Innehållsförteckning för TAK2545 från Take 5

My poor dad. He had three daughters and had to deal with our tantrums and moodiness as we grew up. That said, he also loved it when we experimented with our sporty sides. I tried indoor and outdoor soccer, and one of my friends convinced me to try cricket at one stage – it was too boring for me, but Dad enjoyed watching it! These days my sisters and I are independent women with our own set of screwdrivers and general life hacks. I reckon that means Dad’s done a great job, but we know we can always call on him. Raising strong girls seems to run in the family. My twin sister has also only had girls and they each have the ‘determined diva’ attitude. Reading Kateri’s story on…

Kateri Schwandt, 50. I rested my head on my boyfriend Jay’s shoulder as we sat under the stars, talking about our dreams for the future. We were just teenagers, having met at school. “I want a huge family,” I smiled. “Just like mine.” I was one of 14 brothers and sisters, so I was used to living in a house full of laughter and noise. Jay, on the other hand, only had one sister. “I want a big family, too,” he said. “I always wished I had more siblings.” I grinned, happy we were on the same page. A couple of years later, in 1992, I fell pregnant. I was only 18, but I felt ready to be a mum. We decided not to find out the baby’s sex. “As…

If you trim the top leaves of herb plants, it encourages the plant to grow more leaves further down and it will stay alive longer. Paula Vincent, Maitland, NSW. Push a cooling rack through hard-boiled eggs to dice them quickly. Glenys Sullivan, Christchurch, NZ. To clean a steam iron’s water tank, put half water, half cider vinegar into a cold iron, steam for two minutes, then turn off. Leave for one hour and tip out fluid. Felicity Rooney, Sale, Vic. Blast your hairdryer under your bed and dressing table to get rid of dust bunnies. Nina Watkins, Bendigo, Vic. I bought a bottle pourer online and put it on my olive oil bottle so it’s easier for drizzling on food (and it stops me using too much). Kylie Khoury, Northmead,…

Miso-glazed chicken & apple slaw SERVES 4 PREP 20 MINS COOK 10 MINS 2 chicken breast fillets, cut into 1cm slices 2 tbsp miso paste 2 tbsp mirin 1 tbsp honey ¼ Chinese cabbage, finely shredded 1 bunch gai lan, finely shredded 1 red apple, cored, thinly sliced 1 carrot, shredded 4 green onions, finely sliced 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds Japanese mayonnaise, to serve DRESSING 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar 1 tbsp soy sauce 2 tsp sliced pickled ginger 2 tsp honey Place chicken in a shallow dish. 1 In a small jug, whisk miso, mirin and honey together. Pour over chicken, turning to coat. Heat a chargrill pan on high. 2 Cook chicken 3-4 mins each side, until just cooked. Transfer to a plate. Rest, loosely covered with…

SCORPIO Oct 24–Nov 22 Relationships will be under the spotlight this week. The question is, are all parties happy? Are things going in a direction that works for everyone involved? A situation may prompt you to focus on yourself first. Conversations will be required. ★ Do consider what you need and want in love. SAGITTARIUS Nov 23–Dec 22 Just when it felt as though you were getting the hang of erratic or unpredictable behaviour from other people, another spanner arrives in the works. Don’t be surprised if, this week, the spanner turns out to be you! ★ You might be the one who dishes out a surprise or two. CAPRICORN Dec 23–Jan 20 You’re at your best when your routines are smooth and your to-do list is complete. The past…

Olivia Reed, 36. Setting myself up on the dating app Bumble, my thumb hovered over my gender preferences. Should I just go for it? I wondered. It was 2022, I was 33, and I’d just come out of a six-year relationship with a man. Now that I was single again, there was an itch I wanted to scratch. For the past couple of years, I’d found myself drawn to women and questioning whether I might be gay. It’s now or never, I told myself. Once I started swiping, excitement replaced nerves. I went on a couple of dates and was surprised by how comfortable I felt. One night, Mum mentioned she couldn’t get hold of me the other evening. “Oh, I was on a date,” I said casually. “Who’s the…

Claire Parkinson, 54, Adelaide, SA. The doctor motioned for me to sit. It was 1987, and at 16, I’d been feeling exhausted for weeks. “You’re pregnant,” the GP said, feeling my stomach. How will I tell my parents? I thought. I was living in England and I was just about to finish high school and knew they’d be disappointed. Leaving the doctor’s office, I nervously called Max*, 16, my boyfriend of four years. I was almost 20 weeks’ pregnant Thankfully, he was supportive. “I love you and that’s all that matters,” he told me. Dad was away for work, but when I got home, I blurted the news to Mum. “Oh, you silly girl,” she sighed. “How am I going to tell your father?” That afternoon, I received a call…

Iced VoVo ice-cream cake SERVES 8 PREP 30 MINS 210g packet Iced VoVo biscuits 2 tbsp raspberry jam 250g punnet strawberries, hulled 1 litre tub good-quality vanilla ice-cream ½ cup mini white marshmallows ½ cup shredded coconut 1 Grease a large, straight-sided loaf pan (15cm x 23.5cm x 9cm deep). Line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 5cm above pan edges. 2 Arrange eight of the biscuits, decorated-side facing down, side-by-side over the base of prepared pan. Cut another biscuit in half to fit neatly at one end of the pan. Coarsely chop remaining biscuits. 3 Process jam with half the strawberries in a food processor until smooth. Cut remaining strawberries into quarters. Refrigerate, covered, until serving. 4 Stand ice-cream at room temperature for 5-10 mins until slightly…

EDITORIAL Editorial Director Kate Kirsten, Acting Editor Kim Bonett, Acting Deputy Editor Natasha Todd, Art Director Ninian Power, 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 /…

My husband, Paul, and I picked up our 14-year-old granddaughter, Tahlia, from school and Paul asked if she’d like to grab a burger on the way home. “I told you, Tahlia is a vegetarian now,” I reminded Paul. “It’s okay Grammy, Dad told me that cows only eat plants and grains so a beef burger is technically vegetarian food,” Tahlia said. Paul and I stayed silent as her words hung in the air. She sighed deeply. “I’ve fallen for another one of Dad’s tricks, haven’t I?” Tahlia asked. “Practical jokes are a family tradition. When your dad was five, I told him if he didn’t sleep with his mouth closed the Tooth Fairy would take more than just the tooth under his pillow. Every time he lost a tooth he…

Laura Humphries, 40. I took a sip of my wine and glanced across the bar of my local pub. When my eyes met those of a handsome stranger, a little thrill ran through me. Smiling, he walked over and introduced himself. “I’m Paul,” he said. Smartly dressed and confident, he seemed charming. But as we chatted, something about him made me uneasy. “You’ve got a beautiful soul,” he told me. The words sent a chill down my spine. Making my excuses, I quickly left. It was 2014, and over the next few weeks I saw him sitting at the bar a few more times, but I avoided eye contact. “I think he’s a bit of a weirdo,” I told my friends, pointing him out. “Who, Paul?” one of them asked.…

When Debra Blodgett got ready to leave for work on July 15, 2013, she wasn’t surprised to see her daughter was still in bed. University student Jessie Blodgett, 19, had returned home late the night before from a cast party after performing in a starring role in Fiddler on the Roof. She’d wished her mum goodnight before going to bed. But when Debra returned home during her lunch break a few hours later, she decided it was time to wake Jessie up. Her whole world collapsed when she touched her daughter’s body and discovered it was cold. Panicked, she called for help. “My daughter is blue!” she cried to the emergency operator. Paramedics talked her through CPR as they raced to the scene, but it was too late. Rolling Jessie’s…

Eggplant and sweet potato curry SERVES 4 PREP & COOK 30 MINS 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 red onion, cut into wedges 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped ¼ cup (65g) Thai red curry paste ½ sweet potato, peeled, cut into 2cm cubes (about 2 cups) 1 large eggplant, peeled, cut into 2cm cubes (about 4 cups) 400g can chopped tomatoes 400ml can coconut milk 1 tbsp brown sugar ½ tsp salt ½ cup coriander leaves 1 Place oil in a wok over medium heat, and stir-fry onion and garlic until softened. Add curry paste and stir for another min, until fragrant. 2 Add sweet potato and eggplant and toss to coat in curry paste. Add tomato, coconut milk, brown sugar and salt. Bring to the boil and reduce heat. Leave…

My mum placed her hand on my forehead. “You’ve got a temperature,” she said. “I don’t think you should go.” “I feel fine,” I lied. “Please!” Reluctantly, my mum, Christina, took me to my beloved dance class, even though I wasn’t well. It was 2000 and at eight I’d been doing jazz dance for a year. During the lesson, I overheated and fell on the floor. “I hope she’s okay,” my teacher said to Mum afterwards, concerned. “She insisted on coming,” my mum sighed. Nothing stopped me from going to dance class. That Christmas, I received a pair of rollerblades and went skating with my neighbours. It was good fun but after a couple of years, the phase fizzled out. Not so with dance. Every year, I entered a choreography…