Midweek meals: Baked pasta Siciliana with meatballs
Combing pasta al forno (baked pasta) and pasta alla Siciliana, plus meatballs, this hybrid pasta bake brings a taste of the Med to your midweek meals. Baked pasta Siciliana with meatballs Recipe by: Aldi Serves: 6 Prep time: 30 minutes | Cooking time: 40 minutes Ingredients: 250g rigatoni 1 tbsp olive oil 1 red onion, finely diced 1 garlic clove, finely diced 1 pack beef meatballs 1 large aubergine, chopped into 1cm cubes 2 x 400g tins tomatoes 215g mozzarella, drained 45g salami To serve: Fresh basil Method: Pre-heat oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Cook the pasta according to pack instructions. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and lightly fry the onion and garlic. Add the meatballs and cook until browned. Add the aubergine and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and pour into the baking dish. Tear the salami and mozzarella over the top of the pasta. Bake for 15 minutes until the cheese has melted and turned golden. Garnish with fresh basil leaves. For more recipe inspiration, visit www.aldi.co.uk/recipes Read More World Pasta Day: Nigella Lawson’s spaghetti with Marmite This speedy king prawn pasta has a supermarket secret weapon How to make a classic lasagne Dear Pret, this is what a £7 sandwich should look like Jack Stein’s Cornish mussels with spinach and cider Pub grub: Three recipes from Tom Kerridge’s new cookbook
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Continued struggles will leave Mercedes frustrated and confused – Martin Brundle
Lewis Hamilton’s “frustrated and confused” Mercedes team are in survival mode, leading Formula One pundit Martin Brundle has claimed. Hamilton finished fourth, two places ahead of team-mate George Russell, at Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen wrapped up his eighth straight win. Although Mercedes are second in the constructors’ championship heading into the sport’s summer break, Hamilton appears no closer to ending his 35-race losing streak. The seven-time world champion was also dealt a major blow in Spa-Francorchamps after an upgrade – which included new sidepods and a revised floor – appeared to contribute to the return of porpoising. Speaking after the race, Hamilton said his Mercedes was bouncing “everywhere” and said the sensation was reminiscent of last year’s car – a machine which carried him to the poorest championship finishing position of his career. “Mercedes will be very frustrated,” said Brundle, 64. “Their car is on a knife edge to set up, to understand and to drive. “They are surviving the season, as they did last year, and making the best of a bad situation because they are a great team. “But I would imagine they are confused with this car. They promise a great result, get something special, then go to the next race with upgrades and fall off the pace.” Mercedes have claimed just one victory in the past 19 months. Their poor form is a far cry from the dominance which saw them secure an unprecedented eight consecutive constructors’ titles. And Russell revealed the Brackley team have been drawing creativity from their once all-conquering machines. “We are working really hard on the characteristics for next yea, and we are looking a lot at how the previous generation of cars were for Mercedes, the glory years, and using that as inspiration,” said Russell. “Clearly they were some of the best cars in history. So that is giving us some pointers of where we need to aim for. “I am sure we will be strong in the second half of the season. We have some little things coming after the break and I am confident we will secure second in the team championship and close the gap to Red Bull.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Max Verstappen taunts F1 rivals with ‘pit-stop training’ offer Max Verstappen beats Oscar Piastri to sprint race pole in Belgium How Max Verstappen and record-breaking Red Bull compare to Formula One greats
2023-07-31 19:15
The psychology of Big Brother: How to survive in the house
Big Brother has returned to British TV for the first time in five years. Hosted by AJ Odudu and Will Best, the ITV reality show has kicked off with 16 housemates living together in a custom-built home without access to the outside world – all in a bid to win £100,000. Since Big Brother first aired on Channel 4 in 2000, it’s become known as the ultimate social experiment. Here are a few tips from psychologists on how the new contestants can survive being cooped up in a house with a group of strangers, under the continuous monitoring of Big Brother… The psychology of Big Brother For Dr Rachael Molitor, a psychologist and lecturer at Coventry University, the psychology behind Big Brother involves “the intricate interplay of 24/7 surveillance on human behaviour, participant isolation from the outside world, and psychological challenges around newly formed and integral social friendships and group dynamics”. Although it may be deemed similar to other TV programmes, such as Love Island or The Traitors, where contestants also live together in a new home, Big Brother is different. “It has a unique stance, in that the contestants are not a cookie cutter of a particular type of person needed for the show’s storyline,” Molitor said. “With Love Island and My Mum Your Dad, the contestants needed to be single and of a certain age or criteria. With Big Brother, we can see a number of varying contestants, all with different backgrounds and personalities.” However, Molitor notes that Big Brother is “less of a psychological observational experiment” and “more of a TV entertainment viewing opportunity – and edited as such”. She said: “The environment provides a rich opportunity for the study of human behaviour, social dynamics, and the psychological effects of living in a controlled, highly competitive and monitored setting.” How can contestants survive in the Big Brother house? For Molitor, the key to survival is for contestants to be themselves. “Due to the length of time contestants will be on the show, it’s important to build strong genuine relationships. Effective communication supports the positive experience of all housemates,” Molitor added. Dr Sarita Robinson, associate dean of psychology and humanities at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) agrees, and said: “Like with any group of people in an enclosed space, inter-group conflict is likely to occur. “Rather than reacting immediately to something that has annoyed you, it is best to walk away and wait for 15 minutes. It’s amazing how a little bit of time can take the heat out of a situation for the contestants.” How can they protect their mental health? Taking care of your mental health isn’t always the easiest thing to do on a reality TV show, Robinson suggested. “Due to social evaluative stress that relates to what people think of us, this can have a marked impact on our physiological stress levels if we think people are making negative judgements about us.” But things have changed since the show first aired. “With the new care of duty plan, contestants can ask for help when needed and get mental health and wellbeing support prior to, during and after the show has ended,” Molitor said. Whilst in the house, there are a few “small health-enhancing behaviours” contestants can do. These include “getting enough sleep, exercise and healthy eating to support their health and wellbeing throughout”, Molitor advised. Robinson also warned against behaviours that might impact your state of mind. “If people start to stress their brains by drinking alcohol, having poor quality sleep, restricting their food intake or changing their normal use of things like nicotine, caffeine or medication like antidepressants, it can have an impact on the brain,” Robinson said. “For example, if you don’t get a good night’s sleep your brain will struggle to work as well as it usually does, which can cause problems with emotion regulation. The knock-on effect of this might make you more likely to be grumpy and have a row with someone.” Big Brother airs nightly on ITV2 and ITVX, excluding Saturdays. Read More How to support someone coming out in their 30s and beyond Israel-Hamas conflict: How to talk to teenagers about distressing news stories Autumn décor ideas for a seasonal refresh Why you shouldn’t tidy your garden too much in autumn World Mental Health Day: 5 ways to beat anxiety and change your life Alternative veg to grow for next season
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Mum creates stretch marks on Barbie doll to normalise them for her daughter
A mum has gone viral after modifying her little girl’s Barbie by adding stretch marks to the doll to normalise “tiger stripes” – using nail varnish. Kate Claxton hit the headlines earlier this year after sharing her experience with postnatal anxiety, which led to her quitting her job as a marketing manager. The 35-year-old mum from Swindon is married to husband Tony, 35, with whom she has a three-year-old daughter [name omitted at case study’s request]. Kate, now a children’s author, has written a book about her “tiger stripes” – and is taking to Instagram to reveal why she drew these onto her child’s doll. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter “We're really open with our daughter about the ways bodies are different and I'm keen for her toys and books to reflect this,” the mum told http://NeedToKnow.co.uk . “She loves Barbies and while we do have a diverse mix of dolls, there were none with stretch marks, so I decided to decorate my own! “We'd had a long day of crafts and play to avoid the rain and I needed the chill time. “Once she'd gone to bed, I spent maybe an hour or less making the marks with nail varnish actually. “It dried quickly and I put the Barbie's vet outfit back on to go in the toy box ready for the morning. “I bought a new doll to do this with, just in case I got told off for marking a favourite!” Kate says she approaches conversations with her daughter around beauty and body positivity “honestly and openly” but “worries” about the future. She said: “I don't force it on her but if she ever has questions about bodies, or if I notice her watching or playing with something that allows us to bring it up naturally, I'll always do my best to make it normal. “I think representation is getting much better, but you have to seek these things out for yourself a lot of the time. “I do worry for my daughter heading into a world that still judges girls on how they look and pits them against each other.” Kate was inspired by her own children’s book, My Mum’s a Tiger, and hopes that her creation might inspire Mattel, the brand that owns Barbie, to create a similar doll. She said: “I hate that new mums in particular are faced with the negativity around skin and body changes at a time when hormones and sleep and responsibilities are all over the place. “People have loved the reel on Instagram and lots of people are asking how I did it – I hope that means there will be lots more DIY dolls popping up in toy boxes. “I'd love if Barbie could bring out their own permanently-marked version to show children it's normal and nothing to be worried about.” Social media users have come out in droves to praise the mum for her DIY doll. A subtracted version of her post reads: “… [..] Eliza is SO into dolls and getting them dressed and undressed at the moment that it was important for me to make some modifications to this gal and give her the stripes so many of us cover up. “Let's take what makes us different and instead of trying to hide, let's be more like animals and wear our marks with pride.” “My little girl asks me about my ‘tiger stripes’ every time I have a shower or get changed,” said Sammy. “Love this!! Just genius!!!” added someone else. Ella Lucie said: “Really love this.” “Great idea,” added another person. “Love this! I am one of those who are guilty of hiding my stretch marks but your wonderful book and posts always remind me of why I’ve got those tiger stripes,” said Jessica. “I have SO much love for this and totally agree that @barbie should add them to some of their dolls,” said someone else, tagging Mattel’s brand. 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.
2023-07-12 17:19
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