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ABC News
9 hours ago
- General
- ABC News
Loaded sweet potatoes with creamy mushroom chicken are perfect for winter
As the days get shorter and the evenings turn crisp, I find myself leaning into recipes that feel like a warm hug. This loaded sweet potato dish is just that — cosy, creamy, and comforting. It's inspired by the way my mum used to make a desi-style chilli con carne when we were growing up. It was spiced, hearty, and always thrown together with love and whatever was in the fridge. I've taken that idea and turned it into something a little creamier and brighter: roasted sweet potatoes stuffed with a parsley-forward creamy mushroom and chicken filling, finished with a good grating of sharp cheddar and plenty of black pepper. It's the kind of dinner that's perfect for the wintry nights ahead — simple, satisfying, and easily adaptable depending on what you've got on hand. Serve it solo or add a crunchy salad on the side for contrast. Either way, it'll have you going back for seconds. 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan forced/180°C convectional heat. Place the sweet potatoes onto a foil lined tray. Prick them with a fork, rub with olive oil and salt, and roast for 45–50 minutes until soft, tender and caramelised on the edges. You want the insides almost scoopable. 2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, deep-sided fry pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken in batches for 5–7 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Set aside. 3. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add remaining olive oil, then sauté the onions, garlic, and mushrooms for about 10 minutes until softened and lightly browned. 4. Stir in the cream, mustard, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5–7 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly. Stir in the cheese until melted. 5. Turn off the heat and fold in the chopped parsley. 6. On a lined baking tray, split the baked sweet potatoes in half and fill centres, generously, with chicken filling. Top with more cheese and bake for 5-10 minutes until melted. 7. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. 8. Serve hot, with a final drizzle of the sauce, a few cracks of black pepper, and any of your favourite toppings.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I wasn't going to fork out for a professional birthday cake for my son, so made a Minecraft one myself with M&S bargains
WE all want to give our kids a magical birthday, no matter the budget. And one mum has shared how she created a personalised Minecraft cake for her son's birthday without paying a professional. Taking to TikTok, Cara, a mum-of-five, made her own delicious cake for her son's birthday using M&S and Amazon buys. In the clip, she said: "Come DIY my son's Minecraft birthday cake using two cakes from M&S. "I feel absolutely awful but I left it way too last minute to order Noah a birthday cake, then I couldn't get one booked in anywhere so thought I'd go to M&S and do it myself." She said her son was a big chocolate lover so grabbed the M&S chocolate Mini Bite Cake for £20 and the Cookies and Cream cake. She used the cookie flavour cake as the bottom tier and removed the chocolate decorations and moved them to the chocolate cake that would suit on top. To make sure the two cakes were secure, she stuck a few cocktail sticks into the bottom one before placing the other on top. Next, the savvy mum had some Amazon bits to complete the cake and turn it into a Minecraft bonanza that Noah would love. She was able to find a Minecraft logo and happy birthday sign made out of edible rice paper, so cut them out and placed them on top of the cake. Cara also found some Minecraft figurines made of icing and stuck those on top as well. "These are amazing," she said, "And I just popped them all over the cake. 3 You can make school cake in the air fryer with just 6 ingredients - it's ready in minutes & perfect for an after-school snack "Noah is Minecraft obsessed and Steve is his absolute favourite character, so I know he's gonna absolutely love this. The final cake was perfect for her son and the rest of her family to enjoy while celebrating his birthday. Cara added: "I mean it's not the best cake in the world but I know he's gonna absolutely love it and it was literally on a budget." The clip of her DIY cake was shared on her TikTok account @ cara_mamato5 and soon went viral with over 170k views and 2,800 likes. The cost of a professional birthday cake can vary massively depending on how big you want it and what decor you want. A basic sponge or character cake from the supermarket can cost between £10 to £20. A small personalised custom cake from a bakery or cake maker can set you back up to £60. While medium cakes, with multiple tiers like what Cara made can be an eye-watering £100. How much do experts advise spending on a child's birthday? A study by major toy retailer TK Maxx revealed that one in three parents admit to spending less on presents for their own children and their children's friends compared to five years ago. Average Spend: Parents spend an average of £175 on birthday gifts for their kids, while presents for their children's friends can cost up to £95 a year, adding extra strain on household finances. Gifts and Parties: Children receive around 12 presents per birthday, and parents take their kids to an average of four birthday parties annually. Top Five Gifts Parents Buy for Children: Clothes: 49% Books: 46% Technology: 39% Traditional Board Games: 38% Remote Controlled Toys: 26% Dolls: 25% How Much Should You Spend on a Child's Birthday? Experts generally suggest keeping birthday spending reasonable and within the family's budget. A common guideline is to spend around £10 to £20 per year of the child's age. For example: 5-year-old: £50 to £100 Remember, the focus should be on creating memorable experiences rather than adhering strictly to a spending rule. Simple, thoughtful, and creative celebrations can often be just as enjoyable and meaningful for the child.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
People left in hysterics as woman shows off her mum tribute tattoo, with a VERY unfortunate spelling mistake
SHE wanted to get a tattoo tribute to her mother on her arm. So opted for a cursive design which was meant to read " my mum is my angel". 2 2 However, the tattoo artist made an epic mistake while doing the inking, and ended up writing: "My mum is my angle". A snap of the etching was shared on Facebook, with people quick to share hilarious comments related to the unfortunate error. "What acute mom!" one wrote. "There is a degree of humour in this post," another joked. "Sometimes she's acute mum, sometimes she can be obtuse, hopefully straight and always right," a third commented. "She's only 45 but looks about 90!" someone else said. "I can't breeeeeathe," another admitted. "You'd be surprised how many idiots spell my name wrong," someone called Angel commented on the post. "The worst I've ever seen my name misspelled was in Palm Bay, Florida..." another Angel agreed. "My receipt said 'engel' - f**king ENGEL!!!" "And your tattoo artist is your worst enemy," someone else giggled. "Dips**ts are everywhere," another groaned. Unfortunately, any tattoo fan knows that incorrect inkings can happen occasionally. However, when one person asked how they should deal with a mistake on their design, another hit back: "If you're a professional artist and not an apprentice working for free, and you get half way through a tattoo and you've messed up so a badly that you can't fix it, you've no business being in the profession at all." They also added that they have never "messed up" while doing a tattoo, but has made small errors in the past. However, they're nothing like the blunder on Facebook, as she said she's never made a mistake that "can't be fixed or incorporated into the design or the shading or colour seamlessly". "So it's completely unnoticeable to both myself and my client, but like I say, it's rare, very rare," she insisted. It's also important to speak up during a tattoo session if you aren't happy with the way your design is turning out. "Whatever the case may be, when in doubt – speak up!" the pros at Adrenaline Studios urged. "Don't be concerned about being a pest. This is your tattoo, not theirs. "If at any point you think something is wrong you are responsible to speak up and the tattooist is responsible to respond, make adjustments, and/or explain what you're witnessing. "Communication is everything between a client and artist – that communication must occur before, during, and after the tattoo."
The Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I paid £20 for Tinder and want my money's worth – but little-known loophole desperate guys are using is driving me mad
A FED-UP mum reckons she'll never find love on Tinder - because it keeps serving up blokes she's already rejected. Divorced Dawn Cowie, 48, turned to the app after more than two years being single. 3 3 3 Her swipe finger has been working overdrive and she's already knocked back everyone that's on offer in tiny Nairn, Inverness-shire. But frustrated Dawn told how the guys she's rejected are making comebacks and repeatedly showing up for her. The mum-of-one said: 'It's doing my nut in. I keep running out of men because of my location. 'And I feel Tinder is recycling profiles. I kept thinking I've seen these faces before. 'Three times I've seen this one person. It's not taking the hint.' Since her marriage of 16 years ended Dawn admitted it's been tough trying to find someone else. Between work and taking care of her 11-year-old daughter she's not left with much time to herself. While meeting blokes in noisy pubs is a nightmare because she has no clue what they're saying to her. A friend suggested Tinder and she decided to fork out £20-a-month to get all the benefits of the app. But so far she's been extremely unhappy with the men offered up to her by the app. I tried the Tinder for fitness - I met my perfect match & learnt to do chin-ups in 8 weeks One date she lined up ended in disaster because the guy kept going on about her age, despite only being four years younger than her. Dawn said: 'Since then I've ran out and it's changed my location to global. 'There's no way I'll be flying 3,000 miles for more red flags. 'Now the same ones keep showing up, including the one that was going on about my age. I've already blocked him and moved on.' Dawn has discovered she may be falling victim to a little-known loophole on Tinder. She added: 'People have realised that if you deactivate your account and go back on, it says 'new'. So it resets them and pushes them back out. 'I feel like I've got to see it through to the end of the month to get my money's worth. 'But I won't be renewing after that.' Dawn isn't enjoying being back on the dating scene and has no idea if she will ever meet someone else. She said: 'It's actually a minefield. I thought dating in my 20s was bad. 'But it's a whole new ball game in the dating world now. 'To be honest I'm thinking if it happens it happens. 'It would be nice to have company but in all honesty I have an amazing daughter, my parents and my close friends.
The Sun
4 days ago
- The Sun
I've scoured UK's top seaside towns & these resorts are best on a budget – from cheap chippies to all-day parking for £4
THERE'S no better place than the beach to keep the kids entertained during those long, hot summer holiday weeks - but even supposedly cheap days out can start to add up before you know it. Fortunately, as a mum-of-two and expert travel writer, I've scoured the UK's top seaside towns for years and know exactly where to look to find the best budget chippies, brilliant free attractions and hidden gem bays perfect for a paddle. 12 12 The UK has almost 8,000 miles of coastline, so with the weather on-side, you can enjoy fun days out to the seaside with the family without spending too much. It's one of the more affordable options during the holidays - the children love building sandcastles, paddling in the water and playing beach games like volleyball and football. But while a day out at the beach doesn't cost as much as going to a theme park or tourist attraction, inevitably the kids always want an ice cream and snacks or to play in the arcades. Plus some beach towns charge a lot for parking, or you have to get there by train - and tickets vary in price depending on when and where you go. Cafes and kiosks along the seafront can also be more expensive in some beach areas, so it's worth doing your research beforehand. Here, I share my favourite cheap seaside days out in the UK. These stunning seaside towns have plenty of affordable options, including dinner for £3.80 and £1-a-ride theme parks. And some cost under £25 for a family-of-four, for a whole day, including food and parking. Lowersoft, Suffolk Lowersoft's largely unspoilt and rugged coastline juts out into the English channel, with over 30 miles of golden sand beaches. These sandy stretches are perfect for families and often less crowded than nearby seaside towns Great Yarmouth and Southwold. 12 Lowersoft's unique location at the most easterly point of the British coast means it's the first place in the UK to see the sun come up. So, if you are a family of early-risers, you can be up and at them at the break of day. When we want to be in the action, we find a spot on Lowersoft South Beach, which is popular but has lots of amenities like beach huts and public toilets. Better still, parking at the Claremont Pier car park near South Beach costs £4 for the whole day. Everyone goes to Sunrise at Zaks, a family-run coffee shop on the beach. They do a great ham toastie for £3.30 or bacon and egg baps for £3.20. In the afternoon, grab a cup of coffee for £2 and a slab of Millionaires Shortbread or a jam scone for £2.60. Before heading home, dinner has to be from the aptly named 'The Chippy', just a short walk from the beach. This proper fish and chip shop serves a big bag of golden chips for £3 and a bag of cod bites, which the kids love, for only £2. For meat lovers, a saveloy is only £1.90. For days where we want to switch off and get away from it all, we drive 20 minutes further south to the more remote Covehithe Beach, which is a stunning bay that is only accessible by foot. Parking here is free on the grass verge at the top, but you will have to walk down the steep beach path, so pack light. There are no facilities here, but we bring a cooler with food, drinks and snacks for the day, which is the cheapest way to do it and the beach is beautiful. Both South Beach and Covehithe Beach are perfect for families. The sand is soft and fine and the shallow water is ideal for a swim or a paddle. Kids can also search for shells and little fossils along the coast. There is plenty to do in Lowersoft, including the Pleasurewood Hills theme park (entry from £19.50 if you pre-book) and East Anglia Transport Museum, where you can ride on vintage trams and vehicles (entry £12 adult, £7 child). But the beach is so nice, you'll definitely want to stay all day. It's a brilliant budget day out. Great Yarmouth, Norfolk 12 Great Yarmouth is about as quintessential a British seaside as you will get. The city's famous 'golden mile' is a picture-postcard of cheerful cafes squeezed in between bucket and spade stalls, penny arcades and fish and chip shops. There is even a children's theme park, Joyland, right on the seafront that has been in operation since 1949. This classic beach town has it all. The sandy beach is huge, but it can still get busy in the summer holidays. However, there are a few spots that are less crowded than others and we usually head to the North Beach, which is a bit further away from the arcades and attractions, but with less people squeezing onto the sand. You have to pay for parking, coming in at £8 for the day. The car parks do get busy, but you can usually get a space. 12 To save money, we eat breakfast before we get there, but the best-value breakfast is the Egg and Tots at The Beach Hut, a cafe close to the promenade. A bowl of crispy potato tots and two fried eggs is £5.50 and a cup of tea to wash them down is only £1.80. There is a lot to do here, so it's no surprise that Great Yarmouth is one of the most popular places in the UK for day trippers. In fact, Great Yarmouth is home to one of the oldest theme parks in the UK and it's free to get in. Joyland has been here since the 40s and is the epitome of wholesome family fun. Rides are priced separately, but it's only £2.50 to ride the Super Snails, which is the park's most iconic attraction. There is also a pier, a model village and fun, family activities like crazy golf and a Dotto train. We always love having fish and chips on the beach, but due to Great Yarmouth being such a popular spot, it's not the cheapest option. Instead, go to Grelly's on the front and have a hot sausage roll and chips for only £3.60. You can still have a chippy picnic on the beach, but it's half the price of the cod. Clacton-on-Sea, Essex Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, has been attracting holidaymakers since 1871 and is one of the sunniest spots on the Essex coast. With its wall-to-wall souvenir shops, crab shacks and ice cream stands, it's not the prettiest beach of the bunch. However, what it lacks in character it makes up for in atmosphere and is one of the most fun seaside day outs in the south of England. Clacton has a great pier with amusement arcades and rides, including a classic Helter Skelter, which is £1 a ride. The beach is sunny and sandy and budget-friendly prices from local businesses and shops make it an affordable day out for families. One of the most popular things to do in Clacton is go crabbing on the pier. However, it does cost £9 for a 'fishing licence', but if you walk along the coast toward Holland-on-Sea, you can take your own bucket and spot crabs and cockles between the rocks. 12 On the way is our favourite place to stop for lunch. Flags Cafe has a really interesting menu for a beach stop - including curry, vegan options and fantastic cakes. The setting couldn't be better, right on the beach. A cheese toastie and a drink is less than £5. The kids also love the vegan ice cream options, £2 for a cone. Swimming in the sea at Clacton is not recommended, as water quality around the pier is poor, but Holland-on-sea is marked safe for a dip or a nice paddle to cool off. For dinner, we always stop off at the Toby Carvery on the way home. Even if you don't want the full roast dinner, the Toby Tasters menu, where you can get two small plates for £5.99, is excellent value. The Loaded Mac & Cheese is plenty for my kids to share. Barry Island, Wales Holidays don't get much more jolly than at Barry Island, in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. As well as the perky promenade, with children's rides from £2.50 each, candy floss shops and face painting (£6), there is a surprisingly lovely beach. Right at the front of Barry Island, Whitmore Bay is a huge crescent of golden sand. It's ideal for families to have fun in the sun, with shallow water and a gentle tide. You don't have to go far for lunch and it's a bargain too. The delicious pizza from the 'Pizza Boys' at Ffwrnes is only £8 and easily shareable. Ice creams on Barry Island are excellently priced too. £1 for a scoop, £1.50 if you want a flake. The promenade with its columned colonnade is very Instagram-friendly and if you want to spend a bit more, you can take your pick of busy cafés, burger bars and fish and chip shops. End the day on the 2p machines at the arcade. It's a simple activity, but I give my kids £1 each to change up and they are in there for ages! Scarborough, Yorkshire There's now't more wholesome than a day at the seaside in Scarborough. The sandy beach, tucked neatly in a half-moon bay, is a sweet spot on the Yorkshire coast. In summer, it can get busy here. The beach is only an hour from York. South Bay is best for families, with souvenir shops, fresh seafood shacks, ice cream parlours and amusement arcades lining the seafront. Breakfast is always at the Seastrand, a cute cafe and artist residence that is inside the old Funicular railway station. Inside is charmingly decorated, with work from local artists and you can grab a cup of tea and a homemade flapjack for £3.50. The South is also home to Scarborough's harbour. The kids love wandering through and spotting boats with unusual names. It's a great way to pass the time and keep them entertained, especially when the weather is iffy. Overlooking the bay you'll also spot the famous Scarborough Castle. The beach itself is lovely, with thick golden sand. Due to being slightly protected in the bay, water here is very clean and safe to swim in. During the summer season, the beach is patrolled by an RNLI qualified lifeguard service. Take your pick of ice cream shops along the front. Peaches and Cream is our favourite. A little cafe parlour inside a beach pavilion, they have some crazy flavours, such as Banoffee Pie and Peach. It's £2 for a cup and sprinkles and sauces are included in the price. They also have fabulous Vegan ice cream too - you can't taste the difference. You can rent one of the newly refurbished Victorian beach huts here for only £50 a day. As well as being a huge part of Scarborough's history, these are operated by North Yorkshire council and are ideal for extended families or friendship groups. They have electricity, somewhere to keep all your stuff and offer some shade on really hot days. Plus, save money on lunch and dinner by making your own. That will compensate for the parking hare, which is on the pricey side at £10 for the day.
