WEEKEND 11-10-14 // APN ARM

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: P E O P L E : E A S Y E A T I N G : B O O K S : D I Y : G A R D E N : T R AV E L : E N T E R TA I N M E N T : F A S H I O N : H O M E

Weekend

EASY EATING: Seven lip-smacking ice cream recipes to make at home

VINCE FROST

+ T R AV EL //

The best way to see Florence and it s g lor ious wo rk s of ar t

+ M AKE //

How t o b ui l d a ba c kyard bar be c u e fi r e p l ac e t h is wee ke nd

+ CLOS E T //

T im e l e ss c l a ssi c s e ve r y wo ma n sho ul d have i n he r wa rdr ob e

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we lcom e // inside to day LIFE MOST FABULOUS: Why we can’t live without our friends.

From madness comes designs of greatness W E E K E ND EDITOR K i r i te n Do lle

D

ESIGN your life. It sounds intriguing, right? It’s a topical conversation gaining wide interest.

We live life at full speed like never before. We hit road blocks, dodge metaphorical bullets and deal with people we’d rather sidestep on a regular basis.

Sometimes, the only way we get through the madness is by just getting it all – work, family life, errands, commitments – done without thought. But there comes a point, be it tragedy, mental and physical exhaustion, ill health or personal intervention, when you just need to stop and reassess.

The thought of a pared-down life sounds appealing.

A desire to wipe the slate clean. You declutter your thoughts, your goals, your spaces, your friends, in accordance with what you want. You rearrange the furniture in your life and find your own feng shui; edit space, consumption and people that litter your life.

Most importantly, you colour in the bits that make you happy and realign your choices and decisions with your values. This is called designing your life.

It’s a concept trumpeted by leading international graphic designer Vince Frost, who had a moment of revelation when he hit rock bottom – overweight, drinking too much, eating the wrong foods and not taking the time to rest – only to insufficiently recharge and face his own battles again.

He began to apply design principles he used at work to his own life and found his flow: “I am more reflective, more alive to my senses, more in touch with the people around me and more aware of my value. In short, I am happier.” In his new book Design Your Life, he suggests ways to turn problems into opportunities and redesign parts of our lives.

And it starts at home, which he describes as our sanctuary. Our home is a blank canvas we can use to illustrate our life stories. It reflects our own journeys and where we’ve been. Like design, it is a process of maturing, moving around, figuring out what you want and then expressing it. One of my favourite pieces of advice was: create a life that enables you to do the things you want to do instead of doing what is important to you after work is done.

Frost says designing is about redesigning and creating a new way to see. Right now I am struggling to see my desk amid the paper chaos, empty coffee mugs and 748 pens. Heck, it needs a Hazmat sign. I’m off to find my flow.

+ inside today READ // Leading international graphic designer Vince Frost explains how to turn your home into your sanctuary, work smarter and live better

CLOSET // Streamline your wardrobe

EASY EATING // Seven summer ice cream recipes to try at home, plus MKR’s Steph Mulheron announces her baby joy

STUFF // Reflecting on 125 years

TRAVEL // Why Florence is best seen on foot

HOME // How to etch your personality How to navigate your Weekend: : We’ve colour-coded your magazine for easy reference.

Each section listed on the index page is coloured accordingly throughout. if you’d like to skip to Easy Eating, look for a yellow : symbol, or a magenta : symbol to skip to Home and Make.

into your interiors

MAKE // Build a versatile barbecue in your backyard entertaining space; plus we show you how to make a pompom garland

with these timeless wardrobe staples that never go out of style

of Nintendo; plus cool gadgets on the go

YOU // Salute the sun in 14 easy yoga steps you can try in your lounge room

SCREEN LIFE // Star Trek and Mission Impossible star Simon Pegg talks about his new role in the film Hector and the Search for Happiness

RELAX // The low-down on the latest new release books, CDs and DVDs

: ON THE COVER: Vince Frost. : CREATIVE: Megan Sheehan. : CONTRIBUTORS: Seanna Cronin, Alexia Purcell, Megan Kinninment, Tracey Hordern, Vani Naidoo, Maggie Cooper, Steph Mulheron, Matthew Sawtell, Regan Drew, Judy Horton, Maree Curran, Joel Gould, Ann Rickard, Bethany Fairfull, Greig Morgan, Meredith Papavasiliou, Greg Bray, Luke Mortimer, Pushpa Bakshi, Viki Thondley, John Grey, Lillian Broderick, David Neilsen, Roy O’Reilly, Rowena Hardy and Nick Bennett. : CONTACT US: weekend@apn.com.au. : ADVERTISING: Contact your local sales consultant.

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IN SI DER

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w ith S eanna C ronin

PHOTO OF TH E W EE K

Bachelor break-up. Yuck THE Bachelor break-up left a bad taste in my mouth. I didn’t actually think Blake Garvey and Sam Frost were going to live happily ever after. But in his tell-all interview with The Project’s Carrie Bickmore I did expect Blake to be somewhat candid, or show a bit of that thing called a personality.

I’ve yet to get any sense of this guy’s identity, despite watching him romance his way through 30 women on the reality dating show.

The Perth real estate auctioneer seemed to have a script and he was sticking to it, speaking of his “journey” (the most cliched word of all reality TV show contestants) of love and heartbreak. However, after not really rating her during the show, I’ve got a whole new appreciation for Sam. Yes, she seemed bitter. Who wouldn’t be after getting cornered into accepting an empty marriage proposal on national television? But she has the public’s sympathy as a straight shooter who actually answered some of the questions we all had about the break-up.

While I thought runner-up Lisa would have been a more suitable choice for Blake, the Sunshine Coast beauty dodged a bullet. It could have been her calling The Bachelor a “jackass” on national TV, but luckily she can get back to some form of normality. I hope, at some point in the future, Sam can look back at the whole ordeal and find some humour in it.

Online betting agency SportsBet has already put odds on who her next boyfriend will be, with some of the more amusing prospects including Shane Warne, Geoffrey Edelsten and Justin Bieber. And why can’t the show’s producers find a man who’s not somehow involved with male stripping or topless waiting?

We’re only two seasons in, compared to 18 in the US, so surely the pool of good-looking Aussie bachelors who wear clothes to work hasn’t dried up already.

I’VE YET TO GET ANY SENSE OF THIS GUY ’S IDENTITY

: WE ASKED you to share a photo on our Facebook pages of your favourite room in your house. Tanya Parsons posted: “Our movie room, because it’s so comfortable”.

PHOTO: TANYA PARSONS

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WH Y NOT TRY w i th M e g an Ki nn i n m ent

Lassie vs the animals of Instagram

I

HAVE a new follower on Instagram called Mila the Bird – a blue and white budgerigar whose bio reads: “I am Mila. I love strawberries. I love my toys.”

Mila is part of the #animalsofinstagram menagerie that has found fame and celebrity on social media.

Gone are the days when animal celebrities like Lassie, Flipper and Skippy needed an agent, film crew and blockbuster budget to achieve fame and fortune.

Today your pet can become an overnight success if you have a smartphone and know how to use a hashtag. As well as budgies, the #animalsofinstagram hashtag will reveal chameleons, horses, dogs, cats, bunnies, mice – even magpies and hedgehogs – who have their own social media accounts.

My favourites are @penguinthemagpie, a tame magpie that will play dead to have its belly scratched; @annie_the_

‘‘

To d ay yo u r p e t c a n b e c o m e a n ove r n i g h t s u c c e s s i f yo u h ave a s m a r t p h o n e a n d k n ow h ow to use a hashtag

: The Bachelor Blake Garvey proposes to Sam Frost. They have since split.

PHOTO: NETWORK TEN

pig_Tokyo who has her own fake grass mat in her Tokyo apartment and @Ernest_Hedgingway, a persnickety hedgehog with a love for antiques, books and sleeping.

While there’s no denying Lassie’s enduring fame – after all, she won an Emmy and has her own Hollywood star – that kind of celebrity took decades of daring rescue missions to achieve.

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Listen to the silence

w i th A l ex i a P u rce l l

AP P OF THE WEEK

STEREOPUBLIC “crowdsources the quiet” and allows you to explore serene places in your city. Developed in Adelaide for those seeking peace and quiet, the nifty tool also allows you to become an “earwitness” as it directs you on soothing walks through hushed spaces around the world. Search cities close by for noise-free pockets or add your own secret hideaways in your suburb.

Download Stereopublic in the App Store or Google Play for free.

AT T H E WAT E R COOLER

What’s trending on social media this week : Jennifer Lawrence.

PHOTO: FREDERIC J. BROWN

: A 1955 publicity shot of Lassie with child actor Tommy Rettig, who starred in the Lassie TV show.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

Compare that to Maddie the animal shelter rescued coon hound of @thiswildidea Instagram fame who, by virtue of looking cute and sitting and standing on stuff, has amassed 656,000 followers, a book deal and her own phone app in three years.

Bite that, Lassie. So, what are you waiting for? Grab your phone and get snapping. Your pet pooch could be the next big thing.

Megan Kinninment blogs the offbeat at www.seekerofthelostarts.com

Nude scandals : It’s been a couple of weeks since the celebrity nude photo hacking scandal broke and it is still going strong. It seems every few days there is a new celebrity to speak out about the hacking. Jennifer Lawrence is certainly owning it though and the topic has stayed around the top of Facebook’s trend list.

AC/DC legend ill with dementia : The family of AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young announced he has dementia and won’t be returning to the band. Many fans took to social media to express their grief at this news, flooding Facebook and Twitter with well wishes.

The Bachelor bungle : Then there was The Bachelor Australia. After the season finale last Thursday night, news broke soon after that the bachelor Blake Garvey and his chosen bachelorette Sam Frost, to whom he had proposed, had split. This was followed closely by rumours runner-up bachelorette Lisa Hyde was pregnant with his baby, which Lisa quashed with a message on Instagram. Then there were the interviews with The Project’s Carrie Bickmore, after which Sam took to Instagram and Twitter to thank her fans and announce “it’s time to move on…”.

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VINCE FROST: “After years of internal battles I finally realised that a lot of people think similar thoughts.”

Let your surrounds reflect the real you Yo u r h o m e i s a n e s s e n t i a l p a r t o f d e s i g n i n g yo u r l i f e

BY Va ni N ai do o

I

N A sunny corner of my living room sits a cane chair.

Compact but old-fashioned, with its deep seat and rounded arms, it should be at odds with the modern decor. Instead, it is proud, secure in its importance and the quiet ruler of all it surveys. It could do with another coat of varnish and probably a bit of work on one of the back legs wouldn’t go astray, yet it still manages to elicit a sense of comfort and light bringing wonderful memories to the fore with little effort.

The chair has travelled around the world with me, a constant fixture as the craziness of youth has slowly mellowed into the responsibility of motherhood. It is a familiar link between the homes I left behind and the new one I have made here. It was my great-grandmother’s favourite, her little private oasis on the veranda where she stopped to take her tea, perhaps gather her thoughts and cast an eye over us as we played under the African sun.

Today, all these years later, when I glance at it or walk past and run a tender hand over a worn arm, I can still see my grandmother behind that curtain of purple bougainvillea, her lips caught in a smile, her weathered fingers in such stark contrast to the dainty china teacup in their grasp.

I am lucky, says acclaimed designer Vince Frost. For I have found a way, unintentional as it may be, to make my living space meaningful by introducing an item that not only allows me to feel at ease but is a fabric of my being. That forms the basis of Vince’s Design Your Space principle, an essential element in his new book Design Your Life, in which he uses the experience gained as one of the world’s best graphic designers to suggest ways in which we can best turn problems into opportunities, recognise our value and eventually redesign the parts of our lives which need some work.

One of the pillars of change is to ensure that the space in which you live is not merely functional but also serves to stimulate the senses, provides a port in a storm and is a real reflection of your personality.

“Your home is an essential part of designing your life,” says Vince. “Your home is a blank canvas. It’s practical as well as a sanctuary. Get the basics that will give you comfort in your own home. Get a great bed. Introduce light and the smells you like.

Use colours that bring you calm or joy.”

That, of course, sounds wonderful in the ideal. I certainly have pieces picked out that I would rush into my home if money

Saturday, October 11, 2014

was no object. But furniture and homewares, especially those of the quality designer kind, can seriously stretch the finances. So how do you reconcile the fact that the table or rug or chair, which you know would add value to your space, may be beyond reach?

When redesigning a room or moving into a new home, it is natural to hustle around to finish it, to furnish it quickly so that everything is just so. But it is important, says Vince, to not feel like you have to do everything at once. Take your time, consider the space and add pieces at leisure.

“It is not such a bad thing, although it may be odd for while not to have furniture, to take your time and get the things that you feel a real connection with rather than just any type of table,” he said.

“Good quality stuff is not cheap. You can go to Ikea and assemble your whole house in a weekend, but although you may be able to do the basics that way it is certainly not for all your furniture. The stuff that I bought 25 years ago, which at the time I couldn’t afford so I only bought one stool or one chair or a lamp but they were by a well-known designer and well made,

‘‘

Yo u r h om e i s a bl a nk c a nva s.

It ’s pra c t ic a l a s we l l a s a sa n c tu a ry. Ge t t he ba sic s t hat w i l l gi ve yo u c om f or t i n yo u r ow n h o me . Us e c o lo u rs t hat bri ng yo u c a lm or joy. those are the things that are still an important part of my life. I have never kept anything from Ikea for more than a few years.

“Be mindful that you are not just filling spaces or filling them in the way you think others expect you to. You don’t want your home to look like the houses for sale on those real estate websites; all much of a muchness like no one actually lives there.”

Most of us have a picture in mind of our “forever” home. It is a beautiful place in which we will grow old, a home our grown children will come back to during the holidays, a home somewhere between a dream and reality. Some of us are lucky enough to be in it already, but for many – me included – it is an end result to which we aspire while making memories in our

“getting there” homes. But even the latter, or perhaps especially the latter, needs to be filled with spaces that give you room to dream.

When we first walked into our home four years ago I was captivated by the light in the large living room and less enamoured with the lack of it in the smaller family room. That darkness, not eased at all by countless changes of furniture, rugs and pictures, still irritates me today.

“Every single house has its own arrangement, own light, own feeling created by the height of the ceilings or the size of the windows,” says Vince. “I often find my stuff doesn’t look right in all of them but I do look for a place with a discerning eye, a place that can house the things I like and also a space that can be energising, is good for the whole family and has a great feel to it.”

Vince, a British-born, Sydney-based designer, spent his formative years in Canada and his professional life traipsing around the world. Being the youngest associate director at London’s famous Pentagram studio in the 1990s is just one of Vince’s many achievements. His inspirational talent has not only won him a plethora of prestigious awards but has also made him one of the most respected artists in his field. He is also no stranger to failure. An unsuccessful, stunted tenure at Japanese Vogue is one that stands out from the rest.

Design by Failure is another important tenet of his book in which he suggests that instead of giving up, do what designers do – put an idea out there and then tweak it as necessary. With so many people petrified of taking the first step because of the fear of failure, his is a concept that can help ease your feet down the road of uncertainty.

“Failure can be extremely debilitating,” says Vince. “The thought of getting it wrong is an unattractive thing. I’ve always wanted to get things as right as possible but I think you need a

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combination of trial and error and listening to your intuition and inner voice – it can help you get closer to being right than screwing up.

“I’ve screwed up quite a few times and it’s not been without having plenty of warning signs prior to doing so. Like when I went to Japanese Vogue. I knew in my heart it was the wrong thing to do and it turned out to be a total disaster, in one respect, but turned out to be an amazing experience that has helped me through other difficult things since. The important thing is not to think about it too much. Just get out there and do it.”

Age, he adds, can be a great eye-opener forcing you to finally accept the realities of life. On the cusp of turning 50, the father of three is hoping to inspire real people who are trying to find their way.

“After years of internal battles I finally realised that a lot of people think similar thoughts and to know you are not alone is a wonderful feeling,” he said.

“Very few people have got it sussed despite outward appearances. When you are younger you think time is infinite but now I am more selective of where I put my energies. I have a plan about what I want to achieve in the next five years instead of just letting it happen to me.”

: Vince Frost’s new book, Design Your Life, suggests ways in which we can best recognise our value.

Weekend

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

Design Your Life, RRP $49.99, available October 22.

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TH E WEEKEND COOK w ith M a g g i e C o op e r

Super quick goodness IT’S easy to fall into the habit of buying takeaway when you’re busy, but often the dishes on offer are full of hidden fats, salt and sugar. With a little planning it’s possible to have a super-quick meal that you can assemble in minutes; there might still be calories but at least you will know exactly what you are eating. This simple and colourful thai beef salad is full of brightly coloured vegetables that are the varieties we should eat most of rather than the carb-heavy root vegetables we all crave in winter. Capsicum, with its vibrant red and mild sweet flavour, is particularly good for you. If you are serving this to kids (or adults) who aren’t keen on spicy heat, just omit the chilli from the dressing.

IT’S VIBRANT AND FRESH, TRY IT FOR YOURSELF

: Dan and Steph’s smoked salmon, pea and dill pasta.

+ Pregnancy cravings

Easy thai beef salad

INGREDIENTS: 1 bunch coriander : 1 bunch mint : 100g mixed salad leaves : ½ bag bean sprouts : 1 carrot, peeled : 1 large red capsicum : 1 small lebanese cucumber, peeled and sliced : ¼ red onion, peeled and finely sliced : 4 pieces fillet steak, each about 15mm thick : ¼ cup peanuts, finely chopped DRESSING: : 1 long red chilli : juice of 3 limes : 3 tbsp thai fish sauce : 2 tbsp brown sugar.

METHOD: Pull leaves from coriander and mint. Combine leaves with salad greens and bean sprouts, wash and spin or pat dry with a clean tea towel or paper towels. Using a vegetable peeler, peel off long thin strips of carrot. Remove seeds and pith from capsicum and slice into matchsticks.

Toss salad with carrot, capsicum, cucumber and onion. Set aside. Heat a non-stick frypan over a high heat. Add beef to pan, cooking each side for three minutes. Turn once only.

Remove from heat and wrap in foil, leave to rest for five minutes. Divide salad between four plates or bowls. Top each with beef, sliced finely across the grain. Top with dressing and sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Serve immediately. DRESSING: Slice chilli open down one side and scrape out seeds and pith. Chop chilli finely. Combine all dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake vigorously until sugar is dissolved. Serves 4.

Email Maggie at maggies.column@bigpond.com or check out her blog herebemonstersblog.com

PHOTO: MAGGIE COOPER

Saturday, October 11, 2014

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

M u m - t o - b e c a n ’ t wa i t t o t u c k i n t o s m o ke d s a l m o n a g a i n Smoked salmon, pea and dill pasta

.

E AT

with D an an d S tep h Mulheron

W

ELL it was shared last week that we are very excited to announce the news that we are expecting our first baby in April – it was our next goal in life and we are now on the path to achieving it.

We wanted to try IVF earlier this year, but with the opening of our restaurant EAT at Dan and Steph’s in our home town of Hervey Bay we have been very busy with the general running of the restaurant as well as many other commitments throughout Queensland. We selected June/July to start our cycle.

As this is our first pregnancy, let’s just say it’s been an interesting road so far for both Dan and I. I have been very lucky and avoided morning sickness, which I am so thankful for as we still have been busy at the restaurant daily. Nothing has really changed. Dan may beg to differ though.

I feel like I have been pretty reasonable, except for the fact that Dan has been stopping on the way home every afternoon to buy me a good old Frosty Fruit. Another item I do crave and miss eating is smoked salmon. It’s such a delicious and succulent piece of fish with so many good fats. Here is one of our smoked salmon dishes. One day I will enjoy it again. It’s vibrant and fresh, try it for yourself.

PASTA INGREDIENTS: 300g ‘00’ flour : 3 eggs : pinch of salt. SAUCE: 1 tbsp of creme fraiche : ½-1 cup frozen organic peas (defrosted) : Zest of 1 lemon : Bunch of dill, chopped : 150-200g smoked salmon : Pinch of salt, pepper.

METHOD: Pasta – in a food processor add flour and eggs.

Blitz until it forms a ball. Turn out on to a floured surface and knead for five minutes until silky, smooth and elastic. Pass the pasta dough through the pasta machine on the widest setting up to five times, turning and folding each time and keeping a rectangle shape of the dough. Dust with flour each time and be sure to coat all the pasta. Continue working the dough through the machine getting to the lowest and thinnest setting – making sure to flour each time. Fold the pasta up into a rectangle, trim the edges and then cut the pasta into small strips or thick strips, then dust with more flour. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and season with a pinch of salt – once at a steady boil, add the fresh pasta and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until al dente. Sauce – In a saucepan add pasta and a good drizzle of olive oil. Add creme fraiche, peas, lemon and dill. Stir through until runny and pasta is coated. Season with salt and pepper. Add strips of smoked salmon and cook until just heated through. The salmon will turn a light pink colour.

Dan and Steph Mulheron won My Kitchen Rules in 2013: www.danandsteph.com.au.

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e a sy ea ti ng

+ Home ice cream

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FACT: Topper’s Mountain wines are made by Mike Hayes from the Granite Belt in Queensland.

WIN E WO RDS w i th Re g a n Dre w

Yo u c a n b e a s c r e at i ve a s yo u l i ke powder : 80g dark chocolate : 5 drops vanilla extract.

METHOD: Follow the same method as the vanilla bean recipe above. As you bring the milk to boil, add the chocolate in with the mixture. While whisking eggs and sugar, add coco.

Complete as per recipe above.

Strawberries and cream

: Homemade vanilla bean ice cream.

PHOTO: CLAUDIA BAXTER

.

SC RUM P TI OUS SEVE N wi th M att S aw te l l

INGREDIENTS: : 1cup milk : 1cup thickened cream : 3⁄4 cup castor sugar : 6 egg yolks : pinch sea salt : 2 cups fresh strawberries : 80g white chocolate grated. METHOD: Wash and remove the tops of the strawberries. Dry well and place in a bowl. Coat with 1⁄4 cup of the sugar, cover and set aside for at least two hours. Blend the strawberries in blender until smooth. Follow the vanilla bean recipe. After straining your ice cream base, add the strawberry puree. Once chilled, mix in the white chocolate, then process in an ice cream machine.

Green tea ice cream

INGREDIENTS: : 1 cup milk : 1 cup thickened cream : 3⁄4 cup castor sugar : 6 egg yolks : pinch sea salt : 4tsp green tea powder (you can buy this at Asian supermarkets).

METHOD: Follow the same method as the vanilla bean recipe and simply add the green tea powder in with the egg and sugar mix. Complete as per the instructions above.

HAT’S better than eating homemade ice cream on a hot day? Nothing really. Making ice cream at home is not as hard as you might think. With the right base you can experiment with different flavours. All these recipes make about one litre and all use the method of the vanilla bean recipe, while adding different flavours. If you can’t get your hands on an ice cream machine, you can place the mix in a bowl in the freezer and stir every hour until frozen.

W

Blueberry dream ice cream

Vanilla bean ice cream

Cookies and cream ice cream

INGREDIENTS: : 1 cup milk : 1 cup thickened cream : 3⁄4 cup castor sugar : 6 egg yolks : pinch sea salt : 1 vanilla bean cut lengthways and scraped : 5 drops vanilla extract.

METHOD: Bring the milk, cream, vanilla bean, vanilla extract and half the sugar, to the boil in a heavy medium-size pot, then take off the heat. Whisk the egg yolks and remaining sugar together in a medium-sized bowl. Gradually pour in the milk mixture over the eggs, whisking as you go. Return mix to the same pot used to heat the milk mixture. Over low heat continuously stir with spatula until the base starts to thicken in 5-10 minutes. Push through a fine mesh strainer into bowl, then refrigerate until cold. Process the base in an ice cream machine (to manufacturer instructions).

Chocolate ice cream

INGREDIENTS: : 1 cup milk : 1 cup thickened cream : 3⁄4 cup castor sugar : 6 egg yolks : pinch sea salt : 30g coco

INGREDIENTS: : 1 cup milk : 1 cup thickened cream : ⁄4 cup castor sugar : 6 egg yolks : pinch sea salt : 2 cups blueberries. METHOD: Place blueberries in a pot with 1⁄4 cup of the sugar and the salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Once softened blend together until smooth. Follow the vanilla bean recipe above and add puree to milk mix before straining.

Complete as per the instructions for the vanilla bean base.

3

INGREDIENTS: : 1 cup milk : 1 cup thickened cream : 3⁄4 cup castor sugar : 6 egg yolks : pinch sea salt : 5 drops vanilla extract : 1 packet Oreo biscuits. METHOD: Follow the same method as the vanilla bean recipe. Once the base is cooled, crush biscuits, add to mix, put in ice cream machine.

Mango and macadamia ice cream

INGREDIENTS: : 1 cup milk : 1 cup thickened cream : 3⁄4 cup castor sugar : 6 egg yolks : pinch sea salt : 2 mangos peeled and deseeded : zest of 1 lime : 3⁄4 cup unsalted macadamia nuts, roasted and crushed. METHOD: Follow the vanilla bean recipe. When base thickens remove from stove, place mix in blender with mango flesh, lime zest. Blend until smooth. When cooled in fridge, add nuts, put in ice cream machine.

Scrumptious.seven@gmail.com

THE New England Tablelands doesn’t normally spring to mind when thinking of premier wine-growing districts in Australia. Topper’s Mountain Vineyard, just south of Inverell in New South Wales, seems to have hit upon a magic piece of dirt and is fast gaining “cult winery” status. The vineyard sits at 900m above sea level, which keeps summer temperatures down and allows long ripening periods, similar to vineyards in more southern parts of Australia.

Topper’s Mountain Bricolage Blanc

2013: “Bricolage” is French for “tinkering”. A blend of chardonnay, gewurztraminer, sauvignon blanc and petit manseng grapes. Passionfruit, nutty aromas with plenty of “turkish delight” rosewater and lychee, topped off with hints of grassy straw. The palate has more of the same flavours with lively zesty zip and plenty of spice. : Rating: 8/10 : RRP: $35 : Alc: 13.1%

Topper’s Mountain Gewurztraminer

2013: Lush exotic nose with mandarin skin, lemongrass, musk, lychee and refreshing rosewater. Generous textural palate; full without being flabby. It’s a cornucopia of flavours that matches the aroma with lychee and rosewater alongside bittersweet citrus and kaffir lime leaf. Incredibly drinkable. Arguably the best gewurztraminer in Australia. : Rating: 9/10 : RRP: $35 : Alc: 12.8%

Topper’s Mountain Nebbiolo

2011: Smells of cherries, big dark strawberries and dried herbs. Old french oak gives soft savoury leather-like aromas. More cherries and roses on the palate but with a savoury, tarry edge. Nebbiolo can appear medium bodied but packs a big punch with plenty of drying tannins. : Rating: 8.5/10 : RRP: $38 : Alc: 14.5% vinonotebook.com

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Weekend

fa r me rs ma rke t

PRODUCE TIP: Growing ginger in pots will make it easy to harvest.

+ Exotic fruits aplenty LO CA L P RO D U C E

w i th Ka te O ’ Ne i l l

Jo h n b o a st s a f e a st o f f l avo u r s a n d ra r e e x p e r i e n c e s : Yellow butter beans are versatile summer vegetables and are great in salads.

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PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

W H AT ’ S F R E S H

Ne w s f ro m th e Fa r m e r s M a rke t s

IN SEASON

CRUNCHY summer beans are appearing at the farmers’ markets in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes. Look out for the colourful yellow butter beans – beautiful in a fresh salad or try them roasted with diced bacon or pancetta, olive oil, salt and pepper for a delicious side.

IN THE GARDEN

EDIBLE ginger is an attractive, easy-to-grow and aromatic plant that’s perfectly suited to our warm climate. The Pocket farmer Ian Cameron says you need a good healthy looking piece of ginger to start.

Cut it into pieces about two to three inches long and dry for a week or two. Plant them in a well-composted, mulched soil and after a month or so they will sprout.

Give your plants a water every week or so over summer. Ginger is ready to harvest five to six months after planting when the leaves die down. Growing in pots will make the ginger easy to harvest.

FARMER’S TIP

EVER wanted to make your own cheese? It’s not as hard as you think. Paul from Nimbin Valley Dairy says paneer is an ideal cheese for beginners and can be made easily at home. Just heat one litre of milk to almost boiling, and then add 10ml of vinegar or lemon juice. Stir, then remove from the heat and leave to sit.

The cheese, or curd, will float to the top – use a slotted spoon to scoop it out and drain in a colander.

You’ll now have a scrambled egg consistency. For a firmer paneer, drain it in cheesecloth then press it between two plates in the fridge with something heavy on top. You can then cut it into cubes and use in Indian dishes like korma and palak and in stir-fries.

PANEER IS AN IDEAL CHEESE FOR BEGINNERS

Saturday, October 11, 2014

A

WALK through John Picone’s fruit tree orchard is an extraordinary experience. This one-hectare plantation near Mullumbimby (enclosed with netting to keep the bats, birds and fruit flies out) contains an incredible collection of more than 240 varieties of tropical exotic fruits, herbs and spices.

Every row contains a new discovery, fruits you won’t find in any supermarket or green grocer: from the pretty pink pineapples, sweet tasting loquats and giant prickly pears, to massive trailing vanilla bean and pepper vines. There are four varieties of dragonfruit (including a delicious pink variety developed by John), 10 varieties of mango, apples, loquats, longans, abiu, jakfruit, black brazilian cherries, sapotes, mulberries, grapes and cumquats to name a few.

John says his passion for fruit began during his childhood in Italy, where he could often be found climbing the family fruit orchard. “I can remember fruits there that were just amazing – tiny little pears, like a teardrop shape, red and yellow and you’d get close and oh, the fragrance.”

He started growing exotic fruits in Australia about 20 years ago after leaving behind his city graphic design job and relocating to the Northern Rivers with Lyndall and their young family. During that time he has amassed a vast amount of knowledge, and is constantly seeking out new and unusual varieties. His fruit is only sold locally, which ensures time between picking and eating is kept to the absolute minimum and all fruit is fresh off the tree.

“I want to share with people the pleasure of actually eating a fruit which has grown to perfect maturity. That sensational taste and texture when it’s grown properly, because I think we’re losing that.”

Find Picone’s Exotic Fruits at the Mullumbimby and New Brighton Farmers Markets. For farm tours contact John on piconeexotics@gmail.com.

HEARD OF THESE?

: Black Sapote: Also known as chocolate pudding fruit, they have texture and flavour similar to, you guessed it, chocolate pudding. : Abiu: A small round yellow fruit with a creamy flesh and flavour of creme caramel. : Jakfruit: A huge fruit common in South-East Asia. It has a yellow flesh with a taste that some compare with fruity bubblegum. : Pomelo: A large citrus similar in appearance to a large grapefruit, but with a sweeter taste. Flavour of orange, lime and grapefruit. : Longan: Similar to a lychee, with a fresh, sweet flavour.

: John Picone from Picone’s Exotic Fruits.

PHOTO: KATE O’NEILL

Chocolate pudding fruit tart

Recipe courtesy of John Picone of Picone Exotics INGREDIENTS: For the pastry - 2 1 ⁄2 cups organic plain flour : 120g butter (cold and cubed) : 2 tbsp dutch cocoa : pinch of salt : 4-5 tbsp iced water.

For the filling - 1 ⁄2 cup caster sugar : 5 eggs (room temp) : 1 tsp vanilla : 1 ⁄2 cup cream : 5 cups chocolate pudding fruit (black sapote) pulp pureed : 2 tbsp quality dutch cocoa : 200g flour : 1 tsp baking powder.

METHOD: Preheat oven to 180C or 170C (fan-forced). For the pastry: Process first four ingredients. Add water slowly until dough comes together. Gather into a ball, flatten with palm of hand into a 12cm disc, gladwrap and chill for one hour. Roll out and press into a buttered and floured 24cm spring form pan. Line with baking paper.

Weigh down with dried beans or peas and blind bake for 15 mins. Remove beans and bake a further five mins. Cool. For the filling: Beat eggs and sugar for two mins. Add vanilla, cream and cocoa and mix well. Add fruit pulp and mix well. Sift flour and baking powder over and stir thoroughly. Pour into prepared dish and bake for about 65 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool tart completely before cutting. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

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g ard en

TOP TIP: To successfully germinate, a seed needs water, oxygen and the right temperature.

+

IN MY GA RDEN

wi th Ju dy Ho rton

Sow seeds of success YOUR GARDEN CAN BE AS SMART, ST YLISH, COMFORTABLE AND FUNCTIONAL AS THE INTERIOR OF YOUR HOME

: The garden is now an integral part of the home.

PHOTO: ANDREAS KRAPPWEIS

+ Embrace plants

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

Sta r t with s u sta ina bilit y .

G REEN THUMB wi th Maree Cu rran

D

ESIGNING your home isn’t limited to the house itself.

The garden is now an integral part of the home, regardless of whether it’s a rural acreage or a small balcony. Not that long ago, the ultimate in the fashionable garden included lots of hard surfaces, and low-maintenance, ‘architectural’ plants – the notion of ‘garden’ was almost lost.

What we’re seeing now is an embracing of the plants themselves, an acknowledgement of the benefits they bring, and a determination to have more of them in our lives.

So how do you design a garden for today? Start with sustainability. This encompasses growing food, recycling water, harvesting rainwater, nurturing the soil, limiting chemical use, composting, keeping worms, and generally working with the natural environment. There’s increased interest in growing plants that will attract birds and beneficial insects to the garden.

Food-producing plants can be contained in their own dedicated space, or included in ornamental garden beds. Some of these are small, short-lived and quick to produce, like leafy greens. Plant some wherever you like and see what happens.

Others are longer term, or grow into huge trees, and may take

years to produce, so plant these only after careful consideration.

While the dramatic, architectural plants are perhaps not as popular as they were, they are still hard to beat for drama, and make stunning potted plants.

Another important design consideration is lifestyle, and how you can use the garden as an extension of the house. So you might incorporate an outdoor eating area, maybe a complete outdoor kitchen with a herb garden. There’ll be places for relaxation, maybe an outdoor bathroom, and a safe and stimulating play area for the kids. Indoor plants are making a comeback, prized for not only their visual appeal but for their ability to improve air quality. And terrariums are back in style.

Plants are being liberated from traditional pots and finding new homes in an assortment of quirky containers like teacups, teapots and glass jars. If you are planting into a container without a drainage hole, you need to be careful about watering, and put a good layer of charcoal at the bottom of your container to keep the potting mix sweet.

Exterior spaces can be decorated with furniture, lighting and artworks, just like the interior. But in the garden there is much more scope, because your decorating toolbox also contains plants, pots, gravel, rocks, water and so many other elements.

Your garden can be as smart, stylish, comfortable and functional as the interior of your home. maree@edenatbyron.com.au.

GROWING from seed is one of the most fundamental – and, therefore, most satisfying – of gardening activities.

The fascination of starting a plant from the very beginning and watching life spring from something so small and lifeless-seeming is irreplaceable. And spring is one of the best seasons for sowing plants from seed.

To successfully germinate, a seed needs three basic things – water, oxygen and the right temperature. Other seeds have more specific requirements. Hence it’s important to check the sowing times and information on the seed packet before you start.

Tomatoes, for example, won’t germinate if temperatures are too low. Many spring-planted vegetables grow easily from seed. This list includes beans, sweet corn, zucchinis, pumpkins and cucumbers.

All of these will get the best start if they’re sown right where they’re to grow.

On the seed packet this is often termed sowing direct and its great advantage is that the young plants don’t have to suffer the stress of being transplanted.

Most importantly, however, all of these seeds need warm soil for germination so, if you’re in a very cold climate, it’s best to either wait a bit longer or to start the seeds in pots of Yates Seed Raising Mix. Keep the pots in a warm spot and carefully transplant the seedlings once the weather’s warmer. Some seeds are particularly prone to rotting away if they stay wet for too long. This especially applies to larger seeds like beans and sweet corn that contain large quantities of starch.

If these seeds are given too much water they’ll rot and simply disappear. You’ll achieve best results with beans if the seeds are sown into damp, well-drained soil and not watered again for a few days – usually after the bean plants have emerged.

Sweet corn packet directions often suggest maximising chances of success by sowing two seeds together. Then, if both germinate, the weaker plant can be removed.

+

PRO DU CTS

Get poolready this summer with these must-haves ALL PRODUCTS AVAILABLE FROM BUNNINGS

: Hy-Clor 600g Fix It Pool Oxidiser

: Is your pool temperature still too

is a shock treatment for use in chlorine pools to restore water clarity and shine. RRP $10.95.

cool to swim? The Solar Dome aids in heating the water while running the filter pump. RRP $327.

: There's nothing like kicking back in a banana lounge by the pool. The Sommersault Steel Sunlounge comes in bright colours. RRP $24.95.

: With 100% UV resistance and all-weather fabric, the Coolaroo Cantilever Umbrella is the perfect shade option. RRP $399.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

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Weekend

trave l

+ Man for all seasons Michelangelo’ s Dav i d in s pi r e s s o m a ny w it h i t s ar ti sti c ge ni us AWE: You can become overwhelmed and rush from a Botticelli to a Da Vinci with indecent haste. But not so with David.

: The Duomo stands as a symbol of Florence.

.

TRAV EL

w i th An n R i c k ard

T

O EXPERIENCE standing beneath the towering presence of David in the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence you may have to wait three hours – especially in the high season. But it is worth every impatient, hot, frustrating minute.

Michelangelo’s David makes you feel humble, small, awed.

To gaze up first at his enormous feet, taking in the meticulous detail of his toes, then further up past his perfectly defined calves and powerful thighs, moving the eyes quickly over his private bits up to his flat stomach and massive ribcage, before reaching his beautiful young face with its sensuous lips and circlet of curls, is to know you are in the presence of one of the world’s most significant masterpieces.

But then Florence abounds with masterpieces. It is a trap to become blase in Florence where there is awe-inspiring art and antique genius on every corner.

You can become overwhelmed and rush from a Botticelli to a

L ANGKAWI ISL AND

PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO

Da Vinci with indecent haste. But not so with David. He transfixes everyone.

Michelangelo was not the first to take a chisel to the immense slab of Carrara marble that became David. Two others worked on him before Michelangelo was commissioned to take over in 1501.

It is 510 years since David was first placed in the della Signoria, and during that time he has had rioters throw stones at him, had his foot smashed, been boxed up for 10 years and had a nasty fungus creep all over his body. Hard to imagine such irreverence today. David was given a thorough clean for his 500th birthday. It involved much scaffolding, many months, a lot of money and endless purified water. But his entire 5.17 magnificent metres were thoroughly spruced to ensure he will lord it over the hordes for centuries to come.

All of Florence is a glorious work of art and walking is the best way to see it. But you must stop, absorb, appreciate – and never give in to that lurking imp of nonchalance in the face of so much culture.

CITY OF ART

Any time is a good time to visit Florence.

But Florence is hot and crowded in July and August and cold from November through March.

May and October are the most comfortable months. : Cathay Pacific has daily direct flights to Milan from its Hong Kong hub. Earlybird fares if you book before the end of the year apply for travel between March 1 and November 20, 2015.

Visit www.cathaypacific.com.au : Florence is easily accessible from Milan by train. Visit www.raileruope.com.au : If you visit Italy, along with three more countries around Europe, before the end of March, enjoy a 20% saving on your first- and second-class passes with Rail Europe when booked by December 31. Valid for use by March 31, 2015.

Ann.Rickard@scnews.com.au

You deserve this luxury

THE Datai Langkawi is a well-known resort with an international following, and one of the world’s most stunning hideaways.

On the north-west tip of Langkawi Island in Malaysia and surrounded by an ancient tropical rainforest and a white-sand beach overlooking the azure waters of the Andaman Sea, the Datai is for discerning travellers.

Two swimming pools, an award-winning spa nestled under the rainforest canopy and the nearby 18-hole Ernie Els-designed Datai Bay Golf Course provide excellent leisure pursuits.

A range of dining options is available throughout the lush grounds for indoor or alfresco meals.

The Datai’s Back to Nature package is available from about $556 per night and includes overnight accommodation, airport transfers on Langkawi, a fruit basket, non-alcoholic drinks from the mini-bar, wi-fi in room and common area, signature bubbly breakfast, mangrove tour and nature walk, and a 15% food and beverage discount.

Visit www.thedatai.com.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

PHOTO: PINCINIPHOTO

CRUISE NEWS

No more rush to the buffet

P&O Cruises will banish buffets from its latest cruise ships.

As part of a major overhaul of dining at sea, P&O says both Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden will feature its largest ever array of restaurant offerings when they join its fleet next year – including a marketplace of fresh food outlets.

To be known as The Pantry, the new area will offer a gourmet deli, fresh fish and chips and modern cuisine.

See your local travel agent.

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Weekend

h o me STYLE TIP: Love books? Show them off.

Flaunt what you love to design a space that reflects who you are.

+

T H E CY N I CA L H O US E W I F E w i th B e th a ny Fa i r f u l l

You are the only person who can rescue you

S

O I’VE heard that saying, as I’m sure have you: “Everything happens for a reason.” I’m not going to feed you rainbows and lollipops people, there came a stage in my life when I heard people say this and thought: “You’re kidding yourself.

Good things happen to bad people, bad things happen to good people and I fail to find the logic in that, for example cancer and infant mortality. I rest my case.”

Granted, this stage followed the death of my father (not cancer) but I was left with that burning question (Why?) and a little less love for this thing we call life.

It happens to us all at some point. I’m not special.

Those big life questions did play over in my head though and I found that the best mantra I could muster was “things happen because they can”, so now the penny drops, here is the housewife getting cynical. I have just found, during my (comparatively) short experience on this earth, that if you try to make logic out of things that happen, you will start to lose yours. Maybe as human beings that’s our greatest flaw asking why, when in fact we should be asking “Why not?” What I have found is, that it’s all about how you spin it, for example, if you lose your job.

There are two ways you can spin this – the first is to see it as the end of the world with nothing good to come from it and, to put the final nail in the coffin, ask that fatal question (often repeatedly) “Why me?” The second is seeing this as an opportunity to meet new people, learn something, have new experiences and maybe even increase your income. Now don’t get me wrong, thinking this way is not an easy thing – I grumbled around angry at the world and was quite “pointless” for a good year following dad’s death and that was after I finished being really sad about it, which I was, for a long time and sometimes still am.

I’m okay with that.

You are the only person who can rescue you. I believe the only person who is going to step up and make my life awesome is me. Sure, I have awesome people in my life, I married an awesome man with an awesome set of buns, even my dog is awesome, but life is made by our reacting to what goes on around us or, more importantly, how we react to what goes on around us. I think that the greatest thing we can do for ourselves and also those we love is to make something good of this thing called life, look for the positives we can make out of it and the things that happen to us while we are in the thick of it.

MAKE SOMETHING GOOD OF THIS THING CALLED LIFE

+

M A KI NG SPA C E

w i th Liz F ri e nd

Feng shui tips for the home SPRING is upon us and it is a perfect time to clear the clutter from your home and create a beautiful, calm space. By using some basic feng shui principles, you will be surprised how much this will increase your level of happiness, clear the mind and give you a lot more energy. : Your home is a mirror of you, so think about clearing out possessions you do not use or love. Clutter is stagnant energy, so be ruthless with yourself. As your space clears, you will definitely lighten the load and you will feel more energised and joyous. : Buy a smudge stick or some incense and create a sense of ceremony. Light the sticks and wave them until they smoulder.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

+ Personal space I N T E R I O R S w i th Tra cey Ho rd e r n

PHOTOS: TRACEY HORDERN

D esign yo u r spac e aro un d yo ur un iq uen ess YOUR home, your space, ideally says a lot about you. The qualities, the quirks and the way you live can be reflected in your home. Too often we go for the homogenous, the practical, when it is possible to express yourself and create comfort at the same time. When I go to a friend’s home, it is the personal touches that mostly attract and inspire me; there’s my friend the prolific reader, who has made a temple of her books, while another friend proudly displays objects gathered from her many exotic travels in her colourful, welcoming abode.

Yet another friend proudly displays inherited crystal, china and lace cloths, luxuries of yesteryear, now bringing joy to shared meals and celebrations. And then there’s the friend who loves bonsai plants, or the jewellery designer and great aficionado of all things vintage. Her designs bejewel many objects in her home and are a reminder of her personal creativity.

Many rooms are designed around that special piece, and why not? I recently inherited a stunning original French antique chair. I doubt it will be used much as it was intended, but it will bring colour and joy to my space. Another friend has designed a living room around her much-loved genuine Philippe Starck chaise lounge. The designer piece cost her several months’ salary but will add a dramatic statement in her living room for decades to come. Reflect on what it is that you love and design your spaces to celebrate your personal interests and passions. Not only will you take pleasure living in your personally designed space, others will celebrate and be inspired by your unique style.

Slowly walk around your space clockwise through the rooms, letting the smoke pass through the air. Especially focus on the corners of each room. You can also clap in the corners to clear the energy. Hold an intention of creating a serene, beautiful space while you’re doing this. : We all increasingly have a lot of technology in our lives and in the home, but try to keep it out of the bedroom. You will sleep better without technology in the space where you sleep and rest. Cover the television and your computer with a beautiful piece of fabric when they are not in use. : Buy flowers, have plants and/or crystals around the house, and create a sense of clear space in each room so you don’t feel overwhelmed as you walk around. : Feng shui practitioners also encourage the placement of a healthy jade plant at your entrance or in the home as it is said to trigger financial luck. Jade plants are traditionally very popular in feng shui principles for many reasons as they have rounded leaves looking similar to coins and money, and they are lush green in colour and are easy to grow. makingspace4you@gmail.com

: The jade plant is considered lucky by feng shui practitioners.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

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m ake

+ Build a barbecue D IY wi th G rei g Mo r ga n

+ CRAFT with Madis o n Sm ith

A n d do i t wi th out any sn ag s . ..

T

HIS DIY outdoor barbecue makes a great focal point in what used to be an unused area. Using an existing retaining wall gave us the height needed, and boxing the front to overhang the wall with reinforcing mesh gave a toe kick and a place to put the utensils. This is a two-part instalment.

Next week I will cover installing fire bricks and doing the plastering.

Materials

: Wool – any colour, quality and quantity : Strong twine : Scissors

: STEP 1: Measure and mark out the area required for a foundation by excavating about 200mm deep or until you reach solid ground.

Prepare a level base about 100mm thick with compacted hard fill.

Make a pompom garland

: STEP 2: Measure and cut your boxing timber to length then fix in position, keeping level. Cut your steel mesh to fit about 50mm less than the boxed area. Cut enough lengths of D10 steel rods and bend one end about 200mm, creating a 90-degree bend.

Fix with wire ties to the mesh about every second hole placement on the block.

NEXT WEEK: HOW TO INSTALL THE FIRE BRICKS AND DO THE PL ASTERING

Mix five parts builder’s mix with one part cement, add water and mix together to a porridge-like consistency in a concrete mixer or wheelbarrow. For best results follow instructions on cement bag. Pour in the concrete, lifting the mesh with a rake to sit in the centre. Using a straight edge seated on the boxing, screed off the concrete in a back and forth motion to level.

: STEP 2:

: STEP 4:

When you’re happy with the thickness thread a piece of yarn, about 20cm long, between your middle finger and ring finger and tie a tight knot in the middle of your bundle.

: The finished outdoor barbecue, plastered and fitted with fire bricks.

PHOTO: MICHAEL CRAIG

: STEP 5: With the block framework now finished, leave it to dry for at least 24 hours before filling the blockwork with concrete slurry.

For the chimney, stack two blocks side by side in a crisscross manner, using a support on the inside until mortar has set. I made the chimney high enough to draw the smoke from the fire away from the people sitting near the barbecue.

: STEP 6: For the roof, box up an even overhang about 100mm either side of the block framework, with supports underneath and boxed ends to hold in the concrete. For the front, mark and cut using a jigsaw, creating an even curve to the underside. Cut out

: STEP 1: We’re not using fancy contraptions or fiddly bits of cardboard – just fingers. To start off, hold your hand in front of you with your palm facing towards you. Your fingers should be together with the thumb out of the way.

First step is to choose your wool. Start by loosely wrapping the yarn around your fingers. The more wraps you make, the thicker your pompom will be.

: STEP 3:

Allow the concrete base to set for at least 24 hours. Then mix a bag of pre-mix mortar with water—again following the instructions on the bag — creating a fluffy consistency. Spread the mortar on to the base and between each block and start laying your concrete blocks, making sure each row of blocks is level by tapping it into place. Cut the blocks to fit where needed for each row.

THIS weekend’s project is a win-win situation. Use up all your spare wool left over from abandoned winter craft projects and brighten up your walls at the same time.

Pompoms are simple to make and once in a rhythm, the process is quite therapeutic. Another bonus is a pompom can be made relatively anywhere – on the bus to work, a cozy nook at home or waiting for your coffee at the cafe.

: STEP 3: Take a pair of scissors and cut through the loops on either side of the pompom. For a neat look you can trim the straggly pieces or leave it crazy and quirky like I have.

: STEP 4: Materials

Cement : Builders’ mix : Steel mesh : D10 steel rods : Wire ties : 150 series blocks (frame) : 200 series blocks (chimney) : Mortar plaster : 100x25mm boxing timber : 18mm plywood : 6mm plywood : 40mm screws

Decide how long you would like your garland to be and cut your twine accordingly. The pompoms can then be tied on using a simple double-knot. Spacing can be adjusted by simply sliding the pompoms along the twine.

Hang your garland and enjoy.

USE UP ALL YOUR SPARE WOOL FROM ABANDONED WINTER PROJECTS

an angled shape from the side overhang for the top of the roof shape and fix your 6mm ply to fit the curved shape. Stop any sag when fitting the wire mesh and laying concrete.

AND BRIGHTEN YOUR WALLS

Saturday, October 11, 2014

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Weekend

clo s et FASHION: Trends come and go but if you stick with the classics they never go out of style.

+

L I F E M O ST FA B U LO US w i th M e re d i th Pap ava s i l i o u

Yes. We. Are. Bloody.

Mad. Mad. I say

S

OME days I feel like I have been run over by a bus. I clamber from minor catastrophe to moderate calamity to major quagmire, only to get to the end of the day wondering a) how did I make it through, and b) should wine be administered by glass or intravenous drip.

We all do it: lie in bed, listen to the rain and reckon with ourselves about how we handled a situation, how we managed to cope and whether or not we made the right decision.

We construct, deconstruct and reconstruct. We analyse. We pontificate. We drive ourselves insane.

Then we drag our sorry souls out of bed the next day, dust off our optimism and drive and zest for life (which apparently, we have in lashings) and we front up to do it all again. We. Are. Bloody. Mad. Mad. I say.

But just when we fear all is lost, enter those people-most-fabulous in our lives who make it doable.

Our friends are there through every decision, both good and bad (the best of friends will tell you when it’s the latter, even when you don’t want to hear it); they are there for every champagne snorted laugh, every spontaneous outburst of tears, every moment of self-doubt, self-loathing and self-empowerment.

They are the ones who pick you up, dust you off.

They tell you when you are wonderful and when you are being a self-absorbed cow. They rally when times are revolting and are your fierce rival in the coveted, yet fictional Mother of the Year stakes.

They have seen you at your best, your worst, your snottiest. Blessed are we who have amazing friends to cherish.

They make life more bearable, more worthwhile. For our friends we should always be grateful, and we should always be there in return. To mine, thank you.

You make my life most fabulous.

BLESSED ARE WE WHO HAVE AMA ZING FRIENDS TO CHERISH

PHOTO: FUNDUCK

+

ST Y LE wi th Tracey Ho rd e rn

How a designer designs LOOKING more like a model than a designer, Chantel Barber is the designer and founder of the label Goddess of Babylon. From humble beginnings selling her designs at Byron Bay markets, Goddess of Babylon is now a global success, selling online and to top boutiques in all Australian cities and New York. Barber lets us inside the process of how she designs her range. : What inspires your designs?

Years ago when my world was all about travel I drew a lot from exotic countries, but these days I am more settled. I’m also blessed to be one of those lucky creatives who when centred, clear and draped somewhere peaceful in a hammock away from the noise of my three-year-old, I can close my eyes

Saturday, October 11, 2014

+ Versatile classics

Fo u ndat io n p ie ce s o f qu a li t y ba si c s t o st a nd t he te st of t im e A VERSATILE wardrobe needs good foundation pieces of quality basics that will stand the test of time. Trends come and go but these classics last forever. They are fashion’s building blocks you can team with standout items which show your personality. Don’t be afraid to splurge on these staples – a classic pant suit, a crisp white button down shirt, blue-wash denim skinnies or a pair of black leather pumps. Consider them assets. Go basic for a casual street look or accessorise to make a statement for after-hours. Add stylish shoes, bling pieces of jewellery and a hot little handbag for a sophisticated look. You really can design the perfect wardrobe by starting with the essentials. Here are our picks if you’re looking to streamline your wardrobe or invest in some new staples.

FIRST ROW: : Classic Shirt in white, $129.00 from Country Road nationally and countryroad.com.au : Jane Debster Beyond Black Pump, $109.00 from Myer nationally and myer.com.au : Ray Ban Clubmaster RB3016 in black, $239.95 from Myer nationally and myer.com.au : Suiting Pant, $49.99 from Rockmans nationally and rockmans.com.au. SECOND ROW: : Jag Mid Rise Jegging, $99.95 from Myer nationally and myer.com.au : Geline Trapeze Bone and Black Bag, $119.95 from Hush Puppies stockists and hushpuppies.com.au : Suiting Jacket, $89.99 from Rockmans nationally and rockmans.com.au

and the ideas just naturally flow. : Do you design your range with yourself in mind?

For a very long time I think I used to design with only myself in mind. But then the business grew and I have had to design with the typical Babylon customer in mind. : How do you balance the personal and the practical in your designs?

This is often hard for me as I often aspire to create flowing, sexy and exotic styles, which don’t necessarily suit everyone.

So I often have to remind myself of the huge demographic of women that aren’t necessarily showy and they need to cover bra straps and like a little more coverage. : As a designer, do you think you have grown since launching your label?

Most definitely. I have really had to step it up within myself over the past five to six years since the business went from a market stall to a wholesale label. I have never had any formal training so every bit of my knowledge has been self-taught and learnt along the way, so the industry has taught me some hard and sharp learning lessons.

: Designer Chantel Barber on a recent trip to Ibiza.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

:

What is your philosophy for fashion and style?

My personal philosophy is definitely a very relaxed one as I am not a true fashionista. I believe in style as being an extension of oneself. It is a natural external expression of the internal, not trend-based or self-conscious.

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s t uff

+ Struggling mower on the chopping block

+

GADGETS

A d m i t t i n g d e f e at t o a m a c h i n e i s s o m e t i m e s t h e h a rd e st b at t l e t o w i n .

O N A L I G H T E R N OT E w i th G re g B ray

A

HH, spring. The magpies were a-swooping, the cane toads were a-hopping and, halfway through the first sweaty cut of the season, my mower had a-stopped.

After two hours and four rebuilds, I staggered into the house and announced to my family, “Well, I’m out of ideas, any suggestions?”

“Take it to the mower shop,” they yelled.

“That’s the problem with you lot,” I scoffed, “you give up too easily.” I returned to the shed while Long Suffering Wife phoned our neighbours to apologise.

Now I had fuel, air and enough spark to start Frankenstein’s heart. Plus, if the smoking hole through my toolbox was any indication, I certainly had plenty of compression. Also, after countless yanks of the starter chord, my right arm was four centimetres longer than my left and my shoulder muscles had turned to custard.

Defeated, I gazed forlornly at the pastures surrounding Bray Manor and it slowly dawned on me how much time, fuel, fertiliser, poison and water I pumped into our turf each year.

This wasn’t a lawn; it was a high-maintenance money pit.

‘‘

I h ad f u e l, ai r a n d e n o u gh s pa rk t o st a r t Fran ke n ste in ’s he ar t . P lu s, i f t h e sm o k in g ho l e t hr o ugh my t o o lb ox wa s any i n di c at i o n , I c e r t a i n ly ha d p l e n t y o f c o m p r e s s io n Inspired, I calculated how much concrete I’d need to cover our entire yard, then did a rough estimate of the cost. I was over the worst of the shock by the time I got to the mower shop.

The mechanic is probably still chuckling at the look on my face when my mower roared to life. I raced it back home, wheeled it into the shed and carefully placed a sledgehammer, grinder and a brochure for a battery-powered mower in front of it; I expect the rest of the mowing season will be trouble-free.

And if it isn’t, then I’m definitely going to re-consider the concrete option. Of course, I’d paint it green to make it look natural.

Greg Bray blogs at gregbraywriter.wordpress.com. Find him on Facebook: Greg Bray – Writer.

: NAVMAN has merged its in-car navigation system with a dash cam in its evolution. The MiVue Drive features a three-axis G-Shock sensor and a 120-degree lens, plus a lifetime of map updates for $299.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

+

GA D GETS w i th Lu ke Mo r ti mer

Happy 125th, Nintendo JAPANESE video game and consumer electronics behemoth Nintendo recently celebrated its 125th birthday. Founded as a playing card company on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, there would be few Australian gamers who haven’t played a Nintendo classic or two.

The company focused on toys and early electronic machines, such as its Love Tester, early on, before moving into video games in the 1970s.

Now, you’d be hard pressed to miss the Kyoto company’s mascots and franchises, which include colourful characters such as Super Mario, Donkey Kong and Link, from the

: FUJIFILM’S retro compact has received some subtle improvements to the new 16.3 megapixel X100T, due to drop in mid-November from $1500. Its coolest feature is the hybrid viewfinder, allowing you to flip between optical and electronic at the flick of a switch.

venerated Legend of Zelda game series. These first-party franchises were top attractions on the company’s long list of video game consoles – including the Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo 64, Gamecube and, of course, the Gameboy.

In 2011, Nintendo became Japan’s third most valuable company, with a staggering market value of more than $96 billion. Recently, the company has been spruiking its Nintendo WiiU console. The company reported cumulative sales of more than 670 million units of hardware and 4.2 billion units of software. Perhaps it’s fitting then that Nintendo roughly translated to English means “leave luck to heaven”.

: THE Energizer UE5610 portable charger eliminates having to sit by the power point waiting for your phone or device to charge. The portable battery features two USB ports and at 9cm long by 2.5cm thick, it’s small enough to fit in your pocket. The device is priced from $69.95.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

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yo u

+ Salute the sun

TIP: Remember to incorporate your facial muscles and this set of poses will exercise every muscle in the body.

E mbo dy a s ens e of c al m and ap pr ec iat i on .

PU T A LIT TL E ‘O M ’ I N YO U R LIFE w ith P us h pa B ak shi

O

NE of my favourite ways of starting the day is with the surya namaskar steps (sun salutations). This is ideally done at sunrise or early morning, but can also be done at sunset. Embody a sense of calm and appreciation for the warmth, light and its natural energy.

: Step 1: Mountain pose

Stand at the front of your mat with your feet hip-width apart and your weight evenly distributed between them, your spine erect, and your arms at your sides.

: Step 2: Arms reaching upward

Inhale, extending your arms overhead, bringing your palms together, and expanding your chest. For an extra stretch, arch your spine slightly backward into the Crescent Moon Pose—but don't overdo it or you might strain your lower back.

: Step 3: Standing forward bend

Exhale, bringing your chest towards your thighs and your hands towards the floor.

: Step 4: Lung pose

Inhale, placing your hands on the mat on either side of your

right foot as you lunge your left leg straight back behind you.

Expand your chest as you lengthen your spine. Be sure your bent knee is aligned directly above your heel; if it juts out over your toes it will cause strain on your knee.

: Step 5: Plank pose

Exhale, stepping your right leg back so your feet are now side by side. Look straight at the floor, keeping your arms extended and your body straight. Hold for three to five full breaths.

: Step 6: Kneel and lower head

Exhale, slowly dropping your knees to the floor. Untuck your toes, bring your hips back to your heels, and lower your head to the floor with your arms still extended in front of you.

: Step 7: Get on all fours

Inhale, slowly bringing yourself up on all fours.

: Step 8: Lower chest and chin

Exhale, slowly bending your elbows and lowering your chest and chin to the floor so your hands, knees, and feet are touching the mat. If this pose is difficult to hold, lower yourself all the way down to the mat instead.

: Step 9: Upward facing dog

Inhale, pushing your head and ribcage up off the mat by fully extending your arms as you press the tops of your feet into the ground. Thighs, hips should rise a few inches above the mat.

: Step 10: Downward facing dog

Exhale, tucking your toes and lifting your hips up and back so that you’re bearing your weight on the balls of your feet. This should create an upside-down V shape with your body. Allow the weight of your head to lengthen your spine.

: Step 11: Lung pose

Inhale, stepping your left foot forward.

: Step 12: Standing forward bend

Exhale, stepping your right foot forward next to your left foot so your weight is on both feet.

: Step 13: Arms reaching upward Inhale into the arms reaching upward pose again.

: Step 14: Mountain pose

Exhale, completing the sun salutation by returning to the mountain pose with hands in prayer position, engulfing all that wonderful energy you have created.

Food Recipes Taste

Easy Eating Mouth-watering meals are in your reach with handy recipes, advice from the best chefs and tips on how to prepare a meal for any occasion in our Easy Eating section every Saturday.

Your cupboard will never be bare with Easy Eating.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

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yo u

+

+

TAK E 5 YOU

1. Write down five goals to achieve by the end of the year

with Vi ki Th o n dley

Getting a handle on our diet, stress and lifestyle habits

I

MAGINE you’re the most important person in your life. You wake up with energy and can’t wait to get going. You make time to calm your mind, move your body and feed your soul – every day. You love yourself, and it shows with every thought you think, word you speak, and food choice you make.

Sadly, there are very few people in modern society who truly feel this way on a daily, or even regular, basis. We are constantly trying to juggle family and work. We worry about weight and stress about money. We have the best of intentions but are often too tired to get outside and move our bodies.

Life is a constant balancing act. Our diet, stress and lifestyle habits affect who we are, what we think and how we feel, which translates to every thought, feeling and food choice either creating or breaking down our individual biochemical balance.

Every bit of food we eat creates direct and immediate chemical changes within the body and brain to affect mood, energy, concentration, digestion, metabolism, sleep and weight.

We rely on food to create neuro-nutrients (brain food), neurotransmitters and hormones to fuel the communication channels between the brain and body.

Without enough of the right nutrients making it into our cells, we don’t have a chance at the optimum health, vitality and

: Without the right nutrients we don’t have a chance at the optimum health, vitality and wellbeing that we deserve.

PHOTO: FILE

Remember those new-year resolutions you set back in January? How many have you ticked off? More importantly, how many were realistic? Jot down five things you hope to do before the year’s end. Think about those things that make you happy. They don’t need to be grand in scale. By jotting them down on paper, it will motivate you to put them into action.

2. Declutter your workspace wellbeing that we deserve. Consistent irregular eating habits combined with accumulated stress and unhealthy lifestyle choices contribute to poor digestive health, low immunity and unbalanced hormones. Think about your own diet, stress and lifestyle habits. Are they helping you, or hurting you?

How are you nourishing yourself every day? Are you: : skipping meals : getting adequate quality sleep : eating real food, regularly How are you handling the stress in your life? Are you: : turning to food or alcohol for comfort : moody, withdrawn or tired : creating time and space to relax, rest and connect with loved ones What choices are you making on a daily basis? Do they: : honour your values : respect your needs : reinforce your goals Self-awareness is a great place to start improving your health.

Viki Thondley is a wellness expert at MindBodyFood: www.mindbodyfood.net.

Research shows when your environment is cluttered, the chaos limits your brain’s ability to process information and restricts your ability to focus.

3. Book in a wellness weekend

Pencil in a weekend at a health retreat or destination spa to relax and devote some time to you. If money is tight, write down a weekend itinerary of activities and pampering sessions and do them.

4. Incorporate greens into each meal

Set yourself a healthy challenge by eating green vegetables for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Research shows the nutritional powerhouses play a vital role in immune and intestinal function, heart, brain and eye health, and have cancer-fighting and anti-inflammatory properties.

5. Try a new sport or activity

A recent study in the journal Psychological Science found learning new life skills, while maintaining a strong social ties, could help us stay mentally sharp as we get older.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

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Weekend

screen li fe VERDICT: Likeable Simon Pegg holds this whimsical but touching round-the-world search for the meaning of life together.

Hector and the Search for Happiness

: Stars: Simon Pegg, Rosamund Pike, Jean Reno, Toni Collette, Stellan Skarsgard. : Director: Peter Chelsom : Rating: M : Reviewer’s last word: Likeable Simon Pegg holds this whimsical but touching round-the-world search for the meaning of life together.

Star profile: Rosamund Pike

: Quirky fact: She was friends with Chelsea Clinton while at Wadham College, Oxford. : Best known for: Gone Girl, Pride and Prejudice, Die Another Day. : If you like this movie you’ll like these: Kill Me Three Times, The World’s End, Cuban Fury. : Quote: “I think it’s okay to play to your strengths, and if I have a quality of Englishness that people like, I won’t hide that. I’m probably not going to play a junkie and that’s okay because there are other people who will do it better.”

: Simon Pegg in a scene from the movie Hector and the Search for Happiness.

PHOTO: ED ARAQUEL

+ Search for belonging The wo rld’s happy . .. so what abo ut me?

S C RE E N L IF E

w ith Geoff rey M acNab

S

IMON Pegg is the British actor who has conquered zombies, aliens and Hollywood. Now, on the back of starring in two Star Trek films and being a vital cog in the Mission: Impossible franchise, he is returning to more earthly human pursuits in Hector and the Search for Happiness.

In the film, perhaps the first aimed squarely at an audience more his own age since 2008’s How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, the 44-year-old plays Hector, a psychiatrist dealing with a crisis many of us might have faced at some point in our lives: am I in the right relationship? His relationship with his live-in girlfriend Clara has gone stale, so he decides the time is right to broaden his horizons and duly abandons his girlfriend and patients to travel the world.

“The thing about Hector is that he sets out to find out what makes people happy but he is really trying to find out what makes him happy, because he has no happiness,” Pegg said.

The film is adapted from the 2002 debut novel by François Lelord, a French psychiatrist. Like Hector, whose shelves are full of books by Freud and Jung, Pegg believes that what happens to us in childhood defines us as adults.

“A lot of us still go through life regarding love and sex as we did when we were seven,” he said. “And we take that into adulthood.” Pegg was seven when his parents divorced. Born Simon John Beckingham in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, his father was a jazz musician and keyboard salesman and his mother a civil servant. He took the name Pegg from his stepfather. Many of the characters he has created as an adult and writer, and those he has been drawn to as an actor, have been recovering from broken relationships.

The TV show Spaced starts with Pegg trying to cope with the aftermath of a break-up. Shaun of the Dead, the first of the so-called Cornetto Trilogy that he wrote to be directed by his friend and collaborator Edgar Wright, sees him put his friends before his girlfriend. In both Hot Fuzz, where he plays a lonely policeman redeployed in Gloucestershire, and The World’s End,

in which he plays an alcoholic trying to recapture teenage glories, his character is defiantly single.

Does this fascination with broken relationships go back to his childhood and his parents’ divorce?

“Well, that’s the interesting thing, not just with Hector, but also in (his 2012 horror film) A Fantastic Fear of Everything, there is the idea of the wounded child,” he responds.

“We all have it, this moment when we realise that we are an entity separate from our mother, we are individual and we are going to die, all that kind of stuff. Our relationship with all the key emotional touchstones of life, they are established at a very young age and you never really look back on it, unless you have therapy. You never go back and think: ‘Oh, that’s why I’m like that with women. That’s why I’ve been looking for that kind of person. That’s why I’ve been trying to find a father, a mother, whatever ...’ “ If it wasn’t for a break-up, he reveals, he would never have had the motivation to write Spaced, the 1990s TV show in which he made his name. “There was a key moment in my life when I broke up with a girlfriend – about 20 years ago now – and that formed the basis of Spaced. That kind of heartbreak, which was partly because there is nothing so inspiring as pain.”

- The Independent Hector and the Search for Happiness opens on October 23.

+

REVI EWS Wha t’ s n e w on th e big screen

The Judge

BIG-city lawyer Hank (Robert Downey jnr) returns to his childhood home where his estranged father is a murder suspect. Stellar performances by veterans Downey jnr and Robert Duvall help to lift this okay courtroom family drama. : Stars: Robert Downey jnr, Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton, Vincent D’Onofrio. : Rating: M : In cinemas: Now.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

A Walk Among the Tombstones

THIS is the type of role we love seeing Liam Neeson in, and the Irishman doesn’t disappoint, even though other aspects of this New York-set murder-mystery do. Dark, moody and stylish, the film’s look is fitting of the grim subject matter. : Stars: Liam Neeson, David Harbour, Dan Stevens, Boyd Holbrook. : Rating: MA15+ : In cinemas: Thursday.

Pride

THIS earnest and uplifting film is a crowd-pleaser. Pride follows the unlikely solidarity formed between the National Union of Mineworkers, on strike, and Britain’s gay and lesbian activists in the 1980s. : Stars: Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Paddy Considine, Andrew Scott. : Rating: M : In cinemas: Thursday.

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re la x

+ Humour ... power

+

R EVIEWS: BOO KS

A n d a fam ily’ s relatio ns hip w ith t he dead

The Gods of Guilt

By Jo h n Grey

By Michael Connelly: Another courtroom-centred crime thriller featuring dodgy LA defence lawyer Mickey Haller.

This time he is suspected of the murder of a former prostitute client. Full of the plot twists you expect. Or, rather, don’t.

F

IRST-time novelist Mira Jacob enchants in the absorbing family drama, The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing, which ranges over 20 years and two continents.

We see the story through the observant eyes of Amina, photojournalist-turned wedding photographer with a predilection for secretly (and artistically) shooting the dark underside of wedding receptions.

Amina is called back to her parents’ home because her father has been spending his nights talking to his long-dead mother.

The novel, full of humour and emotional power, slowly reveals the family’s past, effortlessly hopping between India in 1979, Seattle in 1998 and Albuquerque in the early 1980s.

The revelations come with laughter and tears as the author beautifully unpacks the complex relationships and histories of the family.

We go back to meet the matriarchal harridan in India with whom Amina’s brain surgeon father is now having posthumous nocturnal conversations, and the troubled, sleepwalking uncle of the book’s title.

We discover why Amina is no longer a photojournalist, why her mother obsessively cooks delicious food, and why odd objects are buried in the family backyard – all the while learning more about family tragedies and each character’s relationship with the dead.

Mira Jacob’s writing is superb, spiced with wit and emotional power.

She has an ability to come up with similes out of left field that describe more than a cliché ever could.

And her rendition of family conversations is a joy. In an age when storytelling in any medium is dominated by formulaic structure, here is a book that will entertain and emotionally engage, yet leave you wondering where the story will go, right up to the final chapters.

+

MUST REA D wi th Jo hn G rey

I, Migrant

by Sami Shah

EDITOR’S PICK: Sleepwalker’s Guide is one of the best books I have read in ages.

Counting Aussie Animals in my Backyard

By Bronwyn Houston: Beautiful pre-schooler’s counting book, full of fun, colour, movement and Australian wildlife, from one python to ten mosquitoes.

What If

By Randall Munroe: The creator of brilliant web comic xkcd – a former roboticist – offers serious scientific answers to absurd hypothetical questions. Find out how fast you can hit a speed bump while driving and survive. Be prepared for explosions.

: Here is a book that will entertain and emotionally engage.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

+

R EVIEW: N EW ON DV D A PAKISTANI journalist, confronted daily with suicide bombings and other terrible realities of life in Karachi, does the only sensible thing: He becomes a stand-up comic.

Sami Shah tells how he ended up telling jokes in country Australia and details, with humour and horror, the daily nightmare of life in his home city, where suicide bombers are the norm, the government kills its critics, and the lines between “political party” and “criminal organisation” are terminally blurred. Little wonder he migrated to Australia.

The genuinely funny, intelligent, self-effacing Shah turns his acerbic tongue to the “shocking cruel” treatment of refugees by our government.

The Rover

In a dystopian outback future reminiscent of Mad Max, hard man Guy Pearce hunts down men who stole his car. He joins forces with a damaged young American, powerfully played by Twilight’s Robert Pattinson. Bloody violence interspersed by moody cinematography.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

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+

m in d TEST YOUR GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Quiz compiled by Roy O’Reilly

QUIZ

+ Instinctive responses M I N D YOU

1. Which bank is known as “the old lady of Threadneedle Street” (a) Bank of England (b) Bank of Tokyo (c) Westpac?

w i th Rowe n a H a rdy a n d N i c k B e n n e tt

S o m e w h e r e i n - b e t we e n f i g h t o r f l i g h t

2. Did Pope John Paul I die in 1978 or 2005?

3. Statuettes of which two mudcaked captains form part of the NRL premiership trophy?

4. Name the Australian journalist recently jailed in Egypt for seven years.

5. Dogtown is in which Australian state or territory?

6. Which Dragon was conspicuous by wearing white boots in the 1975 NSWRL grand final?

7. Which folk musician was Administrator of the Northern Territory from 2003 to 2007?

8. Ralph Fiennes played a celebrated hotel chief concierge in which recent movie?

9. At the age of 40, which Australian boxer recently won the IBF world middleweight title?

10. In 1802, Matthew Flinders and which French explorer met at Encounter Bay? 11. “England Appoint New Captain – he’ll be flying the plane home from Rio on Wednesday” was a British newspaper’s front-page headline after the country’s early exit from which event?

: We respond to outside influences initially subconsciously at an instinctive and emotional level and we’re not aware it’s happening.

PHOTO: YANGPHOTO

12. Did Lyndon Johnson or Richard Nixon succeed John F. Kennedy as US president?

13. Which Australian TV quiz show recently celebrated its 1000th episode?

14. The trophy awarded to the winner of the Australian Grand Prix will be named in honour of which triple world champion?

15. Who was recently elected prime minister of India?

16. “You know, if you break my heart I’ll go, but I’ll be back again” are lyrics from which song?

17. The formal name of Quito, the capital of Ecuador, incorporates the name of which major US city?

18. Which horse won two of the 2014 US Triple Crown races?

19. In 2008, a judge issued a court order to allow which Oscar winner to vote at the presidential election after he was erroneously de-registered in Manhattan?

20. The military junta in Thailand recently warned protesters against flashing the three-fingered salute from which hit movie as a sign of dissent?

21. Does the Laffer Curve display information about taxation or TV canned laughter?

22. The 1987 stockmarket crash occurred on (a) Black Monday (b) Pancake Tuesday (b) Good Friday?

T

HE key organising principle of the brain, according to Brain Resource CEO Dr Evian Gordon, is to minimise danger and to maximise reward.

This occurs at a conscious and subconscious level as the brain scans its environment for threats every .25 of a second.

In turn, we respond to events initially subconsciously at an instinctive and emotional level i.e. we’re not aware it’s happening.

What we do become aware of, and this is conscious to us, is the feeling that is generated, again at about .25 of a second.

That’s pretty fast. It then takes about .5 of a second for us to respond.

An example? Take driving. It’s a lovely day, music is on, you look down to change channels and in looking up you see blue and red flashing lights coming towards you. Looking at the speedo you realise that you are over the speed limit. You hit the brake at the same time noticing all of the other cars are doing similar things.

All of this happens within a second and is a modern example of our brain’s evolutionary behaviour that kept us alive on the African savannah lands in our prehistory.

Our brains evolved this response for survival, so that when confronted with a life-threatening situation, our bodies would instantly redirect our energy and resources away from more benign functions such as resting, eating and thinking, to adrenalising us to make a life-saving getaway.

23. Which Australian star of the movie Grease sang the national anthem before the 1994 NSWRL grand final?

The unfortunate thing is that our modern environment provides levels of stimulation which now has us applying that subconscious danger response to many everyday and ordinary situations.

What’s the impact? In extreme cases it could lead to adrenal fatigue, exhaustion, nervous disorders, blood-sugar irregularities, heart and circulatory problems and high levels of distraction as we seek out ways to minimise the perceived threat.

‘‘

T h e brai n sc ans i t s e nv i r o nm e nt f o r t h r eat s e ver y .2 5 o f a se c o nd The solution? Some ideas that may help: Turn off all of your screens; TV, PC, tablet, smartphone and turn on some gentle music and spend time listening, really listening. Get into nature, play with the dog or walk on the beach barefoot and get grounded. And the last suggestion: relax and breathe deeply and mindfully.

Nick Bennett and Rowena Hardy are facilitators, performance coaches and partners of Minds Aligned: www.mindsaligned.com.au.

NEXT SATURDAY IN WEEKEND

24. Is Slovak or Slovene the official language of Slovenia?

25. Queen Letizia is the wife of the king of which country?

A N SWERS

1. (a) Bank of England. 2. 1978. 3. Norm Provan, Arthur Summons.

4. Peter Greste. 5. Victoria. 6. Graeme Langlands. 7. Ted Egan. 8.

The Grand Budapest Hotel. 9. Sam Soliman. 10. Nicolas Baudin. 11.

FIFA World Cup. 12. Lyndon Johnson. 13. Millionaire Hot Seat. 14.

Sir Jack Brabham. 15. Narendra Modi. 16. I’ll Be Back (The Beatles).

17. San Francisco (San Francisco de Quito). 18. California Chrome.

19. Tim Robbins. 20. The Hunger Games. 21. Taxation. 22. (a) Black Monday. 23. Olivia Newton-John. 24. Slovene. 25. Spain (King Felipe VI).

Saturday, October 11, 2014

+ R E AD //

Xav ie r Ru d d si t s dow n w i th We eken d to ch at a b o ut hi s new a l bu m

+ MY SH OU T //

W h at be e rs h ave S im o n I r win ta lk i n g n e xt we e k ? Jo i n o u r co nve r sat io n