Innehållsförteckning för TAK2513 från Take 5

We love a random story, and those about fate and miracles, and Sonia’s on page 14 has all three in spades! I won’t ruin it, and you can read it for yourself, but when Sonia had her unique experience, she said, “This is a Take 5 story!”. And now it’s on these very pages, and it’s a fun one. If you ever find yourself saying the same thing, do contact us and let us know, and you could see your story in print, too. We’ve got an astro special this week from page 23, for those born on the cusp of a sign, and what it means for your personality traits. All the single people in the office are totally inspired by Pamela’s fabulous story on page 10 this week,…

Jocelynn James, 45. With my face pressed against the police car, I felt the handcuffs tighten around my wrists. It was 2009, and I’d been arrested for fraudulent credit card use and possession of stolen property. Once again, I was using crime to fund my drug addiction. “You’re a bunch of pigs,” I snarled at the cops. “I’m not hurting anyone.” Two years earlier, at 26, doctors had discovered cancerous cells in my ovaries and administered prescription opioids while I underwent a hysterectomy. During my recovery, the drug prescription continued. Although I already had my daughter, Taylor, six, and son, Ethan, three, being unable to have more children left me depressed. The drugs became my only source of joy. When the doctor stopped writing scripts, I bought pills off co-workers…

We make healthy ‘doughnuts’ for kids by.coring an apple and slicing thick slices horizontally. Spread cream cheese across the top of each slice and add rainbow sprinkles. Nikki Matthews, Mackay, Qld. When I’m making homemade burgers, I mix a slice of bread with milk to form a gooey paste then mix it in with the meat. They taste so tender and yum. Joanna Murphy, Orange, NSW Cut the top off a garlic bulb and microwave it for 20 seconds, and the skin will just fall off. Helen Kang, West Auckland, NZ. When you’re travelling, you can wrap each end of a bottle of wine in two disposable nappies to protect it in your suitcase. Bree McDonald, Cranbourne, Vic. TAKE 5 ACCEPTS READERS’ TIPS IN GOOD FAITH. HOWEVER, TAKE 5 CANNOT…

Cradling her newborn baby, Luz Cuevas’s heart swelled with love. It was 1997, and she and her partner, Pedro, had just welcomed their little girl, Delimar. Originally from Puerto Rico, Luz and Pedro had recently moved to Philadelphia, USA, in search of a better life. But just 10 days after Delimar’s birth, tragedy struck. A fire broke out in the family’s home, engulfing the room where Delimar was sleeping. Luz and Pedro managed to escape the flames, and Luz ran through the smoke-filled house to save her baby. But when Luz reached her crib, it was empty. The bedroom window was open, which was strange considering it was a freezing cold night. Luz informed the firies that her baby had been stolen, but they dismissed her claims, attributing her reaction…

Cauliflower & ham pasta bake SERVES 4 PREP 20 MINS COOK 35 MINS 500g penne pasta 1 cauliflower, trimmed, cut into florets 300g tub sour cream 1 cup thickened cream 1 cup tasty cheese ½ cup chopped parsley, plus extra to serve Salad, to serve TOPPING 3 cups fresh breadcrumbs 150g ham, finely chopped ½ cup grated parmesan 1 tbsp thyme leaves 1 Preheat oven to 200°C. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook pasta 5 mins. Add cauliflower florets to same saucepan and cook a further 5-7mins until pasta is tender. 2 Drain, then transfer pasta and cauliflower to a 12-cup baking dish. Add combined sour cream, thickened cream, cheese and parsley. Mix well and season to taste. 3 TOPPING In a bowl, mix all ingredients…

EDITORIAL Editorial Director Kate Kirsten, Editor Rachel Williams, Deputy Editor Kim Bonett, Art Director Fiona Parsons, Picture Editor Vanessa Mckenzie ARE MEDIA Chief Executive Officer Jane Huxley, Director of Sales Andrew Cook, Director of Content Sally Eagle, General Manager Entertainment Susan Armstrong, Commercial Brand Manager Jessica Ashworth, Director of Marketing Carly Bowra Subscription enquiries: Customer Service 136 116 (Mon-Fri 8am-6pm AEST) International +61 2 9692 3535 Email magshop@magshop.com.auWebsite www.magshop.com.au Advertising enquiries:advertising@aremedia.com.auPublished by Are Media Pty Limited (ABN 18 053 273 546), 54-58 Park Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. ©2024. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without prior written permission. Take5 is a registered trade mark of Are Media. Use of trademark strictly prohibited. Licensing Inquiries:www.contentshop.com.au / syndication@aremedia.com.auPrinted by IVE Building D, 350…

Pamela DeNeuve, 75. As I chattered away, my friend Sheelagh gawped and almost spilt her coffee. “Honestly,” she chuckled. “At this point, you might as well just buy a dog!” I’d been telling her about my latest dating disaster. I’d met him on a dating app and he’d ticked all the right boxes – until he’d suddenly announced that he had a sexually transmitted disease! “And just what was I supposed to do with that information?” I laughed. But, truth be told, it was par for the course in my love life. After 10 years of marriage, I’d got divorced when I was 28 and had become a single mum to two under-fives. Money was tight, and I’d juggled my sales job with cleaning offices at the weekend and during…

1 MAKE A CAPSULE If you have a uniform or basic formula for your working week, separate this into a dedicated section of your wardrobe so it’s easy to get to quickly. Then identify what you’re missing or what needs replacing so you can keep this as an easy, go-to capsule for every day to do away with the need to think twice about styling an outfit. If you’re looking to refresh your everyday capsule, a good place to start is a great pair of relaxed denim jeans, a crisp shirt and classic flats. Denim and a crisp white shirt will always be in style These linen storage boxes are great for separating your clothing, whether it be to store after a season or tidy up a shelf. Flocked, slim…

If your birthday falls at the end of one zodiac sign and the beginning of another, you may have been described as ‘on the cusp’. This idea has sparked plenty of curiosity, but what does it actually mean? To qualify as a cusp sign, you must be born within a narrow 12-hour window during the Sun’s transition from one sign to the next – a much shorter timeframe than many assume. About one in 60 people are born on the cusp, but let’s debunk the biggest myth: being on the cusp doesn’t mean you have two zodiac signs. The sun’s transition varies slightly each year, which is why being born close to the cusp can create confusion. If your birthday is near the changeover, it’s necessary to have your birth…

Creamy bacon & sweet potato pasta bake SERVES 4-6 PREP 20 MINS COOK 40 MINS 500g pasta shells 2 tbsp olive oil 3 rashers rindless bacon, finely sliced 1 leek, white part only, finely sliced 600g sweet potato, peeled, cubed 120g packet baby spinach 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs ¾ cup tasty cheese, grated Salad, to serve  SAUCE  60g butter  ¼ cup plain flour  2 tsp thyme leaves  3 cups milk  ¾ cup tasty cheese, grated  1 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 Preheat oven to200°C. 2 In a large saucepan of salted boiling water, cook pasta following packet directions. Rinse under cold water and drain well.  3 Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat oil on high.  Cook bacon 2-3mins until golden. Add leek and sweet potato. Cook, stirring, 3-4mins until tender. 4  SAUCE In a saucepan,…

ARIES Mar 21 -Apr 20 You could finally gain some clarity or insight about the thing that’s been confusing you lately. So much is shifting, changing and even being upgraded. The best thing you can do for yourself now is be patient and trust. ★ The best is yet to come, so believe in that. TAURUS Apr 21 – May 21 If a situation isn’t in your hands, then it shouldn’t be on your mind. That is easier said than done. Let go of your need to control and just… let go! When everything is confusing and uncertain, then trust. ★ Above all else, the trust you need is within yourself! GEMINI May 22 – June 21 To say that your social circles have been shifting in the past almost…

What a mouthful Our son’s dog, Tank, thinks he is quite clever carrying three balls in his mouth! Margaret Thomas, Avondale, Qld. Born to be wild I loved reading Diann Henry’s story about how she and her husband Joe are still riding motorcycles in their 80s (issue 4). I’ve loved motorcycles my entire life, but my dad forbade me from getting on one when I was a teen, and when my husband, Ben, and I started a family in our early 20s, I felt it would be irresponsible and too risky to take up the hobby. Never learning to ride was always a regret of mine, but then five years ago, for my 50th birthday, Ben surprised me with a second-hand Harley-Davidson and a couple of riding lessons. From the…

My cheating husband would kill to have his perfect life Theresa White, 41. Watching my daughters pile sand on their dad’s legs, I smiled. “We’re going to make you a mermaid,” Rachel*, seven, said, as she and her sister, Sophie*, five, dug with their little spades. “Okay, but make me a pretty one,” my husband, Dallas, 41, joked. We’d been married five years and had another baby due. Dallas was a great dad and worked various jobs as a car salesman and restaurant manager, while I worked in finance. His mother, Karen*, 68, lived with us, too. But our marriage wasn’t perfect. Over the years, Dallas became controlling, making all the decisions. Most days, I was on edge, not knowing what mood he’d be in. When our youngest, Dane* was…

Meg Alexander, 36, Newcastle, NSW. Lying on my bed, I hummed along to the songs on the radio. “It’s competition time,” the host announced. Excitedly, I grabbed my phone and entered. It was 2005, and at 16, I’d been obsessed with the radio since I was little. “I’m going to host my own show one day,” I told anyone who’d listen. That year, I left school and enrolled in an introduction to commercial radio course at the community radio station at Newcastle Uni. I loved every minute of it, but due to my age, no radio stations would take me on afterwards. “Time to get a real job,” my mum, Daphne, said. I started working at Woolies before moving on to Coles, where I worked on the check-out. Unwilling to…

Choc-mint biscuits MAKES 30 PREP 15 MINS COOK 30 MINS (PLUS COOLING) 250g butter, softened ¾ cup caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups plain flour 1⁄3 cup Dutch cocoa powder 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 50g peppermint crisp bar, crushed CHOCOLATE ICING 1½ cups icing sugar mixture ¼ cup Dutch cocoa powder ¼ cup boiling water ½ tsp peppermint essence Preheat oven to 180°C. 1 Line 2 oven trays with baking paper. 2 In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla together until pale and creamy. Add combined sifted flour, cocoa, baking powder and soda. Mix well to form a dough. 3 Roll tbsp of mixture into balls. Place on trays, 4cm apart, flattening slightly. Bake in 2 batches,…