Death of A Diva

The entertainment world was saddened this afternoon to hear of the death of cinematic legend and incredible beauty Elizabeth Taylor. She was 79 when she passed away due to congestive heart failure.

The embodiment of glamour, four times Oscar nominated actress Taylor was possibly best known for her starring roles in lavish epic 'Cleopatra' and her equally fabulous part in Hollywood's greatest romance with co-star Richard Burton. A relationship resulting in two of her eight marriages.

Not only a talented actress, Elizabeth devoted much of her time to campaigning for AIDS-related charities. She was instrumental in the beginnings of the American Foundation for AIDS Research as well as creating her own charity, the 'Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation' . She was estimated to have raised more than $50 million to fight the disease.

Elizabeth Taylor was one of the greats. She owned a dignity and grace lacking in much of today's celebrity culture, a last vestige of the 'Golden Age' of cinema and as beautiful inside as she was out. She leaves behind four children, nine beloved grandchildren and a wonderful legend.



'You are who you are. All you can do in this world is help others to be who they are and better themselves and those around them.'

Elizabeth Taylor, 27/02/1932 - 23/03/2011

Carbon-Horror

In a bid for essay procrastination I went foraging for lunch today, but when I got there the cupboard was....well, almost bare.

Luckily I always have pasta and peas in, two things I buy but never use, so with the addition of a few other odds and sods this bastardised version of carbonara was born.

No it's not authentic. But it is quick. And cheap. And surprisingly yummy.

Just don't make it for anyone you plan on kissing- unless you or they have a thing for garlic.....

CARBON-HORROR

You will need:

* Pasta ideally spaghetti but I used some weird, oversized tube-y stuff today
* Garlic finely chopped one clove or two?!
* Ham chopped, or mushrooms if you're a veggie
* Frozen peas
* Cream double or single, whatever you have to hand usually works
* Cheese parmesan if you're fancy, cheddar if you're not...
* One egg yolk, beaten optional. Not one for the preggo's out there
* Black pepper to taste

1. Cook pasta in boiling water (I don't add salt because ham is usually pretty salty)
2. Drain pasta and using the same pan- oh yes, minimal washing up- heat some olive oil or butter depending on what you have to hand.
3. Add garlic and ham, stir for a couple of mins until garlic is cooked but not coloured. If it goes brown, that was too long....
4. Add peas, a grind of black pepper and a big splash of cream and stir, stir, stir.
5. As soon as the peas are tender i.e no longer frozen, add pasta. Stir some more.
6. Take off the heat and once cooled slightly so your eggs won't scramble, stir in the beaten yolk.
7. Dish up, sprinkle with grated cheese, shovel into mouth like you haven't eaten in weeks.

Delicious, semi-nutritious and super quick (and did I mention cheap?!)

(Vintage) Champagne Tastes on a Tap-water Budget?

Feeling the spring/summer vibe but no cash to splash on a fresh wardrobe? Reluctant to part with your pennies for a Primada disaster? Never fear, Trollied Dolly is here.

I've been a huge fan of the dollies' designs since buying a cute Cath Kidston-style floral print number from them last summer. They specialise in adorable designs with retro/vintage styling and quirky details, perfect for spring. From 'so now it hurts' japanese inspired prints to full on fifties tea dresses with super cute strawberry/flower print, the attention to detail on Dolly's cutesy clothing is perfect. Stock changes all the time so you're unlikely ever to have an awkward same-outfit-moment.

Now all this is well and good but beauty (and quality) comes at a price.

But wait! Before you cut up the credit card, check out the website, www.trollieddolly.com because all stock in their sale is massively reduced to £25.

No, you aren't losing your ever loving mind. You can be pin-up pretty in a fabulous frock for £25. At last count there were twenty two designs still in stock to choose from (including those pictured) but these gorgeous gowns are flying fast.

As if that wasn't reason enough to crack out your card, postage is free in the UK. If like me you're a bit wary of online shopping the staff are wonderful- they responded to my emails (okay perhaps I'm a high maintenance customer....) in minutes and were incredibly helpful.

I've already ordered the red polka dot 'Button It!' style as well as the perfect 'Party Peephole Dress', so you'd best get shopping before I'm forced (ahem...) to buy them all myself.

TV Review- 23 Week Babies: The Price of Life

A surgical room. On the table we see a mother undergoing a c-section.Young enough at 23 weeks that under other circumstances she could legally be aborted, 1 1/3lb Holly is lifted from Clare's womb and we watch her first few minutes of life. She looks tiny, fragile but absolutely human. Over the next few hours drugs are pumped into her under-formed lungs to help them work. If all goes well we are told she will remain in her incubator until she would have been born. An alarm goes off. Doctors rush in, massage her heart and pump her with adrenaline. 'The baby's blood sample is just not compatible with life' we hear. And she's gone.

It's devastating viewing. Presenter Adam Wishart describes the existence of these '23 week babies' as a 'netherworld between life and death', 'born so prematurely that their survival stretches modern medicine to its limit'. Within the first minute he asks 'is it worth trying to keep these babies alive?'.

At Birmingham Women's Hospital- one of the few capable of resuscitating these babies-we meet Simone. Born 4 months early she has been subjected to injections to raise her blood pressure, drugs to induce clotting, drugs to boost her immune system.One week ago she would have classified as a miscarriage and allowed to die. A mere half of babies survive birth this early and of those 9 of 100 survive hospital. The statistics are stark.

And our natural reaction as human beings is yes. Yes we should do all we can because these babies cry, they wriggle and move like healthy babies. But 8 out of every 9 surviving 23 week old babies will suffer disability throughout their life. It's easy to raise funding for a plethora of NHS services to help 'miracle babies'. It's a lot more difficult to find the cash to support them when they become adults. This point is brought home by Heather, once a 'miracle baby' now a profoundly disabled adult who points out that 'as you get older your disability affects you a hell of a lot more', 'if you're willing to support someone at the beginning of life you should be willing to support them to the end'. The question is are we?

When you see the human stories behind the births and statistics it's hard to imagine making a decision based on money, regardless of the concrete fact that when all emotion is removed the few positive stories are far outweighed by the painful ones. It's not a question that can be answered in one programme. It's probably not even a question that can be definitively answered. Currently it's a personal choice made by the parents based upon the recommendation of those who know the most, their healthcare team.

When you look at the headlines raised by the programme- 'we must give premature babies the same rights as everyone else' (The Mirror)- it's easy to agree, but the programme ends on a question- when you put financial issues to the side is the current policy of support providing just that, or are we perpetuating suffering that nature would otherwise end? Is life at 23 weeks truly life, or is it just existing by the grace of science?

Soup, Glorious Soup

Last week I acquired possibly the best present in the world. A Kenwood blender.

Now this may not be as sparkly or leg lengthening as a beautiful pair of shoes, or as thrilling as a trip abroad (*sigh*) but I couldn't be more excited.

Why, you may ask?

SOUP!

Soup has got to be one of the best meals in the world. Delicious, nutritious and cheeri-oh so easy so eat but best of all student budget friendly.

Already this week I have demolished a pile of vegetables the size of a garden shed. Five-a-day? Pah! Try five-a-meal. I've pulverised potatoes, blended beetroot and creamed carrots to my heart's content and I still can't get enough.

So here is the recipe for this morning's minor triumph, low fat, easy and cheap Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup



Shopping List:

2 packs of on the vine tomatoes (large or small. I used large as they're currently on 2 for 1 in Tesco's!)
1 stock cube
3 large cloves of garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp of tomato ketchup

Optional:

thyme/oregano/herb of choice
balsamic vinegar
sun-dried tomatoes (I had a few left in a jar. Mix the leftover oil with vinegar, a little mustard and seasoning for an easy salad dressing)

1. Pre-heat the oven to about 200

2. Place the (washed) tomatoes and garlic cloves (skins on, papery outer skin removed) into a roasting tray. Add olive oil and herbs/a splash of balsamic vinegar if available.

3. Mix well

4. Roast until they look like this (lots of colour but not burnt. The garlic cloves should feel slightly squishy)-

5.Pop tomatoes in the blender with a stock cube, tomato ketchup (really) and a cup of boiled water. Squeeze the middle of the garlic cloves out of their skins and into the soup. Add sun-dried tomatoes if using. Whizz until smooth.





6. Taste! Add seasoning and more water as needed to get your ideal consistency.


Now just heat to piping and eat. I like mine with lots of pepper and a completely unnecessary swirl of cream if I'm feeling posh.

Making Fags A Drag

We're all used to seeing the rainbow of cigarette packets above the tills at our local supermarkets and service stations. What 'quitter' hasn't been tempted by the shiny boxes as we resentfully purchase petrol and mints?

As a newly quit smoker (okay it's only been five days but it's going well, I promise), I for one welcome the lack of temptation that a new ban on cigarette displays will bring. But how fair is it? Should we, as 'law-abiding consumers' (Forest, smokers group), be forced to buy 'under the counter' if we exercise our right to choose to smoke? Having already been banned from bars, restaurants and public areas, shouldn't smokers at least be able to buy cigarettes without persecution?

I don't think so, no.

One fifth of adults smoke and this number is in steady decline due to anti-smoking measures. The process is working. Not displaying cigarette cartons will bring down the numbers of new smokers and young or 'child' smokers. This in turn will reduce not only lung cancer but diseases as varied as acute myeloid leukemia and cancers of the cervix, kidney, pancreas and stomach; abdominal aortic aneurysm, cataracts, periodontitis and pneumonia.

With NHS reform going ahead apace due to the sheer financial impossibility of the old system and spiralling costs, anything that brings down the massive number of smoking related cases should be applauded. If we wish to retain our right to a health service, surely we have to prove our eagerness for 'health' itself?

Of course not everyone shares my view. Philip Davies, Tory backbencher, was quoted as calling the plans "gesture politics of the worst kind" and a "triumph for the nanny state". Outcry has arisen amongst the tobacco industry groups, many of whom reacted with anger. The Tobacco Manufacturers Association said there was "no credible evidence" it would work. The National Federation of Retail Newsagents (NFRN) has even called the ban on displays a "betrayal of our nation of shopkeepers". This reaction is more understandable when you consider that the average cost of compliance is expected to be £300 per store.

It's a tough one to call- personal choice and shopkeeper's rights versus our responsibility to our own health and to our healthcare system.

But I for one will welcome the space where those packets used to be. No just because it might take away a little of the temptation, but because we can't have our cake and eat it. Perpetuating a national habit which costs the NHS an estimated £2.7bn per year, whilst complaining about health system shake ups which will give GPs control of 80% of the national health budget would be sheer hypocrisy.

Smash, Crackle, Colour Pop

If you're a fan of the nail art trend prepare to get very excited.

Having picked up in 2010, the fashion for creative, kooky and even crazy nail design shows no sign of fading. In response to this Models Own (a go-to brand for designer polish dupes)and nail art queens WAH Nails are bringing out a line of 9 crackle polishes in a rainbow of colours.

The innovative formula means that when spread in a single layer over normal polish, the paint 'splits', creating a crackly, broken design. Dependant on your colour choice this could look neon bright, work sophisticated or even animal print vampy.


I fell in love with Barry M's black version last year (see my efforts, right, layered over GOSH gold polish to get a 'leopard-y' effect), prior to which my only attempts at 'fancy nails' were writing on my toes with nail art pens (these are my sister's little piggies- sorry Dot!). Not so effective and definitely not fashion-friendly. No matter how 'awesome' your toes...

Using 'Smash Up'polishes couldn't be easier. Paint your nails with your chosen base colour ( two coats are best IMO)and allow to dry completely. Now just sweep a thin layer of crackle varnish over the top.

If you fancy getting more creative try painting three vertical stripes in different (but compatible) shades for your base before applying 'smash up' in a contrast colour over the top to get a cool neon 'rainbow' effect.

Released on April 20th in Boots stores, I can't wait to get my hands on the turquoise, yellow and orange for fun, summer-bright talons. And at just £6 each, they'll liven up your old polishes without breaking the bank.

You Can Ring My Bell

Spring has sprung. Birds are singing. Flowers are blooming...and they're not the only ones. Trouser legs everywhere are expanding at a rapid rate. Yes ladies (and gentlemen, you haven't escaped) we're surrounded by bell-bottoms.

Sadly this is not a polite term for a large derriere, they have returned. In all their slim on the thigh, flared to the floor glory. With the comeback of 1970's style for S/S 2011 it was probably inevitable. In retribution for years of skinny-jean suffocation calves are now stretching out and it's big news on the highstreet.

Derek Lam's S/S 2011 collection showcased high-waisted dark denim versions with (be strong!)perma-creased fronts whilst Topshop Unique really went to town featuring stretchy flares in futuristic graphic prints reminiscent of AllSaints' signature styling.

The saving grace of this trend (can you tell that I'm not a fan?) is that this is no return to the late 00's baggy look. More relaxed, the 2011 bellbottom skims the knee without hugging it, aiming for a hippie vibe rather than a grungy one. Waistlines can be high or low but the majority of styles seem to hit just below the bellybutton- ideal if you've bought into the crop-top craze which seems to be everywhere at the minute.

If you opt for That Seventies Show style this spring, please bare in mind the cardinal flare rules for this year to avoid looking like ABBA threw up on you:

*Flares should start slightly above the knee and be wide enough to cover the foot.

*Length is also important (ooh er matron etc...sorry...). If you intend to wear heels (or, dare I say it, platforms) with your trousers then they need to be long enough to fall almost to the floor. Ankle grazers do not work with this cut.

*Make sure they fit well in the body especially if high waisted. Without going into graphic detail, a badly fitting crotch is always a huge fashion fail.

*Try to resist anything rainbow, sequinned or overly embellished. It works for Dolly but she's a very, very special case.

To try the trend without blowing the budget, H&M have perfectly retro jean styles at student prices.

Peas Sir, I Want Some More....

Ever since the infamous cupcake scene in Sex and the City, we've ooh'd and aah'd over the cutesy creations. But how to consume such confectionary-coated cakes without doing irreparable damage to our waistlines?

Well fret no more. Petit Pois cakes have achieved the impossible! Due to launch in Selfridges this week the company, led by Harry Eastwood of How To Cook Yourself Thin fame, have created baked bliss using vegetables instead of butter. The cakes contain beetroot, pumpkin or courgette and are gluten and lactose free- perfect for even the most sensitive snacker.Even better, the blissful buns contain half the amount of sugar found in a normal cupcake and only the thinnest glaze of icing.

Topped with a marzipan pea (just to remind you how virtuous you're being)Harry and her team include only the best free range eggs (no sad chickens here), real vanilla and 70% cocoa chocolate. Flavours available include lemon, chocolate, vanilla and orange. Available from March 15th, at £5 per box of two this is no budget bakery, but at this time of year we all deserve a treat.....

Lent just got a little bit easier.....