Indholdsfortegnelse for TAK2540 i Take 5

Years ago my friend suffered countless bouts of debilitating ‘tummy troubles’. A slice of toast and Vegemite, which she’d snacked on her whole life, or a little white wine suddenly made her sick. Finally, she was diagnosed with Coeliac disease – an extreme reaction to gluten. The diagnosis was a relief as at least she knew what it was. But it was a huge adjustment. Back then, no-one had heard of Coeliac disease. When we cooked for ourselves on group trips, we used separate barbies to avoid contaminating them and making her ill. At restaurants, she had very few gluten-free options and often just had meat and veg. We had to stress to the wait staff this was a serious condition. Thankfully, the world has now adjusted to gluten-free options.…

In 2023, Kristil Krug – a 43-year-old biochemical engineer living in Broomfield, Colorado – made one of the hardest decisions of her life. After 16 years of marriage, she ended things with her husband, Daniel, 44. The couple had three children together and, while they worked through dividing finances and arranging custody, they continued to live under the same roof. But the romance was over. The couple now slept in separate rooms, their lives now divided by resentment and mistrust. “She just couldn’t stand the man anymore,” one friend later recalled. That October, as Kristil juggled the strain of separation, she began receiving unexpected text messages. The sender claimed to be Jack Holland, her former high-school sweetheart, a man she hadn’t spoken to in decades. At first, the messages seemed…

Cheeseburger sliders with kimchi slaw MAKES 12 Vegetable oil, for frying 10 meatballs of your choice Cheese of your choice, sliced 12 sandwich loaf rolls or store-bought gluten-free mini burger buns Burger pickles 1 cucumber, sliced SLAW 1 clove garlic, minced 3 tbsp gluten-free Kewpie mayonnaise ½ tsp sesame oil 1 tsp white rice vinegar 1⁄8 tsp salt ½ tsp runny honey 1 tsp gluten-free gochujang paste 1-2 tsp chilli oil (optional but recommended) ¼ green cabbage, shredded 1 spring onion, finely sliced ½ carrot, peeled and shredded 150g gluten-free kimchi, roughly chopped 1 SLAW Add garlic, Kewpie, sesame oil, vinegar, salt, honey, gochujang and chilli oil (if using) to a large bowl and whisk well to combine. Add cabbage, spring onion, carrot and kimchi and toss until everything is…

Hi Take 5ers, At the start of this year, my son moved overseas for work. For years he lived a few blocks away and was always around for dinner or to help with odd jobs or watch movies with me. I miss his company and have made the effort to call him once a week. But the truth is, he’s never been a big talker. I want to stay connected with him, but I’m finding it hard to get a natural conversation happening. What should I do? Wendy*, 67 Apart from emails, how about recording little videos occasionally updating him on what’s been going on at home? He could respond through either email or video, whichever makes him more comfortable. That way, you get to stay in contact even though…

The man looked at my colouring-in and smiled. “Michelle is the winner,” he announced. “Yes!” I cried out. It was 1979 and I was seven, living on the air base in Penang, Malaysia, where my dad worked as an engineer for the RAAF. The prize for the competition was a ride in one of the military planes. Taking off through the clouds was exhilarating. As I watched the pilot press buttons and flick switches, I thought, I could do that. “I’m going to be a pilot when I grow up,” I told my father with a grin. “Good on you,” Dad said. My parents always encouraged me and my sister Jenn to believe we could do anything. I read endless books about flying. We had a set of encyclopedias at…

Idly scrolling through Tinder, I flopped onto my bed. “Where have all the good guys gone?” I sighed. The dating app seemed full of men after only one thing. After a string of awful dates, I was about to give up when a profile caught my eye. His name was Luke*. A 54-year-old paramedic, he looked gorgeous in every photo. I swiped right and sent a message. Moments later my phone pinged with his reply. We chatted easily and soon Luke asked me out. We met for coffee and hit it off. By the third date, we were ready to take things further. “Why don’t you come to my place and I’ll cook?” he offered. He lived in the countryside, so it made sense for me to stay the night.…

I delicately moved the pencil toward my eye. At 16, I was experimenting with eyeliner for the first time. Growing up in a strict Asian household, my mum, Angel, forbade me from wearing make-up. Even though I helped with her cosmetics business, she wanted me to embrace natural beauty and focus on school. “You’re too young for make-up,” she’d say. Secretly however, I’d been watching make-up tutorials online and had become fascinated with the beauty industry. With one eyelid hooded and the other monolid, I was determined to make my eyes look even. After school, I’d apply eyelid tape, hoping to create double eyelids through muscle memory. I wore fake glasses to hide the tape, but Mum still noticed. “It doesn’t look natural,” she said. “You look like you are…

Sweet & sour pork belly (Air Fryer) SERVES 4 PREP & COOK 35 MINS 1½ tbsp cornflour ½ tsp Chinese five spice powder 700g pork belly rashers, cut into 4cm pieces 2 tbsp light soy sauce 432g can pineapple chunks in juice 1 medium red capsicum, cut into 2cm pieces 1 large carrot, halved lengthways, thickly sliced on the diagonal 1 red onion, cut into thin wedges Steamed rice, sliced green onions, to serve SAUCE ¼ cup tomato sauce 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 2 tbsp brown sugar 1 Combine 1 tbsp cornflour with five spice powder in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Place pork in a large bowl. Add half the soy sauce. Toss to combine. Add cornflour mixture. Toss well to coat in mixture. 2…

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23 If you’ve been broken-hearted recently, the October Full Moon is imploring you to let it go and move onwards and upwards. Clinging to the past is a recipe for extended heartache. You’re about to start a new love cycle. ★ Believe in the long-lasting and fated feeling of wonderful love. SCORPIO Oct 24 - Nov 22 Mercury moves into your sign this week, which is great news. It means that even though you are all too often a person of very few words, it will be much easier for you to express yourself. Speak kindly. ★ Do speak up so people will be able to help you! SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 22 On the one hand, there are the people in your social…

Leaving the supermarket, I bumped into my friend Deborah who I hadn’t seen in months. I noticed she was carrying a bundle of papers. “Pageant application forms,” she explained. She was on the board for the Miss Rotorua Foundation, a local charity pageant which focused on contestants’ inner beauty and community spirit. “Want one?” she asked. For years I’d wanted to enter as a way of exploring my femininity but I had no modelling experience and little spare time. As a single mum to Ohomairangi, Eva-deane, Blake-Kali, and Rongo-Manaia, life was full on. Since separating from their dad, the kids and I got by on government benefits and had moved into an emergency housing motel. I took a form, hoping the pageant might bring some joy back into their lives.…

Carefully, I lifted one of my three-year-old son Jonathan’s pet turtles out of its tank. We had two of them – Willy and Wonka. “Mummy, can I touch him?” Jonathan asked. “Gently,” I warned. “Remember, they bite.” Smiling and nodding, he softly patted the turtle. Just then, the doorbell rang. I placed the turtle back in its tank. “Remember, don’t touch them unless Mummy is here,” I said. Those were the rules, and Jonathan always abided by them. Opening the door, I found my boyfriend, Leonard Valdez. “Hey you,” he smiled. Short and plain, Leonard wasn’t my usual type. But after a string of bad relationships, I just wanted somebody kind, who treated me well – and Leonard was attentive and charming. He was great with my daughter Juliette, 18…

Store marshmallows in the fridge to stop them going hard. Jill Doyle, Rockingham, WA. To prevent eggshells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling. Felicity Rooney, Sale, Vic. I use an ice-cream scoop when I make pancakes, to get the perfect amount of mixture in the pan. Lisa Bennett, Sunshine, Vic. Leftover ramen seasoning is delicious on popcorn. Dana Kovac, Lidcombe, NSW. Add some mayonnaise to eggs before you scramble them. Colleen Masters, Cronulla, NSW. I chop up onions as soon as I buy them and store them in the fridge so I can quickly throw some into my meals during the week. Carol O’Neill, Bundaberg, Qld. TAKE ACCEPTS READERS’ TIPS IN GOOD FAITH. HOWEVER, TAKE 5 CANNOT ASSURE READERS THAT THEY WILL BE EFFECTIVE…

Taking in my surroundings, I breathed in the warm evening air as I walked my dogs, Roxi and Buster. “What do you think, guys? Have we made the right decision moving here?” I asked. It was 2018 and I was 26. Just a few months earlier I’d moved from the Mornington Peninsula, where I grew up, to a new town in Gippsland, Vic. After doing my degree, I’d got a job as an English teacher. I didn’t know anyone, but it was only an hour and a half from my family, so I didn’t mind. After a string of bad relationships, I needed a reset. Moments later I noticed a tall man with dark hair approaching, an excitable puppy tugging on his lead. Seeing Roxi and Buster, the Kelpie pup…

Baklava cheesecake SERVES 8 PREP & COOK 1 HOUR 50 MINS 12 sheets filo pastry 75g butter, melted ½ cup blanched almonds, plus extra to decorate ½ cup unsalted pistachios, plus extra to decorate ½ cup walnut halves, plus extra to decorate ½ tsp mixed spice 500g cream cheese, chopped 1⁄3 cup caster sugar 1 tbsp cornflour 1 tsp finely grated orange rind 2 cups Greek-style yoghurt, plus extra to serve 3 eggs SYRUP 1 cup honey 2⁄3 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice 1 Invert base of a 24cm round springform pan (base measures 23cm). Grease base and side. Line base with baking paper. Place on an oven tray. 2 Layer half the pastry sheets together, brushing in between each sheet with butter. Press into prepared pan to line base and…

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Fresh produce faux pas Hubby was in charge of placing an order with our fresh produce provider while I was in hospital. We needed cherry tomatoes for a salad and while using the ordering app he didn’t realise ‘number of items’ meant punnets, not individual cherry tomatoes. He ordered 20! Miranda Vlahos, Wattle Glen, Vic. WE PAY $100 FOR EACH LETTER PRINTED Family traditions Recently my husband, Brendan, our son, James, 28, and I spent the weekend helping our other son, Dylan, 30, and his young family move into their first home. On the first night we were exhausted and surrounded by boxes when Dylan turned to us and said, “Verandah Camp?” It took me back almost 25 years when Brendan and I bought our first home. On the day…