Pancake Day is a day long awaited by many children around the world in the countries that celebrate it, as it’s a great excuse for them to enjoy the delicious taste of this traditional meal. The original Christian holiday, Shrove Tuesday, made to mark the day before lent began is often almost forgotten as people celebrate the much more widely appreciated ‘Pancake Day’ that has replaced it.

As no doubt traditional pancake recipes, while tasty, aren’t always enough for more adventurous eaters, in the spirit of this day here is a list of some of the more unusual Pancake Day recipes:

1.       Pancake Wraps

While it’s not unusual for the traditional pancake to be folded, have you ever thought of wrapping food up in the tasty treat? Get some sausages and cheese, and cover the sausages in the cheese. Follow up by wrapping the sausage-cheese combo inside a pancake and you’ve got an unusual yet undeniably appetising meal.

Get creative by substituting the sausage for Chorizo or Parma ham and don’t be afraid to be adventurous with your choice of cheese – goats cheese, gorgonzola and of course, good old mature cheddar all taste fantastic when wrapped in a pancake.

2.       Pancake Balls

This next one will require a special pan called an ebelskiver, which is a pan with semi spherical holes in it. You pour the pancake mix in, and then you can put whatever filling you want on the inside. Put them on the hob and turn them over occasionally and you’ve got a surprising new and different way of enjoying pancakes.

3.       Rainbow Pancakes

Perhaps the easiest, this isn’t really an unusual recipe but it comes out with some rather unique results! Applying different coloured food dye to bits of the batter while making the pancake can make the usual brownish look of your regular pancake take on quite a colourful turn. Providing you work at it and put some effort in, you could have all sorts of colourful patterns coming out on your pancakes for you to eat up.

4.       Chocolate Pancake Sandwich

This is a pancake for chocolate lovers only. When making the pancake, just before you put it on the hob, mix in some chocolate chips. Make 3 like this. Then after you’ve got them all together, cover one in chocolate spread. Encase the chocolate spread pancake with the remaining other two, having one on the top and one on the bottom. Finally, cover the lot of it in chocolate spread.

5.       Cereal Pancake

An interesting pancake which could be a little bit crunchier than you’re probably used to as it’ll contain a small amount of your choice of cereal. It’s not much different from your usual pancake recipe, you just add in a little bit of cereal while you’re creating the mix and then cook it just the same.

Many people consider their home to be the one place in which they’re completely safe, but what they don’t realise is that their home hides an abundance of hidden dangers.

If gone unnoticed, some of these can cause illness or worse, so it’s worth knowing what to look out for and what you can do to keep yourself safe.

Preventing illness

There are various issues that can arise within your home that can affect your health.

Anywhere where moisture can form, like in your bathroom or basement, is at risk of mould forming. If you become aware of a musty old smell that maybe you hadn’t previously noticed, it’s a big sign that you’ve got issues with mould.

It can form within 2 days or less, and the mould spores it gives off can cause symptoms similar to asthma. You might also find yourself suffering from allergic reactions that can include sneezing and itchy eyes. Mould can often form in places you wouldn’t normally see, like on the back or bottom of wooden furniture, so it’s worth checking out of the way places if you suspect mould there.

The easiest way to prevent mould is to keep your house well ventilated by opening your windows when you can, and trying to keep moisture down as much as possible.

Dust mites are another thing to be aware of as they can too cause symptoms similar to asthma and other allergies. Dust mites live in your bed, on the mattress and in the sheets. There’s no way to prevent dust mites completely, but you can protect yourself from them by using allergy covers over your mattress and pillows to form a barrier and it’s also a good idea to wash your sheets regularly, on a very high temperature.

Protecting children

The colourful packaging of cleaning products and sweet like shape and colour of medicines can attract the attention of little children while they’re exploring your house.

Protecting your children from playing with these items could be a matter of life or death. Many people place cleaning products under the sink, but it’s much safer to keep them and any medicines you have in a higher cabinet that your children can’t reach or get to.

Locking the cabinet and making sure as many of your medicines as possible have child-proof lids will only add to their safety. When you take any of these items out to use them, make sure you keep an eye on your children at the time, as they could take the opportunity while they can.

Be aware of things you can’t see

In your home there could things affecting your health that you can’t see. Invisible chemicals and gasses can cause lasting damage or worse if you don’t notice them in time.

New carpets will sometimes come with a chemical on them that is used in its creation. It’s called 4-PC; it’s normally the source of that ‘new carpet’ smell and it can cause headaches and shortness of breath. If you keep a room ventilated with the windows open as much as possible, the chemical should go away within a week but it is worth remembering if you’re having a new carpet installed.

Another one to look out for (although not literally) is the odourless and colourless gas carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide can be extremely dangerous and even life threatening. Large amounts can cause confusion and impaired coordination and vision, as well as unconsciousness and possibly death. Even in low amounts it can still cause headaches and nausea.

Carbon monoxide can come from items that heat up like furnaces, fireplaces and heaters as it’s used to power them. The simplest way to protect yourself from carbon monoxide is to get a carbon monoxide detector fitted in your home. It’ll warn you if it detects the gas, as there’s no way to notice it yourself.

Your home can be a safe place if you make sure you’re aware of the possible noticeable or hidden dangers associated with it. They’re easy to protect against, especially now you know what some of them are.

Picture by David Hawgood at geograph.co.uk

For as long as bricks and mortar has existed, Britain has been obsessed with home ownership. Rather than be satisfied with the freedom and flexibility of renting, almost every young Brit includes ‘own my own home’ on their list of things to achieve by the time they turn thirty.

But why is this?

The UK alludes home ownership to status and success, a belief we share with another property obsessed nation: the USA. We also like the feeling of security that comes with the knowledge that our home is entirely ‘our own’ (something that of course, doesn’t actually happen until the mortgage is done and dusted with).

Yet the truth is, buying equates to great risk and serious commitment. A new job in another area of the country means selling-up and finding somewhere new – a costly and potentially prolonged experience. A job loss puts homeowners at great risk of losing everything they have scrimped and saved so hard for.

Doesn’t everyone the world over strive to home ownership?

It’s easy to fool ourselves into thinking that the fact we’re so obsessed with home ownership means that everyone else is too. This isn’t so. Across the pond in many parts of Europe, the percentage of working adults choosing to rent rather than buy is far higher.

For instance, in Berlin 90% of the residential market is made up of rentals. In Hamburg (a city known for its wealth) 80% of its residents are still renting. Renting is also greatly prevalent in Italy and Spain amongst other European nations.

Why?

Renters in Britain are, as a general rule, treated very poorly. Rents are expensive, most lets are short-term and we’re rarely permitted to house pets or adapt the property to our tastes. Essentially, renting is treated as a stop-gap on the route to buying. We’re usually discouraged from ever seeing the property as truly ‘our home’.

Attitudes in much of Europe are very different. Five year lets are not uncommon while it’s most unusual for renters to not redecorate their new homes.

Britain also enjoys a rather lax approach to the regulation of letting agencies. Anyone can set up a letting agent and a licensing scheme was only introduced in 2009. Until recently, tenant’s deposits were completely unprotected.

Is that all?

While we’re encouraged from all corners to buy in Britain, in many other parts of Europe, buying when you’re not entirely financially secure is actively discouraged.

In Germany for instance, most lenders require a 20% deposit plus proof of earnings dating back several years.

So should we forgo our buying dreams?

Not at all. The fact is: no-one wants to be renting in retirement, and it simply is a great feeling to ‘own’ our own home; to be able to do what we want with it whether that’s building a conservatory or digging a bomb shelter.

It would be nice however, to see a move away from this obsession with buying as soon as it’s feasibly possible: something that might just happen should the way we treat renters continue to evolve.

In reality, we don’t need to be buying in our twenties or even our thirties. Job loss, change and relocation are common at this age, not to mention the fact that most of us will be far more financially stable in our forties and fifties – thus greatly lessening the stress of dealing broken boilers and spiralling mortgages.

Thanks to digitalart and jscreationzs for the images.

Electronics giant LG recently launched its Smart Manager Fridge at the Las Vegas CES technology fair. Despite previous brands having tried, and failed, with similar concepts, LG believe that this smart fridge is the fridge that will transcend kitchen technology to a point at which we rely as much on our smart fridges as we do on our smart phones.

Yet reception for the smart fridge has not been entirely positive. Hailed as the ‘idiot fridge’ by The Guardian it seems the average homeowner doesn’t see the need for a fridge that can tell them what to cook, how to cook it and even formulate a shopping list of their behalf.

And why would we?

The success of the smart phone is based largely on two things: they allow us to access the internet on the move with absolute ease, and they integrate a number of devices (i.e. an mp3 player and a hand-held gaming machine) into one light and portable gadget.

The smart fridge does very little that we can’t do already in only a little more time, while also ‘helping’ in ways we might not even want it to. One of the fridge’s specialities is adding items that are nearly empty to our shopping list – but who says we want to buy that item again?

Not only do online shopping lists save previously bought products – meaning that adding them to a new shopping list involves the momentous effort of merely ticking a box – but even if we do want the same products we bought last time, we might want to choose a different size or brand. We might even be picking up some milk on our way home from work and thus, don’t want it delivered in the weekly shop.

One feature of the fridge that I am quite endeared to however is its ability to suggest recipes to you in accordance with the contents of your fridge.  However this isn’t anything that can’t also be achieved using online resources such as Super Cook – a handy feature certainly – but is it one that makes the fridge worth its hefty £2,000 price tag?

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If our last blog post didn’t convince you to stay in the glorious UK and appreciate all that’s great about it – here are a few things to take into consideration before you make that jump and move overseas.

Pensions

Needless to say, a move abroad will affect the rights you probably take for granted as a UK citizen.

You’ll still be entitled to your state pension if you move abroad, but it will only be subject to yearly increases if you move to a European Economic Area, or a country that has a special agreement with the UK.

If you’re planning on building a pension abroad, your rights will vary from country to country.

More information on pensions when moving abroad is available here.

Health

Moving abroad may mean sacrificing your entitlement to free health care. Many countries have no national healthcare service at all, while those that do may operate it in a very different way.

Ensure to research the healthcare in your chosen country: what’s available and are you entitled to it? If you will need private healthcare, are you able to afford it?

Home

While your initial instinct might be to sell your home in the UK, consider renting it instead. This means that should the grass not be greener abroad, a return to the life you had before is quick and painless.

However: you will need to inform your mortgage lender and insurance providers that the property is now being rented out. You’ll also need to find a trustworthy letting agent to deal with any problems while you’re overseas.

It’s also a good idea to provide the Land Registry with your new address since empty or rented properties can be targeted by fraudsters.

You will also need to notify the council, your bank and your utility companies of your move and should contact the Post Office about mail forwarding. If you have children, you’ll need to tell their school and local education authority when they will be leaving.

Your New Home

Buying a home abroad takes careful consideration. As well as the obvious pitfall of language barriers, many countries have strict laws regarding immigration and it’s not uncommon for scammers abroad to target foreigners wishing to move.

It’s also a good idea to avoid buying an unfinished property. Many Briton’s have been left with an unfinished and unsellable home on a derelict estate. Buying in an established area should protect you from such eventualities.

Thank you to FreeDigitalPhotos.net for the image.

Many of us dream of a move overseas, and who can blame us? The UK enjoys little sunshine, we work harder than most of Europe and the recession is hitting us hard.

But is a move to another country really the route to paradise? Or is it more likely to end in loneliness, financial trouble and a difficult return home?

Friends and Family

Few of us want to leave friends and family behind, making this the biggest obstacle many of us face when thinking about a move overseas.

Carefully consider whether you can handle this. Do you have a very close-knit group of friends or are you a social butterfly that makes friends everywhere they turn? If you’re someone who values your close friends while struggling to make new bonds, you may find life difficult in a new country.

Also, will you be able to afford to visit your friends and family and will they be able to visit you?

Language

Language barriers can make life very difficult abroad. Even those who do speak English may not welcome those who don’t try to speak their mother tongue.

Enrol in some language classes before moving abroad. This should give you a good head start and then, if you do make the move, ensure to get involved in local life and try to speak the local language. It will make your life much, much easier in the long run.

Culture

Visiting a country on holiday and moving there are two very different things. A week or two in a strange land only gives you a snapshot of what life there is actually like. If you’ve spent your entire holiday in a resort, you may have no idea of anything more than the country’s weather.

Research a country, and region, thoroughly, before actually committing to a move. Talk to other expats and visit at different times of year.

Buying Abroad

While buying property is never a straightforward process, purchasing a home overseas magnifies the difficulties and risks you face.

Beware of scammers who target foreigners with little understanding of the local language and laws.

Ensure you know the price of property in the local area and make sure to enlist the help of an unbiased and multi-lingual solicitor.

The fact is that many expats have landed themselves in deep trouble when their dream home turned into a nightmare. Treading carefully can help avoid such an eventuality, but remember that whenever you buy abroad, the risk of disaster striking increases dramatically.

Thanks to Liz Noffsinger for the photo.

If you’re looking to buy, you’re probably wondering whether to buy brand new – and who could blame you? New build properties are very appealing with their flawless brickwork, untouched kitchens and perfectly formed front lawns.

Yet underneath the obvious visual attractions, buying ‘new’ isn’t always a bed of roses. As with most things in life, buying a new build has its pros and cons and before you take the plunge and sign on the dotted line, you ought to weigh these up to decide if ‘new’ really is right for you.

The Bad

Value: while new builds tend to come affixed with very attractive sounding price tags, just as with buying a new car, buying a new house comes with a premium. Therefore in most cases, the minute you move into your new home, it will drop in value.

However, few people are in the housing market right now and as a result, many building companies are struggling to shift their finished properties. Needless to say, this leaves you a lot of room to haggle. Depending on the price you can secure the property for, buying new might just be worth it.

Build Quality: some new build homes are built to a great standard. Sadly, some aren’t. The problem is that unlike with older homes, the ‘newness’ tends to disguise any inherent issues.

Do your research before signing anything to ensure you don’t end up with an unstable and unsellable property a few years down the line.

In addition, ensure the property is covered by an NHBC warranty and insurance cover; this means you are insured against damage and defects caused by the build quality of the property.

Location: unfortunately, many new builds exist on purpose built estates that are usually some distance from the amenities of a town or city centre and the transport links to reach them.

Size: of course, this is a guideline rather than a rule but generally, new builds are much smaller than their period counterparts.

The truth is that we’re running short on space, so if you want a large new build, you’ll have to pay a premium for the privilege.

The Good

Energy Efficiency: new builds will almost always be built to be as energy efficient as possible. They will already have double glazing throughout, and will most likely have loft and cavity wall insulation along with an A-rated boiler.

Oh, and just to put a brighter note on the issue of size – smaller properties do tend to be more energy efficient since there is less space to heat.

Ease of the Move: in most cases, new builds will be ready to move into and often, if you buy at the right time, you will be able to choose the final specifications of your home.

Incentives: some developers desperate to free themselves from properties will offer ‘incentives’ to potential buyers.

This could be cash back, white goods or an offer to pay your stamp duty. You’re unlikely to get these sorts of incentives with an older property.

Thank you to Simon Howden for the image.

The reality is that increasing numbers of us are being forced to tighten the  purse strings.  While going out less and investing  in bill-slashing upgrades such as double glazed windows are obvious and common money-saving-moves to make, there’s something lots of us are doing each and every day while failing to realise its impact – wasting food.

According to The Guardian, the average British shopper throws away around 10% of their weekly shop; however, it’s probably safe to say that many shoppers are underestimating the amount of waste they create. Sadly, 8% of shoppers admitted to throwing away a massive quarter of all the food they buy.

These statistics mean that the average household could save around £50 a month, or £600 a year, simply through being more careful with their food shopping.

Plan Your Shop: 

The biggest mistake British shoppers make is going food shopping without a plan. This means we will get roped in by ‘241’ deals while buying more food than we need, or food that is likely to spoil before we get round to eating it.

Planning all your meals in advance, and then buying only the items needed for those meals will save you a great deal of money – not least because you won’t find yourself reaching for the takeaway menu upon realising you’ve got nothing left to make a decent meal from.

Don’t Go Shopping When You’re Hungry:

While you probably already know this, it’s a valuable rule and one you should always stick to. Going shopping when you’re hungry not only means you will probably buy far more food than you need; it’s also highly likely that you’ll end up with a cupboard full of junk.

Eat What Needs to Be Eaten:

Not what you want to eat. For starters, if you’ve planned your meals for the week, stick to the plan.

If you haven’t planned your meals, then look at what needs to be eaten soon and work your next meal around that.

This does take some discipline since it can be very tempting to eat what entices you. Yet if you choose to satisfy your cravings and order a takeaway or buy in something special for that night, other food items are going to go to waste instead.

You have then wasted the cost of the meal that’s been relegated to the bin, plus the cost of the meal you didn’t actually need to buy.

Don’t Waste Leftovers:

As well as buying too much food in the first place, another reason we waste so much food is that we cook far more than we can eat and the leftovers go in the bin.

If this happens, consider if the leftovers can be salvaged. Often, leftovers make a great lunch the next day; and a nice variation from the usual sandwiches and crisps. Alternatively, you can freeze them – ideal as a quick and easy ready meal when you’ve got no other food in.

Thanks to xedos4 for the photo

Loft and Cavity Wall Insulation

Easily the most cost-effective means to reduce your heating bills; loft and cavity wall insulation can save the average homeowner up to £145 a year.

Loft insulation is in fact easy enough to lay yourself and considering that an uninsulated house can lose around a quarter of its heat through the roof, there’s no excuse for not lining your loft!

Loft insulation starts at around £5 a roll. You can choose to get the work completed by a professional for a still relatively low cost (usually around £250). However, grants are available to some homeowners; the Energy Saving Trust can provide more information as to whether you qualify.

Windows

Needless to say, windows are a substantial source of heat loss. In fact, before central heating became commonplace many homes had limited and very small windows in order to reduce this loss.

If your home still has single glazing, you’re probably aware of the impact this has on both your heating bills and the comfort of your home (wintry drafts are never pleasant).

Of course, double glazing is expensive and it will take a number of years to recuperate the cost in reduced heating bills. However, double glazing will also make your home considerably warmer and more comfortable to be in during the winter months, while simultaneously reducing noise and increasing security.

If you do wish to invest in double glazing this winter, then our A rated windows will offer the maximum level of heat retention possible.

Alternatives

Secondary glazing involves fitting a second pane of glass (or plastic) inside the existing window frame.

This is cheaper than investing in double glazing (yet not substantially so) while also being less effective.

Secondary glazing is however an excellent option if you live in a conservation area or listed building and are unable to enjoy the benefits of double glazing.

Another, even cheaper option is to use a special plastic film that is fixed to the window. This can cost as little as £6 for three windows, yet needless to say, the price reflects the effectiveness.

In fact, plastic film will only really make a difference if you cover the entire frame of the window rather than just the glass. Evidently, this makes opening the windows very difficult.

Draught-Proofing

There are countless gaps in our homes that we usually never even think about. However, these are letting out the warmth from our homes, and letting the cold inside.

You can fill all the gaps and holes yourself for as little as £100, but if you want the peace of mind of employing a professional, expect to pay around £200.

Heating

An old or substandard boiler could be costing you a great deal in unnecessary heating bills.

Depending on how old or substandard your boiler is, a replacement should save around £225 each year. However, your replacement boiler will cost upwards of £2,500 meaning it will be a while before you see a return on your investment.

However, a new boiler should be safer and more effective too so, just as with investing in double glazing, financial savings shouldn’t be your only concern.

A popular topic in the House of Commons right now; Hove MP Mike Weatherley has called for squatting to become a criminal offence (currently it is only a civil offence), while many others back the idea that squatters should be left to their own devices.

Weatherley is currently backed by Lisa Dallimore, whose deceased mother’s home was ransacked by squatters following her death in June of this year.

The home was left empty whilst its sale was completed. In a mere 11 days the squatters managed to cause £10,000 of damage.

Mrs Dallimore was forced to go to court and attain an interim possession order before the squatters could be forced to leave the property.

Is this right? Disregarding the delicate subject of the death; is it ever right that a homeowner should have to resort to a court case in order to prove they are the rightful owners of their property?

Yet there is another side to the argument. Some in support of squatting claim the squatters do a valuable service by moving into uninhabitable properties and making them habitable again.

If this is indeed the case, perhaps an exception to the rule should be made. It’s not uncommon for wealthy landlords to buy properties yet leave them vacant for many months or even years. Is it right that these homes remain empty, when there are so many people living on the streets or on a friend’s sofa?

Many people say that criminalising squatting is criminalising the homeless; a vulnerable group that often rely on ‘squatting’ in order to remain safe from the dangers of the street. A group that is growing in size due to government cuts, redundancy and rising rents.

But can a line not be drawn somewhere? Does the issue have to be so black and white? It is undeniably a serious offence to break into and reside in someone’s home who may be on holiday or away shortly for another reason. If it is obvious the home is ‘lived in’, penalties should apply to those who choose to invade the homeowner’s space.

It should certainly not be necessary for the homeowner to resort to court in order to reclaim what is clearly theirs.

On the other hand, if squatters choose to put to use a property that is without doubt unlived in and neglected, then perhaps it isn’t such a crime to leave them in peace. So long of course, that they are looking after the property and the owner does not desire to make use of it.

There are five million people currently listed on local authority housing lists while an estimated 650,000 properties remain empty. If the government is not going to take steps to resume proper use of these derelict buildings (though granted, in some districts, they are), then why should those who do be criminalised?

In the case of Mrs Dallimore, it is clear that changes need to be made so that it is easier to remove squatters from that which is not theirs, yet at the same time, is it really necessary to tarnish all that are homeless with a brush of criminality?