Innehållsförteckning för TAK2532 från Take 5

This week alone, I’ve received calls and texts from Chile and Ghana (don’t know anyone there), a recruitment officer offering me a too-good-to-be-true job (I’m not looking) and apparently I have several unpaid road tolls, though I don’t own a car. I’m flattered these people care so much for me, but I ain’t buying it. It’s alarming how sophisticated scammers are these days, and with the number of scam texts, emails and calls, it’s easy to see how some people can fall for at least one of them. That’s why I loved reading Professor Dr Pamela Faber’s story on page 10 this week. She’s ‘killed off’ her very alive husband to snare these catfishing scammers and warn others not to take the bait – and she does it all with…

I was jilted at the altar so Dad took me to Hawaii instead! Tobi Elder, 49. Unzipping my suitcase, I pulled out my new $50 dress with shaking hands. What a waste, I thought, as tears slid silently down my cheeks. It wasn’t an expensive dress, but I’d fallen in love with it the moment I saw it. I’d imagined how pretty it would look as I walked barefoot down the beach toward my waiting fiancé, with the sun setting behind us in O‘ahu, Hawaii. Now it was just a sad reminder of everything I’d lost. Just 36 hours earlier, I’d been completely blindsided. My engagement had ended two days before we were meant to fly to Hawaii for our wedding. We’d gotten engaged the previous Christmas after two and…

When she wiggles her hips, I get my wife back Col Blake, 79, Clovelly, NSW. As the petite woman with the long blonde hair danced, her eyes sparkled with delight. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. It was 1966, and I was at a dance at the Hurstville Civic Centre. “She’s been knocking back blokes all evening, but I’m going to give it a go,” I told my mate Russ. “See you at the door,” he quipped. Taking a deep breath, I walked up to her. “Would you like to dance?” I asked nervously. To my amazement, she grinned at me. “Sure,” she said. She later told me she’d been waiting for me to ask her all night. Shirley, 20, was the girl of my dreams. She was quiet…

Chicken & mushroom pot pies SERVES 4 PREP 20 MINS COOK 40 MINS 300g Swiss brown mushrooms, quartered 1 large onion, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 500g chicken thigh fillets, cut into 3cm pieces ½ cup cream 2 tbsp plain flour 1½ cups chicken stock 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, just thawed, quartered 1 egg, lightly beaten 2 tsp fennel seeds Mixed salad leaves, to serve 1 Heat a well-oiled, large frying pan over a medium heat. Sauté mushrooms, onion and garlic for 4-5 mins until tender. Add chicken. Cook, stirring, 4-5 mins until golden. Set aside. 2 In a small saucepan, combine cream and flour, stirring until smooth. Gradually add stock. Stir over a medium heat until mixture thickens…

Sole memories My son Reece, 24, is a landscaper and kept complaining of how painful his feet were after a long day at work. Reece refused to see a podiatrist so I decided to order him a pair of shoe inserts. “They’re made from memory foam. Just give them a try!” I said when he inspected them doubtfully. Reece wore them to work and when he came home I was eager to hear if they’d helped. “Well, my feet still hurt but at least when I walk into a room I remember why I’m there!” Reece replied cheerily. Florence Matherson, Merrylands, NSW. WE PAY $100 FOR EACH LETTER PRINTED Spoiled for choice I’m so overwhelmed by the choices in viewing material these days. I subscribe to three streaming services and…

I went from refugee to record breaker Evette Quoibia, 33, Rockbank, Vic. The scent of charcoal and spices filled my nostrils. Aged 12, I lived in a refugee camp in Ghana with my parents and eight younger siblings, after fleeing war-torn Liberia. When I wasn’t mixing spices and dreaming up meals, I was helping Mum prepare food, which gave me a great sense of purpose. I was 15 when she came to us with life-changing news. “We’ve been accepted to live in Australia,” she said. In August 2007, we settled in Toowoomba, Qld. I stayed connected to my roots by working in African restaurants, using the techniques Mum taught me. After finishing school, I moved to Melbourne to work as a chef. At 25, I had a baby boy, Wisdom,…

Cheese & spinach gnocchi bake SERVES 4 PREP 10 MINS COOK 25 MINS 500g packet fresh potato gnocchi 250g tub spreadable cream cheese, softened 1 ½ cups milk 120g baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped 1 cup grated mozzarella 100g ham, chopped 3 green onions, sliced ½ tsp dried chilli flakes ½ cup panko breadcrumbs 20g butter, melted Mixed salad, to serve 1 Lightly grease an ovenproof dish (8-cup capacity). 2 Plunge gnocchi into boiling water for 1 min. Drain. 3 In a large bowl, whisk cream cheese and milk together until smooth. Add gnocchi, spinach, half of the mozzarella, ham, onion and chilli flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into dish. 4 In a bowl, combine breadcrumbs, butter and remaining mozzarella. Sprinkle evenly over mixture in dish. 5 Cook…

Tracey Goldsworthy, 54, Cockatoo, Vic. The tiny bundles of white fur lay bloodied in the grass. It was 2015 and we lived on a small acreage in a farming area. Foxes had killed so many poor little lambs, and it made my heart sore. Their bodies lay strewn across a paddock next to the spot where the school bus stopped for my boys Josh, 17, and Matt, 15. They’d cope, but I hated the thought of younger kids witnessing such slaughter. Just then, I saw a lady who worked on the farm. “Can’t the lambs be put in a shed at night?” I asked. “It’s not a legal requirement,” she said with a shrug. I was shocked, but googling later I saw she was right. Primary produce, like cows and…

LEO July 24 -Aug 23 After everything you’ve been through in the recent past, you definitely deserve some rest and recuperation. So this week, if you can, while things are likely to be a little quieter, take some time out. Take some actual naps if you can. ★ Sometimes, even roaring Leo lions need to rest! VIRGO Aug 24 – Sept 23 Hopefully you’re already starting to see how the events of the past year have unshackled you from someone or something that you needed liberation from. Don’t get into the habit of complaining! It can be really addictive. ★ Focus on positive thoughts. LIBRA Sept 24 -Oct 23 Whether you’re aware of it or not, you’re now on a time crunch. You have a couple of years to work…

My stepsister delivered me to devils and ruined my childhood Cheryl O’Keeffe, 43. My dad reached into his pocket and pulled out a few notes. “Keep her busy, will you?” he said, glancing at my stepsister, Lisa. I was five. Lisa was 15 and had moved in with us two years earlier when her mum started dating Dad. My brother Stephen, who was seven, and I lived with our father because our mum struggled with mental health issues. But there was no sisterly bond between Lisa and me. She couldn’t stand me and I was terrified of her. Snatching the money, Lisa stuffed it into her pocket. “We’ll go horse riding,” she said sweetly to Dad. My heart fluttered with excitement. Really? But the stables never came. Not on that…

I put smaller kitchen appliances like my air fryer, blender and rice cooker on their own rolling plant stands that I got from the nursery. Whenever I need that appliance, I can wheel it out from the bottom of the pantry. Susan Levinsky, Rouse Hill, NSW. Add lemonade to your scones instead of milk to make them lighter. Edith Wheeler, Nelson, NZ. For dog walks, tie a couple of waste bags to the lead and only use them in an emergency if you’ve run out of your usual bag supply. Gina Russo, Bracken Ridge, Qld. Microwave a lemon for 15-20 seconds before you squeeze it and you’ll get more juice out of it. Cherie Wheeler, Sunshine West, Vic. I’ve started chopping up vegetables and breaking up lettuce leaves as soon…

A hot water bottle did THIS to me Jade Parsons, 34. Clutching my tummy and wincing in pain, I shuffled into the kitchen and flicked the kettle on, hoping for a bit of relief. The cramps twisting through my stomach were all too familiar – the kind that made me curl up and groan. It was that time of the month, and as usual, my body was punishing me for it. “I’m going to water the plants,” my wife Julie, 40, called from the other room. “Okay,” I replied weakly, barely able to stand upright. I reached for my trusted companion in times like these – a brown rubber hot water bottle with a soft leopard print cover that I’d been using for the past few years. Just a few…

Caramel apple crumbles SERVES 4 PREP 15 MINS COOK 25 MINS 4 large or 6 medium apples, peeled, cored, cut into 2cm wedges ½ tsp ground cinnamon 400g can caramel top’n’fill ¼ cup thickened cream ½ tsp salt Vanilla ice-cream, to serve CRUMBLE ½ cup self-raising flour ½ cup raw sugar 1⁄3 cup traditional rolled oats 90g chilled butter, chopped 1 Place four ovenproof dishes (1½-cup capacity) on an oven tray. 2 In a medium saucepan, combine apples and cinnamon. Cook, covered, over a medium heat for 6-8 mins, shaking occasionally until just tender. Remove from heat. Cool 15 mins. 3 CRUMBLE In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar and oats. Using fingertips, rub in butter to resemble crumbs. 4 Add half caramel, cream and salt to apples. Mix…

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