scaramouche‘ in We Will Rock You.

The Confessions Of A Shopaholic novel was adapted into a film released in 2009, starring Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy but this will be the first of Sophie’s popular books to be adapted for the stage.

“I am so excited to see my story on stage in such a hilarious and tuneful musical”

Sophie Kinsella

This exciting new musical will play at the Landor Theatre in Clapham London for four weeks starting in April 2013 (17^th April – 12^th May)

Based on the best-selling novel of the same name, the musical tells the tale of Chloe who desperately needs a holiday. She’s sick of making wedding dresses and her partner, Philip has troubles at work. Her wealthy friend Gerard has offered the loan of his luxury villa in Spain – Perfect

Hugh is not a happy man. His immaculate wife Amanda seems more interested in her new kitchen than him and he works so hard to pay for it, he barely has time for his children. Maybe he’ll have a chance to bond with them on holiday. His friend Gerard has lent him a luxury villa in Spain – Perfect.

Both families arrive at the villa and realise the awful truth – Gerard has double-booked. What no-one else realises is that Chloe and Hugh have a history, and as tensions rise, old passions resurface. It seems that Gerard’s ‘accidental’ double booking may not be an accident after all…

With music and lyrics by Chris Burgess, Sleeping Arrangements the musical is the perfect summer soundtrack, just as the original novel was “a perfect holiday read”. – Sunday Mirror

Interview with May I Kill U? Star Hayley-Marie Axe

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

What did you think when you read the script?

I was intrigued and I couldn’t put it down. I did the nervous laugh thing that a lot of
people do when they first watch it, because you want to laugh at certain bits that you
really think you shouldn’t.

What made you take the role?

I really like Val’s character because on the outside she comes across as tough, but she
is vulnerable at the same time, which I can relate to. I thought she would be a very
interesting character to play and I could see myself playing her as soon as I read the
script.

Any great on set stories?

We had to go out and practice riding our bikes whilst being supervised and Kevin got
told off quite a bit, I don’t think he did his cycling proficiency at school.

Do you have a favourite genre of film?

Action or comedy….depending on my mood.

How long did the film take to shoot?

About five weeks. Went very quickly though.
What was it like working with Kevin Bishop?

Entertaining.

How do you prepare for doing a film?

I always do lots of research on the team involved so I have an idea of the style, and
even more research on the characters and the story. For ‘May I kill U?’ I read up
on serial killers, rode my bike a lot and chatted up the rather attractive policemen at
Sloane Square station on the way to my audition to ask them questions, and I also had
several conversations with a female officer from my local police station, who was
very helpful.

Do you think horror and comedy naturally work well together?

Yes I think horror and comedy can work really well together-particularly dark
comedy, and there is a place in the market for it.

Do you think that the roles for women in film are improving?

Yes, I think roles for women are improving, but there are still many more roles for
men than there are for women.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently playing Katia in the action web-series ‘Next Global Crisis’, and Delilah
Crunch in the spin off ‘The Fail-Safe Sisters’.

Manuka Doctor ApiClear Blemish Cream Review

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

Everyone has the occasional break out no matter how good their skin is. I am no exception. The last spot cream I used seemed to take the occasional spot I got and multiply it so my usually clear skin had a bit of a freak out. Enter Manuka Doctor ApiClear Blemish Cream. I had high hopes for this as I have previously reviewed their face mask. It also has Made In Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh as a fan.

Millie Says, I won’t be going to anywhere this year without Manuka Doctor’s ApiClear Blemish Cream. Breakouts often occur during festivals and holidays and so having this to instantly soothe my skin is a lifesaver! It is so easy to use – I just pop it in my bag and know that my skin will stay blemish free.

The cream has UMF 18+ Manuka Honey, witch hazel, vitamin E and Propolis. It is calm and cooling and non greasy. It doesn’t have any nasty parabens or SLS.

I use it on the occasional pimple and it does speed up the healing process. My skin looks a lot better. Considering how inexpensive it is (£5.99 from Holland & Barrett) I will be buying this when it runs out. A great little cream that helps clear up spots quickly.

Top marks.

Calvin Klein Delicious Luxury Creme Lipstick Review

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

Calvin Klein Delicious Luxury Creme Lipstick in Cosmopolitan.

I must confess that the colour of this lipstick was a bit challenging. I see women wearing bright lipstick all the time and feel a tug of envy. It just looks so fabulous on them. I usually wear nude lipstick. My problem with bright lipstick is that I have a big mouth – no jokes please. At school I was made fun of because of my big lips. Of course now I see them as a plus. I get compliments on them a lot. But I always thought that wearing bright lipstick made them look too big and was just too much of a hassle. Which just goes to show how much I don’t know.

The lipstick looks amazing on. Although my boyfriend has reservations, ‘Jeez, that’s bright. It really doesn’t suit you.” he says. Thanks for that! I persevere anyway.

I like how the lipstick brightens up my face. I like the colour, it is beautiful. The lipstick is good quality, as you would expect from Calvin Klein. It stays on my face all day and it does not dry my lips out. I get a lot of compliments and even my boyfriend comes around to it.

So am I converted? Completely. I will be brightening up my make up look, and as for the Calvin Klein lipstick, it is a piece of luxury at a completely reasonable price, and an excellent lipstick to boot.

Available from Fragrance Direct and Debenhams.

Olympus Has Fallen | Film Review

Posted on April 20, 2013 by Paloma Kubiak

As the tattered flag of the USA is flung aside by the North Koreans during their attack of the White House, the President of the USA is taken hostage, his son goes missing and America’s prized nukes become their very own weapons of mass destruction.

Olympus Has Fallen (the code word for the White House) is the scene of a merciless shoot-out between the Secret Service and North Koreans and only Mike Banning (Gerard Butler), can save the day.

A disgraced former presidential guard, Butler’s on a one-man mission to save the President (Aaron Eckhart), his son, and to stop the terrorists from obtaining the three passwords to detonate America’s web of nuclear subheads.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, in the 13 minutes it takes the North Koreans to take over the White House (and a whole two minutes before the Army intervenes) the unwavering attack echoes the tragic scenes of 911 as a bomber plane whistles past high-rise offices and clips the Washington Monument before it comes crashing to the ground.

The film’s release is also at a somewhat ironic time as the hostilities between the two nations in our current world are also surfacing.

Intelligent and co-ordinated, the attack is played out with militant efficiency as innocents and secret agents’ bodies pile up on the lawn of the Presidential building and inside one of the safest places in the USA.

The light and sound effects on the big screen will leave you feeling shocked and impressed at the same time.

With its twists, split-second timing and traitors, Olympus Has Fallen has all the ingredients of a Hollywood action movie and at times, picked up on the comedic lines of Bruce Willis in the Die Hard sagas.

When the Defence Secretary Ruth McMillan (brilliantly played by Melissa Leo) is kicked and punched to the floor – a tad uncomfortable to view– she asks the president how her hair looks and when Banning calls his nurse wife to ‘check-in’, they both skirt around the truth and say they’ve had busy days.

At times the plot was a little contrived and the continuity was lacking. Banning, who no longer worked by the President’s side, was still able to gain access to the White House security systems and files, just as well really.

And as the guns blaze and Banning’s driving to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, his smooth face cuts to a stubbly square-jaw line in the next scene.

Overall, Olympus Has Fallen is an impressive action movie despite its recurrent plot line favoured by Hollywood directors.

And the inclusion of Morgan Freeman, the Speaker of the House who by default becomes the unlikely Acting President, is a sure fan-pleaser.

Butler provides the eye-candy, the North Koreans are the baddies and America is hailed as an undefeatable nation.

The Anthologist | Restaurant Review

Posted on April 19, 2013 by James Yardley

The Anthologist is set on Gresham Street in the heart of the city of London. First impressions were great. Both the restaurant and bar were packed. One immediately gets the impression this a fun and trendy place. The atmosphere was buzzing. We were warmly greeted and led to a two seater table on a raised ledge with a window seat and our own sectioned area. We had a great view of the rest of the restaurant.

The tables are candlelit and our chairs were very comfortable. There is great attention to detail and no expense has been spared on the decor. The kitchen is open and visible. In fact you can sit on a counter right next to and looking into the kitchen. Everything is high tech. Chefs have monitors to view orders and some staff seem to be connected by Bluetooth head sets.

Raspberry Daiquiri and Porn Star cocktails

We start with some cocktails. A raspberry daiquiris and a ‘Porn Star’ made from passion fruit. Both were delicious. The raspberry daiquiris was wonderfully sweet which cut through the alcohol. The ‘porn star’ was amazing and both our favourite cocktail of the night. It had a wonderful smooth velvety texture. It came with a shot of champagne that you can down or mix into the drink. I chose the first option.

The service was first class. Our waiters were knowledgeable, friendly and very happy to make suggestions. Everything seemed extremely well organised and ran like clock work despite the packed restaurant. A waiter was always around when we wanted one and the cocktails and food arrived in excellent time. The monitors and Bluetooth gadgets were working.

The menu is large and there is a big selection. I started with tempura squid served on a bed of crunchy bean sprouts and peppers and firecracker sauce. The firecracker sauce was the real star here. Made with tomato, onion, ginger and hint of chilli it goes very extremely with the squid. I enjoyed the sauce so much I mopped up what was left with

Tempura Squid

some delicious Foccacia bread we’d been given earlier.

Our next drinks were a Skinny Mango Mojito. Which is only 115 calories. This mix of rum, mango, lime juice and nectar is a great take on a classic: just sumptuous. We also had a Princess Sparkle. Blackberries, elderflower, peach bitters, vanilla sugar and prosecco. To be honest the cocktails are out of this world. Just really good and definitely some of the best I have ever had. So if you don’t want to have a meal then at least check out the cocktails at The Anthologist.

Our other starter was excellent, old spot pork sausages with roast apples and prunes. A great classic combination. The acidity of the apple works perfectly against the delicious meatiness of the sausages and the sweet earthy prunes adds another dimension in terms of texture and flavor. It’s a dish which you can’t help but smile at and be very happy to eat.

Seabass

For our main dishes we tried out two of the specials. The first was the pan fried Sea bass fillet with cracked wheat, marinated artichoke heart, olives, butternut squash, baby spinach and lush pesto which was recommended by the waiter and I could see why. For me this was the highlight of the evening. The whole dish had a Mediterranean/Moroccan feel.The fish was beautifully soft with crispy skin and was beautifully presented on black slate. The wheat was perfectly cooked. The olives were wonderful and full of tremendous flavor. The pesto sauce was delicious and when combined with the fish, earthy squash and spinach and wheat together the result was heavenly. One of the best Sea basses I have ever had without a doubt. Simply superb.

King Scallop Flambe!

Next was the Flambe – seared King Scallops with wild rocket, crispy chick peas, grilled courgette, cognac, shallots and butter. This was prepared at our table which is always exciting and fun to watch. It was another stunning dish. The buttery sauce was a delight and it tasted amazing against the beautiful Scallops. They melt in your mouth. The thinly grilled courgettes and crispy chick peas were great accompaniments.

For dessert we have the mini pudding shots. They are amazing. You get three shots (although shots is a poor description because they’re were actually a lot bigger than that) of chocolate brownie, white chocolate & raspberry, Crème brûlée and salted caramel and roasted plum Knickerbocker glory. It was all good. It is even hard to choose a favourite. Although at the time I was most in the mood for the chocolate brownie. The Crème brûlée makes that satisfying cracking sound when you put your spoon in. Delicious.

Knickerbocker glory

We also ordered another knickerbocker glory. It looked amazing, was soft and very tasty. Despite being stuffed already it was easy to eat because it was light and not too rich, a perfect finish to the meal. It was delicious but personally I’m not a fan of the salted caramel craze.

The Anthologist is a great restaurant with a menu that has everything you could possibly want to eat in one place. From Asian food to steaks from a butchers in Mayfair. The cocktails are amazing, the scene is buzzing and the service is top notch. The food was truly excellent and the specials were particularly exciting. The chefs clearly have tremendous talent. I doubt you’ll find better food anywhere else in the city. The prices are also very reasonable for this part of London.

The atmosphere is amazing but it is loud and it won’t be for everyone’s taste. This probably isn’t the best restaurant for families but it is the perfect place to go after work. I would highly recommend you book in advance because there weren’t many empty seats for the whole night.

Highly recommended. We had a ball.

Address: 58 Gresham St, City of London, EC2V 7BB

Phone: 0845 468 0101

Nearest tube: Bank

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