Win! Calvin Klein Patent Platforms from Rubber Sole

It has been far too long since we had a competition. So, we thought we better make this one a really really good one. And what better to give away than shoes? Designer shoes at that. You're welcome. These Calvin Klein peep-toes from Rubber Sole are so sexy. They're worth £164.99 and they'll make your feet happy forever. We wrote about them a little while back, and we've wanted to get our grubby little mits on them ever since.

And now we have, we're giving them away.

(Wait, are we allowed to change our minds about this? No? Fiiiiiine.)


So what do you have to do to win? Simple! Just leave a comment below telling us where you'd wear these beauties OR, send us a tweet saying "Lovely @domesticsluts, give me free shoes!" If you do both, that'll give you two chances to win. And that'll be excellent. Please don't leave anonymous comments. If you do that, we can't tell you you've won!

The shoes go up to a size eight, and you can choose black or nude (depending on availability). Bigger than a size eight? Don't worry! You're allowed to pick another pair of shoes in your size from the Rubber Sole website so there's shoes for everyone. In the meantime, we'll get onto the shoe world about why they don't cater for ladies with larger feet.

You've got until 5pm on Monday 26th to get your entry in, and we'll announce the winner on Tuesday morning. If the winner hasn't claimed their prize by the end of Monday, we'll do the draw again.

Good luck everyone!

Labware: lighting old school style

While I was never too brilliant at school science lessons, there's definitely some chemistry going on between me and the Labware Lighting collection.

Truth be told, I was always a bit of a scaredy cat in the lab - too afraid to pick up a flask lest I spilt toxic substances all over myself or to go near a Bunsen burner in case my hair caught fire. By the time we were able to choose 'options', I couldn't wait to wave bye bye to biology, physics and the like.

Perhaps that's why these scientifically-inspired lights fill me with such awe. While I don't know the exact names of all that experimental equipment or indeed what it should be used for, I do know these lights look pretty cool. The lamps are shaped like oversized flasks, made from sturdy opal white glass with cork stoppers to complete the effect. Best of all, you don't need to use tongs, pipettes, safety specs or anything else to use them. You can just switch them on. Now that's my idea of scientific progress.

Want to experiment with your lighting? These lamps cost £275 each from Graham and Green.

Bag Lust: Lisa Stickley Tote

I spotted this Lisa Stickley bag in Hide All in Greenwich Market. It's bigger than it looks from this photo (why don't bags ever scale right in photographs?) and it's pretty darn lovely. The trim is leather, and it's such good quality. The print is interesting. I like the off grey colour, even though I'm sure it will clash with everything I own. Heck, if I owned this bag I wouldn't care what it clashed with. I'd just carry it with me all the time. It's £124.99.

Sluttishly Vegetarian: Chana Dall

Chana Dall is a genius dish. It's comforting and cosy, like mashed potato, but not nearly as unhealthy. You can make it as spicy as you like (just tweak the chillies and chilli powder). It can work as a tasty side dish, or you can serve it up as a vegan main course with a big heap of rice or chapattis. Need I go on?

Of course, it's not the speediest of recipes, as you need to remember to soak the lentils for half an hour first, plus there's the boiling and the simmering. But none of it takes an awful lot of skill or effort, so I still count it as an easy dish. I promise you it's worth the wait!

Chana Dall (serves 2 as a main)

You'll need:

• 100g split yellow lentils
• 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds or ground cumin
• 1/2 onion, chopped finely
• 1 red chilli, chopped finely
• 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
• 1 tbsp of minced or grated fresh root ginger
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp chilli powder (or to taste)
• Fresh coriander, chopped, to serve

Make it!

• First you'll need to wash the lentils in a couple of changes of water, then leave them to soak in plenty of water for 30 minutes or so. 
• Drain the lentils and bung them in a pan with some fresh cold water. Bring to the boil and boil for 10 minutes.
• Reduce to a simmer for a further 40 minutes.
• In a saucepan, heat some oil and add the cumin seeds. Stir them around for a minute or so, until they become fragrant.
• Add the chopped onion and sweat it gently until it is nice and soft, about 15 minutes.
• Add the chopped chilli, garlic and ginger, cook gently until soft.
• Add the tomato, turmeric, coriander and chilli powder, continue to cook gently until the lentils are done.
• Drain the lentils and stir through the onion mixture. Sprinkle with fresh coriander and dig in.

What are our comfort foods?

It's probably no secret now that Siany is sick. So whilst she's getting better (she's been banished to watch reruns of America's Next Top Model and drink lots of fluids), we thought we'd write about our favourite comfort foods. We all have something that makes us feel better when we're under the weather. Here are our feel better foods.

Siany: Homemade chicken soup. A recipe that I've perfected over the last few years (no, I'm not telling you the secret ingredient). It's chunky, full of veg and beans and there's a kick of chilli which is great if I've got a cold. It's all warming and healthy. I've just had a bowl, I feel happy.

Alex E: For me, it's a big bowl of buttery mashed potato. It simply takes no effort to eat, but of course you'll need to get someone else to make it for you if you're feeling under the weather. It might not be very nutritious, but there's nothing like a creamy carb-fest to lift the spirits when you're feeling low.

Alex S: Pretty much anything smothered with hot melted cheese will cheer me up. If I'm feeling lazy then cheese on toast (spread with a bit of tomato puree) will suffice, but if I'm really down then I'll need reinforcement. Enter the lasagne. Just stirring the white sauce, frying the onions and layering the good stuff into a dish is comforting. Serve with a green salad and dressing gown.

Gemma: Firstly, fish finger sandwiches. You have to make them with white bread and ketchup, and you have to smush them down before you eat them. They taste best when you're curled up on the sofa with a blanket. I also love stewed apple, especially if I have a sore throat. Our neighbour had a cooking apple tree so my mum always had a big supply for when I was sick!

Frances: Toad in the hole all the way. It's the joy of a sizzling sausage combined with the reassuring stodge of the batter. If you're feeling a bit rubbishy, I swear the act of scraping the crispy bits off the bottom of the bowl has healing properties.

Sel: In terms of pure comfort, there are few things I yearn for more than a jug of custard. I'm not talking home made from scratch custard. Or that yummy extra vanilla-y one from M&S which I absolutely refuse to share. No, I mean a jug of instant custard made thick enough to stand a spoon in, eaten straight from the jug. Bonus points if I have some of Momma Shoes' rhubarb crumble to go with it though.

Sarah: Egg and soldiers with Marmite on the soldiers. It's what my mum used to make me when I was poorly and it's the most comforting breakfast ever. Not breakfast time? Like Alex E, mash does the trick for me every time.

Jane: Like Sel, there's not much that will cheer me up more than crumble and custard. When I'm down in the dumps, I crave warm and comforting wintery meals. Steak and ale pie with gravy is a sure way to win my heart, and if you follow it with apple crumble and custard, I might just marry you.

Madévi: Rice soup. It's bland and requires only the lightest gumming to ingest. It will stay down when nothing else will. When you start feeling better, you can add some poached chicken, bean sprouts, fried shallots and a dash of soy sauce. Don't forget to make whiny, feeble noises when slurping it. Yum.

Gail: carbs, in some shape or form will always make me feel better when I'm sickly. Really good sourdough bread, toasted with a little bit of butter, or if there's someone willing to cook then a big ol' bowl of mac and cheese, please. Preferably Simon Hopkinson's recipe, with the cut up cherry tomatoes on the top.

Sam: My Mum, who is an unenthusiastic cook at the best of times, used to make eggy pasta for us as kids. Pretty much pasta, hard boiled eggs, peas and diced tomato, mixed in a bowl and completely covered in cheese. Actually, anything cheese covered in general tends to make me feel just dandy!

Michelle: Whenever I'm feeling icky my go-to comfort food is homemade vegetable soup and dumplings, heavy on the dumplings as quite frankly they are my the best bit. If, however, I'm in desperate need of a sweet treat then someone will be most definitely be getting sent to the shop to bring me home a packet of strawberry Angel Delight!

Flickr image from ella novak's photostream.

Wallpaper Wednesday: Catkin Collection Porcelain Plates

Like the idea of covering your walls with vintage crockery, but worried you might end up looking old before your time? If you're not quite ready to embrace a rocking chair and rose-patterned china adorning every wall, but still want a nod to the trend, we've got a novel solution in the shape of this porcelain plate wallpaper, from Catkin Collection. Printed with antique porcelain plates and saucers sourced from markets across the UK, it will set you back £120 a roll.

Folksy Find: Silverfruit

I have no idea what I'd do with a lifesize silver apple. But I do know that this is wonderfully pretty. I like the little insect perched on top of it, and there's something a bit Snow White about it, isn't there? Really, I just like that it doesn't really have a purpose. William Morris said "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." I think this is beautiful.

It's £84.99, from Silverfruit on Folksy. Leave it in your fruit bowl. It'll make you smile.