Ringing in the New Year

Well a Happy New Year to you! Feels weird to say that, doesn’t it? Probably up there as the most challenging January any of us have ever had, but we will make the best of it. The Christmas decks are down and our living room has been turned back into a school room, something that we and many other parents hoped we would never have to do again, but here we are. This time though, we know what needs to get done and the school already has so much in place for this, so we are getting our heads down and doing our best to remember the difference between adjectives and adverbs. Thank goodness for Google!

As I said in my last post, myself, Fred and the girls went down to the beach for our family walk to see the sun set on 2020. Never had it been more symbolic for us to do so. We took our pebbles with our messages on them to throw in the sea and we walked out to the water, which was waaaaay out with the tide. It made for a beautiful scene. A friend of ours was also down at the beach and saw us walking out and very kindly took a picture of the 4 of us walking to the water’s edge as the sun was going down. I hope you all managed to see out the old year in your own way, even if it was simply going to bed early and waking up in 2021!

In the Kitchen – The Ninja Multifunction Oven – Today’s Special Value

The Ninja Oven launches tonight (Thursday) at QVC and will be on air throughout Friday, while stocks last. It is an incredibly handy oven to have at home or in a work environment perhaps (when we finally all get back to work, that is). It takes up way less space than a conventional oven, so perfect for a small kitchen, caravan, holiday flat etc. It could even be a second oven for those of you that have the space. It’s 19.2 x 38 x 50.1cm. It can Air Fry, Roast, Bake, Grill, Dehydrate, Toast and Keep Warm. It’s very quick and easy to use, I didn’t even read the manual to get it going! So after my shows on Saturday, I popped into our prep Kitchen and lovely Jo, who runs all our food shows and cooks up all our demo dishes, let me take over a spot on the counter to try making something to bake in it. As it was lunchtime, I went for a frittata as they are pretty simple but also a good healthy lunch option.

A frittata is always great, particularly for using up leftovers of that random half onion or the end of the cheese. I used 10 eggs, cheese, chorizo, onion, peppers and parsley, but you can add whatever you want! This would serve 4 people. Smaller dish? Use fewer eggs, simple. (My square dish was about 7 inches) The variations are endless: ham, olives, feta, left-over cooked potatoes, spinach, courgettes, mushrooms, tomatoes. You get the idea! Whatever you do, sauté any raw veggies first. Add to an oven dish, pour in the whisked eggs, cheese and any herbs and then bake. In this case, it needed half an hour to bake through. This will be dependent on size of dish and how hot your oven is etc. But test it after 20 mins and see if it is still wobbling in the middle! I set the oven to 180.

I have done a quick video of how I made it over on my Instagram, which you can watch by clicking here.

Today’s Special Value – Coming up this Friday/Saturday but available now on Pre-Sell – Ruth Langsford Cricket Jumper

How many of you have had a bit of a clear out to start the year? I expect quite a few of you, I know I have. It’s helped me see what is missing from my wardrobe, so I can buy smart rather than frivolously. Something I can never have enough of though is ‘throw on’ tops that are easy for every day but look great. This Today’s Special Value definitely falls into that category. It’s a casual Cricket Jumper that comes in some great colours. I have the Sunset Red, but it also comes in Cappuccino, Warm White, Pink and Navy – it’s 60% Cotton, 40% Viscose, and machine washable at 30 degrees.

I have kept it simple with jeans, but I’m sure you will see it styled many different ways during the live shows. You would be able to elevate this top to smart-casual for sure, it could look fab under a blazer and also look elegant with a maxi skirt. I can imagine the white over a white pleated skirt would have a 1920s tennis vibe. Imagine it slung over your shoulders in a preppy style. It feels really nice on and it’s breathable due to the natural material. Let’s face it, it will also serve us well with tracksuit bottoms on at home!!

I must admit up until the moment I did these pictures, I had been in workout leggings and a sweatshirt. No make-up and frizzy hair, which has been my home schooling look so far this week. I went and smoothed out my hair, added some bright lipstick and put on the top and it completely changed the way I was feeling. The colour totally lifted my mood and I immediately felt a little better about the day. It’s amazing what colour and a little mini makeover can do. Tilda and Ivy were my photographers and I think they did a rather good job, don’t you? Obviously, they then wanted to be in the pictures too!

The Great QVC Giveaway

What an exciting way to kick off the New Year at QVC. A massive giveaway!!! The biggest we have ever done. QVC wanted to be able to do something to try and help lift everyone’s mood, so we have brought you the chance to win one of 1000 prizes and a grand prize draw for £10,000!!!!

For anyone that purchases from QVC from the 4th Jan to the 24th, you get a chance to spin the wheel and see if you win a prize such as a KitchenAid, Lulu Guinness handbag, Bose speaker, a dash cam, Smeg juicer, Kipling bag, Charlie Bears, Polaroid camera, Butler & Wilson and many, many more! You simply go to www.qvcwin.com and enter your order number, name and postcode and then spin the wheel! Everyone who does this will also go through to the prize drawer for a chance at the £10K prize.

*You cannot play if you live in Northern Ireland – unfortunately the rules and regulations in NI for prize promotions are different to GB.

Good luck to those playing!

That’s it from me, stay safe and healthy.
Lots of love,
Katy xxx

PS. As always, you’ll find me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.