Table of contents for 02-Feb-2017 in Chat

Tesco Classic Red Pesto, 190g, £1 We loved this tangy combo of sundried tomatoes, basil, cheese, cashew and pine nuts. Just stir it into hot pasta for a super-quick and tasty meal. Lidl Baresa Pesto Rosso, 190g, 99p Some like it hot! It's the addition of red chilli peppers that gives this the edge, delivering an unexpected, but welcome extra punch of heat. Aldi Specially Selected Authentic Italian Style Pesto Rosso, 190g, 99p A rich, deep flavour made this our fave. Use it with pasta, add a spoonful to soup to enrich it, or spread it over chicken before cooking. NEW Arla Organic Farm Milk, £1.75 for 2l, Tesco   Tesco Remember when cream rose to the top of the milk? This less-processed milk, available in whole and semi-skimmed,…

She had fourth-degree burns to 86 per cent of her body It was a typical Sunday afternoon. My boys Toby, 4, and Kaden, 2, were playing Spider-Man, and my daughter Tilly, 15 months, was pretending to cook with her toy kitchen. My hubby Kyle, now 30, was working while I was trying to tidy up. There was a pile of washing ready to go in the machine. While the kids were content, I quickly nipped downstairs. I’d been gone just two minutes when I heard a piercing scream. Tilly! Racing upstairs, I found her in the bathroom. She was sitting in the bath with just her nappy on, but a few inches deep in scalding water. Her skin was peeling off and was red raw. In shock, I grabbed a…

He exploded with rage, throwing me against a cupboard I saw the flowers even before I saw the man behind them. It was such a big bunch that I was lost for words. ‘These are for you,’ smiled Luke Adams. ‘They’re beautiful,’ I beamed. Luke and I had been chatting on Facebook for a while. I didn’t want to rush into anything new, but he seemed a perfect catch. Luke and I got on so well. That first date was so special. A real gent, Luke held doors open for me, saw me safely home at the end of the night. On nights out, he paid for everything, telling me he ran his own ice-cream business. ‘I want to look after you,’ he told me. He nicknamed me Princess…

My eyes lit up when I saw it. ‘I want to go on that!’ I squealed to my mates, pointing to the tallest amusement ride. I was 17 and we were at a funfair. I loved fast rides. The ride was about 114ft high and went up like a lift, then crashed down at lightning speed. So we joined the queue. When we got on, I plonked my bum down and pulled the safety belt over my belly. But there was a problem… ‘The belt won’t fit over my tummy,’ I gulped to my mates. I was too fat for the ride! I’d always been overweight. And since reaching my teens, I’d piled on the pounds even more. I’d devour big lunches and snacks at school. And at home, I’d…

Picking up my daughter Madison, 3 months, I noticed a small mark under her right eye. It’s just a scratch, I thought. But it kept getting bigger, so I took her to the doctor. ‘It’s a haemangioma,’ he explained – a red birthmark caused by a collection of blood vessels under the skin, forming a lump. It is fairly common, and is often nicknamed a ‘strawberry mark’. ‘Keep an eye on it,’ the doctor advised me. Haemangiomas usually disappear as a child grows up, but Madison’s kept growing, plus it was itchy. By the time she was 9 months, her strawberry mark was 1in round, swollen and getting close to her eye. She was referred to a dermatologist, who confirmed the mark was benign but worried it’d start affecting her…

We’d have an extra-fabulous family hol to Gran Canaria It was only earlier this year that I was smiling out from the pages of Chat Magazine flashing my big cheque! I’d just won the Full House playing 90-ball Bejeweled Bingo, winning a massive £1,000 jackpot. I’d been pottering around doing my laundry as the game played out. One by one, my numbers had come up – until the last one I needed flashed on screen. Number 87! My partner Chris, 33, who’d been cooking tea, was chuffed to bits – me, too! We’d put my winnings towards our annual summer holiday to Gran Canaria. The kids, aged 9 and 12, couldn’t wait and neither could Chris and I. I’d joined Chat Mag Bingo a few years earlier, after a mate…

What I loved My new duvet. It's about a million togs (what is a tog?!) and is SO toasty! Trouble is, I never want to get out of bed. What hacked me off Finally packing away the Christmas decs. All feels a bit sad now, though. I'm really tempted to leave the LED lights draped around the place. They add a little glow of happiness! What made me laugh A good mate trying to be sympathetic to my moaning about my lingering festive flab. ‘You're not fat,' she said. ‘Just easier to see…' Eeek! Hope your week is utterly illuminating!…

‘I can feel something sloshing about,’ I told Mum I wanted to see what had been invading me all this time! Breathing in deep, I fastened the button on my jeans. But as soon as I relaxed again, the waistband cut painfully into my tummy. ‘I don’t know what I’m doing wrong,’ I moaned to my mum Shannon, 43. We walked our dog every day and I went swimming a couple of times a week. But I could barely squeeze into my size-16 clothes. Over the next few months, it started to look like I had a beer belly. But I didn’t drink, I was only 16! ‘This can’t be normal,’ I said to my doctor. ‘You just need to eat healthily and exercise more,’ she said. But…

Serves 4 Prep: 25 min Cook: 35-40 min 1 lemon, zest and juice 100g caster sugar 100g soya margarine 2 eggs 100g self-raising gluten-free flour 4 tsp chia seeds 150g blackberries, plus extra to decorate Custard: 100g blackberries 1tbsp cornflour 2tbsp water 2 egg yolks 1 Heat oven to 180C/Gas 4, grease four metal pudding moulds and line base of each with a circle of nonstick paper. 2 Whiz zest in food processor with sugar, marg, eggs and flour. Stir in chia seeds and berries, and divide mix between moulds. 3 Cover tops with a square of oiled foil, then stand in a roasting tin and add boiling water to come halfway up sides of pudding. Cover top of tin with a large sheet of foil, and bake for 35-40…

‘Erm,it’s a bit... personal’ Pigeon chest Q I have a pigeon chest. My breastbone sticks out and my chest is pointed. I won't take my top off. Is there a cure? Floz, 27 A You may have been born with it, though a lack of vitamin D in childhood (rickets) or repeated chest infections could also be a cause. It's harmless, but if the look upsets you, an op can fix it. Grunting tic Q hen I'm stressed, I grunt and feel better temporarily. People think I'm odd, but I feel worse if I try and stop doing it. Cheryl, 20 A Sounds like a tic, a nervous habit that's hard to control. Tics can involve movement, eg head nods, or noises like grunts. Learning ways to replace the tic…

I had a Maths degree... But the nine-to-five wasn’t for me Mums – nothing gets past them. Somehow they always just seem to know… Calling my mum Henrietta in December 2015, my heart was racing. ‘Hi, Mum...’ I said excitedly. She didn’t miss a beat. ‘Where are you going now?’ she asked. ‘I got chatting to a skipper on an upcoming rowing expedition across the Atlantic Ocean with five other people. Someone dropped out, so he’s invited me,’ I gabbled. ‘At least you won’t be alone,’ Mum replied. ‘You don’t row, though…’ She had a point, but not being able to do something had never stopped me before. I’d got a Maths degree, but the nine-to-five wasn’t for me. Adventure was my calling… My parents split up when I was…

Mandara Spa Body Butter with Mango and Coconut, £5, Sainsbury's Nothing will pick you up quite like this fruity treat! Top tip: Long, hot baths can leave your skin really dry. Use a body butter to put the moisture back in. Champneys Heavenly Days Relaxing Body Souffle, £10, Boots Slather this all over before bedtime for a really good night's kip! Top tip: Swap your body lotion for a thick butter to nourish skin. Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula, £3.49, Superdrug A tried and tested favourite, this works wonders on even the scaliest of skin. Top tip: Apply extra on hard skin areas like hands and feet. Ragdale Hall Spa Time To Pamper Body Butter, £8.50, Marks & Spencer The perfect pampering treat, which leaves skin feeling like silk! Top tip:…

Around 300 people walked with us along Porth Beach Even as a puppy, I knew Walnut was special. The lovable young whippet was living with close friends of mine when I first met him in 1998. Besotted, I walked him for them every so often. So, in 1999, when my friends announced they were moving abroad, they asked if I’d like to be Walnut’s new owner. ‘Why not?’ I grinned. I was nuts for that mutt! Within days of moving him in to my bachelor pad, it was clear that it was Walnut filling a hole in my life rather than the other way round. I’ve suffered with depression for years, and was going through a tough time back then. But Walnut gave me a reason to get up every…

1 Take a ferry ‘cross the Mersey! Take the touring ferry to hear info on historical landmarks as you cross and take in Liverpool's breathtaking skyline. A must-do for music fans is a visit to The Beatles Story museum and the famous Cavern club. 2 Port Sunlight Village This picturesque, purpose-built, chocolate-box village was built by Lord Leverhulme at the end of the 19th century for his Sunlight Soap factory workforce. While you're there, take advantage of the free entry to Lady Lever Art Gallery. 3 Have an ice cream Nicholls of Parkgate ice cream is world famous for a reason - enjoy it as you stroll along the promenade! And history fans can stop off to look at Lady Hamilton's house, where Horatio Nelson used to visit his mistress.…

1 Preheat oven to 220C/ Gas 7, and cook a pack of 10 fish fingers according to instructions on pack. 2 Peel, cook and mash 500g of potatoes with a knob of butter and a splash of milk. Season well with salt and pepper. 3 Pan-fry a sliced red pepper in a glug of olive oil until soft. Add a 415g can of baked beans to mixture and heat through. Tip mixture into base of an ovenproof dish, layer fish fingers on top, then cover with mashed potato and sprinkle with grated cheese. 4 Put pie into the oven and bake for 20-30 min until piping hot and cheese is bubbling and golden. Serves: 4 Cost per head: 95p…

His only hope would be a bone-marrow transplant At Disney World, she rushed over and gave him a huge hug I stood watching my 11-year-old son Peter play with his scooter in the garden. For some reason, he loved swinging it around his ankles. ‘Stop that – your legs are black and blue!’ I told him. But did he listen..? Later that day, I noticed bruises on the tops of his arms, too. ‘How did you get those?’ I asked. ‘Dunno,’ Peter shrugged. Boys will be boys. But me and my hubby Phil, 55, agreed to take Peter to the GP just in case. I made an appointment but, the next day, the headmaster from Peter’s school rang. ‘We noticed Peter’s bruising. Has he been in a car accident?’ he…

I shrugged off the years of hurt. It was time to forgive and forget Something about his tone made my stomach lurch. Alarm bells rang… Two names written on my birth certificate. That was all I had to connect me to my past. I’d grown up in foster care, and I’d hated every moment of my early years. Treated badly, I’d rebelled. I just couldn’t wait until I was old enough to leave. My mum first contacted me when I was 14, but my contact with her was pretty infrequent. Unfortunately, Mum was battling mental-health problems and couldn’t give me the love that I so dearly craved. And… ‘Your father’s bad news,’ she warned me seriously when I turned 16. But I was determined to find out for…

You could say that my daughter Aaliyah and I live the high life. From our fifth-floor flat, you can see for miles around. I don’t usually let Aaliyah, 2, look out, but below us – 60ft below, to be precise – there’s a little recreation ground that she once caught a glimpse of. She’d seen older kids kicking balls around and playing down there. ‘Can we go and play, Mummy?’ she asked. In September last year, we’d just got in from an hour at the park, playing on the swings. Because we’re so high up, I always make sure the windows are shut tight and locked, even when it’s baking outside. ‘Right,’ I said to Aaliyah. ‘It’s lunchtime.’ But, just then, there was a knock on the door. It was…

I’m embracing my skin condition and want others to do the same! By Holly Dillon, 27, from South London I wanted to show people that beauty isn’t skin deep It started with a tiny patch under my chin. The skin was flaky, red, and the size of a five-pence piece. I was 14, and not too worried about it. But when the patch got bigger, I went to see my GP who told me it was probably acne or dry skin. Over the years, more flaky, red spots appeared on my body. I kept going to my GP and, at 18, I was diagnosed with psoriasis. The doctor said it’s a condition, where the immune system attacks healthy skin cells. Often perceived as ‘just a skin condition’, it has a…

I posted a pic of myself in a yellow dress to my ‘Steve’ account by mistake! Ripping open the sack of clothes that Mum had brought home from her job as a home help, my sister and I dived in. Then I saw it. A yellow dress with puffy sleeves. I tore off my shorts and T-shirt and slipped it on. Aged 9, I didn’t know why I felt wrong as a boy. But as I twirled in front of the mirror, I felt right. Lisa, 7, looked at me. ‘Steve, you look like a girl,’ she joked. I was glad. I kept the dress on all day and wished I could wear it forever. After that, whenever Mum, Janet, was out, I’d try on her clothes. But guilt set…

Aries 21 March - 20 April They say it’s better to jump than wait to be pushed, because it keeps the process under your control. In the next few days, you’ll see an open opportunity and an official notification; take one before you get the other. Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April - 21 May Should you save for an uncertain future, or live each day as if it were your last? Neither. Somewhere in the middle, if you look, there’s a compromise that’ll let you have some fun now and still have a little put by for later. Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May - 21 June Pick up a hot pan and you’ll burn yourself. Even if it’s been off the heat…

Abbie and Megan had got the part in the film! Placing my hand over my growing tum, I couldn’t wait for our first scan. ‘I’m definitely bigger than last time,’ I said, looking in the mirror. ‘Must be twins!’ my husband Gary, now 39, grinned. We’d joked about it. My stepmum Rhona, 58, had even recently visited a clairvoyant, who predicted two new babies on the way. But twins didn’t run in the family, so I dismissed it. We were already parents to Ellie, 5, and we’d decided one more baby would complete the family. But, at our 12-week scan, in August 2013, the sonographer pointed to the screen. ‘Notice anything different?’ she asked. ‘There are two babies!’ I replied, shocked. Tests revealed the twins were identical, and doctors said…

After Gregory’s death, the cruel letters kept coming The call came just after 5pm on 16 October 1984. Michel Villemin answered. ‘I’ve taken Gregory and drowned him in the Vologne river,’ a hoarse voice said. Michel ran to his brother and sister-in-law’s, nearby. Gregory, 4, was their son. When Michel got to Jean-Marie and Christine’s, in the village of Lepanges-sur-Vologne, they were in a state of panic. ‘Gregory’s gone!’ Christine said. Gregory had been playing in a sandpit in the family’s garden that afternoon, while his parents were inside. When Christine checked on him at 5pm, he’d vanished. The police were called. Michel told them about the call. Four hours later, Gregory’s body was found in the Vologne river, just as the caller had said. Next morning, a letter arrived…

Surprise baby Reading Charlotte's story I wasn't hungry… I was pregnant! (Issue 45, 10 November), I was amazed. Fancy carrying a baby around for 27 weeks without knowing it, and then giving birth a week later! Luckily Charlotte and her boyfriend Oliver have been able to get their heads around the fact that they are now parents, and couldn't be happier. I'm so pleased for them! Anna Hammett, Neston Bossy boots At the self-service counters, I overheard the man next to me talking to his son. ‘She’s very bossy,’ he said, referring to his self-service till. ‘She sounds like your mum!’ Tracey Griffin, Bristol Cheeky chap I knew my 8-year-old son Cameron had homework to do, but I couldn’t see evidence of work he’d done. When…

BIONIC BONKERS A single Edinburgh man was given an 8in bionic penis last year, after an accident left him without one. However, his mechanical member allows him to make love for hours and, it turns out, he's had to refuse many ladies' advances. Mohammed Abad, 44, says, ‘By the time I get home, I'm just too tired for sex.' PARTY POPPER Shoot, is the party over? A Florida woman, 32, remains in police custody after allegedly shooting at two house guests. She reportedly fired at the couple in her home after they became ‘too loud'. They were treated for gunshot wounds to their legs. WHAT THE DUCK? Blind rescue goat Polly suffered anxiety, often running around frantically. Until, one day, her owner bought her a child's duck costume. ‘As soon…