List of All Articles with Tag 'lifestyle'

Dumplings are a delicious staple that transcends borders, but how did these doughy delights rise to international fame? Join host Justin Dodd as he unpacks regional adaptations, diverse fillings, and the traditional techniques of dumplings.

London’s National Portrait Gallery was desperately in need of refurbishment for years. “It was overcrowded, the galleries looked

A British woman has shared her surprise and amusement after noticing her toddler has started to speak with an American accent from watching a popular YouTuber. Kelly Convey, who goes by the username @kelly_convey on TikTok, shared a video about the influence children’s YouTuber Ms Rachel has had on her 21-month-old daughter, Bea, earlier this month. In the clip, Convey began by asking: “Has anybody else got a British, and I have to stress British, toddler who watches Ms Rachel, and, as they’ve started to speak, you realise that they’ve actually got an American accent?” Ms Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, is a popular American YouTuber known for her educational toddler songs and nursery rhymes. The educator and songwriter, who has accumulated more than 4.7m subscribers on YouTube, is best known for her video series “Songs for Littles,” which teach children their first words. In the TikTok, Convey then filmed herself conversing with her daughter, with the London-based comedian filming herself asking the toddler to say “car”. After the child pronounced car in an American accent, Convey asked her daughter to say “more,” “ears,” and “zebra,” with the 21 month old pronouncing each word differently from her mother. “You’re so clever,” Convey told her daughter while giggling about the toddler’s Americanised pronunciations. In the caption of the video, which has since been viewed 5m times, Convey wrote: “Born in the USA.” @kelly_convey Born in the USA. #mumof2 #mumlife #motherhood #mumtok #mumsontiktok #mumsoftiktokuk #parenting #funnywomenoftiktok #fyptiktok #momlife #parentingtips #toddlertok #toddler #2under2 #familytiktok #missrachel #songsforlittles ♬ original sound - Kelly Convey The TikTok has been met with similar amusement from viewers, with many making comparisons to the influence of Peppa Pig on American toddlers. According to many parents in the US, their children have begun speaking with British accents as a result of the popularity of the British animated children’s TV show. The video also prompted comparisons to the influence of popular Australian animated series Bluey, which has had a similar impact on the accents of its young viewers. “This is payback for Peppa Pig,” one viewer joked, while another said: “Omg the reverse Peppa Pig effect.” “My very American toddler developed a British accent from Peppa Pig and it’s turned Australian from Bluey,” someone else wrote. According to another viewer, who revealed that their own children’s accents were influenced by Peppa Pig and Bluey, it’s “funny to see it with a British kid”. “I have an American baby with a Peppa Pig accent,” someone else jokingly admitted. The viral TikTok also prompted a response from Ms Rachel herself, who commented: “I’m sorry” along with a laughing face emoji and a heart-face emoji. The YouTuber also dueted Convey’s video on TikTok, where she filmed herself watching the toddler and smiling. After hearing Bea’s pronunciation of “more,” Ms Rachel could be seen covering her face in surprised amusement. @msrachelforlittles duet with @Kelly Convey mumof2 msrachel toddlermom ♬ original sound - Kelly Convey Speaking to The Independent about the viral reaction to her video, Convey said the response has been “really incredible” and “mostly from Americans”. “Clearly they relate, particularly with having so many of their children sounding like Peppa - a phenomenon I didn’t know about until the comments went wild,” she said. “I’m a comedian so hitting a relatable sweet spot is like gold to me so I’m chuffed.” As for when she realised the influence Ms Rachel was having on her daughter, Convey said that Bea has been saying words for a while now, but “only recently putting a few words together”. “This is when we noticed the strong R in words like door, four and more. But ZeeeeBra really takes the biscuit! Luckily she says water in the British way - not sure I could handle that!” she joked. The TikToker also shared her daughter’s excitement to Ms Rachel’s video response, with Convey revealing the toddler “couldn’t believe it”. “Ms Rachel has just responded with a duet video and I’ve just shown Bea and she couldn’t believe it. Really made her day (and mine),” she said. Read More Peppa Pig is changing the way American children speak, according to confused parents ‘Dunny’ and ‘Brekky’: How Bluey is changing the way American children speak 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

Trader Joe's admits their parking lots are small, and they don't plan on changing that anytime soon.

Around 8,000 revelers gathered around a prehistoric stone circle on a plain in southern England to express their devotion to the sun, or to have some communal fun

The sun is shining, the beach is calling, and school is out: It’s time to prepare the song of the summer

Regulators in the United States have approved the sale of chicken made from cultivated cells, marking a huge step for the nation’s first “lab-grown” meat. The move comes after Good Meat, a developer of chicken grown from animal cells, announced in March 2023 that it had received a “no-questions” letter from the Food and Drug Administration, which indicated the FDA was satisfied that the product was safe to sell, according to CNN. Upside Foods, another company that makes chicken using cultured cells, received a similar letter from the FDA in November, the outlet reported. At the time, Dr Uma Valeti, the founder and CEO of Upside Foods, called the approval a “watershed moment,” noting it’s “never happened before in the history of humanity”. However, before the lab-grown meat could be made available to US consumers, it required approval from the US Department of Agriculture. With Tuesday’s approval by the Agriculture Department of federal inspections required to sell meat and poultry in the US, the two California companies will be able to make the lab-grown chicken available to restaurants and, later, to supermarkets. The goal of lab-grown meat is both to eliminate harm to animals and to reduce the enivornmental impacts of traditional animal agriculture. “Instead of all of that land and all of that water that’s used to feed all of these animals that are slaughtered, we can do it in a different way,” said Josh Tetrick, co-founder and chief executive of Eat Just, which operates Good Meat. The cultivated meat is made using cells from a living animal and grown in steel tanks. Upside’s lab-grown meat first comes out in large sheets, before it is then formed into recognisable chicken shapes, while Good Meat turns the chicken cells into cutlets, nuggets, shredded meat and satays. Good Meat’s chicken is already available in Singapore, the first country to allow the sale of lab-grown meat. As for when individuals living in the US can expect to see the meat in grocery stores, it will likely be some time, as the lab-grown chicken is more expensive than traditional meat, and cannot yet be produced on the same scale, according to Ricardo San Martin, director of the Alt:Meat Lab at University of California Berkeley. However, those eager to try the cell-cultivated meat will be able to do so in certain restaurants, with Upside partnering with San Francisco restuarant Bar Crenn to make the meat available to consumers, while dishes made with Good Meat will be served at Chef Jose Andrés’ restaurant in Washington, DC. According to Amy Chen, Upside’s chief operating officer, the most common response the company has gotten from people who have tried the meat is that it “tastes like chicken”. Read More Lab-grown meat is worse than real thing for climate. But will it always remain that way? Company creates mammoth meatballs using DNA from extinct animal Lab-grown meat takes one step closer to hitting supermarket shelves

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Pharrell Williams’ first Louis Vuitton show was a star-studded spectacle in Paris that included a performance by Jay-Z,

Butter chicken is often considered to be one of those dishes that takes ages to prepare and to cook, but this version will give you flavourful results in almost half the time with half the effort,” says Sanjay Aggarwal, author of Spice Kitchen. “Just allow your chicken to marinate overnight so that the meat is more succulent and the flavours can develop.” Ultimate (and speedy) butter chicken Serves: 4 Ingredients: 500g boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks 2 tbsp vegetable, sunflower or rapeseed oil 2 tbsp ghee 1 tbsp Tarka (see below) 1 onion, sliced 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste (see below) 1 tbsp garam masala (see below) 400g can plum tomatoes ½ tsp harissa (see below) 1 tsp salt 50ml double cream 1 tsp sugar For the marinade: 100g Greek-style yoghurt 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste 1 tbsp garam masala ½ tsp harissa 1 tsp salt To serve: Naan 300g rice 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, optional For the tarka: 50g black mustard seeds 50g cumin seeds For the garam masala: 35g cumin 28g coriander 11g black peppercorns 6g ginger powder 3g cloves 8g cinnamon 4g star anise 2g nutmeg, grated 2g cardamom For the harissa: 21g paprika 3g coriander 3g caraway 3g cumin 27g chilli powder 27g chilli flakes (red pepper flakes) 5g garlic granules 10g salt For the time-saving ginger-garlic paste: 125g fresh ginger 125g garlic cloves ½ tsp salt 1 tbsp vegetable, sunflower or rapeseed oil Method: 1. For the tarka: This blend uses whole spices; simply mix the seeds together and store in a jar for when you need them. 2. For the garam masala: Put any whole spices into a coffee grinder or pestle and mortar. Grind. Then add in any powdered ingredients and mix by hand to combine. Label and store in a clean jar in a cool, dark place for up to six months. 3. For the harissa: Put any whole spices into your coffee grinder or pestle and mortar. Grind to your desired consistency. Then add in any powdered ingredients and your chilli flakes, garlic granules and salt. Mix by hand to combine. Label and store in a clean jar in a cool, dark place for up to six months. 4. For the time-saving ginger-garlic: Peel and roughly chop your ginger and garlic and add to your blender with the salt and oil. Blend until you have a smooth paste. Either scoop into a clean jar or bottle and store in the fridge or freeze in ice-cube trays and pop out a cube when you need to cook. 5. For the butter chicken: First make the marinade by combining all the ingredients in a large, non-metallic bowl. Add the chicken and give everything a good stir to combine. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight if you can, or for at least two hours to permeate the meat. 6. When you are ready to cook, heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chicken pieces with the marinade, and fry until browned, turning just once and resisting the urge to move them around the pan. They will need about three minutes on each side (you will finish cooking the chicken later in the sauce). Set aside. 7. Give the pan a quick wipe and put it back over the heat. Add the ghee and, when hot, add the tarka and allow the seeds to sizzle and pop for around 30 seconds, being careful not to burn. Next, add in your onion slices and stir to coat them in the spice-infused ghee. Cook gently for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Once the onions have started to sweat and become translucent, add in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for about a minute. When the raw smell has disappeared, add in the garam masala. Cook for a further 10 seconds, stirring to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan and burns. 8. Next, add the tomatoes, harissa and salt. Cook over a low-medium heat for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool a little, then, using a stick blender directly into the pan, carefully blend your sauce until it is completely smooth. If you’re finding the sauce is splattering around too much, transfer it into a deeper pan for this step. You can also stir in a little water if the mixture is too thick. 9. Add the cream, sugar and chicken to the pan and give everything a good stir. Simmer for a further 10 minutes to ensure the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve with fresh naan bread, rice and chopped coriander scattered over the top. Recipe from ‘Spice Kitchen’ by Sanjay Aggarwal (Quadrille, £22).

Today’s college student-athletes have an unprecedented opportunity to monetize their name, image and likeness thanks to a 2021 NCAA rule change that lifted restrictions on such activities

Modern-day dating feels like a complicated sport. And now, with a whole new vocabulary to describe every trial and tribulation, it’s becoming even more challenging to break out of the amateur dating division. Is it a red flag, a beige flag, or an amber flag? Is he ghosting me? Breadcrumbing me? Lovebombing me? Who knows, maybe he’s on the verge of delicate dumping me? Welcome to smart dating in the digital era. So, you’ve learnt the zeitgeisty lingo and have a newfound confidence in identifying certain behaviours. Things are seemingly going well with a third Hinge date on the horizon – then BAM. You find your promising beau’s face splashed across a Facebook group filled with tens of thousands of strangers asking: Are we dating the same guy? Originating in New York with over 110,000 users, the Facebook group has since branched out to London, Paris, Dubai, Toronto, Dublin, Los Angeles and Boston. For the blissfully unaware, Are We Dating the Same Guy works like this: Women share screenshots of dating profiles and ask for intel or red flags. The Facebook posts are often inundated with personal experiences ranging anywhere from STI claims, cheating allegations and toxic behaviours. To join the groups, women are asked a series of questions before agreeing to a set of robust rules and digitally swearing they will not leak any of the group’s contents to outsiders. Among the rules are no doxxing (publicly sharing someone's personal details), no roasting, and no naming of the men. That said, it's become all too easy to identify people online through reverse image searches and word of mouth – to name a few. “The popularity of these groups are in alignment to the increase of smart dating – this is a phase that I think society is in,” dating expert Paul Brunson tells Indy100. “We’re becoming more aware of dating behaviours – a prime of that being the word ‘toxic.’ Twenty years ago, no one was speaking about ‘toxic dating’, but now there are many people who believe they can define it.” The intention of Are We Dating the Same Guy is to keep women safe and create awareness about toxic behaviours. “These groups have great intentions because ultimately it is about identifying dangerous people and behaviour, which is a good thing,” Paul explains, citing that while women are going through an incredible “empowerment phase” with “more time and command over the dating space,” it is still is very much “far tilted on the man’s side.” “We still are living in a society that is far greatly tilted towards men when it comes to dating, and it’s not just men from a general standpoint,” he continues. “It’s even some of these terrible nuances in dating.” These include narcissists, psychopaths, Machiavellians, and sadists – people that contribute to the psychological theory of personality. Furthermore, a recent study from the charity Plan International worryingly revealed that a third of German men still find physical violence against women to be acceptable. A staggering 34 per cent admitted to violence against their partner to “instil respect in them.” Meanwhile, a further 33 per cent thought it was acceptable if their “hand slipped” during an argument. “The fact that we still have survey results like that shows that we definitely need spaces to protect and empower women,” Paul adds. Paul, who recently added Global Relationship Insights Expert to his impressive matchmaking resume in addition to Married at First Sight and Celebs Go Dating, explains how we’ve got “much more information and content around dating than ever before that goes beyond anecdotal.” There's now empirical evidence, with researchers who have been conducting studies for 10-20 years, which Paul believes to be the “driving force behind smart dating.” Paul highlights that women are becoming exceedingly great at dating which is often driven by feedback loops due and open discussions about their experiences. They've become more emotionally available, more courageous, and understand how to be less neurotic when dating. Men, on the other hand, hardly have any feedback loops, and Paul believes we could actually benefit from mixed-gender groups, as men need to catch up and “have a higher dating IQ.” “We know that guys suck when it comes to emotional intelligence, compared to women – so a lot of it is poor execution.” Ultimately, there are “far fewer bad guys than there are good guys.” We know bad men exist, but according to evolutionary psychologist Dr David Buss, the highest percentage of men that fall into the dark tetrad personality types is 15 per cent of the population. "That's the group that has evil intentions," Paul continues. This is not to get confused with misalignment and miscommunication when dating. When intentions aren't communicated, you could end up with two people seeking two different things. Subsequently, the person who seeks long-term commitment views the behaviour of the short-termer (i.e. casual sex and friends with benefits) as toxic. “Ultimately, I think we have a lot of guys that their intention is not fully outlined, and because of the misaligned intention you have the interpretation of their behaviour as being ‘toxic’, when in actuality, sometimes it’s not,” Paul explains. To make dating a more positive, safer and enjoyable experience, Paul shared three invaluable tips to have under your belt: Don’t exchange personal information right away A dark tetrad or a straight scammer will try and move you off the app quickly. And the reason they try and do that is because the apps are really good about safety now. If someone is asking for your personal information, the safety features will inform you not to send that information, thanks to the AI built into the app. If you have given up your information, the app can no longer protect you. Stay on the app and let it protect you. Be cautious when people ask for things The moment you have anyone ask you for anything, mainly money, that is a huge red flag. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a grand amount, it could be as simple as “I don’t get paid until next week, please could I have five pounds." Meet in a public space Meet in a public space, never get picked up from your personal address and inform friends about the date details. Most importantly on the first meet-up, set boundaries. You can very quickly see how respectful someone is to your boundaries. An example being, you meet up on your lunch break and you only have until 2pm. When that time comes, do they try and push you to stay even longer – despite informing them you have to leave because you have something to do? Anytime someone is disrespecting your boundaries, that is also a red flag. Have your say in our news democracy. 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