Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries are no longer married

A Los Angeles judge has approved a divorce settlement between Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries after 536 days of acrymony. 

The details of the settlement have not been revealed. However, it is rumoured that Kim did not have to pay any costs. Humphries  initially demanded an annulment and  a payout of $7000,000 for damages, stating that the marriage was a publicity stunt planned by Kim and her mother/manager Kris Jenner. Something the Kardashians have always denied, for obvious reasons. 

Kim and Kris as a 'happy couple'

Humphries was not present when the case was  heard and Kardashian only spoke to declare that she understood the terms of the settlement.  

Kim filed for divorce after just 72 days stating irreconcilable differences. During an interview, she told Oprah: “It could be small things or little things. You know when you just have that feeling that he’s the one. When we moved in together I just had that feeling that he’s not that one.”

   Kim is now free to marry her new beau Kanye

Cheese and Thyme Scones

Ingredients

250g plain white flour

2 tablespoons caster sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

85g butter or margarine

115g grated cheddar cheese

2 teaspoons dried thyme

buttermilk (half a cup milk and 1 tea spoon lemon juice left to stand for 5 minutes before use)

Method

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Cut in butter using a pastry cutter or a fork until it is the size of peas. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and add the buttermilk, cheese and thyme into the bowl. Gently mix until a soft dough forms.

Roll or pat out on a floured surface to 3/4 inch thick. Cut into circles and place on a baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bottoms of the biscuits are golden brown.

Lemon and Almond Biscuits

Ingredients:

300 gr Plain flour

150 gr Butter (at room temperature)      

1 Egg

2 Egg yolks

150 gr Sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

80 gr Ground almonds

1 Pinch of salt

2 Teaspoons of baking powder

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160C/gas 4. 

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and caster sugar until it is light in colour and consistency. This can be done with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer. Add the rest of the ingredients then finish with your hands to form a soft pliable dough. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Dust your worktop with a little flour and roll out the dough to about 1cm thick. Using the cutter, cut out as many biscuits as you can, re-rolling and re-cutting any trimmings as you go. Place on a greased baking tray and bake in the oven for about 35-40 minutes until they turn lightly golden.

Once they are cool, sprinkle them with icing sugar.

Crème Caramel

This is one of my favourite desserts. It's simple and easy to make, and most importantly, it's so yummy!! 

Ingredients:

5 Eggs

2 Yolks

225 gr Caster sugar

1 Litre of Milk

The rind of 1 lemon

Method:

Preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C), Gas Mark 3.

Boil the milk in a saucepan with the lemon rind.  Remove from heat and put to one side to allow it to cool.

Prepare the caramel by placing 4 spoons of sugar into a large baking pan (or a deep steel flan dish) and cook on the hob until the sugar melts and turns golden brown in colour. Evenly distribute the caramel on the base of the pan.

Beat the eggs with the rest of the sugar, using an electric hand mixer, for approximately 10 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and turned a very pale yellow.

Strain the milk and gradually pour it over the egg mixture while stirring gently.

Pour the custard into the baking pan and cook in the oven until the custard is set (30/45 minutes). To double check, stick the blade of your knife in the centre of the flan and halfway down; the blade should come out clean.

Carefully remove the baking pan from the oven and allow the custard to cool down at room temperature before chilling it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

Run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert the custard onto a serving plate.

Cosmetic Acne: How to keep your skin spot-free

There's nothing worse than a breakout when you're over 30. According to medical research twenty-five percent of men and fifty percent of women are affected by adult acne. Causes of adult acne vary. One out of three adult women and one out of five adult men have Adult Cosmetic Acne, the acne caused by or aggravated by cosmetics.  To avoid or reduce the problem, use products that are free from parabens/mineral oil. Besides being carcinogenic, mineral oil and parabens are comedogenic meaning they clog pores, which leads to infection and breakouts. 

Other common comedogenic ingredients are: 

Ranking:
High	Acetylated Lanolin
High	Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol
High	Algae Extract
High	Algin
Medium	Almond Oil
Medium	Apricot Kernel Oil
Medium	Arachidic Acid
Medium	Ascorbyl Palmitate
Medium	Avocado Oil
Medium	Azulene
Medium	Behenic acid
Medium	Benzaldehyde
Medium	Benzoic Acid
Medium	BHA
High	Bismuth oxychloride may cause cystic acne
High	Butyl Stearate
Medium	Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA)
Medium	Cajeput Oil
Medium	Camphor
Medium	Capric Acid
Medium	Caprylic acid
High	Carrageenans
Medium	Cetearyl Alcohol
High	Cetearyl Alcohol + Ceteareth 20
Medium	Cetyl Alcohol
Medium	Chamomile
High	Coal tar
High	Cocoa Butter
High	Coconut Butter
High	Coconut Oil
High	Colloidal Sulfur
High	Corn Oil
High	Cotton Aws Oil
High	Cotton Seed Oil
High	Crisco
High	D & C Red # 17
Medium	D & C Red # 19
High	D & C Red # 21
High	D & C Red # 3
High	D & C Red # 30
High	D & C Red # 36
Medium	D & C Red #27
Medium	D & C Red #40
High	Decyl Oleate
High	Dioctyl Succinate
High	Disodium Monooleamido PEG 2-Sulfosuccinate
High	Ethoxylated Lanolin
High	Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Medium	Evening Primrose Oil
High	Glyceryl Stearate SE -MUST have SE after the stearate
High	Glyceryl-3-Disostearate-(MUST have a "3" with it)
Medium	Grape Seed Oil (extract is OK)
High	Hexadecyl Alcohol
Medium	Hexylene Glycol
High	Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
High	Isocetyl Stearate
High	Isodecyl Oleate
High	isoproply linoleate
High	Isopropyl Isosterate
High	Isopropyl lanolate
High	Isopropyl Myristate
High	Isopropyl Palmitate
High	isostearic acid
High	isostearyl acid
High	Isostearyl Isostearate
High	Isostearyl Neopentanoate
High	lanolic acid
High	Laureth 23
High	Laureth 4
High	Lauric Acid
High	Linseed oil
High	Mink Oil
High	Myreth 3 myrstate
High	Myristic Acid
High	Myristyl Lactate
High	Myristyl Myristate
High	Octyl Palmitate
High	Octyl Stearate
Medium	Octyldodecanol
High	Oleic Acid
Medium	Oleth-10
High	Oleth-3
High	Oleyl Alcohol
Medium	Olive Oil (but Olive Oil Extract is OK)
Medium	Palmitic Acid
Medium	Peach Kernel Oil
Medium	Peanut Oil
Medium	PEG 100 Distearate
Medium	PEG 150 Distearate
High	PEG 16 Lanolin
High	PEG 200 Dilaurate
Medium	Peg 75 lanolin
High	PEG 8 Stearate
Medium	Pentarythrital Tetra Isostearate
Medium	PG Dipelargonate
Medium	PG Dipelargonate
High	PG Monostearate
High	Polyglyceryl-3-Disostearate (the "3" must be present)
High	Potassium Chloride
High	PPG 2 Myristyl Propionate
High	Propylene Glycol Monostearate
High	Red Algae
Medium	Sandalwood Seed Oil
Medium	Sesame Oil
High	Shark Liver Oil
High	Salt - Table Salt or Sodium Chloride
High	Sodium Laureth Sulfate
High	Sodium Lauryl Sulfate-leaves a film on skin-clogs pores
High	Solulan 16
High	Sorbitan Oleate
High	Sorbitan Sesquinoleate
High	Soybean Oil
High	Steareth 10
Medium	Steareth 2
Medium	Steareth 20
Medium	Stearic Acid
High	Stearic Acid Tea
Medium	Stearyl Alcohol
High	Stearyl Heptanoate
High	Sulfated Castor Oil
High	Sulfated Jojoba Oil (Jojoba beads are OK)
High	Syearyl Heptanoate
Medium	Tocopherol (Tocopherol Acetate is OK)
Medium	Triethanolamine
Medium	Vitamin A Palmitate-(ONLY this form of Vitamin A)
High	Wheat Germ Glyceride
High	Wheat Germ Oil
High	Xylene
	Mild- May be used in diluted concentrations:
	avocado oil
	castor oil
	corn oil
	d & c red number  4, 6 7 or 8
	glyceryl stearate
	lanolin
	lanolin alcohol
	lauryl alcohol
	mineral oil-fine for makeup
	safflower oil
	sunflower oil

Unfortunately all the cheap toiletries and cosmetics are full of these compounds.  Check the label of your make-up products, toiletries or moisturisers. See if ingredients like propylparaben, ethylparaben and butylparaben are listed. Instead, try using organic products or paraben-free skin care and cosmetics, Clinique makes some very good moisturisers and makeup specific for acne-prone skin.

To treat blemishes use Tea Tree Oil. It is a mild disinfectant that will dry spots without irritating your skin.