Emma La Garde (pictured), from the Stroud area of Gloucestershire, forged doctors' notes and made her son wear a bandana to school. She did not allow him to run around at school and he became the 'butt of jokes'. She used benefit money to take her children to Florida. She kept up the elaborate farce for almost three years while her son was aged between six and eight. ...read
To Liz Hurley, an actress, model and cricket WAG of advancing years, the 30-year-old Duchess of Cambridge may not seem the most obvious muse.
To Liz Hurley, an actress, model and cricket WAG of advancing years, the 30-year-old Duchess of Cambridge may not seem the most obvious muse.
IN FEMAIL TODAY...
- Hey you, don't be shady! Marc Jacobs shocks with ad showing male model 'pleasuring himself'
- Bye husband, hello wife The woman who stayed by husband when he came out transgender
- Rachel Zoe has the holidays wrapped up Stylist launches chic new gift paper collection for charity
- Charlotte Free's Ziggy Stardust makeover Supermodel posed in space-age shoot
- Christmas gift for the person who has everything £4,500 gold-plated Faberge-inspired vodka set
THE BEST WINTER SKIN QUENCHERS
Click on the image for more info...
- Oh Liz, you're such a copy Kate!: Same clothes, same hair, even the same ring. Who does Mrs Hurley think she is - the future Queen?
- Victoria Beckham and Jessie J get Children In Need fundraising started in style as pimped up Pudsey bears sell for thousands at auction
- The Mary Portas effect: Business booms at British knicker factory revived by Queen of Shops
- Chanel create a £1500 mini-me version of the crazy catwalk hula hoop bag
- Fury of son, 10, at 'evil' middle-class mother who shaved his head, put him in a wheelchair and said he had cancer so she could pocket £85,000 benefits
- As she meets her idol Donny Osmond in Las Vegas, Susan Boyle says she may have conquered her demons but now she's terrified it may all disappear
- Oh Liz, you're such a copy Kate!: Same clothes, same hair, even the same ring. Who does Mrs Hurley think she is - the future Queen?
- LIZ JONES: At least someone is missing me on Exmoor: the blue tits
- 'Hey you, don't be shady!' Marc Jacobs shocks with new ad showing male model 'pleasuring himself' in public
- No medals for dress-age, Zara! Royal has more misses than hits when it comes to fashion
- Woman whose soldier fiancé battered her with a dumbbell and slashed her throat to 'make her look ugly' reveals how she has rebuilt her life
- Why the day I ‘died‘ taught me how to live: Like most, Amanda Cable was sceptical about an afterlife... until a near death experience changed everything
- MOST READ IN DETAIL
MUST READ
FOOD BITES: This week's wish list
Click on each image for the full story...
- BROOKLYN BITE
- SUPERFOOD CHOCS
- FIBRE FUEL YOUR DAY
- FESTIVE TIPPLE
- PUDSEY BITES
- HERBY HEAVEN
- EASY GRAVY
- BERRY NICE
- CHOCKS AWAY
- GOLDEN XMAS
- BUBBLICIOUS EXPERIENCE
- HAPPY EGGS
- BANQUET SPECTACULAR
- SAUCY DEVILS
- WINTER WARMER
- SHARE A BEAR
- TASTY DISH
- HOME BREW
- GOOD FOR YOU YOG
- GOURMET SAUSAGES
- BOND BOLLINGER
- GUNPOWDER PUNCH
- DIPPABLE DELIGHT
- PERFECT PANCAKES
- GUILT-FREE ICE CREAM
- TREACLE TREAT
- GIVE IT A GLUG
- BE A BOND GIRL
- SOUPY
- SIP PINK
- THE ROOKERY
- BROOKLYN BITE
- SUPERFOOD CHOCS
Chocolate truffles that are good for you? Surely it's too good to be true? But that's what the people at Nutritious Delicious say they have created with their chocs. The truffles, which come in lime, orange, vanilla and almond flavours, have added vitamins and minerals such as zinc and magnesium and use ingredients with high anti-oxidant values including ginseng. They also use carob powder as well as cocoa powder because it has a similar taste but a third of the calories, while sugar has been minimised in favour of the low GI sweetener agave.
Nutritious Delicious truffles, £5.99 for 130g from nutritiousdelicious.co.uk
A recent survey commissioned by Warburtons found that more than half (54 per cent) of UK adults aren't getting enough fibre in their diet. The bakers are now urging people to 'use their loaf' and up their intake by starting the day with their Toastie Half & Half bread. Each slice of Half & Half contains 2.2g of fibre, which is 9 per cent of an adult's daily intake. As it's name suggests, the loaf is made half with wholemeal and half white flour but promises to be full on flavour.
As the countdown to the party season starts, are you ready for the festive fun ahead? This little gem of a recipe is perfect for festive cocktail parties. How to make it... Fill a large wine glass with plenty of ice, Pour 70ml MARTINI® Bianco (half way up), Add 70ml MARTINI® Prosecco (top up), Squeeze and drop a quarter of fresh lime, Stir and garnish with fresh mint...Perfect!
Master bakers Greggs are getting all charitable just in time for this year's Children in Need by baking up a Pudsey storm. These adorable ginger bears make the perfect afternoon treat. 15p for each bear sold goes to charity and you can even buy a big novelty size if you're really feeling peckish! Greggs, 80p (£2.50 for large size)
BIANCA LONDON
Too lazy to crush garlic, chop coriander or grate ginger? Fret not! The friendly folk at Gourmet Garden have a range of handy fresh herbs and spices in tubes, all bursting with flavour. A perfect time-saver over the Christmas period. With nine different blends available - basil, hot chilli, coriander, garlic, ginger, Italian herbs, chives, lemon grass and parsley – there is something for every dish
Available nationwide
Knorr have come up with a way to take the stress out of cooking just in time for the festive season. Their Gravy Pots, available in two flavours - chicken and beef, have been created by professional chef Igor Zago. The pots contain jelly gravy. Pop one in a pan, add boiling water and then stir to create a homemade gravy taste without the effort and hours of cooking from scratch. But don't tell the dinner guests your time-saving secret and you could get out of the washing up!
Jordans Country Crisp Super Berry is a new addition to the brand's ever-moreish breakfast stable. Crunchy, golden, baked oat clusters mixed with a generous abundance of mouth-watering fruit, including sweet blackcurrants, tangy cranberries and tasty blueberries. Serve with fresh cold milk or natural yoghurt to really put an early morning smile on your sleepy face.
Available in supermarkets, £2.69 per 500g
MARTHA DE LACEY
Rocky Chockas is the brand new biscuit range from Rocky. Each Rocky Chockas biscuit is fully coated in deliciously thick milk chocolate, is bursting with amazing textures and tastes and is truly a chocoholic's dream. Rocky Chockas is available at all major supermarkets at an RRP £1.59
To celebrate their 30th anniversary, Ferrero Rocher have unveiled these beautiful chocolate gift boxes. Dressed like glittering baubles in gold, the timeless, tantalizing Ferrero Rocher range is perfect for sharing with loved-ones or giving as a festive gift. £4.99 at Asda, Debenhams & Tesco
BIANCA LONDON
If you find yourself in east London this weekend, ensure you take a delicious detour into the Bar of Aero, a pretty pop-up venture where you can drink free hot chocolate, nibble on minty bubbles and pop floating balloons to win decadent prizes. It's situated off Brick Lane at the Old Truman Brewery. Just follow the smell of mint....
Friday to Sunday 18 November, 12pm-7pm
MARTHA DE LACEY
The happy egg company is supporting BBC Children in Need this year with a limited edition Pudsey pack. Each pack contains ten eggs and 10p from each pack will go directly to Children in Need. Available in ASDA supermarkets nationwide, rrp £2.
The Experimental Food Society Spectacular ‘British Icon’ themed Banquet on Monday 19 November 7-11pm at the Cook Book Cafe, Intercontinental London Park Lane is set to be a foodie's dream. The dining experience is a five-course menu with each course created by a different Experimental Food Society Spectacular member in conjunction with the Head Chef at the Cook Book Cafe Paul Bates. The banquet will see 120 diners partake in a unique and surreal multi-sensory dining experience inspired by all that is very great about Britain and it will be accompanied by a range of interactive food related experiences. For more information and tickets visit http://www.wegottickets.com/event/181736 (image Carl Warner, Food Landscape Artist ‘Autumn Cornflakes')
Add a certain spicy razzmatazz to yout mealtimes this autumn, with a new tasty trio of traffic light chilli sauces from Heinz. Made with three different Mexican hot peppers, the fiery flavours are Yellow Habanero, Green Jalapeno and Chipotle and Garlic. Irresistibly scorching and perfect on hot chicken wings, fajitas and nachos.
Available at Sainsbury's, £1.49 each
As the countryside reveals its glorious autumn colours, signalling the shooting season, David Oliver Fine Foods are delighted to introduce their new selection of rich and hearty Wild Shot British Game Soups, to add to their range of ready-prepared meals celebrating game and country cooking. This Spiced Venison soup packs a punch, blending the richness of British Lowland Venison with aromatic spices and a dash of chilli, for those who like beautifully balanced flavours with an added kick. £3.59, available alongside the David Oliver ready meals in Waitrose
Lindt have come up with a guilt-free way for us to enjoy their deliciously creamy chocolate by pledging to donate £100,000 to this year's BBC Children in Need fund. The pledge will come from sales of the chocolate bear as well as money raised from their auctions on eBay of porcelain bears signed by celebrities including Jessie J. You can also 'share a bear' by sharing Lindt's Facebook page. Upon reaching 25,000 Facebook shares, Lindt will donate £25,000. The 100g chocolate Lindt Bear is available from major supermarkets, RRP £2.99 until Christmas.
National Sausage Week starts on 5th November (yes, there IS a week devoted entirely to bangers) - and what better way to celebrate than by serving up your sausages on this Full English plate. With its traditional breakfast design it has truly British trinket.
£10 from Museum Of London and museumoflondonshop.co.uk
DEBORAH ARTHURS
Beer lovers can choose how they want their drink to taste thanks to a new range from Belgian Abbey Beer. Their speciality St Stefanus beer is brewed and bottled in Belgium by Master Brewer, Jef Versele, then matures in the bottle allowing you to choose how you want it to taste. At three months, it has a fresh and fruity flavour while after 18 months of maturation, it develops a deep golden colour with an aromatic taste. St. Stefanus 330 ml, £2.95 and 750ml £8.95, from selected Majestic stores and online www.st-stefanus-shop.co.uk
Chobani Greek Yoghurt, the number one selling yoghurt brand in America, is the deliciously creamy, fat free, Greek yoghurt with real fruit pieces on the bottom that launched in the UK last month. It’s available in six delicious flavours – Strawberry, Peach, Black Cherry, Blood Orange, Pomegranate and Plain. Yoghurt has never tasted this good. Available in selected Tesco stores 89P
Originally launched in 1991 by sausage master Martin Heap (and available only in gourmet sausage shops), three flavours from the Simply Sausage range are now available from Waitrose. Smithfield Original Pork, made with a hint of nutmeg and pinch of white pepper; Lethal Lucifer, laced with fiery scotch bonnet chilies; and Pork-a-Leekie, with generous cuts of dry-cured bacon & fresh leeks. For every occasion, a perfect porky treat.
Available at Waitrose, £2.79
BOND BOLLINGER
To mark the release of the new 007 movie, Skyfall, and the 50th anniversary of the James Bond film franchise, Bollinger has released a limited-edition Grande Année 2002 wine presented in a silencer-shaped gift pack. An outstanding wine, perfect gift for the Bond fan in your life.
Laithwaites.co.uk, £135
MARTHA DE LACEY
GUNPOWDER PUNCH
Bacardi turns 150 this year, and to celebrate such a landmark anniversary, the rum brand's mixologist Shervene Shahbazkhani has created their first Cocktail Collection, 13 recipes perfect for autumn/winter occasions including Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas, each using the smooth, spiced rum, Bacardi OakHeart, launched earlier this year. Our favourite is the Gunpowder Punch, in which 50ml OakHeart, 50ml Pineapple juice, two tsp Gunpowder tea, 12.5ml sugar syrup and a dash of Angostura Bitters are shaken over ice and strained. Bang.
£18 from supermarkets, visit www.bacardi.com for more recipes
MARTHA DE LACEY
G’NOSH dippables really are fuss-free snacks on the go! The range will include two of the most popular G’NOSH dip flavours: Smoky Aubergine Babaghanoush and Sweet Black Bea along with a brand new and mouth-watering third flavour – Smoky Chipotle Hummus. G’NOSH dips will be accompanied with authentic Crosta & Mollica grissini dippers. They have been baked specially to complement the fresh G’NOSH dips by a bakery near Turin in Piemonte using carefully sourced local ingredients, including olives from Taggia and maize from Piemonte. Available £1.89 from Budgens, Ocado and Selfridges, John Lewis Food Hall, Wholefoods and Planet Organic.
Love pancakes but don't have the energy to rustle up a batch of batter after a long day at work? Wish you could magic some on to your plate? ABRACADABRA! No, seriously. Abra-ca-Debora is a new Dutch brand of ready-to-eat pancakes - thicker than a crepe but thinner than a drop scone - available in sweet and savoury flavours and just waiting for you to pile with cheese, sugar and lemon, chocolate and banana or ham and mushrooms and pop in the microwave. The simplest supper with the scrummiest results.
Available in the chilled foods section of Sainsbury's and Tesco, £1.50 for six
MARTHA DE LACEY
GUILT-FREE ICE CREAM
Wellness expert and exercise coach Steve Bessant has developed a dairy-free ice cream made with coconut milk for the 13.7 million people in the UK affected by dairy intolerance. Strawberry, vanilla and chocolate are sublime, but our favourite is lemon. And with less than half the fat of normal ice cream, you can eat twice as much.
www.bessantanddrury.com
MARTHA DE LACEY
This Halloween, show off your spooky skills in the kitchen with Lyle’s Limited Edition ‘Trick Or Treacle’ – the perfect ingredient to create ghoulish delights family and friends will love. The vamped up version of kitchen staple Lyle’s Black Treacle. Avilable in Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons, Asda and Waitrose stores nationwide with prices starting from 88p per tin
BIANCA LONDON
GIVE IT A GLUG
Authentic Italian food range Parioli has teamed up with the 'Godfather' of Italian cooking Alvaro Maccioni - owner of famed Chelsea restaurant La Famiglia - to become the face of the range. He's a particular champion of their fragrant extra virgin olive oil, perfect drizzled over Mediterranean salads. Visit the Parioli website (www.pariolicucina.com) for a selection of Maccioni's mouthwatering recipes and video tutorials
Available exclusively from Tesco, £3.75, 500ml
MARTHA DE LACEY
To celebrate the launch of the new Bond film Coke Zero is celebrating with a limited-edition, eye-catching aluminium bottle. Giving you the chance to unlock your inner 007, the new Coke Zero SKYFALL bottle has been dressed to thrill with a sleek makeover, bringing the on screen action and Bond’s style to your everyday life
Harrods, £1.75
SOUPY
On a cold grey winter’s day, nothing beats a bowl of hot soup, especially if it tastes just like the soup your mother used to make. This is why Amy’s Kitchen has created a range of delicious, handmade, warming soups using only the finest natural ingredients, so that you don’t have to. For most people juggling work and family, time is at a premium, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of good quality food. Amy’s Kitchen soups are here to make your life easier.
£1.89 available from Waitrose, Ocado, Wholefoods
SIP PINK
All women know that the prettiest things come in pink. This world famous rosé in its distinctively shaped bottle has been visually revitalised. With a radical colour change to subtle tones of pink that hint at the contents, a contemporary image of the Mateus Palace, and an updated logo to make a cleaner, clearer statement on the bottle, Mateus Rosé Original is refreshed and ready to be the taste of 2012.
This atmospheric Lower East Side New York bar is a neighbourhood gem with great quality food and service. Serving up delicious hearty dishes such as Smoked mackerel and girolle mushrooms on toast, 28 day aged Welsh black beef short-ribs with triple cooked chips and Chargrilled free-range Swaldedale chicken leg with BBQ sauce, slaw and New York fries, this is the perfect eatery for a cosy dinner out. therookeryclapham.co.uk
BROOKLYN BITE
If you love pizza, you will love this intimate Chelsea hangout. It is set in the lovely location of the King's Road without the pretense. From mozzarella sticks to spicy meaty calzone, this has to be some of the best American food in London, you will leave with a full and very happy stomach.
www.brooklynbite.com
HOME NEWS: AUTUMN AMBERS
HOME NEWS: AUTUMN AMBERS
CELEBRITY STYLE WATCH...RITA ORA
She burst onto the music scene with her hip hop beats but it isn't just her music that has heads turning. Whether she is rocking cool casual wear in the studio or stunning red carpet frocks, Rita Ora is certainly one to watch. Here we show you how to get her look for a fraction of the price...
One to watch: Rita Ora
BITS AND PIECES: THE PRODUCTS THAT'LL MAKE YOUR WEEK
BITS AND PIECES: THE PRODUCTS THAT'LL MAKE YOUR WEEK
Now the dash from bed to kettle for your morning cuppa has become a chilly affair, what could be nicer than this striped dressing gown in cosy brushed cotton? There's also matching pyjamas.
££79, toast.co.uk
The white face and gold strap of this elegant watch make it look classic and expensive. But examine it a bit closer and you'll see that cute rabbits are chasing a carrot that moves with the hands. Wear this on an evening out and you'll appear classy with a hidden fun side.
£20, asos.co.uk
Delicate and flattering, with scalloped edges, this soft-cup bra is made from lace with a contrasting coloured trim. You'll look a million dollars but won't have to spend that much.
£19, cosstores.com
Voyage Maison makes all of its cushions in Britain, printing watercolour paintings on woven Scottish linen and velvet. This robin design would look wonderful on a leather sofa at Christmas.
Call 01416411700 for stockists and prices
Grand Marnier has released a limited-edition bottle in time for the traditional festivities. It's a striking blue and gold with a gold frieze of the Paris skyline. The famous orange-flavoured liqueur is refreshing in cocktails or perfect for sipping neat on a frosty winter's night. A great Christmas gift - even if it's just for you.
Harvey Nichols, £25.99
IN GOOD HEALTH TODAY
- MYSTERY PARAMEDIC: saves life of car crash boy, 12, by holding his shattered face together with her hands (graphic content)
- EARLY WARNING: Ten-minute test can predict premature birth and stop thousands of women having unnecessary treatment
- BOY'S A&E; HORROR: Schoolboy, 13, spends two days with pencil stuck in hand after hospital sent him home and made him wait for operation
- SMOKER'S NEED A LICENCE: Public health expert's radical proposal that would cap how many cigarettes you could buy
- FORGET POPPING VITAMINS: Meditation could stave off colds and flu
VINTAGE INSPIRED: Rustic and timeless jewellery to add some glamour to any outfit
Click on an image to enlarge and scroll through for more...
DON'T MISS
'I'm choosing life over beauty': Miss America contestant to undergo double mastectomy as a preventative measure, after losing mother to breast cancer
Allyn Rose, 24, who is set to represent Washington, D.C., in the January 12 pageant, made the decision after discovering she carries a gene linked to an increased risk of the disease. Talking about her decision she told People: 'Breasts don't define your life. I'm choosing life over beauty... I'm not going to let my fear of losing this part of my femininity stop me from living.'
THE BEST WINTER SKIN QUENCHERS
Click on the image for more info...
BEAUTY NEWS
Meet Hollywood's hottest hair and make-up pros as they pose alongside Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristen Stewart and Drew Barrymore
Describing Adir Abergel to The Hollywood Reporter for its annual beauty issue, the Twilight star said: 'We've known each other forever. Adir pretty much, I mean, he kind of owns my hair.' The pair, who met on a photo shoot eight years ago, were photographed together at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills for the special magazine spread. ...read