Foods that boost brain power

THE rumour mill is gathering pace with the Budget just days away. Chancellor Rishi Sunak is believed to be plotting a pensions raid and business tax hike alongside more support for workers and struggling families. The Budget will be held on Wednesday March 3. The Chancellor takes centre-stage as he outlines the government's plans for tax hikes, cuts and things like changes to Universal Credit and the minimum wage. It is due to take place at around 12.30pm, once Prime Minster's questions ends in the House of Commons. The update is likely to focus on the economic fallout from the coronavirus crisis. What is the Budget? THE Budget is when the government outlines its plans for tax hikes, cuts and things like changes to the minimum wage. It's different to the Spending Review , which sets out how much public cash will go towards funding certain departments, devolved government's and services, such as the NHS. The Budget is read out in the House of Commons … [Read more...] about Budget 2021 predictions including furlough and universal credit extension

If there was a year when we all started "googling" and a year we all started "facebooking" and "tweeting," then 2020 was the year we all started "zooming." It's not like the company behind Zoom — a US-based videoconferencing platform — invented visual chatting via the internet. Google didn't invent search engines and Facebook didn't invent social blogging, either (or hate speech for that matter). But there's always one that takes off, and that company's name invariably becomes a generic term by which we all do that thing. It's a moment at which we know that that thing has become ubiquitous, socially relevant, and of interest to science. So, we zoom, no matter whether we're on Skype, WhatsApp, Signal, FaceTime, Whereby, Webex, Teams, Moodle, BigBlueButton, WeChat, Telegram, Viber, Slack, Wickr — to name a few in a plethora of contenders, lest we be accused of bias. All videoconferencing platforms have one thing in common, say researchers at Stanford University's Virtual Human … [Read more...] about COVID: Tired of endless videoconferencing?

PRESSURE cookers have come into vogue in recent years as creative chefs are looking at ways of reducing cooking times. We get hands-on with the Crock-Pot CSC051 to see if the trend is worth the hype. Pressure cookers have come a long way since the rattling devices of yesteryear which seemed like they were ready to take off when they got up to temperature. Nowadays, for well under £100 you can pick up a pressure cooker which not only does a great job of cooking your food, but also sits silently in the corner for the duration of your cook. Not only that, some models (including the Crock-Pot CSC051 we tested) also double as a slow cooker, if you want to prepare your meals in the morning and have them ready to eat when you return from work. After a few months of testing, we give you the down low on the Crock-Pot CSC051. Crock-Pot CSC051, £72.93 at Amazon - buy here How big is the Crock-Pot CSC051? There’s no getting around it, the Crock-Pot CSC051 is a hefty beast. We … [Read more...] about Crock-Pot CSC051 pressure cooker review: perfect meals in a hurry

ALDI has topped the charts as Britain’s cheapest and favourite in-store supermarket, an annual Which? survey has revealed. Brits gave the German discount supermarket five stars for value for money - the only grocer in the country to be given this top rating. It beat rival Lidl, who came in close behind with four stars, as well as eight other stores. Tesco, Morrisons and Iceland came in joint third place with three stars, while Marks & Spencers, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Asda were all given two stars. Co-op came in last with one star. Over 3,000 Brits took part in the survey, and Aldi was also top of the leaderboard overall for its instore shopping experience. How to cut the cost of your grocery shop SAVING on your shop can make a big difference to your wallet. Here are some tips from comparison site Money.co.uk about how you can cut the cost of your shopping bills: Write yourself a list – Only buy items that you need. If it isn’t on your list, don’t … [Read more...] about Cheapest supermarket revealed in annual Which? survey

OVEN cleaning is probably top of the list of chores we least want to do - but we really should, especially considering most meals we make involve an oven, whether we're baking, grilling veg or roasting meat. It's a good idea to give your oven a deep clean every month or so, and your oven will also benefit from a weekly surface clean - the best oven cleaners can help. Cleaning your oven isn't just about getting that oven glistening: your oven performs less well if it's covered in grime, as well as affecting how your food turns out. And tastes. There are natural oven cleaners - baking soda and vinegar tend to be popular DIY methods, and some people add dish soap, too - available, as well as eco alternatives. For a stronger clean, you can always choose an oven cleaner with more potent ingredients, although make sure to wear rubber gloves and ensure there's proper ventilation in your kitchen before using these. The best way to use an oven cleaner is to let it sit for a few hours … [Read more...] about 9 Best oven cleaners 2021 – From Mr Muscle to the Pink Stuff these products will leave your oven sparkling