Monthly Archives: August 2016

The George Clooney of Tequila… Casamigos

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George Clooney is many things, a man of many talents and now, to add to his long list of successes, a purveyor of Mexico’s finest export, Tequila. Along with Rande Gerber, former model and American Businessman, and Discovery Land Company CEO & founder Michael Meldman, the three amigos set out on a mission to create ‘the best-tasting, smoothest tequila around…’ which they did. Initially, it’s hard to see the allure of tequila when even the mention of it evokes horror into the heart of anyone unfortunate enough to be standing by the bar but we no longer have to associate tequila with the last shot we ever remember taking and the ethos behind Casamigos is to enjoy a premium tequila “for friends by friends.”

Much like many premium spirits, it’s always the quality that counts. The gang recount that the brand was bourne out of their love for tequila… “On the rocks, by the shot, at times straight from the bottle.” The glamour of tequila is very much that it has the magical effect of turning you into a superhuman or giving you the most incredible amnesia but if you have the most quality agave it produces a mind-blowing, smooth and silky Casamigos Tequila. The product is made from the finest, hand-selected 100% Blue Weber agaves which are grown in the rich red clay soil of Jalisco Mexico. The tequila is then distilled in traditional pot stills and the water used is naturally filtered to ensure that the flavour is not changed. The process of making Casamigos is really an indicator into how quality their tequila’s are. The agave piñas are slow cooked for 72 hours unlike the average of 30, and are then been fermented for 80 hours compared with 48. Another winning aspect to Casamigos is that absolutely no glycerin is added which makes it free from additives and completely gluten-free and if that’s not enough, each batch is tested and approved by master distillers Clooney and Gerber.

We were lucky enough to try out the Reposado expression which is aged for 7 months, with hints of caramel and cocoa. First impressions, the bottle is elegant, sophisticated and neat, an indicator into the contents itself. There is no fuss here but something that looks incredible classy and chic on a drinks counter. Sealed with a cork, there is something reminiscent of a bottle swept up from sea vibe here which is really satisfying. When you pop the cork the first smell really does offer up the salty sea and maybe it’s because of the idea of having tequila with a pinch of salt has become so embedded into my mind but the whole feel of the bottle with the smell offers up something i’d love to run away to the beach with and enjoy straight out the bottle á la George. But I digress, first comes the salt, then comes the barrel then comes the sweet nectar of the agave. This offering is filled with intense and sweet aromas unlike a regular tequila. The first taste I try neat. What we get is smooth, delicious, without the accompaniments of salt and lime then comes the sweet caramel and the finish is fresh, botanical and almost pine like. The fire is not too overbearing at all and again more flavour, this time black pepper. So Casamigos Reposado neat is a hit, in a cocktail, we tried the Strawberry Casamigas Basil Margarita, the tequila really is the star of the show. The absence of glycerine illuminates any stickiness. The taste is silky smooth, and with the other ingredients tastes incredibly balanced and fresh.

So judge for yourself, try award winning Casamigos with friends and feel safe in the knowledge that Casamigos is brought to you by those who drink it. Just to give you an idea of how to enjoy your tequila, we’ve included some Casamigos approved cocktail recipes for you to try…

CASAMIGOS STRAWBERRY BASIL MARGARITA

1 ½ Parts Casamigos Reposado Tequila
¾ Part Fresh Lime Juice
½ Part Simple Syrup (or a bar spoon of super fine sugar)
3 to 4 Strawberries
2 to 3 Sweet Basil Leaves
Balsamic Vinegar

Shake, double strain, new ice collins glass. Top with club soda, garnish with basil
sprig and a dash of balsamic.

CASA SMASH

1 ½ Parts Casamigos Reposado Tequila
3 Lemon Wedges
4-6 Mint Leaves
¾ Part Simple Syrup

Shake, double strain over fresh ice. Garnish with mint sprig.

Casamigos Tequila is available to purchase at Selfridges and Harvey Nichols as well as online

www.selfridges.com

www.harveynichols.com

Learn more at www.casamigostequila.com

BEST ENDEAVOURS: Jane Cable’s blog about what happens once that digital publishing deal is in the bag continues

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BEST ENDEAVOURS: Jane Cable’s blog about what happens once that digital publishing deal is in the bag continues , writing, getting published, am writing
BEST LAID PLANS

The email came on Monday, via Agent Felicity, with the impeccable timing only achieved by a communication containing deadlines which arrives at the beginning of a holiday. And not a plenty-of-time, relaxing-on-the-beach sort of holiday – a full on archaeological tour of Orkney, with just about every waking hour accounted for.

It was a holiday we’d been looking forward to for over a year: a small group led by a real live archaeologist (a dead, or even half dead one would have been of limited use) around the amazing array of Orkney’s historical sites (see www.orkneyarchaeologytours.co.uk). In just six days we travelled from the Neolithic to World War 2 and back again. Via the ephemeral Picts and the rather more visceral Vikings. We crawled into Stone Age tombs and gazed in wonder at homes lived in 4,500 years ago at Skara Brae. The novelist in me was bitterly disappointed to find the story of the Italian PoWs who built a beautiful chapel from scrap had already been fictionalised, while at the same time storing away nuggets about life as an archaeologist for my current work in progress.

But I digress. The email forwarded to me was from my publisher, Endeavour Press, with an outline timetable for the production phase of The Seahorse Summer: finish the manuscript over the next few weeks, then four to six weeks later they would send me proofs and edit notes. Together? I consulted a writer friend who is published by a rival digital house and yes, that’s the way things are done. Proofs are not final proofs; she received five sets in all and great emphasis was placed on getting things right.

So what I need to get right now is my manuscript. I am delighted to be left to my own devices to do this but at the same time I just know that the “two days’ work” suggested by Endeavour at the pre-contract stage will take me so much longer. Readers are going to part with hard earned cash to buy my book (I hope!) so I owe it to them to make it as perfect as possible.
I guess every writer has their own method of editing. The Seahorse Summer, as a story, is complete. The characters are fully formed but the words aren’t as polished as I’d like them to be. So that’s the first thing I’ll do. Trusty filofax in hand I pencil in Monday and Tuesday next week for this vital task.

Please understand that I am not a full time writer – I also have a business to run. Thankfully my husband (when he gets over his post holiday grump) will be on hand to help, but even so on Wednesday I need to be at a client to deal with their month end – and on Thursday I need to deal with our own. And catch up on all the little tasks that didn’t get done while we were away.

Once these jobs are complete I can return to my editing. Next I’ll work through the manuscript from the point of view of each character, making sure their stories progress logically and their external and internal journeys are sound. For this I’ve booked in five to six days over the next fortnight – each one diarised in between client commitments, training courses, a hair cut and what will doubtless be a much needed massage.

The final read through I’m leaving until I have a clear week later in the month. I can deal with all the loose ends I’ve unearthed (why did the strange rumbling and roaring Marie hears disappear?) and make sure every word is where it should be. All 80,000 of them. And that’s where my meticulous planning should all pay off.

Jane Cable is the author of two independently published romantic suspense novels, The Cheesemaker’s House and The Faerie Tree, and a sporadic contributor to Frost. The Seahorse Summer tells the tale of how two American soldiers born sixty years apart help forty-something Marie Johnson to rebuild her shattered confidence and find new love.

Discover more at www.janecable.com

Shelter From The Storm by Ellie Dean

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The latest saga set at Beach View Boarding House in Cliffehaven.

It is 1943 and nineteen-year-old April Wilton has joined the WRENS and is busy servicing ships’ engines in Portsmouth. Here she has found freedom, friendship, and fulfilment.

April meets Daniel, a young American soldier, whose mother is Sioux and father is of African descent, The attraction is immediate, and coming from strict racial segregation in South Carolina, Daniel finds the freedom he has in England overwhelming.

But with war and race both involved, their relationship was never going to be simple.

Rejected by her mother and facing an uncertain future she travels to Cliffehaven. However, she carries a secret, one that could change her life for ever.

Can the warmth and support of Peggy Riley and those at Beach View Boarding House heal the wounds of April’s past and bring her hope amid this time of turmoil?

This is my first encounter with the characters of Beach View Boarding House even though it is Ellie Dean’s eleventh family saga.  However, it didn’t matter  that I hadn’t read any of the others  as I was soon swept into the warm and welcoming arms of Peggy Riley and the members of her hotch-potch household. It quite easily stands alone but it did make me curious to find out the back stories of the other members that now reside at Beach View – which can only be a good thing.

Ellie Dean handles a wide range of characters and makes you warm to each one of them – no mean feat at all. She takes us back to a time when life was difficult enough fighting a war and dealing with rationing, let alone the complications that relationships bring. A heartwarming and uplifting story for lovers of family sagas.

www.ellie-dean.co.uk

www.penguin.co.uk

www.tracybaines.co.uk

 

In Search of the Past – A visit to the Somme Part 5 by Penny Gerrard

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Lieutenant Colonel Harry Vivian Robert Hodson

The Gerrards and the Hodsons had completed a moving but successful first day travelling round the Somme and as our schedule only allowed us two days in the battlefield area we were up and about early on our second day, ready to find another one of Richard’s family members – this time his grandfather Harry Vivian Robert Hodson – Lieutenant Colonel of the North Staffordshire Regiment.  He was second in command of the 15 Royal Welsh Fusiliers which landed in France in January 2016 and, after a period of training, deployed in trenches in the area of Laventie.

In Search of the Past – A visit to the Somme Part 5 by Penny Gerrard1 Mametz Wood across the field of Oil Seed Rape

Our first destination of the morning was the infamous Mametz Wood which stands much as it always did in the middle of open rolling countryside.   What made it very different from how it would have looked on the day of the attack was the sea of yellow oil seed rape in which the wood now sat.    Then it would probably have been a sea of mud.  We walked up to the amazing red dragon memorial to the 15 Royal Welsh Fusiliers which sits on the small hill over which the battalion climbed before descending into the narrow flat area leading across to the wood.

In Search of the Past – A visit to the Somme Part 5 by Penny Gerrard2 The Red Dragon Memorial to the 15 Royal Welsh Fusiliers

The battalion took part in the attack on the wood as part of the Somme offensive, in the face of fire from both sides of the valley and from the heavily fortified wood.    Even walking across the field towards the wood through the golden yellow flowers on a sunny early summer morning with birds singing all around us, I could still feel the atmosphere of that place. Standing where I was one hundred years before would have meant almost certain death.   The battalion lost 12 officers and 252 other ranks killed or wounded in that offensive.   A dreadful day.

In Search of the Past – A visit to the Somme Part 5 by Penny Gerrard3“ Taken from the field the battalion crossed to reach Mametz Wood looking back at the memorial”

Lieutenant Frederick William Watkins

We had more of Harry’s Somme history to investigate later, but we had one more family member to track down first – Richard’s great uncle and the elder brother of his maternal grandmother.  Frederick William Watkins was a Lieutenant of 36 Jacobs Horse, Indian Army.    He was one of the survivors of the Great War so we were glad not to be searching for a grave or memorial.    He fought at the battle of Cambrai from 20 November to 4 December 1917 and later in 1918 with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force against the Turks in Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq).   He remained in the Indian Army after the war and was later discharged from the army in 1942 on medical grounds.  He died aged  86.

In Search of the Past – A visit to the Somme Part 5 by Penny Gerrard4“The Canal d’Escaut as it is today”

Richard was keen to visit the site of an operation which did not work out as planned in which his great uncle was involved and we soon found ourselves at a bridge across the Canal de L’Escaut at Masnieres.   The canal was still and peaceful and we enjoyed a gentle walk along its banks before returning to the sturdy bridge near the Masnieres War Memorial to find a place to eat the baguettes we had thought to bring with us this time.

In Search of the Past – A visit to the Somme Part 5 by Penny Gerrard5 “No one does baguettes like the French!”

Richard described to us how, on 20 November 2017, Frederick’s first action as second in command of a cavalry squadron was to follow up the tanks and infantry on foot and bridge the Hindenburg Line where a breach was made to allow the Cavalry Divisions to exploit any break through.  The task was completed by 11 am, under spasmodic shell fire, but the leading Cavalry Brigade appeared two hours late and the opportunity for a real breakthrough across the canal was lost.    An information board by the modern bridge shows the embarrassing image of the first of the British 28 ton Flying Fox tanks proving too much for the bridge and sinking on the broken bridge towards the water below.

In Search of the Past – A visit to the Somme Part 5 by Penny Gerrard6“The destruction of the bridge over the Canal d’Escaut” 

From 29 November onwards Frederick was involved in dismounted operations to halt the German counter attack between Gouzeaucourt and Epehy in the area of Vaucellette Farm.

 

 

Mindful Mama: Happy Baby, by Maja Pitamic and Susannah Marriott Book Review

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Mindful Mama- Happy Baby, by Maja Pitamic and Susannah Marriott Book Review

 

I have to confess, I haven’t read a lot of parenting books. I keep meaning to, but find it hard to find the time. I managed to find some time for Mindful Mama: Happy Baby as it looked interesting. It has a number of things going for it: it is easy to read, fun and full of ideas. I am not into mediation or mindfulness, but I found the activities interesting and will use some of them with my son. The book has games, songs, dances and outdoor activities. The book breaks the activities down by age and has a development chart too. The book is well-illustrated and has clear instructions. funnily enough, I recognise some of these activities from my own childhood so there are a few classics.

I liked this book and will be doing some of the activities with my little one. This book is fun and educational.

Mindful Mama: Happy Baby is an accessible guide for new parents using mindfulness techniques and Montessori activities to bring calm and confidence to the early parenting years. Susannah Marriott has published a number of successful parenting titles, while Maja Pitamic is a Montessori teacher and author of the best-selling I Can Do It, also published by Modern Books.

 

Over 60 mindful activities and play ideas for bonding with your child

 

Sensory games, songs, dances and outdoor activities to share

 

Advice on nurturing, feeding, bathing, sleeping and carrying

 

Meditative techniques to relax your mind and keep you calm

 

Mindful Mama: Happy Baby is a practical and accessible guide for new parents, designed to give you the skills to calmly navigate the early years of child rearing, from birth to three years of age. Mindful parenting makes time for meaningful interactions with your child, which have a profound effect on bonding during the crucial developmental stages.

 

Emphasis is put on the well-being of both parent and child, as well as the importance of bringing peace and perspective to the emotional whirlwind of having a new baby. As your baby grows into a toddler, the exercises change, allowing this age group to fully explore the world around them and engage their senses in a fun and playful way.

 

Playing with a child with awareness daily is the most mindful thing we can do as parents. It shows children we are available and passes on the self-acceptance that comes with engaging fully with an activity. As children reveal their personalities and unique ways of doing things so we learn from them, our relationships with them become richer

 

Both practical and inspiring, Mindful Mama: Happy Baby gives you and your child the building blocks for an enjoyable and mindful first few years.

 

Maja Pitamic is the author of I Can Do It, the successful Montessori activity book for ages three to five, as well as the co-author of I Can Make Music, Modern Art Adventures and 3D Art Adventures. She has over fifteen years’ experience teaching young children and holds degrees in Art History and Montessori Teacher Training. She currently lives in London.

 

Susannah Marriott is a freelance author and mother of three. Her books include Green Babycare, Natural Pregnancy, Pregnancy Herbaland The Pregnancy and Baby Book. Her writing has appeared in Weekend Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph, Marie Claire, Zest, Shape, Top Sante, Healthy and Junior. She currently lives in Devon.

 

Also available in this series:

I Can Do It (Sept 2015) and I Can Make Music (Sept 2015)

Mindful Mama: Happy Baby

0ver 60 calming techniques and creative activities for babies and toddlers

by Maja Pitamic and Susannah Marriott

Published by Modern Books – 25th August 2016. @modernbooks.

RRP: £12.99

 

 

The Modern Day Signs of Class. How Classy Are You?

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signs of class, class, Minding your manners, avoiding emotional Facebook rants and knowing what cutlery to use are the modern day signs of class, according to new research.

Saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ is the cornerstone of class according to a survey of 2,000 Brits, followed by reading widely and having good table manners.

Avoiding text speak, being bilingual and maintaining great posture also made the top 50 touches of class.

For women, subtle make-up, never drinking from a bottle and displaying cleavage sparingly were signs of holding yourself well.

While for men having a firm handshake, knowing when to admit you’re wrong and owning a tailored suit made the cut.

A spokesperson from European fashion brand Peter Hahn, who commissioned the study, said: “Projecting the essence of class successfully requires a number of factors to work harmoniously, from your dress sense to your manners to your skillset.

“It helps if you have read your way through a bookcase of classics or can speak a couple of languages, but if your skirt is too short, your bow tie too sloppy or your posture too lax, your classy persona can falter.”

Also in the top 50 were being able to handle your drink and knowing poetry that doesn’t just begin and end with ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’ from William Wordsworth’s ‘Daffodils’.

Placing a napkin on your lap when eating and not wearing football strips as casual wear also featured.

For women, smelling nice, confidence and sensible heels are sure-fire signs of classy couture.

While for men, crisp white shirts, holding the door open for others and taking pride in their appearance are all ingredients that go into making gents suave.

Age is also a factor in levels of class. Brits believe the optimum age for classiness is 45 and that men and women generally get better with age, though men more so.

Dignified decorum on social media is a must for a quarter of Brits, while a fifth thinks wine knowledge is a sign of sophistication.

Despite these simple rules of class and etiquette, 86 per cent of Brits believe that people lack class nowadays.

In fact, an honest 36 per cent happily admit to having no class, with just one in 10 Brits confident in their classy credentials.

Nearly three quarters of those surveyed think that a touch of class is an important trait, but also believe that the manners, behaviour and fashion sense necessary are dying out in modern times.

 

TOP 50 SIGNS OF CLASS:

1. Says please and thank you

2. Is well-read

3. Has good table manners

4. Doesn’t swear

5. Knows what cutlery to use

6. Is discreet

7. Doesn’t start eating a meal until everyone else at the table has their food

8. Holds doors open

9. Never drinks directly from the bottle

10. Doesn’t use text speak

11. Avoids emotional Facebook or Twitter rants

12. Gives up a seat on public transport for someone else

13. Able to speak more than one language

14. Has great posture

15. Doesn’t gossip

16. Brings gifts for hosts when attending events

17. Shops in Waitrose

18. Doesn’t get drunk

19. Knows correct way to pour a bottle of wine

20. Places a napkin on lap when eating

21. Doesn’t discuss money or how much things cost

22. Knows more than two types of wine

23. Knows correct way to hold a wine glass

24. Doesn’t wear football strips as casual wear

25. Is a good listener

26. Doesn’t watch reality TV

27. Knows Mozart from Beethoven

28. Owns a timeless pair of shoes

29. Is up to date with current affairs

30. Has good culinary knowledge

31. Has National Trust membership

32. Only gives compliments when they actually mean it

33. Attends the Chelsea Flower Show

34. Prefers champagne to prosecco

35. Pays the bill

36. Isn’t easily flustered

37. Doesn’t get into arguments

38. Never borrows money from friends

39. Knows more poetry than ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’ from William Wordsworth’s ‘Daffodils’

40. Never forgets a meeting

41. Doesn’t fill the wine glass to the top

42. Uses the word ‘supper’

43. Rarely eats takeaways

44. Listens to Today on Radio 4

45. Avoids drinking instant coffee

46. Is a generous tipper

47. Knows how to flirt properly

48. Never caught running for the bus or train

49. Arrives fashionably late to a party (but not too late)

50. Owns a pedigree dog

TOP 10 SIGNS OF A CLASSY WOMAN:

1. Wears subtle make-up

2. Ages gracefully

3. Confidence

4. Never drinks directly from the bottle

5. Accepts compliments graciously

6. Doesn’t wear heels higher than she can walk in

7. Always smells nice

8. Doesn’t downplay her intelligence

9. Reveals cleavage sparingly

10. Wears dresses tight enough to show she’s a woman, but loose enough to prove she’s a lady

TOP 10 SIGNS OF A CLASSY MAN:

1. Respectful of women

2. Holds the door open for others

3. Takes pride in his appearance

4. Stands up when women join the dining table

5. Takes his hat off when indoors and in the company of women

6. Has a firm handshake

7. Knows when to admit he’s wrong

8. Owns a tailored suit

9. Always smells nice

10. Wears crisp white shirts

When it comes to classy celebs, the Royal Family are considered beacons of style and substance, with Kate Middleton, Prince William and Prince Harry securing top spots in the countdown.

Taylor Swift, Emma Watson and Idris Elba are also considered some of the classiest public figures around.

As for the decade with the most charm and swagger, the 1950s come out on top followed by the decadent 1920s.

By comparison, just one per cent of those surveyed chose our current decade as the classiest of the last hundred years.

The Peter Hahn spokesperson added: “We’re all accustomed to the adage ‘sex sells’, but actually leaving something to the imagination can be much more alluring than the shortest skirts or an overt cleavage.

“At Peter Hahn we know that a well cut garment will achieve the perfect silhouette, which is far more likely to get you noticed for all the right reasons.”

 

 

Celebrate the Night Tube with Late Night Dining at Gaucho

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The nation’s favourite Argentine Steak restaurant are about to make Londoners a whole lot happier. As if we didn’t have enough to celebrate with the arrival of the night tube, FINALLY, Gaucho Piccadilly will be the first to give you one incredibly important reason to stay out late. Executive Chef Jamie Robertson has curated a tantalisingly, tasty new menu of sharing dishes to celebrate the occasion. Available between 10pm-1am Weds-Saturday, this feast will feature signature Gaucho beef empanadas, tuna ceviche spoons, chunky truffle chips and of course, no Gaucho feast would be complete without their winning steak. The feasting menu will be priced at £25 per head, so with a selection of delicious morsels to try, Gaucho might just be your new late night hangout. Of course the cocktails and plethora of fine Argentine wines will also be on offer until closing.

The Late Night Menu at Gaucho Piccadilly will launch on Friday 26th August, and will be offered from Wednesday to Saturday nights.

For more information, visit: www.gauchorestaurants.co.uk

Frost Editor Catherine Balavage Writes Poetry Book

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poetry, poetry book, poems, women authors, Scottish writers, poetry book, female writers, Frost editor Catherine Balavage has released her new book, What Do You Think?: A collection of poems. This is Catherine’s fourth book. She has previously written three non-fiction books on acting, wedding planning and blogging. 

In her fourth book Catherine Balavage turns to poetry. A collection of poems that speak from the heart and tell the truth about the world. You will be left nodding your head in agreement and relating to these poems about love, loss and life. The book features poems over the course of Catherine’s life. The first one was published when she was just 12-years-old. The poems cover every aspect of life, from love, motherhood, loss and even mean girls.
Best-selling author Margaret Graham wrote the foreword. 

I’ve long thought Catherine Balavage is an extraordinarily accomplished young women: author, writer, editor and actor, mother, wife, and she can add poet to that roll of honour.

In What do you think? a collection of her poems written throughout her still young life, she connects with the vast majority of the human race, as she writes of the struggle to achieve a sense of who a person is, the efforts to release oneself from early angst and stand tall; finally achieving confidence potential and contentment.
In her introduction Catherine says that As an artist it sometimes feels like you are born without skin, yet spend your life rolling around on razor blades. Well, quite.

In What do you think? Catherine has written poems that could be songs – I could hear music. She has written poems beating time with the rhythm in her head, poems hauled up from experience, observation and unflinching, sensitive thought.

A triumph.

What do you think?: A collection of poems by Catherine Balavage is available on Kindle and in print.