Innehållsförteckning för TAK2542 från Take 5

As a twin, I grew up always having my sister by my side. Our parents would let us walk to school, the shops and later go to parties, but they’d drill one saying into us – “just stay together”, clearly believing there’s safety in numbers. My sister and I have always been very different, but we were best friends because we followed what our parents told us. Reading Erin’s story on page 8 struck a chord for that very reason. She was an only child and always yearned for a sibling, so she could have what my twin sister and I do. I won’t spoil the story for you but let’s just say she got more than she bargained for! So happy for her to find that connection! I love…

My heart raced as I heard the front door open. It was April 2015, I was 27, and I couldn’t wait for my husband, Glenn, to walk into the kitchen. His face lit up the second he saw the baby shoes, children’s book, and positive pregnancy test sitting on the benchtop. “You’re going to be a dad!” I cried. We hugged each other tight, squealing with joy. Only two months earlier, Glenn and I had married in my parents’ backyard. We’d danced barefoot under the stars, laughed with friends, and stayed up until the small hours drinking with our loved ones. I’d planned our wedding in just four months because I couldn’t wait a second longer to be Glenn’s wife. Despite being a burly, tattooed guitarist, he was the kindest…

Passionfruit mango panna cotta bars MAKES ABOUT 18 BARS PREP 30 MINS COOK 30 MINS 125g butter, softened ⅓ cup caster sugar 1 egg 1 cup plain flour ½ cup desiccated coconut 395g can sweetened condensed milk ⅓ cup lemon juice ⅓ cup passionfruit pulp, plus extra to decorate Fresh mango slices, to decorate MANGO PANNA COTTA TOPPING 1 large (250g) mango 2½ tsp powdered gelatine 2 cups thickened cream ¼ cup caster sugar 1 Lightly grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm x 30cm lamington pan, extending paper 5cm above pan edges. 2 Beat butter and sugar in small bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg. Beat until combined. Stir in flour and coconut until combined. Using wet fingertips, press mixture evenly…

Opening my door, I let out a sigh. My fellow steelworker, Marlon, 40, was waiting with a grin. “Are you ready to dance?” he said. “I can’t back out now, can I?” I laughed. It was April 2017 and Marlon, who’s of Colombian descent, was dragging me to a Latin dance class. I’d just broken up with my girlfriend and he was sure it’d help shake off my blues. My mates at the steelworks laughed when they heard I was going. “Hope you can find the beat,” one teased. The class was in Adelaide, a four-hour drive from Whyalla, SA, where I lived. With little dancing experience, I was a nervous wreck as we entered the hall. Everyone greeted Marlon smiling, speaking Spanish. “This is Stuart,” Marlon said, putting his…

Beauty bungle My sister, Nancy, stayed with me while renovating her bathroom. She forgot her toiletries bag so I told her she could use mine. I start work early and Nancy works evenings so I didn’t see her for a few days. “Have you been getting some sun?” I asked over Sunday breakfast, taking in Nancy’s deeply tanned face. Then I noticed the white rings around her eyes and a distinct line down the sides of her face and under her chin where the tan abruptly stopped. Nancy thought she’d been using a normal moisturiser from my vanity but she’d actually been using a fake tan serum! Leanne Addison, Underwood, Qld. Ageless love WE PAY $100 FOR EACH LETTER PRINTED I agree with Kim that age is just a number…

My darling husband, Peter, looked at me across the dining table. “I think it’s a good idea,” he said at last. I exhaled a long sigh of relief. “Really?” I asked, hardly believing it. “I do,” he replied, smiling. “You deserve it.” Peter, 64, had always been steady and accommodating, but even so, what I’d just proposed was bold: I wanted to move across the world to London without him. It was 2009 and we’d been happily married for nearly 30 years. Our four daughters Natalie, 28, Georgina, 26, Annabel, 24, and Emily, 21, had all grown up and flown the nest. Until recently, we’d lived a very traditional life – Peter a busy GP and me at home raising our girls. When they left for university, I decided to…

Opening my front door, I called out to my husband, Michael. “I’m in here,” he hollered from our bedroom. I frowned. His voice sounded strange. It was May 2022 and I’d just come home from my bookkeeping job. I found Michael, 67, lying on our bed, grimacing. “What’s going on?” I asked him. “You need to take me to hospital,” he said. “Why?” I gasped, fearing he’d had a heart attack. “I cut my toe a couple of weeks ago when trimming my toenails,” he admitted. “I went to the GP today and he said it’s badly infected.” I was stunned. Throwing his arm over my shoulder, I helped him hobble to the car. “Oh Michael, why didn’t you say anything?” I asked. “I didn’t want to make a fuss,”…

A single hot tear traced a line down my cheek and I brushed it away with a trembling finger. “I hate my job,” I confessed to my friend. “I don’t know how much longer I can stomach it.” “Quit then,” she said. It was 2021, and I’d been working at a top accounting firm in Sydney for three years after graduating with a degree in Accountancy and Business Law. Growing up, my parents drilled into me the value of getting a degree and climbing the corporate ladder. Most of my friends followed the same script: get a job, buy a house, marry, start a family. I’d never wanted that kind of life, but I couldn’t see a way out. At first, I was brimming with naive excitement. But the shine…

Elyse Pahler, 15, was the eldest of four sisters and a bright, active teenager. Known for her athleticism, academic achievements, and close friendships, she was the kind of girl who seemed to have the world at her feet. On the evening of July 22, 1995, Elyse was at home with her family, enjoying a quiet night of television and conversation. But hours later, her mother Lisanne noticed she was gone. Panic set in immediately. Flyers were printed, neighbours canvassed, and tips poured in, yet for months, Elyse’s whereabouts remained a mystery. Among her school peers were three boys – Royce Casey, 16, Jacob Delashmutt, 15, and Joseph Fiorella, 14. They were outsiders with a fascination for death metal. They played in a band called Hatred, modelled after Slayer, and were…

Mexican beef & corn salsa cups SERVES 4 PREP & COOK 30 MINS 1 red onion, chopped 1 tbsp Mexican chilli spice blend 500g beef mince 375g jar medium thick and chunky salsa 2 pack cos hearts lettuce, trimmed, leaves separated Tortilla strips, to serve SALSA 1 large corn cob, husks removed 1 small red capsicum, chopped 1 avocado, chopped ⅓ cup chopped fresh coriander, plus extra leaves to serve 1 tbsp lime juice, plus wedges to serve 1 Heat an oiled, large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add onion and spice blend. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 mins, or until onion is soft. Add mince. Cook, stirring over a medium-high heat, to break up mince, for about 5 mins, or until browned. 2 Add ¼ cup…

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Holding my boyfriend Kyle’s hand as we strolled along the sand, I felt so happy. “I love you, Desiree,” Kyle said softly. “I want to spend my life with you.” “I feel the same,” I smiled. After a toxic relationship, I’d feared I’d never trust again. But Kyle swept me off my feet. I’d been introduced to Kyle, 24, by a mutual friend two months earlier. Five months on, Kyle moved in and life felt blissful. After a year together, we started trying for a baby. When I fell pregnant soon after, I was over the moon. But as my bump grew, Kyle changed. He stayed out late, coming home drunk. “What’s going on with you?” I asked one night. “Shut up, slag,” he snapped. I was stunned. The next…

When it comes to keeping our parents close no matter what the situation, we’ve all heard the seemingly harmless sayings – “blood is thicker than water”, “... but they’re your mum/dad” and “family is everything”. Yet, more adults are bucking this idea. Parent-adult child estrangement – the sustained physical or emotional distance or both – is rising thanks to a generation of adult children who aren’t willing to accept abusive authoritarian or neglectful parenting. “Deciding to cut ties with your parents is a deeply personal and complex decision, influenced by various factors and circumstances,” says psychologist Noosha Anzab. “It is important to approach such a situation with careful consideration of your circumstances.” As Noosha explains, signs you should distance yourself from a parent differ, depending on your experience. While the…

CHAI BELLE The fluffy kitten was gently placed in my lap. “You’re such a beautiful girl,” I cooed. It was 2011, and I’d just adopted her from a Ragdoll cat breeder. I named her Chai because of her soft, creamy colouring. When I brought her home, she was docile and unusually quiet. I’d fostered kittens for over 15 years, so I knew something wasn’t right. Next day, I took her to the vet. Poor Chai was diagnosed with ear, intestinal and respiratory infections. She needed treatment and strict quarantine from other cats for three months. The treatment was effective, but because she missed early socialisation, she was skittish around my two other cats. Yet she was incredibly close to me. We shared a soul connection. When Chai was five, I…

Lamb, haloumi & kale salad with chimichurri dressing SERVES 6 PREP 20 MINS COOK 20 MINS 600g lamb rump steaks, trimmed 2 tsp olive oil 1 small red onion, thinly sliced 1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves sliced 250g haloumi, thickly sliced 2 small tomatoes, seeded, thinly sliced 200g packet crunchy combo of sprouts CHIMICHURRI DRESSING 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley 2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh oregano leaves 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp red wine vinegar ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 CHIMICHURRI DRESSING Combine ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. 2 Cook lamb on a heated, oiled grill or barbecue plate 4 mins each side until cooked as desired. Transfer to a plate. Cover tightly with foil and rest…

While many people think of hotels simply as a place to rest after a long day of sightseeing, for some, they’re part of the whole experience. These unusual and unique hotels ARE the destination! From a hotel constructed out of ice to an underwater bedroom – this is the stuff holiday memories are made of. Looking for something a little bit different for your next stay? Then you can’t look past these quirky hotels… THE MANTA RESORT – PEMBA ISLAND, TANZANIA A stay at The Manta Resort is a bit like being on your very own private island. Guests stay in a floating villa, located 250m offshore from the Pemba Channel. It’s gorgeous, but the stand-out feature is the villa’s underwater room! This three-level villa boasts a bedroom which sits…

SCORPIO Oct 24 - Nov 22 You are coming to the end of a month-long cycle during which you’ve probably felt pretty darned exhausted. Well done you for keeping on keeping on. If you can introduce some kind of self-help to your daily routines now, you will really benefit in the coming 12 months. ★ Just say “Ommm!” SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 22 The chaos you have started to experience when it comes to your most important one-to-one relationships isn’t going to end anytime soon. Your best bet is to accept that you are now moving into a precarious cycle where people will be harder to predict. ★ Pro tip: keep smiling. CAPRICORN Dec 23 - Jan 20 The biggest challenge in your 2025 horoscope is that it’s hard…