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There’s nothing better than french fries. Now, foodies can snag the delicious treat free of charge (or discounted) on National French Fry Day 2023. National French Fry Day is celebrated in the US on Thursday 13 July. However, the exact date of this special holiday is still unclear. Many restaurants have petitioned to move National French Fry Day to the second Friday in July so that it’s always observed on a fry-day. Luckily for us, not all fast food chains have caught on yet, meaning many establishments are celebrating National French Fry Day all weekend long by giving away an order of their beloved crispy, golden fries. McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s and more are all participating in the giveaway, but not all chains are made the same. Here’s how to get free french fries on National French Fry Day. McDonald’s McDonald’s announced it will be giving away complimentary french fries of any size on National French Fry Day via the McDonald’s app. Customers will need to make an account on the smartphone app, where they will be able to place an order for the free fries, no purchase necessary. Burger King At Burger King, members of the chain’s Royal Perks loyalty program can get a free order of fries of any size with any purchase via the app or BK.com. Wendy’s Wendy’s is celebrating National French Fry Day for the next three days until Sunday, 16 July. There, customers can receive a free order of fries, any size, with any purchase made using the Wendy’s app. Wendy’s will also be participating in National Ice Cream Day on Sunday, where fans can get a free small Frosty with purchase of a small order of fries through Grubhub. Checkers and Rally’s Checkers and Rally’s is offering Rewards App members a free order of extra large fries from Friday through Sunday. Carl’s Jr and Hardee’s When customers buy french fries on National French Fry day on the Carl’s Jr or Hardee’s app, they will be rewarded with free small fries each day for the rest of the year with a minimum $1 purchase. Del Taco Del Taco is giving away many deals through Sunday, including free medium fries with any $3 purchase through its Del Yeah! Rewards loyalty program. Fatburger Customers can receive a free order of Fat or Skinny fries with any purchase through Sunday. The offer can be redeemed in-store or online with the code FrenchFryDay23. Heinz Of course, the world’s most popular ketchup brand is also participating in National French Fry Day. This year, the company partnered with UberEats to offer $5.70 off on orders that include french fries at participating restaurants nationwide – Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, BurgerFi, Carl’s Jr, Checkers, Chili’s, Freddy’s, Hardee’s, IHOP, and MOOYAH Burgers, Fries and Shakes. When UberEats customers choose a participating restaurant on the app and place any order that includes fries, a $5.70 discount will be applied at checkout. Jack in the Box On Thursday, members of the Jack Pack loyalty program can get a free large order of regular or curly fries with a $15 minimum purchase. Smashburger For National French Fry Day, Smashburger is giving away a free order of Smashfries, French Fries, or Sweet Potato Fries with any purchase – no minimum purchase required. The offer can be redeemed in-store or online by using the code FRIES. Read More Courteney Cox shares hilarious video of McDonald’s Grimace shake ‘effect’ McDonald’s fans are shocked to learn the purpose behind the buttons on drink lids McDonald’s fans seethe as price of popular UK menu item spikes 112% Burger King Thailand’s newest creation is just 20 slices of cheese between two buns Burger King launches ‘real cheeseburger’ stuffed with 20 slices of cheese Thrifty gamechanger: How to make pesto green bean spaghetti

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Our take on a north Italian pasta alla Genovese, this pesto and green bean spaghetti is a thrifty game-changer,” say Kate and Kay Allinson from Pinch of Nom. “Using just a few simple ingredients and one saucepan, you won’t believe how easy it is to prepare this spaghetti dish from scratch. By combining Parmesan with garlic, basil and zesty lemon juice, we’ve recreated a luscious green pesto sauce… Don’t forget to save your pasta water – it gives every twisty forkful an even silkier texture.” Pesto green bean spaghetti Serves: 4 Ingredients; 150g dried spaghetti 170g new potatoes, sliced 100g green beans, trimmed 60g fresh basil 4 garlic cloves, peeled 30g Parmesan cheese, finely grated Juice of 1 lemon Method: 1. Add the spaghetti and new potatoes to a large saucepan of boiling water. Cook for eight minutes until the potatoes and spaghetti are nearly done. Add the green beans and cook for another four minutes. 2. While the spaghetti is cooking, add the basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese and lemon juice to a food processor. Blitz until smooth. 3. Once the spaghetti, potatoes and green beans are cooked, drain (reserving a little of the cooking water). 4. Add the spaghetti, potato and green beans back to the pan and pour over the pesto mixture. Add one tablespoon of the reserved pasta water, stir and add a few extra tablespoons of water as needed (we added three tablespoons of the reserved pasta water to coat our pasta, but it depends on how thick your pesto is. Start with one tablespoon and go from there). The pesto should coat each spaghetti strand. Serve. ‘Pinch Of Nom: Budget’ by Kate and Kay Allinson (Bluebird, £17.99). Read More Get set for Wimbledon with top pastry chef’s strawberry recipes Pinch of Nom: Healthy eating doesn’t have to cost the earth ‘Deliciously indulgent’ one-pot chilli mac and cheese Can’t decide between a cookie or a brownie? Now you don’t have to The Norwegian sparkling wine aged at the bottom of the sea I was an air fryer sceptic – now I can’t stop using it

Despite holding the record for the second-fastest-selling non-fiction book in the UK since records began, Kate and Kay Allinson – the brains behind Pinch of Nom – are relatively private people. They don’t do many interviews and you won’t see them whipping up a storm on daytime cooking shows, yet the duo seem remarkably comfortable fielding questions about their latest cookbook, Pinch Of Nom: Budget. Kate, 52, is the softer-spoken of the two – she’s a trained chef – while Kay, 37, is more outgoing and talkative. The two have been together for 18 years and married for two. Their clashing personalities might come as a surprise, but they make it work – for example, by having two freezers. “One is my freezer, one is Kate’s – there’s a big difference between the two of them,” Kay says matter-of-factly. “I’ve got ADHD, so she has to put up with a lot. Kate’s the tidy, organised one – if I put it this way, if I’m putting the food shopping away, she’s like, ‘You’re not putting the food shopping away, I’m putting it away, because it’ll go away in some sort of order’.” Kay works with “lots of noise, lots of mess, lots of creativity, disorganisation”, she admits. “And Kate is the polar opposite – everything has to be quiet, everything has to be neat and tidy. I think it works because we complement each other in different ways. “You [she says to Kate] make sure I actually get through the day without harming myself, and I give you the ideas – so it works.” The two have made an empire with their healthy cookbooks. The first Pinch Of Nom cookbook came out in 2019 and sold 210,506 copies in the first week – the only non-fiction title to outstrip that is Spare by the Duke of Sussex. Their fanbase is loyal, and they have 1.2 million followers on Instagram – but don’t call them diet books (Kay doesn’t use the D-word, saying: “I hate it”.) Now, the duo are releasing their first book specifically geared towards wallet-friendly recipes – which felt like a natural progression. “Most of the recipes we’ve ever come up with, one of the main goals – apart from it being actual food you want to eat, because that always helps when you’re making a recipe book – is they’re easy to make, but also that they don’t break the bank,” Kay says. Kate adds to that thought: “Given our audience from day one, our audience has always been very family orientated.” “And running a family is expensive enough, especially at the minute – thank you Brexit,” Kay sighs. “Food inflation is not fun for anyone at the minute – it’s ridiculous out there, it’s crazy. The amount of people that rely on food banks – food poverty is a really big issue.” While there are no price guarantees with their recipes, most dishes come to under £2 to make and many cost even less – busting the misconception that healthy eating is expensive. “Whatever it is, you can make it expensive – there’s ways and means to do things,” Kay says. “If you want to do healthy food organically, it’s not going to come cheap. If you want to go to Daylesford Organic for your food, that’s fine. But most real people that live on a day-to-day basis will shop at one of the big four supermarkets or the big two discounters. We all know who they are. And we want people to be able to buy all the recipes and the ingredients in one place and not have to traipse around everywhere. “We want to make it as easy as possible – people are time-poor. Maintaining a family and making sure everyone is fed and looked after is hard enough – the last thing you need is to traipse around the big posh supermarket trying to find weird ingredients.” This could be the couple’s secret to success – they’re refreshingly normal, and even talk about their own “bumpy journey” with healthy eating. “We said last week, we’re going to meal plan all week – what didn’t we do? We didn’t get round to cooking the meals, because we’re busy doing other stuff – because that always happens,” Kay says – but all wasn’t lost, because they used their number one tip for keeping healthy and saving money: the freezer. “It’s always handy to have something in the freezer or in the fridge that on that day when you come home from work and you cannot be arsed – everyone has that day or that week. To be fair, it’s usually a couple of days,” says Kay. “Getting something out of the freezer that you know is going to taste good, you only have to heat it up – you don’t have to make it. Just having that reassurance that you can fall back on it.” Kate and Kay estimate there are around 3,000 Pinch of Nom recipes, created by themselves and their team. With such a vast number, do they ever get writer’s block? “We do get stuck for inspiration, quite often,” Kate admits – and in those scenarios, their first port of call is going to the Facebook group “and look to see what people want”. Kay jumps in: “We’ll ask them what they want to see. I used to post every week in the Facebook group without fail, ‘OK, tell us what dishes you want. What do you want a Nom version of?’ “Don’t get me wrong, there were some ridiculous requests – there is no way the chocolate cake from Matilda was ever going to be Nommable, that is just not going to happen. As much as I would love to be a magician and I would love for that to be real.” Other suggestions are a bit more feasible – and they’ve seen a big rise in demand for veggie recipes. “A lot of people – we’re the same, it’s not that we don’t like meat, but we’ve made a conscious choice to eat less meat, mainly because of cost. Meat costs a fortune, and if you can get your protein from plants, then yay – it’s a good thing,” Kay says. “So we’ve had an awful lot of veggies recently, or people just wanting to cut down on meat – and I’m assuming it’s because it’s friggin’ expensive.” Another trend that will never go away? “We still get loads of fakeaway requests,” Kay says. “Fakeaways are never going to disappear, ever.” Kay adds: “We like to give people a decent amount of stuff that isn’t quite as calorific as it would ordinarily be, but enough so you have something to look forward to in the week. Everyone needs a bit of a treat, because it’s no fun – when people think of diets, they think of lettuce. I do, and I’m like – it’s a bit boring. Sod that.” ‘Pinch Of Nom: Budget’ by Kate and Kay Allinson (Bluebird, £17.99). Read More Get set for Wimbledon with top pastry chef’s strawberry recipes The Norwegian sparkling wine aged at the bottom of the sea I was an air fryer sceptic – now I can’t stop using it Ditch Deliveroo – make these healthy, 30-minute pizzas instead Three quick and easy vegan fakeaway recipes The dish that defines me: Eddie Huang’s Taiwanese beef noodle soup

Borrowing the best bits from two of our favourite comfort foods, this epic chilli mac ’n’ cheese is a batch-cook sensation,” say Kate and Kay Allinson, the brains behind Pinch of Nom. They call this one-pot dish “deliciously indulgent”, adding: “We’ve kept things on the milder side with a couple of teaspoons of chilli powder, but there’s nothing to stop you turning up the heat if you’re feeling brave. Don’t forget to save freezer-friendly portions for a rainy day!” Chilli mac ‘n’ cheese Serves: 6 Ingredients: Low-calorie cooking spray 2 onions, peeled and finely diced 2 carrots, peeled and diced 500g 5%-fat minced beef 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 2 tsp mild chilli powder 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp dried oregano 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes 2 peppers, any colour, deseeded and diced 2 tbsp tomato puree 2 tbsp Henderson’s Relish 600ml beef stock (2 beef stock cubes dissolved in 600ml boiling water) 300g dried macaroni 1 x 400g tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed 180g reduced-fat mature Cheddar, grated Small handful of fresh coriander, chopped (optional) Method: 1. Spray a large saucepan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and sauté for five minutes until softened. 2. Add the mince and cook for a further five minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up any lumps, until the mince is no longer pink. 3. Add the garlic, chilli powder, cumin and oregano and stir in for one minute until the spices become fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes, peppers, tomato puree, Henderson’s Relish and stock, and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat to medium-low, cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for 20 minutes, until the carrots are soft. 4. Add the macaroni to the pan, stir well and replace the lid. Allow to cook for a further 10-12 minutes, until the pasta is just cooked. 5. Stir in the beans and cheese, reserving a little cheese to garnish if you wish, allowing two minutes for the beans to heat through and the cheese to melt. 6. Stir in the coriander, if using, and serve! ‘Pinch Of Nom: Budget’ by Kate and Kay Allinson (Bluebird, £17.99). Read More Get set for Wimbledon with top pastry chef’s strawberry recipes Pinch of Nom: Healthy eating doesn’t have to cost the earth The Norwegian sparkling wine aged at the bottom of the sea I was an air fryer sceptic – now I can’t stop using it Ditch Deliveroo – make these healthy, 30-minute pizzas instead Three quick and easy vegan fakeaway recipes

The premiere of the highly anticipated Barbie movie, directed by Greta Gerwig, premiered in London on Wednesday evening (12 July), and the pink carpet did not disappoint. Fans queued for hours for the premiere at Cineworld Leicester Square, awaiting the chance to see their favourite celebrities bring their Barbie best to the star-studded event. There were high expectations for Margot Robbie, who plays the lead doll, to up the ante on her outfit for the night. The star has been praised for all of her Barbie-inspired looks during the global press tour, as she became known for recreating some of the world’s most famous doll’s iconic outfits. Other cast members who dazzled on the pink carpet included Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken, America Ferrera, Dua Lipa, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey, and Sharon Rooney. A flurry of UK celebrities also appeared at the premiere, including former Love Island winners Ekin-Su and Davide, who recently broke up, and Liberty Poole. Presenters including Rylan Clark and Amelia Dimoldenberg were also in attendance, with the latter replicating a truly iconic (and apt) Barbie look for her role as host on the pink carpet. Here are our favourite looks from the Barbie premiere in London. Margot Robbie The Australian actor floored fans when she stepped onto the pink carpet in a pale pink custom Vivienne Westwood gown with a white trimmed neckline and opera gloves. The look replicated that of the 1960 Enchanted Evening Barbie, continuing Robbie’s streak of emulating the doll’s most famous outfits during the film’s press tour. She accessorised with a pearl choker and barely-there glittery heels, and swept her hair in an elegant updo. Amelia Dimoldenberg The Chicken Shop Date presenter, who was hosting the pink carpet, took a leaf out of Robbie’s book and replicated another Barbie look. Dimoldenberg arrived dressed as I Can Be… News Anchor Barbie, complete with a pink tweed jacket with black trim, a satin skirt with a ruffle hem and a blonde wig with a side-swept fringe that looked exactly like the doll’s. Sharing her look, Dimoldenberg tweeted: “Never do anything by halves.” America Ferrera The Ugly Betty star looked stunning in a plunging black Roland Mouret dress encrusted in rhinestones, with sheer black opera globes and a black clutch. She completed the look with heels from Giuseppe Zanotti. Sharing her look, as well as some fun selfies with the rest of the cast, on Instagram, Ferrera said: “London Barbie premiere [black heart emoji] [disco ball emoji] Fun with some faves.” Nicola Coughlan Derry Girls star Coughlan was dripping in sparkle when she stepped onto the pink carpet in a stunning custom Wiederhoeft dress, featuring a square neckline and finger loop sleeves that created a dramatic effect. Her red hair was kept off her face and styled with low-key, but classic waves, and she wore silver heels to top off the look. Dua Lipa The “One Kiss” singer wore a colourful Versace chainmail gown from the label’s La Vacanza collection, which Lipa co-designed. The slinky dress featured a neon butterfly and floral print and gold chain straps. She continued the garden theme by accessorising with ladybug charms and butterfly brooches, as well as silver stilettos with butterfly appliques. Hari Nef The actor went against the grain on the pink carpet by appearing in a more goth-inspired look. Nef, who plays a Barbie in the film, wore a black dress by Dilara Findikoglu with a high neck and cap sleeves, and covered in… cutlery? Silver butter knives created an unusual silhouette for Nef, who completed the stand-out look with nude heels and short red hair. Simu Liu Kens aren’t meant to stand out in Barbie’s universe, but Simu Liu tossed that rule out the window with his all-black Fendi ensemble at the premiere. At first glance, his outfit might appear monotonous, but a closer look reveals a halter neck top and trousers with delicate floral embroidery and a black jumper tied casually around his shoulders. Liu also wore platform boots, a Ben Baller gold chain and an Audemars Piguet watch. Ncuti Gatwa Did someone say “hotpants”? Sex Education star Gatwa certainly heard the call, as he turned up on the pink carpet in a custom Valentino look, featuring a dramatic white cape, a very low-cut, long-sleeved top and super-short sparkly silver shorts. Never one to blend into the background, he capped off the eye-popping look with a white hat and chunky black shoes, as well as a silver necklace from Tiffany & Co. Greta Gerwig The film’s director joined the event in a Barbiecore pale pink Erdem gown and matching cape. The cape’s neckline was encrusted with silver rhinestones and she carried a small silver clutch from Jimmy Choo to match. This is only the second time Gerwig has worn pink on the Barbie press tour, with the first being a vibrant pink Valentino dress with a matching blazer, bag and studded pumps. Read More I keep forgetting my dog’s birthday – could a luxury pet party make it up to him? Fans applaud Florence Pugh’s response to Emily Blunt’s red carpet wardrobe malfunction Maya Jama reflects on 2019 breakup with Stormzy: “I used to think that sexism was dying out”

Body hair might be a concern in the summer, as you strip down to a bikini or bask on the beach. But, as new research from Dove reveals 62% of us feel insecure about our underarms, here’s why these three women are choosing to grow out or whip off their armpit hair, defying the weight of societal expectation. Content creator and author, Megan Crabbe What are you doing with your armpit hair this summer? “I won’t be shaving my armpits this summer. I spent so many years shaving my underarm hair on auto-pilot – every shower from the age of 11 onwards came with a shave. I realised there was this part of my body that grows naturally. Letting my underarms grow is another small way of reclaiming my body in the face of misogynistic beauty standards,” says content creator and Dove ambassador Crabbe. What do you think society expects? “People expect women’s underarms to be smooth, hairless, and bright – that’s all we’ve seen for so long in advertising and media. I remember seeing so many magazine covers of slim white women with their arms up and barely an indent where their armpit should be, let alone any sign of hair or discolouration. “If I’m in feminist or queer company, I know there will be less judgement, because those spaces are more understanding of bodily autonomy and letting go of societal expectations. ” How do you see your summer body? “I embrace seeing my body from all angles, in all forms, in any season, but it’s taken me a long time to get here. These days, I can see an image of myself in a bikini with visible cellulite, a stomach that isn’t flat and underarm hair flourishing and think, ‘Hey, that’s cute!’ “This particular body represents all of the battles I’ve fought – against diet culture, against anorexia, against beauty standards – and won.” Content creator and makeup artist, Shahira Allen What are you doing with your armpit hair this summer? “This summer, I will be doing whatever the mood calls for with my armpits! Sometimes, I let the hair grow and other times, I like it smooth and clean-shaven. Either way, it will be my choice and I’ll make sure I feel confident and fabulous about my underarms this summer,” the creator explains. What do you think society expects? “A long time ago, society elevated women’s insecurities and made us believe no body hair on a woman is the way to be feminine. I think society expects me to spend money ‘maintaining my body’ in the most unrealistic way possible,” she says. How do you see your summer body? “I’m still learning to see my body in my 30s and it’s been a long journey. Some days, I love what I see and other days, I struggle with a roll, lump or bump. I deserve to soak up the sun and be happy, and I know there’s a young person out there who needs to see people like me being happy and thriving in our natural bodies.” Body-positive content creator and LGBTQ+ activist, Katie Budenberg What are you doing with your armpit hair this summer?“I will be doing whatever I fancy on a day-to-day basis. Sometimes, I enjoy the feeling of smooth armpits and sometimes I think I look cool with bushes under each pit. I have been tempted to dye my armpits with the lesbian flag for Pride Month,” Budenberg laughs. What do you think society expects? “Society would rather not see me at all, and if they have to lay eyes on me, then I must be hairless from the eyebrows down – like a newborn baby, even though I’m a 25-year-old woman. “Women are constantly made to feel like they have to be small, weak and hairless, and I refuse to satisfy this anymore; I will take up space, be unapologetically me, and hairy if I want to be,” she says. How do you see your summer body? “My summer body is ready to go. It’s Fed-Girl-Summer this year, where we satisfy our hunger cues, don’t worry about looking bloated and no longer feel the need to suck in our stomachs. I will never let cellulite, body hair or insecurities dictate whether I have a fun time or not again.”

Is there an item in your wardrobe that gets more love and attention than your handbag? We carry them everywhere; they hold our key essentials, prized possessions, you name it… and one is never enough. Much more than an accessory, a handbag is at the heart of how we dress for the day, evening, dinner date, summer social, beach escape or wedding party. Here’s our pick of the pieces to see you through all of the above, and stand out from the crowd… 1. Crochet shopper A throwback to the 70s, crochet is cool again and fashionable folk have taken to the shopper which lends itself perfectly to festival fashion. Hook one in neutral and it will go with all your printed sundresses; or for the boho aesthetic, tassel hems, fringing and maxi skirts. Next Cream Crochet Beaded Tote Bag, £34 FatFace Macrame Shopper, £39 2. Woven One to weave into your summer wardrobe, the woven leather bag has been reimagined in raffia or rattan – offset with golden hardware and chain detail to take you from day to evening. Or fashioned in a summery solid for a pop of colour. Think designer refresh to polish off any outfit, especially a sharp tailored white jacket or linen cargo trousers. Oliver Bonas Weave Trim Yellow Pouch, £24.50 Ted Baker Jaynina Faux Leather and Rattan Grab Bag Ecru/White, £78 (was £130), John Lewis 3. Beach bag A holiday essential, one of the reasons we favour canvas or fabric over a beach basket is you can pack it flat. Especially if you’re flying with a budget airline who expect you to bung everything into your suitcase or carry-on, without considering the consequences of straw or wicker snagging your smalls! Hush Daytona Canvas Bag, £49 FatFace Remi Quilted Beach Bag, £49.50 4. Envelope clutch With wedding season in full swing, it’s time to usher in a clutch… so you can have a glass of fizz in one hand, canapé in the other, and tuck your handheld under your arm. This time round, blush is the new nude and most envelopes come with a dainty detachable strap so versatile and voguish. Next Clutch Bag with Cross-Body Chain in Nude, £16 L K Bennett Layla Pink Coral Suede Envelope Clutch, £119 (was £199) 5. Smart Shoulder Some may say it’s the summer of the shoulder, but this classic never goes out of style. Far more chic than the crossbody which bunches up your clothes and sits heavy on your hips, the shoulder strap hangs neatly on your side and nothing gets ruffled up. When it comes to the finer details, a metal charm lends panache… otherwise look for a bright to elevate your outfit. Oliver Bonas Meegan Green Double Buckle Shoulder Tote Bag, £49.50 Radley Hanley Close Medium Flapover Shoulder in Lavender, £219 6. Pink power Surely there hasn’t been a more eagerly anticipated movie than Barbie – and if you love Barbie, you need a bubblegum pink handbag. Fact not fiction. The go-to colour this summer, the Barbiecore craze has a cult following with all things pink, from pastel to fuchsia… especially a cute one in patent or pearl detail. River Island Pink Patent Quilted Shoulder Bag, £29 Radley Harriet Street Medium Zip-Around Cross Body in Cerise, £219

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