BBC Good Food Shows launch a taster event at Westfield

BBC Good Food Shows launch a taster event at Westfield

8 – 10 July, Westfield London Shopping Centre.

Experience an exclusive taste of the renowned BBC Good Food Shows in the Atrium of Westfield London Shopping Centre with a 3-day celebration of the finest speciality food and drink producers, selling and sampling delicious produce.

And if you're looking for summer recipe inspiration or to learn new skills then check out the Cookery Stage supported by Your M&S with appearances including MasterChef 2011 Champion Tim Anderson, finalist Sara Danesin Medio and Out of the Frying Pan's James Knight Pacheco.

There are a whole range of other celebrity chefs and demonstrations taking place over the three days including “My Daddy Cooks” author Nick Coffer who will be cooking live on stage with Archie – his 2 year old and the inspiration for his phenomenal book and blog, Jose Pizzaro – one of the countries most celebrated Tapas chefs and Cucina Caldesi – founder of the famous Italian Cooking School.

A whole range of exhibitors will be sampling and selling the very best they have to offer including Perry Court Farms’ apple crisps, Cotswold Gold rapeseed oil, Toffee Vodka and Organic meat boxes from the Well Hung Meat Company. This is going to be the place to learn about food and get a taster for what will be happening at the future BBC Good Food Shows and MasterChef Live.

Calling the Best of British Cooks - Table Table Need You

Table Table launches search for the best British recipes for new cookbook

Table Table restaurants are taking part in a nationwide search to discover the country’s classic British dishes, offering locals the chance to feature in the very first Table Table cookbook and also win a year of free meals at the restaurants. 

In celebration of its new Best of British monthly specials menu filled with great British fayre made with seasonal ingredients from across the UK, the restaurant team are asking the local community to share their best local recipes, forgotten classics and family favourites.  Winning recipes will be beautifully photographed and immortalised in print as part of the limited edition cookbook, with profits from the sale of the books going to international charity WaterAid. 

Whether it’s a tasty treat that has been passed through the family for generations, or a home-spun creation filled with weird and wonderful ingredients, Table Table is keen to hear about all the lovely local grub that makes Britain’s food so great. Those keen to enter can visit www.tabletable.co.uk/recipe and successful entrants will also be given free meals at Table Table which can be enjoyed with family and friends. 

Renata Zurawiel, a spokesperson for Table Table said, “We are very proud of our fantastic British specials that feature produce sourced in local communities from local suppliers and are available in the restaurant over the forthcoming months.  But we don’t just want you to enjoy our tasty classics; we want to enjoy yours too!  Whether you’re keen to ‘do a Delia’ or be ‘just like Jamie’ and see your delicious recipes in print for people all over the country to savour, we urge you to visit www.tabletable.co.uk/recipe and upload your dish so we can truly showcase the Best of British.”

Promotion Terms & Conditions:

All entries must be submitted at www.tabletable.co.uk/recipe by no later than 5pm Wednesday 27th July 2011. Ten winners will be chosen from the entries submitted. The winning entries will appear in a Table Table cookbook intended to be published in Autumn

2011. Subject to availability, the ten winners may visit and receive one free meal per week at their nearest Table Table restaurants for 1 year commencing from the date of notification of winning. The free meal is based on a £10 meal value excluding all drinks.

Entrants must be UK residents aged 18 or over and cannot be employees of Whitbread Group plc (or any of its subsidiaries) or anyone connected, associated or involved with the promotion. Full terms & conditions can be found at www.tabletable.co.uk/recipe

PINK ICE-CREAM from Little Dish

The Great British Summer is upon us. It is time for picnics and parties in the park with tasty treats for kids and adults alike. This pink ice-cream is bound to impress any tiny tot - even the most stubborn, fussiest eater.

Making ice cream may sound like time-consuming labour, but this version is easy to make (says Hillary Graves, author of the Little Dish Favourites Cookbook and co-founder of Little Dish). It’s a huge hit with children, and can also be served at an adult dinner party with great success.

Using fresh ingredients, the Little Dish recipes are designed to appeal to even the most reluctant eaters and each one is taste tested by kids. The book covers first purées for baby and then moves on to a wide range of healthy, simple recipes for the whole family. The last chapter covers off delicious but not overly sweet treats.

Pick up your copy from Waterstone or WH Smith or go online to Tesco.com or Amazon
£14.99

PINK ICE-CREAM

Makes plenty for 8 children

Frozen raspberries - 450g

2 egg whites

Granulated sugar - 225g

Lemon juice - 20ml (2 dessertspoons)

Whipped double cream - 240ml

Mix all the ingredients, apart from the cream, in a food mixer. The mixture will treble in volume and look quite pink.

Make sure you use raspberries straight from the freezer.

Stir in the whipped cream with a metal spoon and freeze

overnight. That’s it – icecream!

Top Tip:

Serve the ice cream on its own or topped with fresh fruit.

Sacla' Lawrence Dallaglio My Italian Cookbook Winner

This truly is a fabulous book jam packed full of lovely recipes and the winner will have a fab time creating some easy and some skillful dishes

My Italian Family Cookbook combines the best ingredients with simple, wholesome family recipes and celebrates the joy of cooking and sharing food as a family. Why not try this delicious recipe, just one of more than a hundred tasty treats in this beautiful book.

Now without further ado the lucky winner is

Joanne Blunt aka @joanneblunt

Congratulations and could you please email me your details to the address just under the About Me and my photo.

Closed Win a PhotoBox Canvas, Photobook and years supply of Lil-Lets Giveaway 44 Ends July 19th

Photos capture the special moments in life but very few of us take the time to print our pictures out. Whether it’s a memorable family holiday or a night out with the girls, photos remind you of the good times and make you smile.

Lil-lets have partnered with PhotoBox, the nation’s favourite online destination for all photo printing, to give away 70 free photos, worth over £7.

Available with every pack of Lil-lets tampons, the promotion is part of their £9m Let’s Click giveaway.

Look out for promotional packs of Lil-lets non-applicator and compact applicator tampons in store from the end of May.Pick up a pack and get printing your summer snaps for free!

Get clicking and join in the fun at www.lil-lets.co.uk/letsclick

To celebrate, Lil-lets are giving one lucky Given to Distracting Others reader the chance to win a premium A3 PhotoBox canvas and Photobook to show off your fun photos and a year’s supply of Lil-lets. 

For your chance to win simply follow the simple ABC

A. Follow the blog via Google Friends Connect over on the right.

B. Leave a contact email, twitter id, any way to get hold of you will do.

C. Comment on another review post and let me know where.

Bonus entries

(Optional)

You can do any or all of the following for bonus entries - just make sure you have done ABC first and leave me one comment per entry so that they're all counted !

1. My favourite reads are the ones that tell me about you.

So tell me anything, a joke, a tip for ladies anything you fancy just please don't say "Enter Me" it makes me snigger!!

2. Tweet the giveaway link -

If you would like to copy and paste this one

WIN a PhotoBox canvas, Photobook + a years supply of  Lil-Lets enter here  http://tinyurl.com/69ks8dd #GTDO

3. Comment on another review leave me some extra comments on my reviews up to 5 and I'll give you a bonus entry for each one !

Leave a comment here each time to tell me you've done so.

Other Giveaways

WIN one of 10 ZAP IT'S and relieve mosquito bites - enter here http://tinyurl.com/6j79owt

WIN one of 5 GOSH BRONZING SHIMMER POWDERS - enter here http://tinyurl.com/6b4j3vn

WIN one of 10 GOSH Mini Nail Lacquers - enter here http://tinyurl.com/6eevuq8

Win a Parissa Bumper Summer Waxing Set

Enter here http://tinyurl.com/67ezfba

That's it, good luck!
UK only

Ends midnight 19th July

Winners must contact me with their details within 7 days or a new winner will be drawn.

Magnum Ecuador and Magnum Ghana, new icecreams

Are you melting in this heat, we are the rain we are longing for amounted to three drops. Its the first day off for Paige and Conor after exams and these Magnum lollies look perfect to cool down with and as a nice treat too.
Walls have brought out four new products, these Magnum's are one of them and don't they sound and luck yummy.

Oh and if you think these are good take a look at The Frog Blog its the Rainforest Alliance site and they are really good at working hard to protect the rainforest, help the fight against child labour and many more worthy battles.
http://thefrogblog.org.uk/

I will be featuring the others soon, hopefully I can find some to taste and let you know, our supermarket has been wiped out of all ice cream and lollies.

Magnum Ghana and Magnum Ecuador - the first Magnum ice creams to be made with specially selected cocoa beans sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms in Ecuador and Ghana

 

Magnum Brings you the Ultimate Chocolate Ice Cream Pleasure

New Magnum Ecuador and Magnum Ghana

New Rainforest Alliance Certified™ Magnum cocoa range made with up to 62% cocoa

Magnum, the UK’s No.1 handheld ice cream* synonymous with indulgent pleasure -  unveils two new delicious ice creams - delivering intense chocolate satisfaction.

Relentless in its quest for quality ingredients, Magnum has travelled the world to find the best cocoa beans to enhance your Magnum ice cream experience. The result: new Magnum Ecuador and Magnum Ghana, the first Magnum ice creams to be made with specially selected cocoa beans sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms in Ecuador and Ghana.

For those who appreciate the finer things in life, new Magnum Ecuador is utterly irresistible. Thick dark chocolate – made with 62% cocoa – covers smooth vanilla ice cream containing swirls of intense dark chocolate.

For those who enjoy sumptuous flavour combinations, there is new Magnum Ghana. One bite through the generous layer of milk chocolate – made with 36% cocoa – and you’ll taste the exquisite hazelnut ice cream and delicate milk chocolate sauce ... pure bliss!

Magnum believes that a day without pleasure is a day lost – that’s why we’re launching a range of exciting new products designed to give you more remarkable pleasure every day and a global campaign about the importance of pleasure in everyday life. Find out more at

www.mymagnum.com or www.facebook.com/Magnum.

Spa Find Conditioning Scalp Mud

I was sent the Spa Find Conditioning Scalp Mud,  from Spa Find. I have used mud for face mask before and even had a body mud wrap, this was a new one on me.

Its is packed in an attractive pump dispenser bottle, the mud is a light grey brown and is actually similar consistency to a body lotion.

 I just massaged in the Scalp Mud into the hair and scalp and left for 10 minutes, this is to allow deep mineral hydration, then I rinsed with warm water.

I have to say the 10 minutes it was on my head was a scent sensation, the fragrance is so absolutely gorgeous, funnily I could not pick out the coconut, or peach, it smells like a fabulous salon conditioner and for the fragrance alone I will use it, I also discovered it can be used daily.

This product really would make a great perfume. But for results on my hair, it softened, hydrated and made my hair really sleek and shiny. I had a few comments about the scent of my hair, I am really impressed with what basically is mud!!

Spa Find combines Dead Sea minerals with plant extract blends of coconut, grapefruit and peach to add a healthy glow to your hair and condition the scalp. Helps prevent flaking and relieves itching, and leaves hair silky smooth and soft. Helps to relieve a dry flaky scalp, gives hair bounce and makes hair shiny and glossy.

Spa Find from Finders International is a range of ocean-rich, natural mineral products, formulated to nurture your wellbeing and restore skin health and harmony. Each product is blended with natural de-ionised water and the powerful healing properties of pure Dead Sea minerals (Harmonised Water™) and organic plant extracts. All products contain an allergen-free fragrance and don’t contain parabens, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or animal ingredients.

Perfect for a rebalancing spa experience without leaving home, each product will help to normalise mineral levels within the body, bringing inner health back into balance. Feel the best that you can feel and get into a self-care ritual with 52 treatments bursting with earth-given minerals renowned for their radiance giving, smoothing, toning, oxygenating, nourishing and revitalising properties.

Spa Find Conditioning Scalp Mud – 500g, £18

http://www.spafindskincare.com/products/bodyhydration_scalpmud.htm

Heinz Beanz Fridge Pack

I have been saying for a while that tins are great if you use the whole thing but as often happens in our house, somebody will have a can of soup, beans or ravioli and then have to use a bowl for the remainder.

All well and good until you get several bowls and with some at the top of the fridge you have not a clue what's in them until you take them down.

The reverse of this in our house is three of the family love Heinz baked beans and that means two cans opened and another bowl for the remainder.

So when I was told about the new Heinz Beanz Fridge Pack, it was a case of "Where have you been all my fridge days?"

No more bowls its nicely sealable, there is lots for everybody and no bother if its just for one.

Helping the country stay on track and offering even more choice when it comes to eating healthily the nation’s favourite beans brand is back, with a new twist on a classic favourite; the Reduced Salt and Sugar Heinz Beanz Fridge Pack.

As the latest must-have for your fridge, the Reduced Salt and Sugar Heinz Beanz Fridge Packs provide beans lovers with all the flexibility and advantages of a convenient re-sealable pack.

Containing no artificial sweeteners, colours, flavours or preservatives, 100g contains one of your five a day, giving you complete peace of mind when it comes to consuming the ultimate comfort food classic.

Containing the equivalent of nearly two and a half standard cans, the 1kg Reduced Salt and Sugar Heinz Beanz Fridge Packs are a quick and convenient solution that ensures no waste. Ideal for families and those with busy lives, the screw top pack can be re-sealed and popped back into the fridge, staying fresh for up to five days and allowing you to use as many beans as you like.

For those who want to keep an eye on how many beans they have left to feed the family, top their toast or cover a jacket potato, each pack features a handy see-through measure on the side to help you keep track.

Paul White, Heinz Beanz Marketing Manager, comments, “The Reduced Salt and Sugar Heinz Beanz Fridge Packs mean beans fans can now tuck into as many beans as they want, in portions that suit them, whilst helping to reduce their salt and sugar intake.

Ideal for busy families, the new packs offer a convenient mealtime solution with the added benefit of providing one of your 5 a Day.”

Heinz Beanz has been fuelling the nation for over one hundred years, with the much-loved range now including Heinz Beanz Snap Pots and Heinz Beanz Fridge Packs, for those seeking super convenience. And with Brits consuming over 442 million cans of Heinz Beanz in the past year alone, this popularity is set to continue.

Reduced Salt and Sugar Heinz Beanz Fridge Packs are available from major supermarkets including Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Co-op from July. RRP £1.93

Fiat by Gucci

  

 

 www.fiat.co.uk/500bygucci  

 

Now when I think of Gucci I think of sumptuous and iconic Italian leather  handbags and shoes after all its the biggest Italian selling brand, but I also know that designers are spreading their genious to all manner of product design.

I just heard that they have just collaborated with   just customised jFiat to customize the new Fiat 500

The Fiat 500 by Gucci has been  reimagined from the former Fiat name to  celebrate both the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy and Gucci's 90th anniversary. It was launched on the opening day of the Milan Fashion week and that really says it all, this is designed as the ultimate fashionista's accessory.  and it seems that Gucci can turn their design genious to metal as well as leather.

It may not fit on my arm but I would very much like one. 

Looking at what they have done, it seems Gucci can turn their design expertise to metal as well as leather.  The interior really appeals to me classic Italian Job" style with cool sports seats and the   gucci style logo and red green colours. Its a car to feel good in, I could see myself racing around Italian countryside roads to meet my lover at a little cafe high in the Italian hills.

I particularly like the black version, the high gloss finish and the chrome details on hubs and wing mirrors.

 I went to look it up and Gucci have as one would expect aunched accessories to complement the cars, these include travel goods , sunglasses and even clothes.

 

This cool collaboration between two of Italy's most respected brands represents the perfect combination of craftsmanship and style. Launched on the opening day of Milan Fashion Week, the 500byGucci was also presented at the Geneva International Auto Show (3-13th March) in a dedicated Gucci pop-up store within the Fiat stand.



The black and white colours of the 500byGucci, in unique eye-catching glossy pearl glass paint complement one another: black – with detailing in shiny chrome paired with interiors that contrast sharp black and white – for a contemporary and racy feel; white – with satin chrome detailing and ivory and black interiors – for a softer, sophisticated look.



Customised by Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini in partnership with Fiat’s Centro Stile, the stunning 500byGucci will be available in the UK with two brilliant engines: the nimble yet economical 1.2 litre – which will cost £14,565 OTR – and the award-winning 0.9 litre TwinAir, priced at £15,765 OTR.

 

 

www.fiat.co.uk/500bygucci  

Initially the new car will be available exclusively online, and is another example of Fiat’s use of e-commerce to sell vehicles, having already enjoyed success with cars such as the special edition Fiat 500 Pink and Fiat 500 Matt Black.

The fully automated on-line sales scheme allows customers to pay a deposit, order it directly from the factory, track the car’s progress, make a final payment and even arrange special delivery of the car to their home. Customers will be able to visit www.fiat.co.uk/500bygucci when it goes live later this month. This is also available as a link from the official www.500bygucci.com website.



“The 500byGucci will enlarge the audience for the already successful Fiat 500, reaching those fashionista customers who want to have a unique car to distinguish themselves,” says Elena Bernardelli, marketing director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK. “And the online sales process adds another dimension to the individuality of this special model, creating an even greater sense of exclusivity and exceptional customer service.”



Fiat 500byGucci will be available in the UK this summer.

  If you want to take a closer look at this If you want to take a closer look at this (in my opinion soon to be iconic) Italian car

then

why not visit www.fiat.co.uk/500bygucci      

and register to be kept in the know! 

Sponsored Post

Viral video by ebuzzing

CLOSED OH MY GOSH Mini Nail Lacquers and Giveaway Ends 18th July

OH MY GOSH

- limited edition Mini Nail Lacquers -

I was sent a few of these to try and very kindly offered 10 to giveaway to my readers.


 I love the collection, and being a mini means you can grab a couple for summer and use then up. I am forever keeping mine too long and I probably only get to use 5ml before it dries up.

The range of colours are wide and I'm sure there is a shade to suit most polish lovers!

 Oh and its a definite Oh My Gosh  price as the  Mini Nail Lacquers 5ml, are £2.99  from GOSH Cosmetics.


As for application it goes on like a dream, I suggest two coats, if you are an expert at applying three would work, but i always fluff it up at three.
Besides it dries to a good effect at two and a top coat to give that extra sheen. It lasted three days which for me and my lifestyle is amazing, i normally look at my nails and they chip!

Now if you beauty bloggers can give me some nail photograph tips as well I would be most happy, in fact that can be an entry. I never got to cybermummy this year so I need a home tutorial!!

Available exclusively from Superdrug, the new high performance Oh My GOSH Mini Nail Lacquers have a super-quick, fast drying formula that gives a strong, super durable covering that will leave you sporting the ‘latest’ looks with an intense gloss finish for days. 

The colours in the Gosh Oh My Gosh OMG mini nail polish collection are:

Pink Red

Classic REd

Red Noir

Deep Pink Red

Deep Red

Orange Red

Apple Green

Bright Yellow

Cobalt Blue

Turquoise Blue

Electric Pink

Orange Squash

Ashy Grey

Brown Grey

Mouse Grey

Light Muscat Nutt

Peachy Rose

Nude Champagne

Light Rose

The Oh My GOSH Mini Nail Lacquers will be available exclusively from Superdrug stores nationwide or from www.superdrug.com – once they’ve gone, they’ve gone!!

GOSH very kindly agreed to give 10 of my followers a chance to win a GOSH Mini Lacquer

**(Please note the colour will be one of the above and cannot be chosen)**

To enter just complete the steps below easy as ABC (Mandatory)
and also get lots more entries with the optional bonus ones!!!

 

A. Follow the blog via Google Friends Connect over on the right.

B. Leave a contact email, twitter id, any way to get hold of you will do.

C. Comment on another review post and let me know where.

Bonus entries

(Optional)

You can do any or all of the following for bonus entries - just make sure you have done ABC first and leave me one comment per entry so that they're all counted !

1. Tell me a tip for photographing nail polish pics for blogs, my attempts are not so polished (pardon the pun)

2. Say "Oh love those GOSH mini nail lacquers featured on Given To Distracting Others" on the GOSH facebook page and tell me you did back here. (leave me your facebook name if it differs from your name here)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gosh-UK/137224756349645?ref=ts&sk=wall

3. Tweet the giveaway link-

Or  you can like to copy and paste this made for you

WIN one of 10 GOSH Mini Nail Lacquers - enter here http://tinyurl.com/6eevuq8  #GTDOGOSHMINI

4. Comment on another review leave me some extra comments on my reviews up to 5 and I'll give you a bonus entry for each one !

Leave a comment here each time to tell me you've done so.

5. My favourite reads are the ones that tell me about you.

So tell me anything, a joke, a tip for nails, a rant about summer, anything you fancy just please don't say "Enter Me" it makes me snigger!!

WIN one of 10 ZAP IT'S and relieve mosquito bites - enter here http://tinyurl.com/6j79owt

WIN one of 5 GOSH BRONZING SHIMMER POWDERS - enter here http://tinyurl.com/6b4j3vn

WIN a PhotoBox canvas, Photobook + a years supply of Lil-Lets enter here http://tinyurl.com/69ks8dd

Win a Parissa Bumper Summer Waxing Set

Enter here http://tinyurl.com/67ezfba

That's it, good luck!
UK only

Ends midnight 18th July

Winners must contact me with their details within 7 days or a new winner will be drawn.

Nicolas Feuillatte Cuvée

As my favourite drink is champagne I have often looked at the Rosé and wanted to try it but then stay safe with my white. So when Nicolas Feuillatte offered me a bottle to sample I at last could see for myself.

As per usual I am going to give myself and you a little background on this Cuvée.

In Champagne the cuvée  refers to the best grape juice from gentle pressing of the grapes.

In Champagne, the cuvée is the first 2,050 litres of grape juice from 4,000 kg of grapes (a marc), while the following 500 litres are known as the taille (tail), and is expected to give wines of a more coarse character. Many Champagne producers pride themselves on only using the cuvée in their wine.

OK so this is the best champagne and I want to savour it and drink on a special occasion, sadly my blimmin Royal Mail sorting office decided to hang onto to all my parcels way past Fathers Day so I sat yesterday in the sun and poured a glass. Its a real surprise to me as a white wine drinker, I loved the crispness just sweetened by a fruity taste, its a perfect summer flavour, mixed summer berries is the flavour that it most reminded me of.

I am so very happy that I was given the opportunity to try a Rosé and that it was a fine one by a great maker.
I heartily recommend next time you are in the champagne aisle you stop at the Nicolas Feuillatte and pick up a bottle.

 

This salmon-pink, almost coppery coloured Cuvée is a favoured companion for all memorable occasions.

BLEND

: 10% Chardonnay, giving elegance and finesse,

60% Pinot Noir, adding roundness and structure, and

30% Pinot Meunier for fruitiness.

PALATE

Fruity and well balanced. The carbonic maceration used in making this Rosé champagne, results in a fruitier wine.

Pleasing as an aperitif, this Cuvée will be a perfect host for duck with cranberries, pheasant, or also a delicious accompaniment of fresh goat cheese or a red fruit dessert.

THE WINEMAKER'S COMMENTS:

"The Pinot Noir is strong, round and well-structured while Pinot Meunier is balanced, smooth and elegant. The Brut Rosé will charm the finest palates."

Price: £19 per 37.5cl and available at Majestic