Innehållsförteckning för TAK2518 från Take 5

Isn’t it mind-blowing how fast technology is changing! I grew up with landline phones and no computers at school, in a time when you played out with all the other kids until dark, and that’s when you knew you had to be home! It wasn’t until recently that I learnt of ChatGPT. The online, artificial intelligence tool can process our natural human language and generate a response. So, we can ask it a question, and it will give us an answer based on all the information on the internet. I’ve asked it for recipes high in iron and low in cholesterol, and in seconds, there were 10 in front of me! It definitely saved me a lot of research. Features Editor, Tash, used it when she was planning a hens’…

Darya Zelentsova, 44. The mighty Viking stepped up to his plinth. Wielding an axe in one hand and a shield in the other, he turned his helmet-adorned head to the camera. Baring his teeth, it was clear he meant business. Then, at the last second, he stuck out his tongue, pulling a funny face. Click! went my camera. “That’s the shot,” I said, laughing. My grand Viking was actually my pet ferret Boudicca, who is often the subject of my photo shoots. But I didn’t set out to turn Boudicca into a model! In 2020, my beloved cat Behemoth passed away. He was very special with a unique, loving personality. Friends assumed I’d get another kitty, but I felt I’d had my best cat already, and was open to a…

I jilted my fiancé on my wedding day – and I’m so glad I did! Alexis Saya, 24. I stood in the floor-length white gown, grinning at the three ladies in front of me. “Oh Lex, you look beautiful,” my mum, Chris, 59, said, her eyes brimming with tears. It was November 2022, and I was wedding dress shopping with my mum, nanna and my fiancé’s mum. “I think this is the one,” I said, admiring my reflection in the mirror. A flutter of excitement filled my belly, and it felt good to finally be excited about getting married. Things with my fiancé, Adam*, hadn’t been easy. We met when I was 16, and were in school together. I moved in with him just before I turned 18, and within…

Bombay potato and spinach pies over the page Bombay potato and spinach pies MAKES 8 PREP 30 MINS COOK 55 MINS 750g potatoes, unpeeled 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 brown onion, diced 1 carrot, diced 3 tsp finely grated fresh ginger 2 garlic cloves, crushed 3 tsp garam masala 2 tsp ground cumin ½ tsp ground turmeric ½ tsp ground chilli 60g baby spinach leaves 2⁄₃ cup frozen peas 4 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry, just thawed 4 sheets frozen puff pastry, just thawed 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 tsp cumin seeds Plain yoghurt, mango chutney, to serve 1 Place potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring to boil over high heat. Boil for 10 mins or until just tender. Drain well. Stand for 5 mins. When cool…

I lost my hair and gained a community Kimberly Di Benedetto, 35, Adelaide, SA. BEFORE AFTER Grabbing my hair dryer, I blasted it over my freshly washed hair. Aged 19, I was getting ready to meet some girlfriends for dinner. But as I brushed my locks, I noticed clumps of it collecting in the bristles. “Mum! My hair is falling out!” I screamed. She had suffered with hair loss from an early age, too. “It’ll be okay love,” Mum said, hugging me. But the next day, I went straight to the doctor, and explained that three months earlier, a close friend had passed away unexpectedly. Ever since, I’d been losing more of my hair than usual. “Due to your severe stress and genetics, it’s safe to say you have female…

TAURUS Apr 21 -May 21 Just like the New Moon that happened in your sign, if you can see life with a fresh perspective over the next couple of months, you’ll make choices based on where you’re going, not where you’ve been. ★ This week will help you see things from a new perspective. GEMINI May 22 – June 21 Even if you’re feeling slightly overwhelmed by recent changes, there are more to come. Your main mission now is to not let distractions derail you. You have enough information to know what you need to do. It’s time to focus and execute. CANCER June 22 – July 23 Life doesn’t have to work out just like you expected it would to be good. In fact, life would be boring if…

Martha Mok, 46, Sydney, NSW. Butterflies fluttered around my stomach as I applied a coat of lippie, before standing back and checking my reflection in the mirror. Not bad, I thought. It was 2018, and I was throwing myself back into the dating game after recently divorcing my husband of 19 years. Wanting to make a good impression on my date, I’d bought myself a new outfit and spent time on my hair and make-up. I really hoped my efforts would be appreciated by the man that I was about to meet. We’d been matched on the dating app eHarmony and after chatting for a few days, we’d arranged to meet at a restaurant, an hour’s drive away from where I lived. Arriving at the restaurant, I parked my car…

Steve Bastian, 42, Albion Park, NSW. My heart started to race as I looked down at the ultrasound photos my girlfriend had just placed in my hand. “I’m pregnant,” she confirmed. Speechless, I just nodded my head. It was 1999, and at 16, I felt way too young to be a father. I also had no positive father figures in my life to look to for guidance. I’d grown up on an Aboriginal mission in Cummeragunja, NSW. My parents split up when I was three and I lived with my mum and stepfather, who physically and mentally abused me and my mum. I reminded him of my father, who he hated. “If you don’t call me Dad you’ll get a hiding!” he’d threatened. I had a lot of anger towards…

Peach, apricot & ginger cobbler SERVES 6-8 PREP 15 MINS COOK 35 MINS 825g can peach halves in natural juice 410g can apricot halves, drained ½ cup milk ½ cup brown sugar ¼ cup golden syrup 40g butter, melted 1 egg 2 cups self-raising flour ½ tsp ground ginger ¼ tsp ground nutmeg ¼ cup flaked almonds pouring cream, to serve 1 Preheat oven to 80°C. 2 Drain peaches, reserving ¼ cup juice. Arrange peaches and apricots, cut side up, in a shallow, 6-cup baking dish. Drizzle with reserved juice. 3 In a jug, whisk milk, sugar, syrup, butter and egg together until well combined. 4 Sift flour, ginger and  nutmeg together into a large bowl. Add milk mixture and using a large metal spoon, fold into dry ingredients (take care not to overmix).…

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 Anna Quinn, 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.au Website www.magshop.com.au Advertising enquiries: advertising@aremedia.com.au Published 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.au Printed…

Michelle Faye, 42, Mudgeeraba, Qld. Slamming the car door, I turned on the ignition and raced off. “Oh no!” I cried, looking in the rear-view mirror. My husband, Daniel, was following me in his ute. He overtook me then slammed his brakes on. I flew into his tow bar and heard the front of my sedan crunch. Thankfully, the car still worked, so I kept on driving until I got to the hotel where I had been staying. It was 2017, and I’d been married to Daniel McTiernan, 39, for 12 years. At first, he’d been sweet and attentive, but over the years he’d become manipulative and controlling. Recently, he’d also become violent. I’d taken our four kids to a hotel for a break from him but had snuck home…

Since the launch of ChatGPT, millions have asked the chatbot their deepest sex-related questions. But AI doesn’t always know best. When it comes to intimacy, we need reliable, evidence-based information. Now, two of Australia’s best sexual wellness experts, Cam Fraser from We-Vibe and Alice Child from Womanizer, answer the questions everyone’s asking ChatGPT, but are too afraid to ask a real human. How can I improve my sex life? Alice: Good lovers are made, not born. Go out and learn as much as you can about sex, pleasure, communication and bodies. Find the resources that work for you, whether that’s podcasts, books, online courses, workshops or seeing a couples counsellor or sexologist. Broaden your vocabulary when it comes to your own boundaries and desires, so you can also talk openly…

Mini quiche puffs MAKES 12 PREP & COOK 30 MINS 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, just thawed 4 semi-dried tomatoes, quartered 2 tbsp tasty cheese, grated ¹⁄₃ cup cream 1 egg 1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease 12 mini muffin recesses. 2 Using a 6cm round cutter, cut 12 rounds from pastry. Ease into recesses to line. 3 Place a tomato quarter and a little cheese in each case. 4 In a jug, whisk cream and egg together. Season to taste. Pour evenly into cases. Bake 10-15 mins, until puffed and golden. TOP TIP: Try other fillings, such as brie and prosciutto or corn and green onion. Finger sandwiches MAKES 18 PREP 20 MINS 250g crème fraîche or sour cream 1 green onion, finely chopped 1 lemon, finely grated…

A freak accident in the kitchen put my boy in hospital… Emma Sturman, 30, Dawesville, WA. Wiping my brow, I turned to my son Landen, who was watching a show on his iPad. “Fancy some lunch?” I asked. “I’m starving.” It was January of this year and I’d been cleaning all morning, readying for our rental home inspection, taking place the next day. “You’re busy,” Landen, 10, replied. “I’ll just make myself a cheese toastie.” “Okay, great,” I said. “I’ll have leftover spaghetti from last night.” I popped the spaghetti into the microwave to reheat. As I did this, Landen grabbed a clean plate and cutlery out of the open dishwasher, which hadn’t been emptied yet, and began putting together his toastie. As I sat down to eat my food,…