March/April 2009
It’s a spring thing Great Easter ideas the whole family will love
Cook smart Get instant inspiration from our new Recipes section
Clean up time Smart tips for spring cleaning
Mum’s perfect breakfast Bonne Maman Strawberry and Wild Strawberry Conserve, 370g, £2.49 Waitrose French Butter Croissants, 4 pack, £1.19 Grove Fresh Organic Pure Orange Juice, 1l, £2.44
Great gifts for Mum Flowers, from £9.99 Butlers Chocolate Velvet Box, 200g, £8.99 Ferrero Rocher chocolates, 200g, £3.26 Neal’s Yard range of toiletries, from £6.50 Mother’s Day Cards, from £1.30 Piper Heidsieck Rose Sauvage Champagne, 75cl, £29.30
Mum’s the word Make this Mother’s Day a memorable one by treating mum to a delicious breakfast in bed accompanied by a few of her favourite treats, like flowers, chocolates or luxury bath-time treats. Don’t forget the date. This year, Mother’s Day falls on the 22nd March.
March/April 2009
In this issue of ocadolife, we’re celebrating the arrival of spring. Which means lots of good seasonal food like rhubarb and hot cross buns, inspiration for forthcoming events like St George’s Day and Mother’s Day, and top tips for spring cleaning your home. You can also read all about our exciting revamped Recipes section, and our new money-saving Ocado Everyday range. Happy reading!
Tell us what you think. If you enjoy reading ocadolife, why don’t you drop us a line? Whether you’d like to share a recipe idea, or would love us to include something in a future issue, email us at ocadolife@ocado.com or drop us a line at: ocadolife, Titan Court, 3 Bishops Square, Hatfield, AL10 9NE.
All items are subject to availability. Prices correct at time of going to print. All items are subject to availability. Prices correct at time of going to print.
Founders’ Message
Choice cuts With the papers full of doom and gloom and 2009 shaping up to be another tough year, it’d be easy to stick our heads under the duvet right now. But instead we’re putting all our energy into giving you more choice and cheaper food, like our new range of Ocado Everyday groceries. We know that our Tesco price match has made a big difference, but we still felt we could do more. Which is why we’ve taken the plunge and done something we’ve never done before – launch our very own range of lower-priced household essentials like milk, meat, poultry, fresh fruit and vegetables.
Food to go further This simple but tasty Lamb Mornay recipe comes from legendary thrifty cook Marguerite Patten, and uses lamb chops from our Ocado Everyday range. Find the full recipe and more ‘food to go further’ recipes from Marguerite Patten at Ocado.com
We’re really excited about it, because it gives you the option to pay less for quality household essentials, which means you can choose to spend a little more on those things you love the most, or simply bring down the overall cost of your weekly shop. These are uncertain times, but you can be sure of one thing in the months to come: we’ll keep driving down prices and helping you to save money each week. Tim, Jason and Jonathan Ocado Founders
Save money with
eryday
Our Ocado Everyday range helps you save money without cutting corners on quality – whether it’s fresh fruit and veg, or tasty Farm Assured meat and poultry. Best of all, we’re adding new products all the time, so you can keep saving more and more on your weekly essentials.
Meat Great cuts at great prices, including British beef, lamb and bacon. Dalehead 6 Lamb Chops, 450g, £5.49 Dovecote Park Rump Steak, typical price £4.02 Tulip Smoked Back Bacon 250g, £2.29 Moy Park Medium Whole Chicken, typical price £5.08
Fruit and veg Help yourself to five-a-day with our fresh fruit and vegetables. Fairtrade Bananas, 6 per bunch, 99p Grapes, 500g, £1.69 Carrots, 1kg, 78p Potatoes, 2.5kg, £1.27
Ready meals Big and hearty, our tasty range of Kitchen Classics are ideal for busy evenings. Lasagne, 450g, £2.19 Cottage Pie, 450g, £2.19 Sausage and Mash, 450g, £2.19 Sweet and Sour Chicken & Rice, 450g, £2.69
Choxi+ Exquisite Choxi+ chocolate has up to three times more antioxidants than traditional chocolate, so it tastes incredible and helps to combat unwanted free radicals. 70g or 75g, £1.99. Masala Masala Masala Masala’s authentic Indian stir-in sauces are made entirely from natural ingredients, and the company uses a percentage of its profits to provide meals for homeless people in India. 350g, £2.99.
Cawston Vale Pressed Apple and Blackcurrant This refreshing juice is made from juicy blackcurrants and whole apples – including English Cox’s Orange Pippin and Bramley – picked and pressed at their very ripest. 1l, from £1.79.
Rookbeare These refreshing sorbets are made from cane sugar, lemon juice, and water from their own spring. And lots and lots of lovely fresh fruit. Perhaps that’s why they taste so tastebud-ticklingly nice. 500ml, £3.99.
Rhubarb Delicate and delicious, early season English rhubarb is a thing of wonder. Use in traditional fools and ice-cream, or crumbles and pies served with a generous dollop of thick custard. 400g, £2.99.
Richly Fruited Hot Cross Buns Our soft, hand-finished hot cross buns are packed with juicy sultanas, raisins, spices and fresh citrus peel. Enjoy them fresh out of the toaster, generously topped with butter. 4 per pack, £1.25.
Sharing the very best of what’s around right now.
picked
Green & clean It’s easy to give household dirt the elbow and keep a clear conscience with eco-friendly labels like Method, Green Force and Eco-Smart.
Eco-Smart Kind to clothes, kind to the environment, but tough on stains? It’s a lot to ask, but Eco-Smart Simply Sensitive Tabs succeed with flying colours. Eco-Smart 30 Soft Active Bio Tabs, 30 per pack, £2.99. Eco-Smart 30 Soft Sensitive Non Bio Tabs, 30 per pack, £2.99.
Method
Green Force
Non-toxic, biodegradable and naturally derived, Method’s range includes a gentle wood cleaner, a glass cleaner spray, and a fragrant all purpose spray that’s perfect for wiping out tough stains and grime.
As you’d expect from the name, Green Force are champions of eco-friendly cleaning. With everything from fabric conditioner to dishwasher tablets, they’ll help you keep your home and the planet in order at the same time.
Method Best in Glass, 828ml, £4.00. Method Pink Grapefruit All Purpose
Green Force Concentrated Fabric
Cleaner, 828ml, £2.25. Method Wood
Conditioner, 750ml, £1.12. Green Force
Floor Cleaner, 739ml, £2.93.
5 in 1 Dishwasher Tablets, 25 per pack, £2.99. Green Force Concentrated Laundry Liquid, 1l, £2.49.
£25 to spend at Ocado when you spend less on The Times Choose 30% off the cover price or free delivery to your door by 7am Which package suits you? 7 day collect from your newsagent - £5.50 per week
7 day delivered to your home - £8 per week
Save 30% on the cover price
Get The Times delivered by 7am
We’ll send you vouchers every 12 weeks
Home delivery available within the M25
JUST CALL 0800Quoting 096 5248 P2021
JUST CALL 0800Quoting 294 4155 DTC51
Whichever package you choose, you’ll receive exclusive rewards
VISIT timesonline.co.uk/subscribe Quoting P2021 for 7 day package Quoting DTC51 for 7 day package with delivery
Discount is on cover price. Home delivery does not include discount on the cover price. Home delivery within the M25 only. Minimum sign up for home delivery is 3 weeks. Minimum sign up for seven day collect is 48 weeks. Free Ocado voucher available only for seven-day-a-week subscription customers and 7 day home delivery customers. Free Ocado voucher offer valid until March 31, 2009, for new subscription customers only and may not be used in conjunction with any other offer. Offer limited to one voucher per new subscriber. Offer open only to residents of the UK (excluding the Channel Islands) aged 18 or over. New subscribers must place their subscription order by March 31, 2009 to qualify and friends can be recommended by current subscribers to both qualify for a voucher. There is no cash or other alternative to the vouchers offered. Please allow up to 28 days for delivery. Delivery to UK addresses only (excluding Channel Islands) and delivery address must be the same as subscriber billing address. Discount only available to customers paying by Direct Debit. Please visit www.subtimes.co.uk/terms.html for full terms and conditions.
clean sweep Do you want to give your home a good old spring clean without spending the whole weekend on your hands and knees? Then scrub the hard work and reach for our selection of household cleaners. Combined with our favourite traditional tips, they’ll guarantee that there’s only one winner in the battle against dust and dirt!
Windows Wipe away winter gloom with window cleaner spray and a lint-free cloth. As well as giving glass a good clean, use it to clean mirrors, taps and white goods too. Windolene 4 Action System Spray, 750ml, £1.80
Floors Top tip Use a pencil rubber to remove heel marks and scuffs from wooden floors.
Fed up of chasing dust bunnies around the house? Whether you’ve got tiles, carpets or wooden floors, get some help from our selection of floor-cleaning products. Vanish Oxi Action Carpet Cleaner, 500ml, £4.50 Vileda Floor Cloth, £1.49 Cif Liquid Floor Cleaner Wild Orchid, 1l, £1.99
Top tip
Once you’ve cleaned your window or mirror, rub in a tiny dab of furniture polish with an old newspaper. As well as keeping it clean, it’ll prevent steam forming on bathroom mirrors.
Kitchen With food, running water, work surfaces and waste bins in close proximity, it’s tough keeping the kitchen clean and bacteria-free. This little lot will hopefully make the task in hand easier. Dettol Anti-bacterial Multi-action Cleaner, 500ml, £2.25 Cif Oven Cleaner Fume-Free, 500ml, £3.99 Mr Muscle Multi-task Kitchen, 750ml, £1.99
Top tip
Dust your television and computer screens with an old tumble dryer sheet – it’ll wipe out static and prevent that dratted dust resettling.
Top tip
To keep the fridge smelling fresh, pop a few cotton balls in vanilla extract and place in a dish. Keep it in the fridge, and change every few weeks.
Furniture For fingerprints on the French polish and coffee mug rings on your table, nothing beats a good buff with proper furniture polish and a decent duster. Pledge Springtime Furniture Polish, 250ml, 84p Waitrose Large Cotton Dusters 3 per pack, £2.15
Bathroom You’ll soon wipe away gunk and give your bathroom a gleaming finish with this little lot. Domestos Citrus Bleach, 750ml, £1.15 Duck Lime Zest Fresh Discs, 6 per pack, £2.98 Mr Muscle Shower Shine, 1l, £2.50
Top tip
Soak new shower curtains in salt water first to keep them mildew-free.
Eggs
Easter weekend 10th -13th April
mark the spot
The long Easter weekend is a great excuse to have fun as a family. Naturally, munching Easter eggs plays an important part, which is why our yummy (and, quite frankly, enormous) selection of chocolate eggs includes everything from luxury Thornton’s eggs to family favourites like Cadbury’s Buttons. You can transform a simple chocolate-fest into a fun event by organising a great big Easter Egg Hunt. Simply squirrel away a selection of eggs – outdoors if the weather’s kind, or around the home if pesky April showers pay a visit – then set the kids free to find them.
Kinnerton chocolate eggs, from £1.49
Thornton’s chocolate eggs, from £6.00
MAKE IT MAGIC Mix it up Larger eggs will be easier for little ones to find, while Cadbury’s Creme Eggs are more of a challenge for keen-eyed kids (and less likely to spoil their appetites before lunch). Rhyming fun Hide the eggs well, then give your kids written clues like “One Easter egg you’re hoping to find can be found close to a window blind.” X marks the spot Making a “pirate” map for your kids will add excitement, and mean that you can track down any undiscovered “treasure” afterwards.
Cadbury’s chocolate eggs, from £3.39
Easter weekend 10th-13th April
Lamb and Pea Rosti Canapés
Easter buffet If you fancy a twist on the traditional Easter roast this year, our three-course buffet menu might be just the ticket. Lamb is the star in the starter: a canapé of rosti with a pea and mint pureé. It’s followed by delicious poached salmon with watercress and tarragon mayonnaise, and completed with an indulgent Frü cheesecake. Serve with a soft, lemony white Bordeaux like Château Tour Léognan 2007, 75cl, £11.99.
Frü Large Lemon Cheesecake, 450g, £3.99.
You’ll find the starter and main course in our all-new Recipes section at Ocado.com
Chicken wrapped in Pancetta and Sage
Food for thought Imagine browsing through over 900 delicious recipes at the click of a mouse, complete with photos and easy-to-print instructions. Well, following the re-launch of our Recipes section, you can.
More mouth-watering recipes Our new recipes are a brilliant mix of the easy and the inspiring. Quick midweek meals; show-stopping dinner party desserts; tasty vegetarian dishes; far flung exotic cuisines, and healthy meals for kids. They’re all on the site, and plenty more besides.
Smoked Salmon and Pancetta Crostini
Vegetable Biryani
Raspberry Charlotte
Find exactly what you want You can search for everything under the sun, including main ingredient, cuisine, meal type, cooking time, and dietary requirements. In a hurry? You’ll find heaps of smart features to make finding the right dish a doddle. Or, if you’ve got time to relax, why not spend it browsing through the hundreds of inspirational new recipes on our site, from quick snacks to gourmet meal ideas.
Buy all the ingredients with a single click Add everything to your order in seconds, or, if you’ve already got some of the ingredients, just select the ones you’re missing.
Extra features • Easily share recipes with your friends online with Facebook. • Print out your favourites in A4, A5, or as index cards.
Dates for your diary
The tuck of the Irish
St Patrick’s Day
St George’s Day
17th March
23rd April
Nobody parties quite like the Irish, especially on St Patrick’s Day. Join in the celebrations with food and drink from the Emerald Isle, like a traditional glass of “the black stuff” (add a drop of bubbly to make a Black Velvet). With such a fun feast-day to celebrate, no wonder they say that everyone’s Irish on March 17th!
Give three cheers for St George with a trencherman’s dinner of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, served with a good English wine like rich, ruby Booker Dark Harvest from Sussex. Hip hip hooray!
If you’re planning a knees-up, don’t forget to include Irish classics like Bailey’s, Jameson’s whiskey, and, of course, Guinness. Sláinte! Guinness Original, 4x330ml, £3.29 Baileys Original Irish Cream, 1l, £18.29 Jamesons Irish Whiskey, 70cl, £16.78
Waitrose British Beef Topside Roasting Joint, typical weight 0.9kg, typical price £7.19 Aunt Bessie 16 Yorkshire Puddings, 490g, £1.90 Bookers Dark Harvest, 75cl, £8.45
Flora London Marathon 26th April Planning on going the whole 46,145 yards? Make sure you’ve got enough bottled water, Lucozade and energy-packed bananas to get you over the finishing line, even if you’re dressed as a big gorilla. Waitrose Fairtrade Small Bananas, 7 per pack, £1.29 Lucozade Sport Still Orange, 500ml, 86p Lucozade Energy Original, 380ml, 67p Vittel, 4x750ml, £2.59
Irish food is all about good, hearty flavours. And there’s plenty of that in this rich Beef and Guinness pie (don’t forget to mop up all those lovely juices with a slice of Rankin Irish Brown Soda bread, 400g, £1.18). Fancy giving it a crack? You’ll find it in our Recipes section at Ocado.com
National Pet Month 4th April to 4th May National Pet Month celebrates responsible pet ownership, and Iams balanced pet foods will help Tiddles and Fido to stay bright-eyed and bushy-tailed all year round. Iams Adult Cat 1+ Year, Roast Chicken, 3kg, £13.59
use biocides safely. always read the label and product information before use.
Super-Scientist
Also available Mr Muscle Bathroom, Window & Glass and Shower Shine.