Hollywood’s secret – our Stain Away Wipes!
Our fabulous Stain Away Wipes are in the news…..http://www.beautybusinessnews.com/2013/03/celeb-make-up-secret/
Sarah Smith Blog
Our celeb secret….
Our amazing Stain Away Wipes are in the news!
http://www.beautybusinessnews.com/2013/03/celeb-make-up-secret/
Jimsy Jampots Easter Lamb Curry
Spring is springing….but it’s still freezing out there. What you need is a hot dish of Spring 
lamb curry to warm the cockles.
Ingredients
400g diced lamb pieces, trimmed of as much fat as possible
1 large onion
4 large garlic cloves
1/2 tbsp of ground ginger
1/2 tsp of chilli powder
1/2 tbsp of curry powder
400g can of chopped tomatoes
3 carrots
450ml vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
4 large chopped tomatoes
100g spinach leaves
Method
1. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and brown in batches in an overproof casserole dish, transferring to a plate when cooked.
2. Dice the onion and fry it in a little oil for five minutes. Reduce the heat, add all the spices and cook for another five minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 190C. Put the lamb back in the casserole dish with the onion and cook for a couple of minutes more. Then add the tomatoes, the stock and a bay leaf. Chop both the carrots and the tomatoes before adding them, too. Bring to a simmer.
4. Cover the casserole dish and put in the oven for an hour and 30 minutes.
5. Take the dish out of the oven, stir in the spinach and pop back in the oven for five minutes more.
6. Serve with rice and a dollop of creme fraiche.
WHAT’S UNDER YOUR BED?
Lizards, a false hand and a live partridge unearthed while cleaning
Our survey revealed some startling items that have been turned up in a spring clean. Respondents reported discovering dead mice, a false hand, a
hibernating hedgehog, £60 in coins from one favourite armchair alone, a bat, some spare sets of false teeth and a live partridge.
Sarah Smith CEO Clive Birnie says: “We were extremely surprised at some of the things that our respondents discovered. Under the sofa and behind the fridge were the most common places to find peculiar objects, with the dog’s bed coming a close second. The most we were expecting was loose change and Lego. There were lots of nice finds like engagement rings and long lost photographs, as well as some more suspect discoveries like pants and even the key to a set of handcuffs.”
Sarah Smith cleaning cloths are available in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Ocado.
Take our survey….
We’d love it if you wouldn’t mind taking our very quick survey. It would make us very happy, and anyway it’s too cold to do anything else…pretty please?
Click here to take survey
New Year Calming Soup
After the endless roast potatoes of Christmas, the mince pies and the booze, we all need something calming in January, something natural and mild. To soothe the soul and flatten the tummy, here is Jimsy Jampots’ leek and potato soup. 
Leek and Potato Soup
2 large leeks, sliced
1 onion, sliced
300g potatoes, diced
1 litre of vegetable stock
Greek Yogurt.
1. Fry the leeks, potatoes and onion in a large saucepan for about five mintes. Then pour over a litre of the vegetable stock, stir well and leave to simmer for 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are very soft.
2. Season the soup well and blend in either using a food processor or a stick blender.
3. Just before eating, stir the Greek yogurt. This can either be done in the pan or in the bowl. You need one heaped tablespoon of Greek yogurt per serving.
Another Jimsy Jampot recipe – Chocolate Peppermint Candy Cane Squares
Chocolate Peppermint Candy Cane Squares
Ingredients
For the chocolate layer
350g of dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa solides
1 x 397g can of condensed milk
30g of butter
a large pinch of salt
For the peppermint layer
175g white chocolate
1 tablespoon peppermint extract
3 large candy canes (ideally green)
Gel food colouring to match the colour of your candy canes
To decorate
Crushed candy canes
Method
Line an 8 inch square tin with foil, making sure there’s an overhang
Roughly chop the chocolate and add it to a medium sauce pan. Add the butter, the salt, and 250g of the condensed milk. Put over a low heat and allow the chocolate to melt, stirring constantly. You should end up with a really thick, gloopy mixture.
As soon as the chocolate is melted, remove the pan from the heat and pour the chocolate into the tin. Smooth it over, making the surface as even as possible, and leave to cool. When it’s room temperature, pop it in the fridge.
In a clean pan, melt the white chocolate together with the peppermint extract and the remaining condensed milk. As soon as the chocolate is fully melted, remove it from the heat.
Crush the three candy canes using a rolling pin and stir into the white chocolate. Add tiny bits of the food colouring, stirring well, until you reach your desired colour. Then pour this over the top of the dark chocolate fudge.
Roughly crush the remaining candy canes and sprinkle this over the top of the peppermint layer. Leave to cool until the peppermint layer is set but still squidgy.
Remove the fudge using the overhang of foil, and cut into small, even squares. Stack two or three pieces of fudge and tie with a Christmas ribbon — wrap in clingfilm first if you’re giving them as a gift.
Sarah Smith Charity Sale 2012 in Aid of Za Foundation
Last year we held an auction of limited edition Sarah Smith items to raise money for Za Foundation to aid them in their project to build a library in a small community in Nkomazi, South Africa where no library exists within a 30 mile radius.
Za Foundation report that they have shipped 10,000 books that had been donated to the campaign and hope to open the library early next year. However they still need help in raising the money needed to complete the library and to run the library on an ongoing basis. For more information on Za Foundation visit their website or Facebook page.
So once more we are doing what we can to help with a small Charity Sale of Sarah Smith goodies. Last year 100% of the money you paid for items was donated to Za Foundation, and we will do the same this time around so you can be sure that 100% of all the money we raise will go to Za Foundation.
Instead of an auction we are going for a straight forward sale. Below you will see details of three styles of our much loved cotton shopper bags. We have 98 in our red “Moo!” pattern, 96 in the pink “Scooby” and 82 in apple green “Confetti”. They are on sales here at £5 each which includes UK Post & Packing. If you are looking to buy from outside the UK please contact us first ( info AT sarahsmith dot co dot uk ). All the bags are the same size 40 x 40 cm excluding the handle which is designed for over the shoulder use.
Just click on the appropriate BUY NOW button for the item you would like to buy and you will be directed to the paypal account of Sarah Smith co-owner Clive Birnie who has kindly offered to manage the donation collection for us. Clive has been assisting Za Foundation with this project for the last two years. Any queries, questions etc just email us.
THANKS!
Sarah Smith Red “Moo!” Cotton Shopper Bag £5.00 each incl. UK P&P.
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Sarah Smith Pink “Scooby” Cotton Shopper Bag £5.00 each incl. UK P&P.
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Sarah Smith Apple Green “Confetti” Cotton Shopper Bag £5.00 each incl. UK P&P.
Jimsy Jampots’ Christmas Tree Cup Cakes
For our first recipe from Jimsy Jampots, Sarah Smith’s in-house chef, comes Christmas Tree Cup Cakes for when you fancy a change from mince pies but still want to keep things seasonal…. Delicious!
For the cakes
- 150g butter
- 150g soft brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 150g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp milk
To decorate
- 500g soft butter
- 1000g icing sugar
- 4 tbsp milk
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Green gel food colouring
- 12 small stars
- Coloured balls to decorate
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C
- Combine all of the cupcake ingredients together in one go, sifting the dry ingredients. Beat until the mix is light, fluffy, and lump-free.
- Divide the cake mixture between 12 muffin cases, half-filling each case. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cakes are springy to the touch, and remove them from the oven. Leave to cool on a wire rack
- When the cakes are cool, make the icing. Put the cubed butter, icing sugar, milk, cinnamon and food colouring in the bowl of a free-standing mixer. Put the mixture on a low speed and combine all the ingredients. Then turn the mixer up to it’s maximum setting and let it beat for five minutes. Turn the mixer off, scrape down the sides and let it beat on highest setting again for 30 seconds.
- Put the icing in a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Smear icing over the top of a cupcake and smooth it over to give a neat edge. Then pipe “branches” from the centre of the cupcake to the outer edge, evenly spaced out. Repeat on top of these branches, finishing just before the icing below does. Keep doing this, with the branches getting smaller and smaller, until you reach the top. Then pipe a vertical “branch” on top.
- Dot the coloured balls around to resemble baubles, and add a large star on top.
SARAH SMITH HOUSEHOLD APPOINTS IN-HOUSE CHEF
Jimsy Jampots supplies Sarah Smith fans with seasonal recipes
Cult cleaning company Somerset-based Sarah Smith is delighted to announce the appointment of its chef in residence, Jimsy Jampots.
Jimsy Jampots will be supplying a recipe a month to Sarah Smith fans through the new Sarah Smith newsletter and contributing to the Sarah Smith blog.
Jimsy Jampots, 22, was born in Wales and now lives in London where she has a tiny flat with a beautiful little kitchen.
The first thing she can remember baking was Welsh Cakes with her mum when she was seven, but she never tried anything more adventurous than chocolate-chip butterfly cakes until 2010. Since then cooking and baking have become her favourite things to do — partially because of the joy of creation but mostly because she likes eating.
When Amy isn’t in the kitchen she enjoys reading, walking her dogs (two Dalmatians and one chocolate Labrador) and very, very slow knitting.
Sarah Smith CEO Clive Birnie says: “We’re delighted that Jimsy Jampots has joined the Sarah Smith team. Her recipes are delicious and she reflects all the Sarah Smith values – cheerful, honest and playful.”
Jimsy Jampots’ recipes are seasonal, accessible and perfect for a busy woman feeding her family.
The launch of new Chunky Dishcloths!
Chunky not clunky – stylish pink thick eco textiles
Made of 50:50 recycled polyester and viscose blend, the Chunky Dishcloths are bacteria resistant and like all Sarah Smith products, meet the Oeko-tex textile standard 100 standard and are therefore certified free of substances harmful to humans and the environment.
The range is as cleaning-friendly as it is eco-friendly. The Chunky Dishcloths are durable and machine washable. Our special ingredient keeps them bacteria resistant and therefore fresher for longer.
The range is British-made, reducing air-miles, safeguarding local jobs and ensuring British quality.
Sarah Smith chunky eco cloths
- Pack size: 2 cloths
- Available from: Sainsbury’s
- RRP: £1.89 approx
HOLLYWOOD CELEBRITY SECRET – SARAH SMITH STAIN AWAY WIPES!
Catherine Zeta-Jones’ secret to looking spotless
We’ve hit the A-List with its Stain Away Wipes being used on the set of new action film Red 2, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Bruce Willis and Mary-Louise Parker and being filmed in London and Paris.
Wardrobe Master Kevin Pratten contacted us to say how much he loved the wipes.
Kevin commented: “They are absolutely fantastic. We have used them on a number of clothes and have managed to take away everything and have left no residue – which is so important on camera. So I just wanted to say how great these wipes were, and that I will definitely use recommend for future filming.”
As well as being red carpet friendly, the wipes are also British-made, reducing air-miles, safeguarding local jobs and ensuring British quality.
Our CEO Clive Birnie says: “All our products are fit for superstars, and we are delighted that the Stain Away Wipes are keeping such august company.”
The wipes are available in Sainsbury’s and Waitrose at £1.99 for 14.
Terms and conditions for the Sarah Smith poetry competition
1. The poetry competition (the “Competition”) is open to women living in the UK aged over 18 who have not had a full collection published. (“You”).
2. To enter the Competition, You should write a poem and email it to us at pr@sarahsmith.co.uk, or post it to Poetry Competition,
Severn Delta Limited, Showground Road, Bridgwater, Somerset
TA6 6AJ
You are responsible for the cost of sending your Competition entry to us.
3. When submitting your Competition entry, You must provide your name and address. We will only use this information in relation to the Competition and will not use it for any other purposes whatsoever. We will not keep this information for longer than is necessary for the operation of the Competition.
4. You may only send one entry to the Competition.
5. We must receive your entry to the Competition by 11:59 pm on 31st March 2013.
6. Employees or agents of Severn Delta or their family
members may not enter the Competition.
Picking the winners
7. Kate Fox and Clive Birnie will pick a winner. The decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
8. The winning poet will have a pamphlet of five of poems included in 10,000 packs of Sarah Smith cloths sold in supermarkets across the UK, and her poems regularly posted on www.sarahsmith.co.uk, in the Sarah Smith email newsletter.
9. You own the copyright to your Competition entry as its author.
10. By submitting an entry to the Competition, You give Severn Delta permission for your entry to be published and grant Severn Delta a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to republish your Competition entry in electronic format and hard copy for purposes connected with the Competition; and b. The right to use your name, and town or city of residence for the sole purpose of identifying You as the author of your entry.
SARAH SMITH™ LAUNCHES THE SARAH SMITH POETRY PRIZE FOR WOMEN
Theme: Women in the 21st Century
Judged by Kate Fox
The Somerset-based Sarah Smith eco kitchen textiles company is launching a nationwide search to reward a female poet in the Sarah Smith Poetry Prize, with the theme “Women in the 21st Century”. Entries are invited from female poets who have not had a full collection published. The winning poet will have a pamphlet of five of poems included in 10,000 packs of Sarah Smith cloths sold in supermarkets across the UK, and her poems regularly posted on www.sarahsmith.co.uk, an unrivalled opportunity to take poetry to a wider audience.
The poet will also be invited to become poet in residence for Sarah Smith, composing poems for publication on the Sarah Smith blog and in the Sarah Smith newsletter which is sent to 15,000 recipients. The competition will be judged by Kate Fox, a regular on Radio 4’s “Saturday Live”, she has also recently performed on the Radio 4 shows “You and Yours”, “The Wondermentalist Cabaret”, “Arthur Smith’s Edinburgh Bash” and “Doggerel Bard” as well as on BBC2’s Daily Politics Show and BBC2’s Chelsea Flower Show coverage.
Clive Birnie, poet and CEO of Severn Delta, commented: “This is a perfect way for a developing poet to gain exposure for their work.”
Full details of the prize and how to enter are available on the Sarah Smith blog at www.sarahsmith.co.uk. The competition opens for entries on 1st January 2013 and closes on 31st March. The winner will be announced in May 2013.
Sarah Smith cloths are made in Britain, are eco-friendly and have appeared in the kitchen of River Cottage, under Jamie’s chopping board and toured the country with Adrian Edmonson on Ade in Britain.
Note to editors:
All our cloths are made in our Bridgwater factory in Somerset, UK. For high resolution images or samples please contact Lucy on 0208 527 2531. For further information on the brand please look at www.sarahsmith.co.uk.
Kate Fox’s poetry has received the prestigious Andrew Waterhouse Award from New Writing North and an Arts Council Award. She was also a finalist in the Radio 4 Poetry Slam in 2007 and won the Cheltenham Science Festival Poetry slam in the same year, as well as various other performance poetry competitions.
She has developed work as an Associate Artist at New Writing North and ARC arts centre in Stockton and undertaken many residencies including for the Great North Run, Darlington Railway Museum, Humber Mouth Festival, HMP Frankland, the Free Word Centre in London, Fest Magazine in Edinburgh and NHS leadership conferences.
Clive Birnie has had poems published by Popshot, Inc.Zine, The Delinquent, and other literary journals on and offline. Most recently a 14 poem sequence was published by Silkworms Ink. Clive is also behind the new poetry publishing imprint Burning Eye Books.
Cards on the table….
I absolutely love these cards and I snagged a huge bargain the other day when Penny decided to clear her end of line stuff and only charged postage. I bought beautiful ‘new baby’ cards as I seem to have many pregnant friends at the moment. I just adore the simplicity of the cards and the really clever use of different textiles, like the tiny blobs of wool just perfect for minimalist little sheep. Naturally I intended only to buy the cards on which I only had to pay postage and just as naturally got seduced into buying lots more as they were so irresistible, but I still managed to convince myself I got a bargain. Have a look at www.pennylindop.com.
The wonders of baking soda The wonders of baking soda The Wonder Powder
Grouting. One of those things I feel guilty every time I look at as I never feel it’s properly clean, don’t feel I can ask my cleaning lady to do it but at the same time hate doing it myself as you have to use noxious chemicals that stink the shower out. No longer! Baking soda seems to be one of those ingredients that is so incredibly useful it could probably bring about world peace if we gave it half a chance; my recommendation is three ounces of baking soda, mixed with one tablespoon of water until you have a paste, then use it to clean the grouting with an old toothbrush. Extremely satisfying and no stinkiness afterwards.
Scaredy cat
I am including here some remedies I have been recommended but never tried because they sound too odd. If any of you have, please do let me know as I would love to know if they work. First – does a slice of bread rubbed over wallpaper get rid of dark smudges? Secondly, my grandma used to collect up my grandfather’s pipe tobacco ash, mix it with vegetable oil and use it to wipe out scratches on furniture. And thirdly, and I cannot believe this one, that vodka in a squirty bottle used where a cat has peed will stop it using the same spot in future…personally I can think of much better things to do with vodka that squirt it round the house, but I’d love your views. And has anyone actually ever used lion poo to deter cats and foxes from their garden? I’d love to get together your ideas – they’ll all be credited. Let’s share the house-smarts!
Wood you?
Polishing wood is one of the cleaning jobs I mind least, as I feel as though I am somehow doing something nurturing for the wood itself. As the next in my series of ‘home cooked’ cleaning products, try a tablespoon of water and a tablespoon of olive oil mixed with a cup of lemon juice (from real lemons, not the bottled stuff). Rub it on to wood with a Sarah Smith eco cloth, put the kettle on, then come back and buff to a shine with a dry Sarah Smith cloth. I have also heard that cutting a walnut in half and using the cut half on scratches in wood hides them beautifully. I haven’t tried this yet but have a gorgeous little wooden desk inherited from my grandmother that was regularly attacked by her cat so I will give it a go and report back.
Wood You?
Polishing wood is one of the cleaning jobs I mind least, as I feel as though I am somehow doing something nurturing for the wood itself. As the next in my series of ‘home cooked’ cleaning products, try a tablespoon of water and a tablespoon of olive oil mixed with a cup of lemon juice (from real lemons, not the bottled stuff). Rub it on to wood with a Sarah Smith eco cloth, put the kettle on, then come back and buff to a shine with a dry Sarah Smith cloth. I have also heard that cutting a walnut in half and using the cut half on scratches in wood hides them beautifully. I haven’t tried this yet but have a gorgeous little wooden desk inherited from my grandmother that was regularly attacked by her cat so I will give it a go and report back.
She Cooks, She Eats
I would like to introduce you to Amy, who is a FABULOUS cookery writer. Sickeningly, she is only 22. She writes a blog called She Cooks, She Eats) http://www.shecookssheeats.co.uk/, and her recipes are proven, easy, tasty and honest. If you drew a venn diagram of Nigella and Delia she’d be the bit in the middle – not at all pretentious but she does recognise the emotional aspect of food and what it inspires in those who cook it and eat it. She’s also on Twitter as @jimsyjampots. And she’s got Dalmations. What’s not to like? PS she was also the one that drew my attention to the fact that dessert is ‘stressed’ spelled backwards. Good, eh?
Our cloths get the Granny seal of approval
Lovely review of our cloths from Grannynet – thank you!
http://www.grannynet.co.uk/sarah-smith-eco-cloths/
You crafty people!
We are continually amazed by the quality of the crafts we see, made by people using our cleaning cloths. Their creativity and quality are just amazing….. A survey by the Crafts Council, who surveyed more than 2,000 makers, retailers, educators, writers and curators involved in the creative world found that the industry is in rude health, and plays a significant part in the UK economy. This feels to us like such a growth area in British manufacturing we don’t know why it’s not celebrated more – a return to British craftsmanship is a really good news story, at last!
The results also revealed that 60% of makers working have a degree, and identified four categories of makers: those who start a craft career following a craft-related degree, those without higher education but who have made crafting their career, those who have taken on a craft role after pursuing an alternative job, and those who studied to degree level, followed an unrelated career and have returned to craft.
Coming out of your shell….
Have a look at the amazing creations on My Shell Me Shell. Crochet and lace are massive this year and these are just stunning, with fab eco credentials too, being handmade using rare breed British sheep yarns. I think they are just beautiful and so unusual – I would never have thought of a shawl for a wedding but it makes perfect sense, delicate and warm at the same time. I hate watching poor brides clearly freezing to death in strapless dresses in photos while the groom stands there looking smug in a warm suit.
Margaret Rutherford? Not likely….
Here we are – my favourite stand from the Country Living Fair Gala Evening. For anyone who associates tweed with Margaret Rutherford or shooting sticks, think again. I defy you not to fall in love with something on here….http://www.rustiqueinteriors.co.uk/. When I get my chaise longue re-stuffed I will post a pic.
She Cooks, She Eats
I would like to introduce you to Amy, who is a FABULOUS cookery writer. Sickeningly, she is only 22. She writes a blog called She Cooks, She Eats) http://www.shecookssheeats.co.uk/, and her recipes are proven, easy, tasty and honest. If you drew a venn diagram of Nigella and Delia she’d be the bit in the middle – not at all pretentious but she does recognise the emotional aspect of food and what it inspires in those who cook it and eat it. She’s also on Twitter as @jimsyjampots. And she’s got Dalmations. What’s not to like? PS she was also the one that drew my attention to the fact that dessert is ‘stressed’ spelled backwards. Good, eh?
Recent Posts
- Hollywood’s secret – our Stain Away Wipes!
- Our celeb secret….
- Jimsy Jampots Easter Lamb Curry
- WHAT’S UNDER YOUR BED?
- Take our survey….
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