Stunning dishes, a gruelling competition and witty John Torode and Gregg Wallace - MasterChef has all the ingredients for a recipe to success. While sitting on our sofas at home, it's easy to end up starving as people whip up delicious meals in what seems like seconds. But is the MasterChef experience all it seems? Former MasterChef semi-finalist Liz Cottam , who appeared in series 12, has shared how the show really works. She now runs three restaurants with a 67-strong team and predicted revenues of £3.2M for the year ahead. But in 2016, she bravely went on MasterChef - and has shared how the gruelling process works - with contestants filming their tasks at the crack of dawn. Liz said: "It was pretty awful, I put so much pressure on myself to win, that was the only thing I wanted. "I just wanted to cook things that I was super proud of and I enjoyed cooking and that was stuff that was fairly advanced for an amateur cook. Get the news you want straight to … [Read more...] about ‘I was on MasterChef – contestants have a secret FB group and there’s a strict suitcase rule’
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The importance of Lumbini
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Lumbini, Nepal, though only for a few hours, is full of symbolism and substance. No Indian Prime Minister has visited Lumbini in the last few decades. Mr. Modi’s visit is a combination of personal desire and political and strategic goals. For him, it is the fulfilment of a wish articulated in 2014 when he first became Prime Minister. Since he could not travel to Lumbini during his previous visits to Nepal, as Ambassador, I planted, on his behalf, a sapling of the sacred Bodhi tree in the gardens of the Maya Devi temple where Gautama Buddha was born. Amid the strife and turmoil and the anger and hatred that we see in society, the Prime Minister’s visit also provides a moment for quiet reflection and a reiteration of the message of peace, compassion and non-violence preached by the Buddha and spread by the roaring lions in the four directions, as depicted in the Lion Capital of Ashoka, our national emblem — a message that calls for shunning … [Read more...] about The importance of Lumbini
Manistee County sees sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in past 7 days
MANISTEE COUNTY — Manistee County has recorded 45 new COVID-19 cases and no new deaths since May 4, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Manistee County has had a total of 2,865 cases of COVID-19 and 74 deaths. 12 COVID-19 cases were recorded in Manistee County during the last MDHHS update on May 4. This is an increase of 111 new cases and five new deaths reported since Feb. 28. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated COVID-19 Community Level tool shows the risk for new cases in Benzie and Manistee counties remains at medium. Other counties in the region are also at a medium COVID-19 community level including Alpena, Leelanau, Kalkaska and Antrim counties. Grand Traverse County is the only county in the state with a high COVID-19 community level, according to the most recent data from the CDC. However, despite the CDC showing Manistee County at a medium COVID-19 community level, the Michigan MI SAFE Start Map reads, "Manistee … [Read more...] about Manistee County sees sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in past 7 days
Economists Trash Dems’ Fuel Price Control Proposal: ‘Can’t Believe They’re Dumb Enough To Do This’
“I just can’t believe they’re dumb enough to do this,” Benjamin Zycher, an economist and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told The Daily Caller News Foundation in an interview. “This is kind of obvious. It’s a terrible policy. Go find some of those gorgeous pictures from the 1970s of long gas lines,” said economist John Cochrane, a Hoover Institution senior fellow. “An important function of prices is to tell investors where to direct capital — where do we need to have more stuff produced? And when you put price controls on petroleum, it messes up that signal,” Institute for Energy Research senior economist David Kreutzer added. Several economists slammed a Democratic proposal making its way through Congress that would enable energy price controls amid record high fuel costs. Such a policy, which prohibits private companies from increasing prices regardless of market conditions, would have catastrophic consequences including energy supply shortages and … [Read more...] about Economists Trash Dems’ Fuel Price Control Proposal: ‘Can’t Believe They’re Dumb Enough To Do This’
The tantalizing possibilities of the Knicks’ best-case lottery scenario
It’s always dangerous to get conclusive about a draft class before the picks are called, let alone before the players step on the court, but the preliminary consensus among scouts and experts is that 2022 is top heavy. Specifically, there are four players that sit as the cream. So for the Knicks, who enter the draft lottery at No. 11, the drawing of Ping Pong balls Tuesday night in Chicago is consequential. Potentially franchise altering. There is a decent enough chance for them to crack the top-4 (9.4%) to pay attention, and the reaction of the always demonstrative William Wesley, who is sitting for the Knicks on the dais , will be worth a view regardless of the outcome. And if the Knicks’ lottery luck changes and the franchise moves up in the lottery for the first time since 1985, here’s a breakdown of the four prospective rewards (we’re ignoring that the team could also use such a lucrative pick to trade for a star. Ahem, Donovan Mitchell): JABARI SMITH JR. AGE: … [Read more...] about The tantalizing possibilities of the Knicks’ best-case lottery scenario
‘Help us bring the communities together’
In this second and concluding part of a one-hour interview given to N. Ram at ‘Temple Trees' in Colombo, Mahinda Rajapaksa , Sri Lanka's President, responds to questions about his ambitious initiative for a trilingual Sri Lanka, the role of the English language, the contentious 18th constitutional amendment, the jailing and conviction of General Sarath Fonseka, the status and future of 11,000 hard-core LTTE cadres and supporters, and relations with India. You have taken a special interest in language policy. You have announced a Ten Year Presidential Initiative for a Trilingual Sri Lanka and before that the initiative to promote English. This seems to have been thought out over the long term. How do you see this going? Last year was the Year of English and Information Technology. With that the people started spoken English, they started learning English. So I thought the best thing was that all Sinhalese must learn Tamil now, the Tamils must learn Sinhala, and they must all … [Read more...] about ‘Help us bring the communities together’
How To Make Caffeine-Free Tea At Home
Most people start their day with a cup of tea. But nowadays as people become more health-conscious, they prefer to drink herbal tea. But tea contains caffeine and it is not good for our health. Many have the habit of drinking tea twice or thrice a day. So to live without tea is not at all easy for them. In a way, they get addicted to tea. However, according to experts, overconsumption of tea causes problems like a disturbance in the sleep pattern and fluctuations in the level of hormones, especially estrogen. Caffeine in tea also causes high blood pressure. Excessive consumption of tea can cause problems like anxiety, nervousness, and increased heartbeat. It can also increase your stress level. Let us tell you today an easy way to make caffeine-free tea. Ingredients: 1.3/4 cup water 2. 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger 3. 1/2 tbsp chopped lemongrass 4. Red bush tea bags 5. 1 cup milk 6. 2 crushed cardamom Honey for sweetness Process: Step 1: First of all, boil the … [Read more...] about How To Make Caffeine-Free Tea At Home
Internet slams “entitled” boss for not speaking to employee who resigned
A post shared on the popular Reddit forum "Antiwork" sparked a conversation among commenters about how employees are treated after resigning from their jobs. Redditor u/elgueroguapo wrote in their post that received 12,000 votes they were offered a new job with a higher salary, but their boss began giving them the cold shoulder after they resigned. Readers flooded the comments section to share their thoughts on the Redditor's final weeks. A 2015 article published by the Harvard Business Review discussed what an employer should do when an employee announces their resignation. Priscilla Claman, the president of Career Strategies Inc., told the outlet that the employer should create a "warm and friendly conversation about [the person's] future plans." Claman explained that it is helpful to maintain professional relationships. It is also important to understand why the employee decided to get a new job. Anat Lechner, a clinical associate professor of management and … [Read more...] about Internet slams “entitled” boss for not speaking to employee who resigned
Supermarket own-brand foods shoot up in price – list of products rising up to 30%
Supermarkets have increased the price of more than 100 value range products in recent weeks, some by up to 30%, research has found. The website NationalWorld tracked the price of almost 700 basic range groceries from Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Aldi. It found just over 100 had gone up in price between the start of April and the beginning of May. They included tinned vegetables, jam, pasta, coffee, fresh meat and cheese. The price rises are a blow to millions of cost of living hit households . However, higher prices for budget ranges particularly hammer low incomes families. According to a NationalWorld price comparison, Asda increased the prices of 37 out of 158 Smart Price or Farm Stores products between April 4 and May 2 - the highest proportion of any supermarket tracked. Examples included a 300g tin of Asda Smart Price mushy peas, up 16.7%, from 18p to 21p. And Smart Price of rice pudding, up 15%, from 20p to 23p. Asda was also found to have … [Read more...] about Supermarket own-brand foods shoot up in price – list of products rising up to 30%
Made.com shares slump on warning over losses and sliding sales
Online furniture retailer Made.com has seen shares plunge after warning it is set to slump to a full-year underlying loss due to tumbling sales and supply chain woes. The group’s shares slumped by more than a fifth at one stage as it slashed its sales outlook and said trading would remain “highly challenging” this year. Made.com – which floated on the stock market last June – forecast full-year gross sales would fall by up to 15%, while ongoing supply chain disruption is also hitting its bottom line. It said it expects to post an annual underlying loss of between £15 million and £35 million, dragged lower also by a £5 million cost of supply chain issues. Recommended Coleen Rooney to resume evidence in Rebekah Vardy court battle - live ‘Putin likely to have lost third of troops in Ukraine’ – follow live The firm had in March forecast underlying earnings of up to £15 million. Made.com said: “Although Made’s performance has remained strong … [Read more...] about Made.com shares slump on warning over losses and sliding sales