Pick Me Up! 09-Jul-2020

Back in 2000, myself and Tony, made the decision to foster. Working at play groups, I’ve always loved caring for people and as a couple, we knew it was something we wanted to do. So, we fostered our first girl, who age wise, slotted between our own daughters. From the very beginning, we made sure our two girls were involved – we didn’t want them to ever feel left out. Fostering was a family affair and we all pitched in. We had our first girl for nearly seven years and after that, there was no going back. We even had an extension fitted on our house to fit more of us in. Over the years, we mostly looked after young or teenage girls, but we just wanted to help in…

Treat yourself After being given the opportunity to get more creative in the kitchen, we’ve seen a huge rise of homemade Dalgona coffees. As a tasty blend of milk and whipped coffee, it’s super easy to create so you can indulge in Insta-worthy deliciousness. Using any one of the Lavazza Prontissimo! or their Carte Noire Classique instant ranges, you can create this easily! ⃞ 2 tbsp of Prontissimo! instant coffee⃞ 2 tbsp sugar⃞ 2 tbsp of hot water⃞ 400ml milk 1 Add the instant coffee, sugar and hot water to a medium mixing bowl. Using an electric hand-held mixer, whip the coffee mixture until it is light brown, fluffy and holds stiff peaks when the whisk is removed. 2 Heat the milk, if desired, and divide between two heatproof glasses.…

If your letter makes Star Letter of the week, you will receive some beautiful blooms from Flying Flowers. With over 30 years’ experience of helping celebrate life’s special moments and FREE delivery by post, a gorgeous bouquet by Flying Flowers is a lovely way to celebrate sharing smiles and happiness. See flyingflowers.co.uk for more details.…

Sitting in front of my laptop, I carefully scanned the investigative database. ‘Gotcha,’ I thought, as I discovered the true identity of my latest suspect. As a private investigator specialising in romance fraud, I was determined to put a stop to online catfishing. I set up my company, Private Investigations Limited and Rogue Daters, in 2018, after years of wanting to. You see, it all started back in November 2003, after splitting with my husband of six years and finding myself in the world of online dating. However, my very first date showed me the lies that are often behind a profile picture. I’d been talking to a guy named Jason for nearly a week. His profile said he was 5ft 11ins and a marketing manager – in his pictures,…

Solve the puzzle to spell out a term related to the picture. The arrows show you where to put your answers. The answer is spelled in the yellow squares. Answers on page 47. Zanussi has teamed up with Ciara Attwell (AKA My Fussy Eater) to create family friendly recipes that can be made in a few simple steps. For more inspiration visit myfussyeater.com Fruity breakfast muffins ⃞ 200g plain whole meal flour⃞ 50g jumbo oats⃞ 1.5 tsp baking powder⃞ 0.5 tsp baking soda⃞ 100g plain yogurt⃞ 50g coconut oil, melted⃞ 1 medium egg⃞ 2 bananas mashed⃞ 2 tbsp honey⃞ 1 tsp vanilla extract⃞ 2 clementine’s⃞ 80g blueberries 1 Preheat the oven to 180°c and line a muffin tin with 10 muffins cases. In a large bowl mix together the flour,…

Covering my eyes with one hand, I was too scared to look. ‘Please, please, please,’ I willed, holding the pregnancy test with my other hand. Peeking through my fingers, I gasped as I saw two blue lines. Creeping downstairs, I found my partner Jose, 50, sat watching the telly. ‘I have a surprise for you,’ I smiled to him. ‘Close your eyes.’ He did as he was told, as I placed the positive pregnancy test on the coffee table. ‘Open!’ I said. ‘You’re pregnant!’ he cried, jumping up from the sofa and taking me into his arms. We were over the moon. Soon it was time for my 16-week scan, which revealed my due date – 1 April 2012. April Fool’s Day! ‘Let’s hope this baby isn’t a joker,’ I…