Tag Archives: Summer

IT’S PIMMS O’CLOCK  – SUMMER RECIPES FROM THE ULTIMATE FRUIT CUP

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OK, so the ‘Great British Summer’ mightn’t be so great now but there’s one thing that will make it better, a perfect pitcher of Pimms. We’ve shared our favourite recipes below and we defy you to not want to don the sunnies after a glass of one of these…

PIMM’S NO.6 – ENGLISH ROSE

Fill a tumbler with ice cubes

Pour 50ml Pimm’s No.6 (Vodka Cup),

125ml Fentiman’s Rose Lemonade

Add a dash each of lavender syrup, lemon juice and orange bitters

PIMM’S NO.1

Fill a tumbler or tall glass with ice cubes

Pour in 50ml Pimm’s No.1 and top up with lemonade

Add a few sliced strawberries, orange and cucumber

Stir and top with a sprig of mint

PIMM’S SPRITZ

Fill a Copa or wine glass with ice cubes

Pour in 50ml Pimm’s No.1 and 75ml lemonade, and top with sparkling wine

Add a few slices of cucumber and a sprig of mint

PIMM’S JUG

Half fill a jug with ice cubes

Pour in 200ml Pimm’s No.1 and top with lemonade

Add some sliced strawberries, orange and cucumber

Stir and top with a big sprig of mint

‘Bye-Bye BBQs’ – Brits opt out of the classic soiree and you won’t believe why…

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It’s a time honoured classic – the Great British BBQ. Turns out though, we’d swap marinated meats on the ‘cue for a traditional tea indoors in a heartbeat. Why? Because, according to kitchen roll brand Regina, the mess that these succulent meat-fuelled sessions create is too much for us to bear.

Over three quarters of us in the UK have been known to steer clear of the barby because we can’t handle the chaos they create. To add more fuel to the fire (or char to the grill) sticky fingers and cleaning the beastly gadget afterwards are also turn-offs for any BBQ host.

If you think you can brave the BBQ though, parenting coach and spokesperson for Regina, Judy Reith, has shared her top tips for throwing a stress-free BBQ.

MAKE A PLAN 

BBQs work best when you share the load. Agree in advance with your family who’s coming, timings, what to eat, who’s shopping and cooking, and who is clearing up. Test and clean the BBQ the night before to eliminate any pre-BBQ stress – rubbing the grill with half a cut onion followed by a strong, durable kitchen towel is a great way to remove any grit or grease before use.

KEEP IT CLEAN
Use bio-degradable disposable plates to save time on the washing up and bring the recycling bin outside so you can tidy as you go. Encourage your guests to scrap leftovers into the food bin and make sure you have some kitchen towel on hand for any spillages – and to clean up sticky fingers!

MAKE IT EASY

Outdoor eating should be fun and relaxed. It’s not MasterChef!  Take the stress out by preparing things like salads, marinades and desserts in advance and make sure the menu is easy to prepare and cook so everyone can enjoy it.  Keep experimental items as optional sides and encourage kids to try something new. Honey dipped prawns anyone?

KEEP IT SAFE

Eating outside? Think safety. Insects will join you for dinner, so keep mozzie repellent or light Citronella candles nearby and encourage kids to stay calm around wasps and flies. Make sure food is cooked thoroughly; using a thermometer helps. Keep little ones away from the BBQ.

HAVE FUN

Summer outdoor eating only lasts a few weeks, so keep FUN front and centre.  You have the chance to create warm and wonderful family memories if you focus on the fun, not the fuss. Who takes photos of ordinary family meals compared to relaxing in the garden with a BBQ and friends round?

So, what’s it going to be? Mess, or making the most of the final throes of the British Summer? We know what we’re going to do *said whilst collecting kitchen roll and heading for the back door*

Baileys Launch New Iced Coffee Cans

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Hip Hooray, the Sun’s out and finally we don’t need a fireplace to enjoy the delicious taste of Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur. Introducing the pick-me-up you’ve been waiting for… Baileys Iced Coffee. For the very first time Baileys lovers’ can enjoy the delicious taste of Baileys on the go in a convenient single serve can. Available in Iced Coffee Latte and Iced Coffee Mocha, the creamy, velvety combination of Baileys Irish Cream, pure milk and Arabica and Robusta Coffee go down as smooth as silk. Pure refreshing indulgence from start to finish. It’s a revelation, who doesn’t love an iced coffee, but on a lazy Saturday afternoon with the sun shining bright we like it laced with Baileys. So swap your regular Irish coffee with a Baileys Iced Coffee, we tried ours as a digestif and this will be firmly on our menu for all the warm summer evenings ahead of us…

Baileys Iced Coffee Latte (200ml, 4% ABV) and Baileys Iced Coffee Mocha (200ml, 4% ABV) will be available in a store near you for RSP £1.90.

Find out more here; Baileys

Köld Unveil Single Cocktail Pouches – Just in Time for Picnic Season

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We love a good lunch al fresco and this summer, Köld have given us a good reason to chill out and enjoy the sunshine with their genius frozen cocktail pouches. With four different cocktails to choose from, Köld pouches are a game changer using only the finest natural ingredients. We think that this is going to be your number one picnic item this summer!

The range of cocktails currently include; Cosmopolitan, Mojito, Lychee Martini and Elderflower Martini which are sold in double measure pouches (8% abv), ready to pop in your freeze and enjoy wherever you like.

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Out of all the ready-to-serve cocktails we have tried, Köld have really gone above expectations to ensure that they are serving up a really authentic and delicious, cocktail. You would be fooled into thinking a bartender had mixed these up in a flash as the cocktails retain their flavour and freshness and we enjoy the generous serving. The ingredients are undoubtedly premium as you can taste the quality flavours of the triple-distilled grain vodka and barrel aged rum on the first sip. Personally, the fact that a ready-to-serve can retain such a high quality as Köld have, makes it a top product.

Our favourite was Lychee Martini and it’s no surprise having won the great taste award. Köld have outdone themselves bringing your cocktail favourites into these handy pouches perfect for parties, picnics and BBQ’s and it’s no surprise that they are already in high demand. We’re sure to hear more wonderful things from Köld soon and here’s hoping for some more tasty cocktails from Köld in the future, (hints massively at Margarita?)

Köld is available now from Whole Foods Market, Ocado and Amazon and are sold as a pack of 2 for £6.99 or 1 for £3.00.

For more info visit www.koldcocktails.com

Frost Loves: Slydes

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slydes, footwear, sandals, gold,

Frost loves Slydes – Functional and super stylish footwear for summer.

 

Spring may have just started, but the weather is getting better and summer will be here soon, dammit. So lets get excited and buy our footwear now. I have been reviewing these Slydes. They are comfy and they look fab. Founded in 2014 and launching its first collection for Spring Summer 2015, the SLYDES brand offers an exciting range of pool slides for the fashion forward. The pool slide,  once reserved for the use of sporty types and swimmers alone,   is now the ultimate footwear choice of the Summer. I tend to agree. Minimum fuss with maximum stylish. That is what we all need.

£15-£22.

http://slydes.co.uk/

 

 

 

Royal Warrant Holder Fulton Umbrellas launches ‘The London Collection’

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 Fulton Umbrella’s 2016 Parasoled range Review
It is no secret that I love London and Frost Magazine can be quite London-centric (sorry to the rest of the UK. We love you too). There is a good reason for our love of London: it is the best city in the world. To celebrate Fulton have launched a London Collection. Fulton’s iconic style makes it a favourite of Her Majesty the Queen. I review the London Photographic print. It is beautiful and full of landmarks of London. The umbrella is well made of course. It is of the highest quality and fits well into a handbag. I am a fan. Pick one up yourself. There are five original designs.
Designed to pay homage to the city’s iconic landmarks and famous features Fulton launch The London Collection. Featuring classic cabs, red telephone boxes, Big Ben, the Royal Guards and the Union Jack, Fulton’s London Collection offers the perfect accessory to celebrate the city where the brand was born sixty years ago.

The collection includes a range of lightweight, compact models which feature bold prints to make a statement in showers this summer. The ‘Tiny’ is Fulton’s most compact style, without compromising on quality, making it perfect for handbags in case of unexpected downpours.The Birdcage, Fulton’s iconic style and a favourite of Her Majesty the Queen, is given a fresh twist with the London Icons pattern. Children aren’t forgotten, with a distinctive Funbrella featuring Royal Guards marching along its trim.

 

Fulton was founded in 1956 in the UK and from humble beginnings the company is now the UK’s leading umbrella manufacturer, exporting to countries around the world. As an international brand, Fulton is a great UK success story for innovation and style.

The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition… Closing Soon

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Royal Academy Summer Exhibition

8 June-16 August 2015

The largest open submission exhibition in the world

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Held without interruption since 1769, the Summer Exhibition displays works in a variety of mediums and genres by emerging and established contemporary artists.

The works are selected and hung by Royal Academicians, and entry is open to all artists.
In 2013, nearly 70% of the exhibits were by non-Academicians, £70,000 worth of prizes was awarded and over 5,000 works were sold.
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An unusual mix of celebrities –  Una Stubbs by Grayson and Measles, Harry Hill by Damien Hirst and Simon Cowell by Jenny Samtula
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The staircase and the Central Hall are alive with colour, enticing the visitor in.
Dominating the Central Hall is Matthew Darbyshire’s  Captcha No.11 (Doryphoros)  with Liam Gillick’s Applied Projection Ring.
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Grayson Perry’s amazing supersized tapestry, Julia and Rob.
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Jim Lambie’s kaleidoscopic stairs lead you up to the Main Galleries

 

At one time the show was known simply as ‘The Exhibition’, where the likes of Gainsborough and Reynolds, Turner and Constable sharpened their skills against each other.

Nowadays, although there’s a plethora of art fairs, commercial galleries and contemporary exhibitions to choose from, the galleries at Burlington House make an unrivalled setting for artists to display and sell their artworks.

For all of the works displayed, the artist is the seller of the work and the Academy takes a 30% commission on all ‘Offers to Purchase’, the proceeds going towards the RA Schools and their diverse programme of exhibitions.

The array of works and the celebratory atmosphere of the exhibition make for an unique experience where visitors can browse, buy and discuss the works on show.

Summer Book Special | What To Read

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summerbookreviewwhattoreadFive Days Later by Julie Lawson Timmer

This book was hard to put down. A beautiful and heart-breaking novel on love and lost, it is simply stunning. A must-read.

Mara is a successful lawyer, and devoted wife and mother. Struggling with a devastating illness, she has set herself five days to make the ultimate decision for her family.

Scott lives a thousand miles away, and is a foster parent to a troubled eight-year-old. Scott is facing his own five day countdown until his beloved foster son is returned to his biological mother.

The two connect through an online forum, and find a friendship to help guide them through the most difficult, and momentous, week of their lives.

Five Days Left is available here.

 

Some kind of wonderful by Sarah Morgan

A great, engaging, fun story. Sarah Morgan has a talent for writing great in-depth characters. This is the second book in the Puffin Island series. A good read that is hard to put down.

Her whole life, Puffin Islander Brittany Forrest has dreamed of adventure. And at the age of eighteen, she thought she’d found it in bad boy Zachary Flynn. But after just ten tempestuous, smouldering days, their whirlwind marriage went up in smoke, and Brittany resolved to put him out of her mind forever.
Zach knows he let Brittany down, but being back on Puffin Island and seeing Brittany again stirs up long-buried emotions. This daredevil pilot has never felt worthy of her, yet he can’t stay away—even when he knows the chemistry between them will only complicate his life.

As long, hot summer days on the beach dissolve into sultry, starry nights, Brittany and Zach find that the sparks between them are more powerful than ever. Could it be that the second time around, their dreams of a happy-ever-after will finally come true?

Fall in love with the all new Puffin Island series from Sarah Morgan, the bestselling author who brought you Sleigh Bells in the Snow:

Some Kind of Wonderful is available here.

 

A Meditation on Murder by Robert Thorogood

From the creator of BBC drama Death in Paradise, this great crime novel is riveting and full of twists that will keep you guessing. An enjoyable read, perfect for fans of crime novels.

 

An original story from the creator and writer of the hit BBC One TV series, Death in Paradise, featuring on-screen favourite detective, DI Richard Poole.
Enhance your enjoyment of the series as, for the first time, Robert Thorogood brings the characters to life on the page in an all-new locked-room mystery.

Aslan Kennedy has an idyllic life: leader of a spiritual retreat for wealthy holidaymakers on one of the Caribbean’s most unspoilt islands, Saint Marie. Until he’s murdered, that is. The case seems open and shut: when Aslan was killed he was inside a locked room with only five other people, one of whom has already confessed to the murder.

Detective Inspector Richard Poole is hot, bothered, and fed up with talking to witnesses who’d rather discuss his ‘aura’ than their whereabouts at the time of the murder. But he also knows that the facts of the case don’t quite stack up. In fact, he’s convinced that the person who’s just confessed to the murder is the one person who couldn’t have done it. Determined to track down the real killer, DI Poole is soon on the trail, and no stone will be left unturned.

A must read for fans of the TV series and Agatha Christie crime classics featuring Marple and Poirot.

A Meditation on Murder is available here.

 

A Summer Promise by Katie Flynn

This wartime novel is a heartwarming romance novel. Believable and engaging. 

From the bestselling author Katie Flynn. Growing up in the Yorkshire Dales, Maddy Hebditch can’t imagine the changes that war will bring when she joins the ATS.

1938: Maddy Hebditch has been living in poverty with her cantankerous grandmother since she was orphaned when she was just five, and it’s a constant struggle to stay out of the workhouse.

However, though life is hard, Maddy has her friends Alice, Marigold and Tom to help her. Together the four spend their summers exploring the Dales and making plans for the future.

Until war breaks out and everything changes.

As the four go their separate ways, Maddy joins the ATS, where she is recruited for one of the most dangerous jobs a woman could do in wartime: the Ack Ack sites.

All four face dangers as the war worsens, but when Tom is terribly injured, Maddy’s world falls apart…

A Summer Promise is available here.

 

Doris Day Vintage Club by Fiona Harper

A brilliant and unique novel. Hard to put down and lots of fun. Make sure you pack this amazing novel in your suitcase, it is the perfect holiday read and essential for fans of Doris Day. 

Claire Bixby grew up watching Doris Day films at her grandmother’s house and yearned to live in a world like the one on the screen – sunny, colourful and where happy endings were guaranteed. But recently Claire’s opportunities for a little ‘pillow talk’ have been thin on the ground.

Until she meets new client Nic who comes into her travel agency looking to book the perfect get away. Too bad it’s for two!

But as Nic and Claire get closer, the sparks start to fly, and Claire’s questioning everything Doris taught her about romance.

Can true love ever really be just like it is in the movies?

Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps…

The Doris Day Vintage Film Club is available here.

 

Nightingales at War by Donna Douglas

The latest in the Nightingales series, this is a heart-warming tale of friendship and love. A great coming-of-age drama set in pre-war London. A touching novel which is perfect for fans of Call The Midwife. 

As the war takes its toll, the Nightingale nurses must do their bit for king and country…

Dora is the devoted mother of twin babies but, determined to help the war effort, she goes back to work at the Nightingale Hospital.

More used to nights out in the West End, Jennifer and Cissy volunteer in the hope of tending to handsome soldiers. They soon find out that nursing isn’t quite what they were expecting.

For shy and troubled Eve, the hospital provides an escape from the pressures of home, but the life of a nurse is never easy, especially at wartime.

Can the nurses rally together while war rages all around them? And will the Nightingale Hospital survive the Blitz?

Nightingales at War is available here.

 

Russian Tattoo by Elena Gorokhova

A stunning page-turner. This is the second memoir from Elena Gorokhova and it is a fascinating and beautiful tale on the mother-daughter bond, Candid and full of emotion, this book is a great read. 

The possibility of leaving Russia was never as thrilling as the prospect of leaving my mother.’

When Elena Gorokhova arrives in America, the only link back to her Russian past is a suitcase filled with twenty kilograms of what used to be her life. Navigating a country she had been taught to fear, Elena begins to carve out a new life in an unfamiliar world.

Before the birth of Elena’s daughter, her mother comes to visit and stays for twenty-four years. Elena, must struggle with the challenge of raising an American daughter whilst living with her controlling mother, a mirror image of her Motherland.

Russian Tattoo is the story of what it means to be an outsider, and what happens when the cultures of our past and present collide. Above all, it is an insightful portrait of mothers and daughters.

Russian Tattoo is available here.

 

The Umbrian Thursday Night Supper Club by Markena de Blasi

We loved this book. A wonderful novel about a group of women in Italy who meet up on Thursday night to talk and cook. Full of wonderful description and amazing recipes you can cook yourself, this book takes you into the heart of Italy. This is a true story that never stops entertaining. Full of emotion, it perfectly evokes Italy and the Italian people. Wonderful. You cannot wait to find out what happens to these women and what happens in their lives.

Pull up a chair for the true story of the Umbrian Thursday night supper club.

Every week on a Thursday evening, a group of four Italian rural women gather in a derelict stone house in the hills above Italy’s Orvieto. There – along with their friend, Marlena – they cook together, sit down to a beautiful supper, drink their beloved local wines, and talk.

Here, surrounded by candle light, good food and friendship, Miranda, Ninucia, Paolina and Gilda tell their life stories of loves lost and found, of ageing and abandonment, of mafia grudges and family feuds, and of cherished ingredients and recipes whose secrets have been passed down through the generations. Around this table, these five friends share their food and all that life has offered them – the good and the bad.

For fans of all things Italian, and the thousands of readers who loved Deborah Rodriquez’s The Kabul Beauty School; Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love and Deborah Moggach’s Best Exotic Marigold Hotel;

The Umbrian Thursday Night Supper Club is available here.

 

Villa America by Liza Klaussmann

One of the books of the moment, and rightly so. This book is a stunning and sophisticated page-turner. This tale of marriage set in the 1920s on the French Riviera is a glorious read. 

Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Pablo Picasso, Cole and Linda Porter, Ernest Hemingway, John Dos Passos – all are summer guests of Gerald and Sara Murphy. Visionary, misunderstood, and from vastly different backgrounds, the Murphys met and married young, and set forth to create a beautiful world. They alight on Villa America: their coastal oasis of artistic genius, debauched parties, impeccable style and flamboyant imagination. But before long, a stranger enters into their relationship, and their marriage must accommodate an intensity that neither had forseen. When tragedy strikes, their friends reach out to them, but the golden bowl is shattered, and neither Gerald nor Sara will ever be the same.

Ravishing, heart-breaking, and written with enviable poise, Villa America delivers on all the promise of Liza Klaussmann’s bestselling debut, Tigers in Red Weather. It is an overwhelming, unforgettable novel.

Villa America is available here.

 

Everyday Detox by Megan Gilmore

Too many diet books are based on deprivation. This book makes being healthy easy and delicious. Megan Gilmore has practical recipes that are easy to make and she focuses on simply daily changes. This great book will make you healthy and is so great and simple you won’t even notice it is happening. 

This no-nonsense approach to healthy detoxing by certified holistic health coach and blogger Megan Gilmore offers 100 delicious and properly combined recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, including smoothies, snacks and desserts to help you lose weight and feel great. Each recipe is gluten- and sugar-free and include vegan, vegetarian and grain-free alternatives.

Whilst most diets and detoxes require all-or-nothing approaches which encourage unhealthy cycles of restriction followed by bingeing, Everyday Detox takes a realistic, sensible approach to healthy eating and weight loss. The simple, delicious recipes, such as Coconut Banana Muffins, Cauliflower Fried Rice, Baked Spaghetti and Double Chocolate Brownies, will help you to discover the benefits of using all-natural, wholefood ingredients that not only promote good health but stave off feelings of hunger and deprivation. And since each recipe has been designed to promote good gut health while gently removing toxins, you won’t feel bloated or uncomfortable after eating.

Packed with invaluable advice on how to stock a detox-friendly kitchen, and a handy food combination cheat sheet to help you to enjoy the benefits – and the results – of Everyday Detox without delay, this is an essential no-fuss approach to looking and feeling great!

Everyday Detox: 100 Easy Recipes to Remove Toxins, Promote Gut Health and Lose Weight Naturally is available here.