W O M E N S W E A R
S P R I N G S U M M E R ‘1 5 C O L L E C T I O N S
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I N T O T H E B L U E
Elevating the casual; denim and enriched blues are sartorially explored, as the neutral is redefined for a fresh and feminine aesthetic. 
AUTOGRAPH JACKET £75, AUTOGRAPH TOP £35, AUTOGRAPH SHORT £45, BAG £29.50
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Products will be arriving online and in store from February onward.
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Looking for a little food inspiration?
Cook with M&S is a tasty range of ingredients, perfect for putting together mouthwatering meals in minutes. I've created one of the recipes from the Cook with M&S site which was a perfect winter warming dish, lamb koftas. I think these would also be perfect to pop on the BBQ in the summer too. I had a lot of fun making this Middle Eastern inspired dish as I normally cook more European style foods, mainly Italian & Spanish.
The lamb koftas were seriously good and I can't wait to make them again, they are a much tastier version of a Saturday night kebab. The saffron infused yogurt felt pretty decadent and the koftas are really filling. If you want to know how to make them then keep on reading...
Ready in 30 minutes, serves 4
1. Soak 8 wooden skewers in cold water for 20 minutes. (I used metal ones because it's all I had) Heat the oil in a small frying pan and fry the onion for 3 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for a further minute. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the lamb mince. Chop half the mint and fold into the lamb mixture, along with the egg, coriander and some seasoning. Divide into 8 and press on to the skewers (you might find it easier to wet your hands first to prevent the meat from sticking).
2. Soak the saffron in 1 tbsp hot water for 10 minutes, then stir into the yogurt. Season and chill until ready to use.
3. Heat the grill to high. Sit the koftas on an oiled grill rack over a grill pan and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through.
4. Warm the tortillas according to the packet instructions, then top with watercress and remaining mint leaves. Put 2 koftas on each tortilla and drizzle over the yogurt dressing to serve.
Per serving: 619 calories, 35.8g fat (13.3g saturated), 41g carbohydrates, 3.2g sugar, 3.3g fibre, 32.3g protein, 0.95g salt
If you want to try more recipes head to the Cook with M&S pages or download their app.
You can also look out for the easy-to-follow recipe cards in store. Have you ever attempted to make a dish like this before? Where do you normally head to for recipes?
*M&S at St David's Cardiff provided me with the ingredients for this meal.
The lamb koftas were seriously good and I can't wait to make them again, they are a much tastier version of a Saturday night kebab. The saffron infused yogurt felt pretty decadent and the koftas are really filling. If you want to know how to make them then keep on reading...
Ready in 30 minutes, serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ small onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped
- 500g lamb mince
- 25g pack fresh mint
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- pinch saffron
- 2 tbsp natural yogurt
- 4 white flour tortillas or other flatbreads
- 60g bag watercress
Method:
2. Soak the saffron in 1 tbsp hot water for 10 minutes, then stir into the yogurt. Season and chill until ready to use.
3. Heat the grill to high. Sit the koftas on an oiled grill rack over a grill pan and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through.
4. Warm the tortillas according to the packet instructions, then top with watercress and remaining mint leaves. Put 2 koftas on each tortilla and drizzle over the yogurt dressing to serve.
Per serving: 619 calories, 35.8g fat (13.3g saturated), 41g carbohydrates, 3.2g sugar, 3.3g fibre, 32.3g protein, 0.95g salt
If you want to try more recipes head to the Cook with M&S pages or download their app.
You can also look out for the easy-to-follow recipe cards in store. Have you ever attempted to make a dish like this before? Where do you normally head to for recipes?
*M&S at St David's Cardiff provided me with the ingredients for this meal.
There’s a new wirefree bra option for fuller busts on the market, thanks to the latest innovation from the Marks & Spencer. The new bra took more than a year to develop, and instead of an underwire uses compression foam technology in the cups to provide the shape and support required in larger sizes. I had read a lot about this bra in the press and was very intrigued. I was pretty certain that a bra without wiring would never be able to hold me and support me so I was a little sceptical when M&S offered to fit me with one of their new bras.
The fitting experience was very pleasant and my fitter has been working at M&S for over 20 years and really knew her stuff. The sizing in this bra differs from a regular bra so I advise popping into the store to get a fitting or ordering few sizes online to make sure you get a good fit. I'm normally a 36FF-G but found that a 38F was the perfect fit with this style. The back comes up a little tight (a few of the M&S site reviews have mentioned this too) so I would size up.
The moulded cups are trimmed with a lace underband and wide lace wings that help smooth the back and support the bust, while the shoulder straps are made from a high density fabric for additional support. I found that this bra didn't give me the round shape which I normally like to have as I wear very moulded bras and this was a softer cup but it looked lovely under clothes and there was none of that dreaded back fat over spill or digging in. The wide lace at the back really did a great job of smoothing me and creating a clean sillouette under my clothes.
The bra is very affordable at just £22.50 and comes in sizes 32-40 DD-G. I typically pay around £30+ for my bras(a definite downside to having a fuller bust) so I think the price is great.
I picked up this bra from M&S Cardiff Capital which has been transformed from a Home and Food store to one offering over 20,000 sq ft of Women’s, Men’s and Kids’ fashion, as well as Food and Beauty. The fashion-focused redevelopment establishes an entire ground floor dedicated to Womenswear, showcasing M&S’ sought-after Limited Edition, per una and Indigo clothing collections, as well as footwear and lingerie.
This bra has definitely opened my eyes to non-wired options on the market now and it's so refreshing to not be wearing something with uncomfortable wiring. Do you ever wear non-wired bras?
This is the third and final installment of the Summer of Flavour posts featuring lots of lovely M&S products which I have tried and tested recently. This recipe is for a frozen dessert which has gone down a treat in my house during this hot spell we seem to be having. The lemon curd makes it nice and sharp, the frozen blueberries are super sweet and the meringue is lovely and chewy. You wont need any fancy equipment or a ice cream maker to try this one out.
If you want to make it yourself here's what you need:
5. Transfer the frozen loaf to the fridge 30 minutes before slicing. Ramekins are best left to stand at room temperature 10 minutes or so before spooning into.
I served mine with some dark chocolate sticks that I got in the last degustabox but it would be great with some extra fresh blueberries scattered on the top. Will you be trying this yourself?
If you want to make it yourself here's what you need:
Ingredients
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8
meringue nests (Cook with M&S)
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300ml
double or whipping cream
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325g
jar Sicilian lemon curd
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180g
blueberries
Method
Method
1.
Lightly crush the meringues and set aside.
2. In a
bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks. Fold in the lemon curd and the blueberries.
3. Now
fold in the crushed meringues. Spoon into a 900g/2lb loaf tin lined and
over-hanging with cling film. Open-freeze until firm then fold the overhang of
cling film over, wrap again and freeze until ready to serve.
4. Alternatively spoon into 8 ramekin dishes,
cover tightly with cling film and freeze.
5. Transfer the frozen loaf to the fridge 30 minutes before slicing. Ramekins are best left to stand at room temperature 10 minutes or so before spooning into.
I served mine with some dark chocolate sticks that I got in the last degustabox but it would be great with some extra fresh blueberries scattered on the top. Will you be trying this yourself?
M&S are celebrating a Summer of flavour and will have the perfect food for a picnic in the park or a barbecue
in the back garden. Marks & Spencer in St David's supplied me with some tasty seasonal treats to try out. I've already shared a post featuring strawberries with a balsamic glaze and this post is all about tasty BBQ food and dining al fresco.
Today I'm sharing a recipe for turkey thigh marinated in low fat greek yoghurt, Mexican spice and a squeeze of lime.
Each skewer was filled with so much meat and came in at under 200 calories each. You could ditch the oil, add some vegetables and make these go a lot further if you want a very healthy BBQ friendly alternative to all the red meat and sausages that are normally on offer.
I also made pulled pork instead of a traditional roast so Martyn and I could sit out in the garden an enjoy a brief spell of sunshine that we had on Sunday.
What are your favourite BBQ foods or seasonal summer picks?
Today I'm sharing a recipe for turkey thigh marinated in low fat greek yoghurt, Mexican spice and a squeeze of lime.
Ingredients
·
500g
diced turkey thigh
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2
tsp olive oil
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2
tbsp Cook with Mexican spice mix
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2
limes
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500ml
low fat Greek style yoghurt
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A
handful of freshly torn mint leaves
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Sea
Salt, to taste
1. In a
large bowl, massage the turkey with the olive oil, spice mix and the zest and
juice of 1 lime. Add 1-2-tbsp yogurt and season with a little salt. Now cover
and leave in a cool place until required, allowing for the flavours to develop.
2. Divide
the turkey between 4 skewers then pop under a hot grill
or over hot BBQ coals and cook, turning once or twice, for 7-9 minutes or until the turkey is tender, tinged
brown.
3. Enjoy
with cooling yogurt as an accompanying dip, juicy lime wedges for
squeezing....and a sprinkling of fresh mint leaves over the kebabs or stirred
into the yogurt.
I also made pulled pork instead of a traditional roast so Martyn and I could sit out in the garden an enjoy a brief spell of sunshine that we had on Sunday.
I have made this recipe a few times now and if you want to try it yourself head over to Good Food. The maple and mustard glaze on this is delicious and it's a firm favourite in my house. It's great served with some rolls, coleslaw and salad and would be pretty impressive to bring out at a BBQ to top your burgers or serve alone.
What are your favourite BBQ foods or seasonal summer picks?
