Winter is well and truly upon us so stay warm and spice up your winter dishes with all new Gourmet Garden recipes courtesy of TV chef Dominique Rizzo! Instantly impress family and friends by preparing one of Dominique’s easy to follow recipes with a fresh herb and spice twist.

Following huge success since its launch Gourmet Garden can now be found in a wide range of stores including the likes of Sainsbury’s, Londis, Budgens and now Tesco. To celebrate this, the experts in fresh herbs and flavours has released some brand new recipes.

The Pumpkin, Ginger & Garlic Soup makes for a nice starter or a quick dish for those budding chefs in a hurry. Using just diced pumpkin, chicken stock, Gourmet Garden Garlic and Gourmet Garden Ginger a wonderful, smooth soup can be made in just twenty minutes.

The Mediterranean Chicken is the perfect dish to warm up those Winter nights. By simply adding feta cheese, olive oil and Gourmet Garden Italian Herbs to chicken breasts a gorgeous dish with a Mediterranean twist can be prepared for all chicken lovers.

Winter nights no longer need to be cold, dark and gloomy with these seasonally inspired dishes. For full recipes and many more, visit www.gourmetgarden.com

Also keep an eye out for all our tips, advice and ideas about how to get the best out of herbs and spices in your cooking at the new UK Herb eCooking School facebook page. Discover your love for cooking by taking a wide range of master classes at the Herb eCooking School and learn delicious new recipes using Gourmet Garden products.

Priced at RRP £2.19 per tube, Gourmet Garden products are now stored in Tesco nationwide. For more information, please visit www.gourmetgarden.com or www.facebook.com/Gourmet-Garden-UK.

WIN!!!

To be in with a chance of winning our fab prize of 5 tubes of Gourmet Garden along with a recipe book, simply leave us a comment below telling us your favourite meal during these cold wet months and we’ll pick one lucky winner from all comments received. Good luck!

Competition closes Feb 21st 2012.

Spark some romance on Valentine’s Day with this carefully selected range of wines. Whether it’s a special night in with your loved one, or a toast with friends to the single life, there is no better way to celebrate than with this range of full bodied reds, sparkling rosés, and light whites.
Hardys Nottage Hill Cabernet Shiraz is full of plum and blackcurrant notes, making it the perfect accompaniment to an intimate dinner at home. Or why not try Banrock Station’s Shiraz Rosé, with cherry and strawberry flavours to add sweetness and sparkle to your evening.
Read on for more wines to perfectly complement the most romantic day of the year; although these can be sampled well past 14th February!

Reds

Hardys Nottage Hill Cabernet Shiraz is great for sharing over Valentine’s dinner. This generously sweet wine is ripe with plum and bright red berry fruits. Why not try with roasted meats and Moroccan dishes such as spice lamb tagine for the perfect finish.

Widely Available for £7.99

Sparkling

Banrock Station Shiraz Rosé is a bright and flavoursome sparkling rosé with a crisp, refreshing taste. Add sparkle to your night with this delicious wine bursting with strawberry and cherry flavours

Available at Waitrose for £8.99

Whites

Hardys Nottage Hill Chardonnay is a lively wine filled with fruit characters of white peach and nectarine; toasty oaks hints adding complexity. Great with seafood, why not start the night with oysters?

Widely Available for £7.99

Rosé

Banrock Station Pink Moscato displays fresh, aromatic notes of citrus and melon with a touch of sherbet and musk. Best suited as an aperitif, serve chilled with starters or canapés on Valentine’s Day to make for an extra special night.

Available at Sainsbury for £5

Hardys Stamp Grenache Shiraz Rosé is a beautifully fruity and floral wine with luscious rich berries and a crisp acid finish. Make sure you have a bottle of Hardys Stamp chilling in the fridge this Valentine’s Day.

Available at Tesco, Nisa and Bargain Booze from £6.99

Stowells White Zinfandel is a light bodied, medium sweet wine. Full of summer fruit pudding flavours with a hint of white pepper on the finish, it is sure to inject some spice into your evening.

Widely Available for £5.49

Kick start your New Year the way you mean to with the help of healthy eating specialists The Food Doctor, who are on hand to make healthy living a lifestyle choice.

Perfect Start Cereals such as their award winning, Cacao & Tangerine Granola or Multigrain & Seeded Porridge, offer a nutritious and a healthy start to the day.  Their high fibre content helps maintain a healthy digestion, slowly breaking down to provide a steady flow of energy throughout the day.

Their latest creations, Wholesome Pots are a delicious, healthy and convenient lunch option.  Just add boiling water to a Cous Cous & Lentil Pot with Cumin Coriander, just one of the three flavours available, to steer off those horrid hunger pangs when you need it most, at home, at the office or on the go.

Snacking is sorted with tasty High Fibre Crackers, Savoury Seed Mix and their delicious Roasted Bean Mix making 4pm chocolate runs a thing of the past.

The Food Doctor products are all designed in line with The Food Doctor’s healthy lifestyle initiative – to help people to Eat Better Forever. The Food Doctor consults at The Food Doctor clinic based on Harley Street, London.

A refreshingly light taste experience, Stowells Light is a delicious treat that’s both full of flavour and low in calories.

Stowells Light stands up to taste tests. Bursting with fruity aromas and a touch of sweetness, it’s a fresh choice which can be enjoyed at every occasion, plus it has the added benefit of containing less calories and alcohol than your usual glass of wine.

With just 60 calories per glass, that’s 30 per cent less than a standard glass of wine, and less than one unit of alcohol per 125ml serving, the crisp flavours of its Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc  grapes are perfect to enjoy on it’s own or with a Mediterranean fish stews; with the Shiraz Rose an ideal partner to fresh ‘superfood’ salads.

Did you know that one glass of Stowells Light contains over 120 less calories than a packet of Malteasers? A light treat for those looking for something different to their usual tipple.

Tasting Notes:

Stowells Light White:
Made from a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, Stowells Light White is bursting with melon, pear and apricot fruit flavours, balancing fresh acidity with a touch of sweetness.

Stowells Light Rosé:
This Shiraz Rose is a vibrant youthful pink, full of juicy strawberry, raspberry and cherry fruit flavours.  Perfectly balanced with a zesty acidity and a touch of sweetness.

Stowells Light is available at all ASDA stores nationwide for RRP £5.49

Either way, these are definitely some great colours to brighten up the dark, cold weather we’re having right now.

Combining the absolute relaxation, beautiful weather, and stunning surroundings of Ekies All Senses Resort, with the spiritual wellbeing of varying Yoga classes to make the perfect vacation to kick-start the new season.

Experience yoga at sunset as the sun sets on the hotel’s secluded beach.

Ekies All Senses Resort is a luxurious, award-winning property set in the beautiful Vourvourou Bay, in the Sithonia region of Halkidiki, with stunning views of Mount Athos. This chic hotel, with just 64 rooms and suites, boasts a swanky vibe of contemporary design and is an idyllic destination to escape to. With a wealth of fresh, organic produce, this resort is the perfect place to sample delicious Mediterranean cuisine.

The yoga studio offers two options:

Option A – 11-13 May 2012 includes half board and 16 hours of yoga. Early registration (before 31/03/2012) prices start at €425 per person based in a couple sharing a double room.

Option B – 11-16 May 2012 includes half board and 8 hours of yoga. Early registration (before 31/03/2012) prices start at €186 per person based on a couple sharing a double room.

For more information on the resort, please visit www.ekies.gr

Voted “MOST POPULAR BRITISH MUSICAL OF ALL TIME” by New York Times readers

“You’ve never seen a musical like BLOOD BROTHERS. Every night of the week audiences stand and cheer.
See it for yourself and understand why.” New York Times

The Bristol Hippodrome - Monday 20th February – Saturday 3rd March 2012

Following sell out seasons in the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Japan, the international smash hit musical BLOOD BROTHERS continues to tour the UK. Hailed as one of the best musicals of all time,

BLOOD BROTHERS has triumphed across the globe. Scooping up no less than four awards for best musical in London and seven Tony Award nominations on Broadway, BLOOD BROTHERS is simply unmissable and unbeatable. This epic tale of Liverpool life has been running in London’s West End, since July 1988 and touring the UK since 1995.

BLOOD BROTHERS tells the captivating and moving story of twin boys separated at birth, only to be reunited, by a twist of fate and a mother’s haunting secret. The memorable score includes A Bright New Day, Marilyn Monroe and the emotionally charged hit Tell Me It’s Not True.

When Mrs Johnstone, a young mother, is deserted by her husband and left to her own devices to provide for seven hungry children she takes a job as a housekeeper in order to make ends meet.

It is not long before her brittle world crashes around her when she discovers herself to be pregnant yet again – this time with twins! In a moment of weakness and desperation, she enters a secret pact with her employer which leads inexorably to the show’s shattering climax. A sensational cast, incredible show stopping music, remarkable staging and five star performances make BLOOD BROTHERS an enthralling night of entertainment.

WILLY RUSSELL is undeniably one of this country’s leading contemporary dramatists. His countless credits include EDUCATING RITA and SHIRLEY VALENTINE. EDUCATING RITA, originally commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, enjoyed a two year run in the West End and was made into a movie starring Michael Caine and Julie Walters. SHIRLEY VALENTINE also made the move from stage to screen in an enormously popular film starring Pauline Collins and Tom Conti.

BLOOD BROTHERS is directed by BOB TOMSON and BILL KENWRIGHT with designs by ANDY WALMSLEY. MARK HOWETT is the lighting designer; BEN HARRISON is the sound designer. ROD EDWARDS is the musical supervisor and KELVIN TOWSE is the production musical director.

BLOOD BROTHERS
Starring Maureen Noleen
Monday 20th February – Saturday 3rd March
Tickets: £14.50 – £38.50
Concessions available at certain performances
http://www.kenwright.com/

For skin that’s so bronzed and gorgeous, makeup brand 17 is introducing its latest hit, ‘Instant Glow’, a brand new range of nine instant bronzing products to help you transform your winter-weary skin into that of a glowing goddess. Whether you want to add a touch of colour to your cheeks or turn up the volume and bring out your inner-Ibiza, there’s something for all occasions.

With everything from a truly stunning animal print bronzer empowering you to unleash your wild side, to bronzing rocks to get you rocking and rolling, 17 is inspiring young women to radiate their inner glow. In chic black matte packaging, ‘Instant Glow’  from sassy 17 is the perfect pick me-up for a luminous glow that will leave you thinking it’s forever summer.

We love the fab effects from 17 Instant Glow Bronzing Rocks,£4.99. For best results, dab the rocks with17 Shimmer Brush, £3.29 and apply to your cheeks and décolletage. Or use aneyeshadow brush and sweep over the eyes to add an extra pop of iridescent colour to your lids. Perfect for those who want to look sun-kissed and healthy, even in these cold weeks ahead.

17 Instant Glow Oversize Animal Print Bronzer, £5.49 is the perfect embossed palette for any fashionista. Simply takea large brush and sweep gently over the face or body for an instant pick me up. This is ideal for any of you who want a little extra shimmer in your beauty regime!

All 17 products are available at Boots and Boots.com

The Chakras are arranged from the coccyx to the crown along the spine, each one represented by a colour of the rainbow.

The lower, earth-orientated Chakras govern the practical matters of our lives survival and animation, and are governed by physical and social law.

As we progress up the spine, so the Chakras become related to the mental realms; they work on an increasingly conceptual, metaphorical plane.

Celebrity fans of the Daisy Chakra bracelets include Cheryl Cole, Sienna Miller and Pixie Lott.

You can get the beautiful Daisy Chakras from John Greed Jewellery: www.johngreedjewellery.com

If you’re one of the hundreds of thousands of people planning to switch over to a shiny new phone for the New Year, then the chances are you’re also expecting a few days of frustration, delay and stress as you get to grips with the switchover from your old to your shiny new device.

However, help is at hand from the tech experts at Geek Squad who have created a ‘cheat sheet’ to help you keep calm and keep your contacts on your new mobile. Whether you’re shifting from Android to Apple, or Blackberry to Nokia, this advice is designed to make the transition as smooth as possible.

1.       Email and Calendars
If using your phone to access your email and calendar then the last thing you want is to see messages and appointments dropping out of your inbox. Transferring onto a commonly used system like Gmail could help you seamlessly transfer not only your email, but also your calendar and phone directory from one phone to another, because the system is compatible with both Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS software platforms. Apple’s iCloud service is also a useful tool, as it allows iPhone users to access third party systems like Google’s Calendar and Mail services, meaning you won’t miss out on your appointment or message.

2.       Messaging services
Many phones offer access to social messaging services such as Twitter or Facebook – it’s relatively simple to switch over your account onto a new device, but do make sure it’s been disabled on your old phone to stop any ‘friends’ accessing your feed! The only exception to this rule is Blackberry Messenger which is a service that only Blackberry supports, so if you’re leaving the RIM world to join Android or Apple, you won’t be able to take your BB friends with you. Consider alternative instant messengers like Twitter and Windows Live Messenger, both of which are supported across multiple platforms beyond mobile alone.

3.       Text Messages
Text messages often hold some of our closest memories these days – from organising a first date to a heartfelt message from family, so the last thing you want to do is throw away those memories when you make the switch. Unfortunately transferring your old SMS text messages to your new phone can be a bit tricky. There is some nifty third-party software out there, which does the job for a small premium. Try SMS Export, available through the App Store. The App allows you to export your SMS messages in text format, which can then be transferred onto the MicroSD card in your new Android phone. Finally, download an App from the Android market like SMS Migrator to complete the process.

4.       Music
Smart phones are being used more and more as our portable music players, and with downloads available direct to the handset it’s important you don’t lose any of your collection when you switch phones. The best way to do this is to use a music library on your computer – iTunes or Window’s Media Player are the easiest to set up and use. It’s simply a case of plugging in your old phone, transferring the music to your library, and then transferring your collection over to your new phone – you can always edit out any musical mistakes when you make the transition!

5.       Data
Users tend to particularly worry about losing their data when switching or upgrading their phone, but it’s important to remember that things can go wrong at any point, even with a tried and tested handset that you’ve owned for months, which is why it’s a good idea to regularly back up. You can change your preferred settings so that your phone is automatically backed-up to a Cloud service, which means you can forget about needing to sync using your handset USB cable or any potential data loss.

For more guidance on switching phones (or any other Christmas tech teaser) from the Geek Squad Agents visit www.geeksquad.co.uk or for face-to-face help find your nearest Agent in-store at www.geeksquad.co.uk/storelocator