Times are tight, and for a lot of people, going the extra mile to make evenings in special is becoming part of the weekly shop. Fridays nights in during autumn and winter are my absolute favourite, so getting cosy and getting your cook on with some simple, low cost but tasty dishes is guaranteed to warm your cockles, and with a little thinking outside of your usual go to’s when you’re shopping, you can create excellent dishes and pair with very special drinks that will truly elevate inexpensive evenings indoors. I’ve created a trio of inexpensive, one-pan Friday night dinners with a Spanish twist to match wines from critically acclaimed Spanish brand Campaneo. The pairings will see you glow your budget versus downgrading dinnertime. Priced from just 91p per portion, these tasty creations are set to warm your cockles as the weather gets colder – without breaking the bank. Three tips for keeping your food bill down, but the calibre of your evening up: Make at-home versions of your favourite restaurant dishes Love a particular restaurant and always make a beeline for a certain main dish? Take the time to research some similar recipes and have a go at recreating it at home. You’ll have fun, learn some new skills and feel super proud to boot. Don’t opt for a telly dinner, though Set the table, create the ambience with lighting and music, enjoy a well-matched glass of wine and recreate the restaurant experience at home – without breaking the bank. For an added bonus, make an extra portion or two and enjoy a bougie midweek lunch. Look for wines that punch above their price tag The quality of liquid compared to price on the wine aisle will vary considerably. Look for well-priced bottles that have won awards, attracted praise from experts or rated highly with other shoppers. Shop smart for some brilliant bottles and you’ll be feeling smug when the cork pops. Think of a theme For a bit of extra pomp and ceremony for your Friday night supper, why not create a foodie theme? Simply Spanish, terrific tacos, posh vegan, street food from Asia – whatever you fancy! Buy cocktail ingredients, wines and even desserts to match your dishes and you’ve got yourself a fun evening in, without the price tag of eating out. All you need now is a playlist. Ultimate winter warmer: chicken stew pot Cost: 91p per portion Wine match: Campaneo Old Vines Tempranillo A tasty, flavour-packed and hearty stew using chicken drumsticks, lentils, carrots and onion simmered in a rich stock. Make for two, enjoyed with a glass of Campaneo’s gorgeous Old Vines Tempranillo, a red wine that goes perfectly with rich, dark meat chicken dishes. Ingredients (per person): 2 chicken drumsticks ½ small onion, diced ½ carrot, diced 1 tsp plain flour 1 beef stock cube ¼ tin of cooked green lentils, drained Olive oil Salt and pepper Method: Pan fry chicken drumsticks for 5 mins over a medium heat in a splash of olive along with some salt and pepper. Add onion and carrot and cook for another 7 minutes. Add a tablespoon of flour and cook for a further minute before crumbling in a beef stock cube and adding about 200ml of water. Simmer for 15 minutes adding tinned green lentils about halfway through. Season to taste. The Campaneo Old Vines Tempranillo is a smooth, well-structured red wine with ripe raspberry and cherry flavours complemented by a touch of spice. It’s made in a lesser-known region of Spain - Campo de Borja - which produces high quality wines. Tart with a twist: chorizo and goat’s cheese tart Cost: £1.26 per portion Wine match: Campaneo Old Vines Garnacha A tart but not as you know it. This heartier version of its namesake uses pan-fried chorizo for a Spanish-style, richer flavour with zingy goat’s cheese. Serve up with heaps of chargrilled Mediterranean vegetables, such as aubergines or courgettes, or some leafy winter greens. Pair it with the Campaneo Garnacha which is delightful with the paprika favours of the chorizo. Ingredients (per person): A few chunky slices of soft chorizo A few sheets of filo pastry Small handful of grated cheddar cheese, ideally prepared using a micro plane or fine grater Splash of single cream Small handful of crumbled goat’s cheese Olive oil Ground black pepper Method: Pan fry chunks of chorizo for a few minutes to get a little bit of char, then set to one side. Lightly brush some filo with olive oil and scrunch into an oven proof dish keeping the middle a bit flatter and edges puffy. In a bowl mix the cheddar and cream to make a paste, then spread over the centre part of filo pastry. Add the chorizo and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. Once cooked, garnish with goat’s cheese and black pepper. Campaneo’s Old Vines Garnacha, which is lauded by wine experts, is beautifully smooth and full-bodied with rich plum notes, a touch of cherry and light spice. Deliciosa! Spanish winter warmer: roasted butternut squash and crispy sage paella (vegan) Cost: 99p per portion Wine match: Campaneo Sauvignon Blanc An exquisite one-pot style, ultra-warming veg dish. Taking the slightly sweet, nutty squash taste and pairing with slightly peppery, eucalyptus and lemon taste of the sage is a genius culinary move in this fulfilling Spanish-style paella. To make it really sing, enjoy with Campaneo’s Sauvignon Blanc, as the gentle acidity cuts through the rich paella and complements the comforting butternut squash. Ingredients (per person): A few chunks of butternut squash Pinch of paprika A few sage leaves ½ small onion, diced 50g paella rice (or risotto rice) 1 stock cube 180ml water Pinch of saffron Olive oil Salt and pepper Method: Start by roasting the butternut squash with olive oil, salt and pepper for about 25 minutes, adding the sage for the last 10 minutes. Meanwhile, pan fry the onion for a few minutes before adding the rice, stock cube, water and saffron. Season and simmer without stirring for about 20 minutes. Serve with the butternut squash and sage placed on top. The Campaneo Sauvignon Blanc is a gorgeous Spanish style wine, fresh and bright, which boasts citrus notes and hints of fresh cut grass and melon on the palate. It will taste delightful with the creamy, rich and salty paella. Read More From a £22 bag of pasta to £28 sandwich – why do they cost so much? 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Doja Cat recently acknowledged the intense fan backlash to her fashion evolution in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar. The Grammy winner has been contending with her fanbase for the past month, taking aim at some fans for naming themselves “Kittenz”, leading to a mass exodus of 250,000 followers on Instagram. However, the “Kiss Me More” singer is unfazed by the actions of certain circles of her fanbase, writing on her Instagram Story: “I feel free.” In the Harper’s Bazaar interview, conducted by rap-radio legend Angie Martinez, Doja Cat theorised that because a lot of fans believe they can “take ownership” over the artists they worship, the artists themselves are “not real to them.” She has decided to rebel against this dynamic, culminating in the mass unfollowing of half a million followers. Still, the unfollowing hasn’t put a dent in the rapper’s social media account, which still boasts over 25m followers, according to Social Blade. Despite her harsh words, she expressed gratitude for the fans who have “stood up for [her] or other people” amidst the backlash. Ever since she drastically changed her look by shaving her head and eyebrows, the “Vegas” rapper has been relentlessly attacked by online trolls. Doja Cat - whose real name is Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini - said that she “really appreciates” the fans who go out of their way to “speak up for someone who is getting bullied,” calling these “some of the most moving moments” she’s experienced as a mainstream artist. She also admitted that her change in style has been a whiplash for her fans, especially for those who feel a sense of “ownership” over her. “There is a shock response that is almost uncontrollable,” Doja Cat said. “I’ve accepted that that’s what happens. So I put my wigs on and take them off. I shave my head or my eyebrows. I have all the freedom in the world.” While Doja Cat noted that she’s in a “kind of chaotic place” when it comes to her sense of style and taste in fashion, she said that she views it as a part of the process of coming into her own. For her, it’s all a product of being in an era of self-discovery. “I’ve just been going into my closet and picking out the most random, weird, not-fitting thing to mix with another thing that does not really fit,” the pop star said. “It’s like mashed potatoes. But I’m embracing that. It’s a little punk. It’s experimental for sure. It’s very manic. But I am going in a darker direction when it comes to visuals and fashion. I have a lot of pent-up feelings and anger, and I want to express it with beauty. I’ve been playing with a lot of prosthetics lately.” Most recently, the pop star wore prosthetics to the 2023 Met Gala honuoring the late Karl Lagerfeld. Her makeup artists used prosthetics to realise her vision of looking like a “humanoid cat” as a nod to the late designer’s beloved feline, Choupette. Her Met Gala look was among many that have pushed boundaries, another being her head-to-toe red paint look, adorned with 30,000 crystals, for Schiaperelli’s haute couture show in Paris last January. Doja Cat also reflected on how her style experimentation has come at a time when she feels more grounded, as part of her overall journey of “learning to love” herself more. “I feel like a woman who is coming into her own,” she said. Read More Doja Cat says she feels ‘free’ since losing Instagram followers over fan controversy Doja Cat says fans feel like they have ‘ownership’ of her: ‘Subconsciously, I’m not real to them’ Doja Cat fans deactivate Twitter after singer hits out at ‘Kittenz’ fan name

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A landlady has been accused of “outrageous” and “control freakish” behaviour for setting unusually harsh restrictions for prospective tenants. The homeowner used an estate agent to advertise her two “spacious, sun-drenched” apartments in Brooklyn, New York, which were valued at $4,500 (£3,580) and $5,750 (£4,490) per month. When you’re charging such eye-watering rates, you’d hope these flats – with “spectacular outdoor spaces” – would be pretty exceptional homes. And yet, for many interested parties, the dream was shattered when they spotted that the “wonderful vegan landlord” had one eye-catching house rule: “No meat/fish in the building." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Andrea Kelly, the agent managing the flat, explained to the New York Times (NYT) why the landlady had made such a strict stipulation. She told the paper that the apartments weren’t, technically, “vegetarian-only,” but added that “the owner lives in the building and doesn’t want the smell of cooking meat drifting upstairs.” To be fair, this means that tenants could enjoy the likes of sushi, ham sandwiches and even meaty takeaways without causing a scene. But woe betide anyone harbouring hopes of a Sunday roast or sausages barbecued in their “spectacular outdoor space”. The owner, Michal Arieh Lerer, refused to speak to a NYT reporter about her controversial regulation, but her ex-husband, who co-owns the building and is also vegan, admitted that they’d refused to rent their property out to keen carnivorous cooks since they bought it in 2007. “It’s not about discrimination,” ex-husband Motti Lerer insisted. “You have to fit into the building.” For anyone wondering whether this could legally be classed as discrimination, the answer is, perhaps surprisingly, no. New York’s Human Rights Law lists 14 characteristics that landlords must not consider when choosing a potential tenant. These include age, race, family status, and sexual orientation – there's no mention of dietary preferences. Lucas A. Ferrara, an adjunct professor at New York Law School told the NYT that an interested renter might be able to fight the meat ban if they could prove that they had a medical condition which required some sort of “reasonable accommodation” on the landlord’s part. Still, we’re not familiar with many illnesses whose sufferer needs to regularly fry steaks or grill fish as a matter of urgency. The original listing which caused such a stir was taken down from nextdoor.com on Friday, a day after it was posted. However, the apartments are still listed on the estate agent’s own site, although there’s no mention of the cooked veg-only policy. The listings do note: “Cats welcome on a case-by-case basis (only one, please).” We just hope those felines are happy to forgo mouse hunts or particularly pungent meal pouches, for their sake. Social media commentators have shared their horror at the meat-free rule, with a number suggesting Lerer "shouldn't be a landlord". One Facebook user wrote: "[She] can’t just tell people they can’t cook meat in a home they rent off [her]. It’s like telling a kid they can not play with toys." Another said: "Well I hope they/them enjoy paying the mortgage when they get no tenants." But a third suggested tenants should just find a way around the restrictions. "[Her] property, [her] rules," they pointed out, before adding: "If you lie to [her] and cook meat while [she] doesn't get to know then it's a win-win situation." Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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A mother on TikTok has sparked an online debate after she pierced her newborn daughter’s ears one day after giving birth. The woman, who goes by the username @laraticaofficial on the app, originally shared the recently resurfaced clip of her daughter Lara last year. In the 15-second video, baby Lara is seen wearing a set of floral stud earrings in the hospital, just one day after her birth. The child’s mother then showed current footage of her daughter, who was then-four months old, wearing a pair of silver hooped earrings. “The time past [sic] too fast. Missing you being this small,” she captioned the TikTok. The viral video prompted many people to express concern over how early the mother had pierced her daughter’s ears. “Bro was still in the damn hospital bed but had earrings on,” commented one user. “How did she get her ears pierced that young,” a second person wrote. One TikToker said: “How is that ear piercing even legal?” @laraticaofficial ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ???????? ??? ????? ???? ????? #foryou ♬ In The Stars - Benson Boone However, several users defended the mother against her critics, citing that it is common in certain cultures and traditions to pierce an infant’s ears. “In our culture/family, we also have ears pierced as soon as they are born,” one person shared. “My mum pieced my ears the day after I was born also! It’s great,” another user wrote. “Y’all need to chill. The damn earrings won’t kill the baby. Sheesh!” said someone else. While one TikToker wrote that it’s the mother’s decision to “decide what happens” to their child, another person said they’re “glad” they weren’t “forced to get my ears pierced as a baby” because it “should be the choice of the child”. In an interview with Newsweek, the mother — who lives in Colombia — said that piercing her daughter’s ears after birth is less painful or “non-traumatic” than it would be for a toddler. When asked why she pierced Lara’s ears while she was still in the hospital, the unnamed mother replied: “Because I wanted to, and that it is possible in our country.” She added: “I think a few days after birth is much more non-traumatic for a child to pierce their ears than when they are one or two. Lara had no reaction when the doctors gave her the holes.” For years, piercing a baby’s ears has often been debated by parents and non-parents alike. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, ear piercing may be done at any age as long as it is performed carefully. Although, they do recommend to postpone the piercing until a child is mature enough to care for the pierced site themselves. In many cultures, ear piercing is considered a right of passage - a tradition passed down from generation to generation. And some decide to pierce their child’s ears simply because it looks nice. Read More ‘Call me a child abuser again’: Hilary Duff anticipates backlash to piercing daughter’s ears Mother accused of ‘child abuse’ after baby ear piercing video goes viral Khloe Kardashian faces criticism for piercing two-month-old daughter's ears Schoolboy almost dies from swallowing magnets for TikTok challenge Woman shares honest review of New York City apartment TikTok mom slammed after making 5-year-old son run in 104 degree heat

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