WEEKEND 14-02-15 // 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 T A I N M E N T : F A S H I O N : H O M E

Weekend

READ: The tools of romance have changed, but the end goal remains the same. And it takes work.

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RECIPES FOR LOVE How to ro m an ce th e stove an d di sh u p c u li nary ap h ro d i s i ac s fo r yo ur l ove d on e

+ TR AV EL //

Ex per ie nc e t he my st i cal and r om ant i c au ra o f th e cru mbli ng It a l ia n c it y o n it s de at hbe d

Weekend

+ M AKE //

Conquer st orag e wo es with a DIY pro ject yo u’ ll put to b ed i n on e af te rn oon

+ SC REEN L IF E //

Meet the di recto rs of the Matrix t ri l og y i n thei r l atest st ar- studded rom p

Saturday, February 14, 2015

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we lco me // insi de to day

Commercialism hits new Valentine’s heights W EE K E ND E DI TOR K ir i te n D ol l e

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S IT just me or has Valentine’s Day lost its touch?

Perhaps when you’ve been together a long time the novelty surrounding one day of the year tends to wear off and every day becomes Valentine’s Day, if you’re lucky – or is that a rebuttal I’m receiving? The butterflies give way for a deeper appreciation for one another. I thought the flutter wore off last year when my other half ordered 12 long stem roses through a dodgy company, which never actually delivered them and we spent the next six months trying to recoup lost funds. The thought was there and it was indeed priceless.

The story of Valentine’s Day has become big business and it comes as no surprise that Aussies spend about $800 million on Valentine’s Day in weekend getaways, dinners, confectionery, jewellery, flowers, singing cards and lacy nothings. The commercialism has reached new heights this year as Pizza Hut announced a limited edition nail polish range with colours tied to pizza toppings such as Say Cheese Yellow for the woman “who has everything but loves pizza”. Too far?

Don’t get me wrong, flowers are always a nice gesture and who can say no to chocolate?

Heart-shaped appliques and tacky, overpriced knick-knacks, no thanks. A nice home-cooked dinner, a bottle of cabernet and some quality time together. Now we’re talking. I’ll be boycotting tradition this year for time spent with a friend who shares his birthday with cupid and is brushed off by lovesick friends every time February 14 rolls around.

Instead, me and mine will share our morning coffee and save a picnic in our favourite spot for another day, maybe tomorrow, when work doesn’t beckon, parks and beaches are less crowded and the V-word teamed with mushy posts has disappeared from our newsfeeds.

MAKE: A DIY PROJECT TO PUT ALL YOUR STOR AGE ISSUES TO BED ... OR UNDER IT

TRAVEL

BETWEEN THE SHEETS

+ inside today READ // Retracing the history of Valentine’s Day, how our love-finding ways have changed and why you should approach the dating scene much the same as a good wine.

EASY EATING // Add a pinch of love

to your cooking this weekend, plus say goodbye to a boring garden salad and hi to this Thai treat.

TRAVEL // More reasons than one to 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.

EASY EATING

visit Malaysia’s Pearl of Penang.

HOME // How to use masculine prints

and a neutral palette to create a sexy bedroom setting.

CLOSET // Roses are red, Dior lipstick is redder. Knickers are lovely, Tiffany diamonds are better.

YOU // How to be the best version of yourself.

BETWEEN THE SHEETS //

Must love dogs: When blending families involves pets, there are always deal breakers.

RELAX // A novel idea for library lovers this Valentine’s Day.

MIND YOU // How we fall in love and a simple trick to get the oxytocin buzzing.

: ON THE COVER: Fig, prosciutto and fetta salad. Photography: Olha Afanasieva. : CREATIVE: Megan Sheehan. : CONTRIBUTORS: Seanna Cronin, Alexia Purcell, David Staurt, Tracey Hordern, Maggie Cooper, Matt Sawtell, Regan Drew, Angie Thomas, Maree Curran, Peter Chapman, Ann Rickard, Meredith Papavasiliou, Greg Bray, Viki Thondley, Helen Hawkes, John Grey, Roy O’Reilly, Rowena Hardy and Nick Bennett. : CONTACT US: weekend@apn.com.au : CONTRIBUTE: contributors@apn.com.au : ADVERTISING: Visit apmarm.com.au or contact your local sales consultant.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

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IN S I D E R

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: To see your photo published here, tune into our Facebook post on Tuesday.

wi th S ea nna Cron in

Watching me, watching you THE concept of Gogglebox sounds silly at first.

You watch people on TV as they watch TV shows.

The show centres around what shows make ordinary Aussies “laugh, get angry and cry”.

In the age of social media and selfies, this is voyeurism taken to a whole new level. But Gogglebox is so watchable.

This week’s debut of Gogglebox Australia, on Foxtel and Channel 10, featured the cast – a mix of families, couples and friends – watching and commenting on shows including Shark Tank Australia, My Kitchen Rules and one of my personal favourites: Selling Houses Australia.

Sure, these people know they’re being taped for a TV show, but the fly-on-the-wall filming style makes the conversations and reactions feel natural and genuine.

Everyone sings along with the MKR theme and just like at my house, Texan Robert is a big talking point. So is Manu Feildel’s irresistible French accent.

These people say what I often think and do what I often do, whether it’s passing judgment on a person’s outfit or grabbing something from the fridge because it’s nearly impossible to watch a cooking show without food in front of you or doing that “I’ve got to pee” dance as you wait for the next ad break.

The other key to the show’s appeal is its timeliness.

These are the shows and events many of us have been talking about at home and work for the past week.

And that’s what good TV is at the end of the day: a talking point. Entertainment is supposed to spark conversation and debate, rather than act as a substitute for domestic interaction.

This is guilty pleasure viewing, but I have to say I feel like I’ve lost less brain cells watching Gogglebox than Big Brother.

We love watching people like us, who think like us and say the things we say while parked in front of the small screen.

We’re all armchair experts, after all, aren’t we?

Day, we asked you to share a photo of someone you love on our Facebook pages.

Tenielle Brough posted this pic, “My 3 Boys!”.

PHOTO: TENIELLE BROUGH

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WHY NOT TRY wi th D av i d St u a r t

Global icon comes to life

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O RECREATE a globally recognised icon, you’re going to need a camera, a computer, an imagination, some patience and a willing participant. In my case, I used a smartphone and my two-year-old daughter.

First you’ll need to look around and see what props are available. From there you’ll be able to choose an appropriate icon to recreate.

Looking around my home I found my daughter’s homemade paper crown, a blue towel, my wife’s iPad in a pink protective case and a plunger. Perfect. The Statue of Liberty it is.

A quick Google search revealed an image by William Warby that is allowed to be “remixed” as long as the work is attributed to him. There, I did.

It was quite a challenge keeping the towel wrapped around

‘‘ PHOTO: CHANNEL 10

my daughter like a toga. The biggest challenge, however, was encouraging the towel-clad toddler to hold the iPad under one arm while holding the plunger triumphantly in the air and maintaining eye contact with the lens.

The subject must be lit in a way that is consistent with the original image.

Next, get onto your computer and open your image manipulation program of choice. Photoshop is the obvious

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Kitchen help is at hand

w ith Al exia Pu rce ll

A P P O F T HE WE E K

TREATING your loved one to a delicious home-cooked meal is easier than ever, and it’s right in your pocket. Kitchen Stories is a popular new cookbook app that combines beautiful imagery with recipes and video how-to’s. How does classic French coq au vin or soy vanilla pudding with blueberry sauce sound? The app will even generate shopping lists for you, while new recipes are added weekly.

AT TH E WATER COOLER

What’s trending on social media this week : Singer Sia (right) and

Weekend

: The finished product was widely praised on social media.

INSET: The original photo of David’s daughter.

ORIGINAL STATUE OF LIBERTY IMAGE: WILLIAM WARBY

choice, but I chose to use free software by the name of, and I swear this is true, GIMP. After airbrushing out the original Statue of Liberty, I etched, pasted, “desaturated”, re-coloured and re-sized my daughter to make her look the part.

The image was widely shared and liked on social media and earnt me the praise of my contemporaries, typified in comments such as “Man U are clevaaaaaaa!!!”. Plus, it is a lovely keepsake for my girl.

Follow David Stuart on Twitter: @bigkamo.

THE 57th annual Grammy Awards dominated Facebook and Twitter’s trending lists this week.

Singers Sam Smith and Beck hit the top of Facebook’s trending list when Smith took out four awards and Beck won the coveted Album of the Year award.

As Beck accepted his award, Kanye West stormed the stage, later telling E! News Beck should have given his award to Beyonce.

But Beyonce didn’t go short of Grammys, taking home three, and a photo posted on her Facebook page of her with husband Jay-Z and his two Grammys was liked almost 900,000 times, received almost 8000 comments and was shared more than 20,000 times.

Also trending was Kristin Wiig. The actress joined child dancer Maddie Ziegler and Australian singer Sia on stage at the Grammys for a performance of Chandelier.

Sia later posted the video on her YouTube channel, where it has been seen by 33,000 people so far.

dancer Maddie Ziegler.

PHOTO: MICHAEL NELSON

Download Kitchen Stories from the App Store for free.

PHOTO O F THE WEE K : TO CELEBRATE Valentine’s

It wa s q u i te a c h a l l e n g e ke e p i n g t h e t owe l w rap p e d a r o u n d h e r l i ke a t o g a

: The Dalton family in a scene from Gogglebox.

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Alexia Purcell is APN ARM’s social co-ordinator. Follow her on Twitter: @alexia_purcell.

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r ead

+ Wherefore art thou classic romance?

FACE FACTS: The online dating industry is rapidly growing but eventually you have to step out from behind the computer.

H ave we , t h r o u g h t h e c o m m e r c i a l i s at i o n o f Va l e n t i n e ’ s D ay, l o st f o c u s o f t h e i n n o c e n c e o f b u d d i n g l ove a n d w h at i t t a ke s t o ke e p i t a l i ve ?

BY Va ni Nai d o o

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EMEMBER when Valentine’s Day was cloaked in anonymity?

When thoughtful well-chosen cards and small handmade tokens of innocent love were placed surreptitiously in your school bag or letter box, pushed carefully under your front door?

Remember the thrill of opening that crisp white envelope to reveal the treasure within, signed simply “Your Valentine”, and the exciting days that followed as you tried to work out just whose heart you had set aflutter?

Those were days of beautifully charming, harmless romantic gestures. No judgment, no big statements and the only pressure coming from the thought of how you would stash the card without discovery. Now you have to find the perfect present, the most romantic card and the most unforgettable date as you chase that romantic ideal.

These days, as it has been for the past two decades, Valentine’s Day is big business, so big in fact that today’s outpourings cost Australians almost a billion dollars.

Valentine’s Day has changed from a day that signals the possible start of love to one that validates current relationships, and that apparently comes with a price-tag.

Half of that billion dollars was spent on romantic getaways, in excess of $300 million on chocolates and confectionery, $40 million on jewellery and almost $50 million on intimate meals in packed-out restaurants.

Close to $15 million was spent on cards, making this the biggest card-giving event aside from Christmas, while 200 million of those obligatory red roses will have made their way into homes around the country.

Rapidly advancing technology has only served to further complicate the quest for romantic love, exploited so professionally by rampant commercialisation.

Speed dating, social networking and online dating have created an environment where it is okay to indulge in shorter dalliances with maximum pleasure, with research indicating that a very small percentage of people who turn to the internet actually have marriage and monogamy as a primary goal.

Online matchmaking websites are lauded for their ability in widening the dating pool so you can now meet hundreds of potential suitors, at your leisure – strangers who don’t necessarily live near you or who very possibly have nothing in

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Yo u ca n t we et, po ke , nu dge an d me ss a ge s ome on e w it h ou t hav in g m et th em in p ers o n. common with you but are pretending to.

Profiles mostly tend to have the same hue – everyone is funny, sporty, generous, good looking, charming and wants world peace – because let’s face it, the anonymity it affords allows you to be whoever you want to be.

Where once you relied on your social circle and drunken nights at the local pub to meet a prospective partner, now you can peruse profiles, watch videos and Google and Facebook your likely date while sitting on your couch with unwashed hair long before you decide on any face-to-face contact.

Economies of scale and algorithms, based on a complex set of clinical equations, help ensure you pick the best possible match. You secure a date via a text message, meet at a neutral restaurant and split the bill.

Interestingly online dating doesn’t generally level the playing field. Studies show that those geeky, socially awkward people who strike out in the real world generally fare little better in cyber space.

Of course there is the advantage of choice, so you can eliminate the guesswork and those sometimes awkward first-date moments and you can even investigate a prospect’s online footprint to ensure he or she is on the level.

It saves time, misery, even money. But with choice also comes competition and while you are making your pick, you can be sure there are 30 other people checking out your future intended on Tinder.

And talking of Tinder, an app which incidentally makes two million matches a day, apps in that vein including Grindr/Blendr, Hot or Not, Hinge, Coffee meets Bagel, OKCupid, Zoosk, even Ashley Madison, which, believe it or not, is a dating site for married people looking to stray, have taken the dating game mobile, allowing you to register your interest with just a swipe of the finger.

You can tweet, poke, nudge and message someone without having actually met them in person.

They can follow your every movement on social media and you can call their bluff when they say they were too busy to respond to your message because you have seen them

update their Twitter feed, like every hour.

But unlike more traditional methods of meeting a future love, online dating makes no allowance for chemistry. You know, that butterfly in the tummy feeling that signals you may have met someone special even though he might not be your “type”. There is no body language or tone of voice, no wooing, no building anticipation and very little prolonged excitement.

“They think that we’re like digital cameras, that you can describe somebody by their height and weight and political affiliation and so on,” behavioural economist Dan Ariely, who is researching online dating, told The Guardian. “But it turns out people are much more like wine. When you taste the

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True love means never having secrets

: 46 years of marriage and just as in love as ever – Jack and Von Ryan.

PHOTO: MIKE RICHARDS GLA290115JACK

Saturday, February 14, 2015

IT’S love to last a lifetime. Jack and Von Ryan have been married for 46 years and they say old-school romance like theirs is not easily found.

Jack’s cousin married Von’s best friend. So the best friend and the best man hit it off.

“We just seemed to click,” Von said.

“We were both shy and didn’t say too much and Jack didn’t wear his heart on his sleeve, but it seemed to work in our favour.”

Jack was a stockman who worked out in Builyan and Von a ribbon factory worker, who, from the age of 14, was

in an office in Toowoomba. It was four hours travelling time between them, but letters and once-a-month visits kept the spark bright.

They courted for 18 months.

“We lived too far away from each other. I decided we had to get married,” Jack said.

One night after the pictures, Jack proposed to Von over hamburgers. In true cheeky form, Von said “no” as a joke to get Jack’s heart racing, before accepting.

“I wooed her at the movies and of course she said yes – I’m a bloody good man,” Jack said.

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The story of Valentine’s Day

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HE history of Valentine’s Day and its patron saint is loose, varied and shrouded in mystery.

The most accepted theory is that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage for young men, saying they would make better soldiers without a wife and family, Valentine defied the emperor and continued to perform the marriage ceremonies in secret. He was put to death for his troubles when Claudius eventually found out.

Another story that gets air is that Valentine was killed while attempting to help Christians escape the torture of Roman prisons. Allegedly, while Valentine was himself in prison awaiting death, he fell in love with the warder’s daughter and wrote her letters signed, “from your Valentine”, an expression still in use today.

Still others believe the Church placed St Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February to combat the pagan fertility festival, Lupercalia, which was celebrated on February 15.

No record exists of romantic celebrations on Valentine’s Day prior to a poem English medieval poet Geoffrey Chaucer wrote about 1375. In his work Parliament of Foules, he links a tradition of courtly love with the celebration of St Valentine’s feast day – an association that did not exist until after his poem received widespread attention.

The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.

wine, you could describe it, but it’s not a very useful description. But you know if you like it or don’t. And it’s the complexity and the completeness of the experience that tells you if you like a person or not. And this breaking into attributes turns out not to be very informative.

“Dates are not about sitting in the room and interviewing each other about questions; they’re often about experiencing something together in the real world. If you and I went out, and we went somewhere, I would look at how you react to the outside world. What music you like, what you don’t like, what kind of pictures you like, how do you react to other people, what do you do in the restaurant. And through all these kind of non-explicit aspects, I will learn something about you.”

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Yo u ne ed to c o m m un ic ate and al way s be t her e f or o ne another.

“She still keeps me on my toes and still says ‘no’ sometimes.”

The pair was married on August 10, 1968, at St Patrick’s Church in Toowoomba, and Von joined Jack in Builyan.

Von was 26 and Jack, 27. Together they had three children – Darryn, Shaun and Tony – who now have children of their own.

“We love being grandparents to Matthew, Haylie and Declan. There was a huge gap between us having kids and then the grandchildren coming along, so it’s lovely seeing them and even better that we get to give them

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There is little doubt though that the popularity of online dating is on the rise, a meteoric one at that. Last year, for the first time in Australia, more people went on dates thanks to their computer screens than to social networking.

But online dating is just the first part, eventually you will have to take that relationship offline and into the real world.

The platforms and tools of romance may have changed but the end goal remains the same.

Relationships take work, real work, and in the end an old-fashioned love letter given on days not marked by giant heart-shaped balloons will no doubt see you through more of life’s small turmoils than a string of texts you will simply delete to make room for more.

: Where once you relied on your social circle and the local pub to meet a prospective partner, now you can peruse profiles, watch videos and Google and Facebook your likely date while sitting on your couch PHOTO: MASSONSTOCK

back,” Von said.

Jack and Von have lived on the cattle property that came with Jack’s job for most of their married life. Each year since the children were born, the pair would travel with a caravan to Hervey Bay. When they aren’t travelling, they still work together on their cattle property in Builyan.

For people around them, seeing the couple’s 46-year commitment to each other has been a treat and they are always happy to share their secrets to a successful marriage.

“You need to communicate and always be there for one another,” Von said.

“What the younger generations don’t do is sort out issues on their own. It’s your own life and you can’t go running back to mum and dad when things get tough.

“Like Von, she had nowhere to run,” Jack joked.

“You need to trust one another, have no secrets and make decisions as a couple.”

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+ THE WEEKEND COOK w i th M a g g i e C o o p e r

FRESH, VIBRANT AND FULL OF

: This delicious drink is served in Italy as a restorative.

FRAGRANT HERBS

PHOTO: THINK STOCK

Dreamy, creamy custard

: Thai beef salad is easy to make and tastes sensational.

+ Zing up a salad

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ALENTINE’S Day, the traditional time for lovers. A dreamy, creamy barely cooked custard is how I’d describe what the Italians call zabaglione and the French call sabayon, and it’s perfect to serve to someone you love on February 14. This delicious dish is traditionally served in Italy as a restorative early in the day, usually accompanied by a crisp biscotti, or biscuit.

In some regions of Italy they even serve it for breakfast. I guess if you are living in a Tuscan farmhouse and wandering into the field next door to prune grape vines or olive trees, with the prospect of a siesta under a tree in the early afternoon, that’s fine. For those of us who have to get in a car, operate an auger or crutch a thousand sheep, loading up on alcohol instead of your Weeties possibly isn’t such a sound idea. That’s probably why we tend to serve zabaglione as a dessert, and a rich, sensuous and decadent one at that.

A d d s o m e T h a i c u i s i n e t o yo u r s u m m e r m e n u .

EAT

w i th D a n a n d S te p h Mu l he ro n

Zabaglione

INGREDIENTS: : 2 egg yolks (use large free-range eggs) : 30g caster sugar : 30ml marsala or espresso : crisp sweet biscuits or biscotti, for serving.

METHOD: Place a saucepan with 3-4cm boiling water in it on the stove. The aim is to keep it at a bare simmer.

Do not allow to boil. Place the egg yolks and sugar in the double boiler or in a heatproof bowl that will sit on the saucepan without touching the water. While still off the heat, beat the yolks and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add the marsala, one tablespoon at a time, while still beating. Place the double boiler or bowl over the heated water and beat continuously until the mixture thickens and turns frothy. Serve immediately accompanied by biscotti or a crisp biscuit. Serves 2 Email Maggie at maggies.column@bigpond.com or check out her blog herebemonstersblog.com.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

A

RE you tired of the same old salad this summer? It’s certainly been a long summer that’s for sure. We love experimenting with new cuisines around the world and one of our old time favourite salads we love to create for friends and family is our Thai beef salad. It’s fresh, vibrant and full of fragrant herbs, a zingy dressing and texture to boot. Give it a crack this weekend and let us know what you think – Info@danandsteph.com.au.

Thai beef salad

INGREDIENTS: : 250g piece of rump steak : Salt : 1 tbs of peanut oil : 1 carrot, julienned : 1 cucumber, sliced into ribbons : 100g of lettuce mix : 8 baby grape tomatoes, sliced in half : 1⁄4 bunch of mint : 1⁄4 bunch of Thai basil : 1⁄4 bunch of coriander : 1 long deseeded red chilli : 1⁄4 cup of chopped toasted peanuts : 1 tbs of lime juice : 1 tbs of brown sugar : 1 tbs of fish sauce : 1 tsp of sesame

oil : 1 tsp of light soy : 1 tsp of finely grated ginger : 1 chopped clove of garlic.

METHOD: To make the dressing, add lime juice, brown sugar, fish sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger and garlic into a small bowl and allow to infuse and sugar to dissolve.

There should be a good balance of sweet, sour, salty and spiciness. Rinse lettuce and drain excess water.

Add carrot, cucumber, grape tomatoes and chilli to the salad.

Place your meat in a dry area and let it come to room temp and season both sides with salt.

Place a large oiled pan on the stove and heat until smoking hot. Place steak in pan and wait 20 seconds before turning.

Keep using this method for 3 ½ minutes and then rest for the same amount.

Place your salad mix on a large plate then position the rested steak on top followed by the fresh herbs. Sprinkle over the toasted peanuts. Serves 4.

Dan and Steph Mulheron won My Kitchen Rules in 2013.

Visit www.danandsteph.com.au or follow them on Facebook – Dan & Steph – My Kitchen Rules and Instagram – danandsteph13.

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+ Sex up dessert

+ WINE WO R DS wi th Re g a n D re w

A n d a d d s o m e l ove t o t h e m a i n m e a l finely diced : 3 golden shallots, finely chopped : 100ml red wine vinegar : 1 tsp ground black pepper. METHOD: Mix pear, shallots, red wine vinegar and black pepper together and refrigerate. When ready, place the oysters on a plate and top with desired amount of mignonette.

Sexy chocolate mousse

: Chocolate dipped strawberries.

PHOTO: THINK STOCK

Chocolate-dipped strawberries

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S CRU M PTI O US SEVE N wi th Matt S aw tell

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INGREDIENTS: : 2 large ripe avocados : 1⁄4 cup cocoa powder : 1 large ripe banana : 1 tsp vanilla extract : 1⁄3 cup coconut cream : 2 tbs honey : pinch sea salt : 1⁄4 tsp chilli flakes. METHOD: Scoop out the flesh of the avocado into a food processor along with the banana and cocoa powder. Blend until smooth and remove to a mixing bowl.

Add the vanilla, coconut cream, chilli and honey and whisk with electric beaters until light and fluffy. Scoop into cups and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve with berries of your choice.

HERE’S no aphrodisiac like food and good company.

Spice up your Valentine’s Day with these romantic dishes.

Caramelised fig and prosciutto salad

INGREDIENTS: : 6 figs cut into 4 wedges : 100g crumbled feta : 250g rocket : 50g brown sugar : 8 slices prosciutto, torn into pieces : 20ml balsamic vinegar : 20ml extra virgin olive oil. METHOD: Place the cut figs on an oven tray and sprinkle with sugar. Put figs under the grill on high for 3-5 mins or until sugar has melted and started to bubble. Remove and allow to cool. In a salad bowl place the rocket, feta, prosciutto and the figs. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic.

Self-saucing chocolate pudding

INGREDIENTS: : 200g unsalted butter : 200g good quality dark chocolate : 4 whole eggs : 4 egg yolks : 20g plain flour : 110g caster sugar : small oven-proof bowls. METHOD: Place butter, chocolate and sugar in a bowl over a double boiler on medium heat until just melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and mix in the eggs, egg yolks and flour until all combined. Pour into oven-proof bowls 3⁄4 the way up and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Bake in the oven at 180oC until risen for about 15mins. Enjoy with ice-cream or cream.

Oysters with pear mignonette

INGREDIENTS: : 24 natural fresh oysters : 1⁄2 pear,

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INGREDIENTS: : 200g dark chocolate : 1 punnet strawberries : 250ml cream : 1 vanilla bean : 2 tbs icing sugar. METHOD: In a double boiler melt the chocolate. Dip the strawberries, one at a time, in the chocolate and sit on baking paper until chocolate is set. Place the cream, icing sugar and the seeds from the vanilla bean in a bowl and whip until soft peaks. Serve with the strawberries.

Pomegranate, pepita and baby spinach salad

INGREDIENTS: : 1 pomegranate : 70ml lemon juice : 2 tsp dijon mustard : 60ml olive oil : pinch salt and pepper : 250g baby spinach leaves : 2 tbs pepitas : 2 tbs crushed walnuts : 1 avocado, diced.

METHOD: In a bowl mix together the dijon, lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil together until combined. Place remaining ingredients in a salad bowl and dress.

Grilled asparagus with bechamel

INGREDIENTS: : 2 bunch asparagus : 2 tbs butter : 2 tbs flour : 1 cup milk : 1 tsp lemon zest : 1⁄2 lemon, juiced : pinch salt : parmesan cheese. METHOD: Cut 1cm off the bottom of the asparagus and discard. Place asparagus in boiling water for 30 seconds, take off stove and place in a bowl of iced water. To make the bechamel, melt butter with lemon juice and zest in a pot over medium heat and add the flour stirring with wooden spoon for 2 mins.

Slowly add the milk to the flour and butter mix, whisking continuously until all combined. Add salt, set aside and keep warm. To serve, grill asparagus on barbecue or in a grill pan to char, then place on a platter. Pour over bechamel and finish with some grated parmesan cheese.

Team strengthens Reds

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OCKFIGHTER’S Ghost. The winery name comes from a legend of the ghost of a horse named Cockfighter that drowned trying to get his rider to safety across a flooded creek during an early expedition in the Hunter Valley. Convict workers who were sent to build a bridge over what became Cockfighter’s Creek swore that on stormy nights the ghost of Cockfighter would gallop across the countryside. Cockfighter’s Ghost is a sponsor of the Queensland Reds. The team has even been at the winery, swapping rucking for stomping grapes, to create an exclusive label, Reds’ Red, available through the winery’s website.

Cockfighter’s Ghost Chardonnay

Hunter Valley, 2013: Aromas of white peach, flax and almond meal topped with lemony freshness.

Medium-bodied: restrained lemon pith, white stone fruit and light melon. Plenty of “minerality” and acid for zip, but well-handled oak maturation does its job so well you don’t notice it – just how you want the referee to be during a game. : Rating: 7.5/10 : RRP: $22 : Alc: 13%.

Cockfighter’s Ghost Shiraz

McLaren Vale, 2013: Solid McLaren Vale qualities: jubey black/red fruits with a “throatie” medicinal lolly note. Built well around full flavours of blackberry, raspberry and finished with fine tannins. The oak provides solid structure. Dependable – just like Tim Horan in the centres. : Rating: 8/10 : RRP: $22 : Alc: 14.5%.

Cockfighter’s Ghost ‘The Legend’

McLaren Vale/Wrattonbully, 2013: A blend of flash and grunt: 40% shiraz from McLaren Vale with 30% cabernet and 30% merlot from Wrattonbully. A melange of black fruits, purple plums and brambles. : Rating: 8.5/10 : RRP: $22 : Alc: 14.5%.

Visit vinonotebook.com for more.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

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.

Weekend Native to the Northern Rivers rainforest, Bunya Nuts grow on the Bunya Pine tree, in a heavy, football sized pine cone.

+

WHAT’S F RE SH

Ne w s from th e Fa r mer s’ Marke t s

Go native

Native foods are the ultimate local food. Lucky for us, we live in a region home to a huge array of delicious native foods. Macadamia nuts may be the best known, but there are plenty more – many of which are available seasonally at our local farmers’ markets.

Bunya Nuts

Native to the Northern Rivers rainforest, Bunya Nuts grow on the Bunya Pine tree, in a heavy, football sized pine cone. They have a flavour similar to chestnuts and were prized by the local aboriginals for their nutrition and flavour.To use, boil in water for 10-15 minutes and then slice the shells open and remove the kernels. When cooled, the kernels can roasted, sliced or pureed; used as nut meat in vegetarian patties, or added to pesto in place of pine nuts. They can also be ground into a gluten free flour that can be used in baking.Bunya Nuts have recently begun their local season- find them at the Mullumbimby Farmers Market’s native food stall, Playing With Fire, or the nearby organic farm stall, Organic Forrest.

Rosellas

Another native that is in season now, the rosella produces red flowers with a raspberry plum flavour , perfectly suited to jams, cordials, jellies, teas and sauces.In recent times, they’ve become a popular addition to a glass of bubbly.

Add two teaspoons of the syrup to your glass of champagne and a fresh rosella flower with seed pod removed.You’ll find fresh Rosellas at Glance Creighton’s stall (Mullumbimby/New Brighton Farmers Markets) and ready made cordial syrup at Playing With Fire (Mullumbimby Farmers Market), or you can make your own syrup: Place four cups of rosella flowers and one and a half cups of sugar in a saucepan and add enough water to almost cover. Bring to boil then simmer for 10-15 minutes. When the flowers have lost their colour and the liquid is dark red, discard the flowers and simmer for another 10-20 min until the liquid is reduced by a third.

Also at the markets now…

New season organic apples and pears, basil, Asian greens, passionfruit, watermelon, papaya, dragonfruit, mangos.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

fa rme rs ma rke t

+ Baking with passion LO CA L P RO DU CE

with Ka te O ’Neill

G r eg W ilt on t a ke s a b a c k- to - b a s ic s ap p r oa c h w it h h is B ru n s p at i ss erie

G

REG Wilton considers himself one of the lucky ones.

When he did his baking apprenticeship in Brunswick Heads all those years ago, he was taught to make everything from scratch.

He just managed to scrape in before the arrival of the pre-mix – something Greg believes spelled the end of the art of baking.

“All these young guys started coming out of their apprenticeships not knowing what to do. All they knew was how to pull stuff out of a packet and mix it up and put it out there,” he said.

“It became just another job. It’s not hard to get someone to put a kilo of that in, add 500ml of water and 200g butter – it’s pretty much foolproof. There was no real passion in it…and there was no art to it anymore.”

Greg’s desire to get back to basics was the driving force behind Scratch Patisserie, the business he and partner Angie began three years ago. Scratch started out as a wholesale business, but soon found a place at the local farmers markets, where Greg and Angie’s products would sell out week after week.

Everything is made from scratch at their bakery in Mullumbimby (where they have also recently opened a retail shop), including croissants, pastries and breads. They use organic flour, milk and raw sugar, with the flour sourced from Gunnedah and the milk from Norco.

Nothing is done quickly in the bakery – the bread and pastries are made in the slow, traditional way, and can take anything from 24 hours to three days to create.

Greg says the long fermentation helps to develop flavour, and also breaks down the gluten in the bread, making it easy to digest. He says it’s a very different bread to your standard supermarket loaf, which is mixed, made and baked within three hours.

: Greg Wilton in the Scratch Bakery at Mulllumbimby Greg, who is also a dad to a three-year- old and six-month-old, says juggling business and family life can be tough, but there is plenty of job satisfaction, especially the compliments he gets at the market.

“The biggest one is the French. They’ll come and buy something then come back and say: ‘oh it’s so good where did you learn to do this? Did you go to France? ‘, and I’ll go, nah Bruns Hot Bread Shop mate.” : Find Scratch Patisserie at the Mullumbimby Farmers Market every Friday.

Scratch’s croissant bread and butter pudding

A decadent dessert that uses croissants instead of bread.

Ingredients: : 300ml milk : 300mil cream : 6 eggs : 1 cup sugar : 1 ⁄2 tbsp bourbon : 1 tbsp vanilla extract : 6-8 sliced croissants. : 1 ⁄2 cup sultanas, soaked in sugar syrup or water (to prevent burning) Method: Whisk liquid ingredients together in a large bowl. Dip the croissants into the mixture and layer into a round baking tin. Add remaining liquid, cover and bake at 160c for 20-30 min until golden on top.

Serve with custard or cream.

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ga rd en

+ Say it with flowers

AUTUMN READY: Start crops of leeks, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbages, or in warm zones, try dwarf beans, baby beets and Asian greens.

+

IN MY GAR DEN

B e c a r e f u l w h at yo u c h o o s e

wi th A n g ie Th o m a s

End of summer vegie care .

GREEN THUMB w i th M a re e Cu r ra n

I

T’S Valentine’s Day, and once again sales of cut flowers and chocolates are expected to soar. Of course, the red rose is the traditional symbol of enduring love and passion, so we can expect sales (and prices) of red roses to go through the roof.

But the red rose is not the only symbol of love. The language of flowers, known as florigraphy, was very highly developed during the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837. This language grew from traditions of symbolism and meanings associated with plants and flowers in many earlier cultures in Asia and the Middle East.

White roses are said to symbolise innocence and purity, whereas pink ones mean perfect happiness. Stay away from the yellow rose, though, which symbolises a decrease of love, or jealousy.

Carnations are another favourite cut flower, but do be careful when choosing colour. Red, white and pink all have positive meanings (“You’re a flame in my heart”, “You’re adorable”, “I’ll never forget you”).

Striped ones mean “No”, or “Sorry I can’t be with you”, so do be careful with those ones. Yellow is even worse – it means “You have disappointed me”, or rejection.

But why spend your hard-earnt cash on cut flowers that will last less than a week, when you could buy a beautiful living plant instead? Even if your loved one is not a passionate gardener, a living plant will last much longer than a bunch of flowers.

Orchids are a great choice – they symbolise love, beauty, luxury and refinement. Bromeliads can mean protection and money, whereas peace lilies (Spathyphyllum) are all about surrender. Anthuriums, with their heart-shaped flower spathes in shades of red and pink, also symbolise love. All of these plants will flower for months indoors, so they are perfect gifts.

Agapanthus symbolise secret love, so that could be a safe choice in certain situations. And although you wouldn’t normally consider a cactus to be a fabulous Valentine’s Day gift, they do symbolise endurance. Gardenias mean “You’re lovely”, and ivy symbolises wedded love, affection and fidelity. Orange blossoms symbolise innocence, eternal love, marriage and fruitfulness.

And there are some plants that you definitely must not consider as Valentine’s Day gifts. Hydrangeas can mean heartlessness and frigidity, and geraniums symbolise stupidity. Stay away from marigolds too – they symbolise cruelty, grief and jealousy.

PHOTO: THINK STOCK

‘‘

O rch id s a re a gre at ch oice – th e y sy mb o li se love , be au t y, lu x ury a nd re f in e m e n t

LATE summer in the vegie patch is a balancing act – looking after the last of the summer crops, and getting ready for the cooler season plantings to follow.

Sometimes the main problem is too much success. If you have a glut of tomatoes or cucumbers, get busy making sauces, pickles, relishes to enjoy later in the year.

Harvest

RIPENING vegies can become a magnet for pests and diseases, so keep on harvesting regularly. Zucchini and cucumber turn into giant marrows if left too long on the vine and are much tastier when young. Regular tip pruning keeps basil lush and leafy and removing flower heads will prolong leaf production. Powdery mildew is a fungal disease prevalent in late summer on pumpkins, squash, zucchini and cucumbers. Treat using Yates Lime Sulfur, which has no withholding period so it’s safe to pick, wash and eat vegies straight after spraying.

Liquid feed

: Phalaenopsis orchid.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

Herbs and flowers are also extensively used in love magic and potions.

Garlic chives, mint and sage have been used as aphrodisiacs since ancient times. Bay leaves represent the glory of love, and will help attract a soul mate. Coriander and dill will strengthen an existing love, and rosemary will help to bind two people in a gentle, loving manner.

See, there’s much more to Valentine’s Day than chocolates and red roses.

Got a gardening question for Maree? Email maree@edenatbyron.com.au.

FEED leafy greens fortnightly using an organic liquid feed. Grown quickly and harvested when young and tender, you will notice an improvement in both taste and texture. Healthy tomatoes are less likely to succumb to late summer pests and disease problems. Temperature, not sunlight, ripens tomatoes, so temporary shade cover will protect your crops from heat on scorching summer days. Rig up some shade cloth either stapled or cable tied to garden stakes.

Bolters

PULL out any crops which have finished or bolted to seed. There’s still plenty of warm days ahead so sow some quick crops of leafy greens like silver beet, open-hearted lettuce like Cos and tasty Mignonettes, Asian greens, radish and spring onions to fill the gaps.

+

P RO D U CTS

Woo your love with a picnic in the park or beach ALL PRODUCTS AVAILABLE FROM BUNNINGS

Weekend

: Made from polar fleece material,

: Catch the shade no matter what

: Coleman 38l blue hard wheeled

: The Grate Chef Bar-B In A Box is

Coleman’s extra large blue tartan picnic rug is comfortable to lay or sit on, and a PVC waterproof backing, which prevents you getting wet when on damp ground. RRP $19.98.

the suns position is with the Coolaroo range of beach umbrellas.

Simply tilt the canopy to stay cool and protected. RRP $42.98.

cooler is great for moving heavy loads with large all-terrain wheels and a handle. With four beverage holders in the lid it’s very useful.

RRP $69.95.

a “one-use” barbecue perfect for camping, boating, picnics and the beach. No mess and no hassle it’s super convenient. RRP $5.98.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

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trave l

+ Trip back in time

WELCOME TO HISTORY: The key cabinet and lobby desk from 1884 are still used today at the E&O.

E a ste r n & O r i e n t a l m a i n t a i n s i t s c l a s s a n d e l e g a n c e

PERSONAL TOUCH : Stately old motors are still seen in the driveway at the famous Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Penang.

.

TRAVEL

wi th Pe te r Ch apm a n

H

OW do you compare the best hotels from around the world? Is it the ambience, the luxury appointments?

Is it the standard of service or indeed is it just the location?

After all, a three-star hotel sitting on the pristine sands of Bora Bora would be hard to classify as just average.

The blend that comes together to make a hotel an unforgettable experience is in fact a sizeable dose of all of the above.

Just a luxury room fitted with a giant king-size bed and every modern convenience doesn’t make the grade these days, as travellers demand more and more for their dollar.

In putting everything in the mix, one hotel that rightly holds its place as one of the best in the world is the iconic Eastern & Oriental Hotel, or, as it is commonly referred to, “the Pearl of Penang”.

Built in 1884, this grand old lady has a guest register that includes such names as Charlie Chaplin, William Holden, Douglas Fairbanks, Rita Hayworth, the Aga Khan and Mary Pickford.

FIJI

PHOTO: PHOTOS: CONTRIBUTED

Literary giants Sir Noel Coward, Rudyard Kipling, Hermann Hesse and Somerset Maugham also spent their holidays at the E&O, and they are recognised today with the hotel naming a series of the suites in which they stayed after them.

No doubt budding novelists still journey to the E&O to stay in these suites looking for divine inspiration for their unfinished works. They may well be hoping the walls could talk.

The hotel began its colourful history in 1884 as The Eastern, and it was the hotel’s amazing popularity that saw a second hotel, the Oriental, added just 12 months later.

A visit today sees this history still showcased in the style it offered its original guests more than 130 years ago. A second modern wing now completes the hotel, and while this was only built in recent years, careful planning blends the two buildings together as one.

Standing stately on the Penang seafront, the hotel is truly a trip back to the days of yesteryear – days when cigars and port wine finished off meals for the gents at the bar while the ladies sipped coffee from the finest of china, waiting to be escorted back to their rooms.

The E&O evokes an aura of place and time, maintaining strong historical links and traditions yet coupled with the facilities of the present day.

Set amid lush tropical greenery in a manicured garden is a swimming pool that faces the sea and acts as the focal point for guests seeking to unwind.

Castaway Island escape UNLIMITED dining for an entire stay at Castaway Island Fiji for $147 – including the resort’s exclusive 1808 restaurant – is available for selected dates in 2015.

The meal package is valid for a minimum stay of five nights and includes hot and cold buffet or a la carte breakfast. For lunch, there’s a choice of buffet, a la carte or wood-fired pizza.

In the evening, dining choices are a la carte selections or the family buffet in the Water’s Edge restaurant, Sundowner wood-fired pizzas or Asian-Fijian a la carte cuisine at the adults-only 1808 restaurant.

The package is available for stays between April 15 and May 31, August 1 to 31 and from November 1 to December 20, 2015. Prices are inclusive of Fiji government taxes. : COSTS: Accommodation rates start from $3516 for five nights for a family of four. : MORE DETAILS: www.castawayfiji.com.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

: Many of the E&O suites are period-furnished and all are spacious. : There are eight different types, with either city or sea views. : The hotel’s round-the-clock impeccable butler service guarantees that guests’ personal needs and comfort are a constant focus from the moment they arrive.

The hotel is an experience as much as it is a place to put your head down. The staff service is attentive and courteous, but not intruding.

The good news is that at about $200 a night, it will fit into most travellers’ holiday budgets. Even the writer’s suites, which are as big as a two-bedroom home, can be booked for under $350. *The writer was a guest of Malaysia Tourism

NEW ZEAL AND

Tour NZ by luxury coach

APT is offering free return flights to New Zealand when you book any departure date between October 2015 and September 2016 on its 23-day New Zealand Splendour luxury escorted coach tour. : COSTS: The tour is priced from $8995 per person, twin share and takes guests from Christchurch to Auckland via Mount Cook, Milford Sound, Queenstown, Nelson, Napier, Rotorua and the Bay of Islands. : MORE DETAILS: 1300 196 420.

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trave l FAIRYTALE TOWN: It is a place to lose yourself in for an afternoon and let your fantasies fly.

: Civita di Bagnoregio is perched on a cliff and can only be accessed by a causeway. RIGHT: The ancient town is full of beautiful architecture.

PHOTOS: CONTRIBUTED

+ Faded beauty T hi s cr umb l i n g It a l i a n t ow n i s st i l l f u l l of sur p ri ses .

TR AV EL

wi th A nn R i ck ard

C

IVITA di Bagnoregio, about 150 kilometres north of Rome, is crumbling, dying.

This ancient town sits on a pedestal-like cliff, a giant mushroom on a volcanic precipice plunging into a canyon.

The only way in is by foot across an umbilical-like causeway reminiscent of a section of the Great Wall of China.

Once a thriving medieval and religious town, after earthquakes in 1349 and 1794 there is not much left, and what there is constantly eroding.

All the villagers fled long ago. Only a few arty types live there now, along with small hotel operators.

Crumbling and dying it may be, but Civita di Bagnoregio is breath-sappingly beautiful and worth the drive from Rome, or a stopover on your way through Italy.

Once over the causeway and under a Romanesque arch,

MOOREA, TAHITI

‘‘

C ivi t a di Ba gno re gio is bre at h - sap pingly be autif u l a n d wo r t h t he drive fro m Ro me you enter a fantasy world of medieval stone houses, pretty laneways, cobbled streets and tiny flower-filled squares.

Oozing history – the Etruscans built it 2500 years ago – Civita di Bagnoregio has often been used as a film set.

Traffic-free, there is stillness about it, a separation from the rest of the world.

It is mystical and romantic; a place to lose yourself in for an afternoon and let your fantasies fly.

We discovered a tiny eating hole called Antico Frantoli.

We had to go down steep stone steps and lower our heads beneath low stone arches to get to it.

Just getting down there was a small adventure.

The eatery was once an ancient mill and the 1500-year-old olive press is still intact, where long ago poor blindfolded

Beach break on a budget

THERE is an added incentive to enjoy a beach break on the beautiful island of Moorea following the release of Tahiti Tourisme’s Moorea Madness discount card. The card provides savings of up to 20% on a variety of holiday experiences including transport, tours, restaurants, spa treatments and shopping during 2015.

Enjoy discounts on selected afternoon and evening spa treatments, meals and beverages at some of Moorea’s best restaurants including Mahanai Restaurant and Auteraa Bar at Moorea Pearl Resort and Spa, Arii Vahine Restaurant at Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort and Spa, Restaurant La Plantation and dining outlets at Intercontinental Moorea Resort and Spa, Hotel Hibiscus and Sofitel Moorea Ia Ora Beach Resort.

There is a 15% discount on selected Albert Transport tours and a 10% discount at the Moorea Dolphin Centre.

Moorea Madness discount cards are available from Tahiti Tourisme on 1300 655 563 or from a registered travel agent.

More on Tahiti and its islands at www.tahitinow.com.au.

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donkeys trotted in an endless circle to turn the large press.

The olive press took centre stage of the tiny space, and we sat at a small wooden table surrounded by wine and olive oil barrels.

In the corner, a cheerful bald man with no English but a warm welcome toasted bruschetta over a small coal fire.

Apart from him, we were alone in this wondrous subterranean place.

We ate the bruschetta simply, rubbed with olive oil and garlic, and then the man poured us wine from one of the barrels.

We left hoping this crumbling and dying city might linger on its deathbed a few more years for more people to follow and enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience. ann.rickard@scnews.com.au.

SOUTH AMERICA

Wonders of Machu Picchu

CRUISE1ST has a new fly-and-stay package to Mexico and South America, which includes a tour of Machu Picchu.

Departing on November 13, the package includes a 16-night Holland America cruise, pre- and post-cruise accommodation, and return flights from Australia.

It is priced from $6499 per person twin share.

More on 1300 596 345 or visit www.cruise1st.com.au.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

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h o me STEP AHEAD: Upholstered bedheads are huge right now, as practical as they are attractive, they can be distinctly stylish and masculine.

+

Styling a bedroom with romance in mind... .

ST YL E

with Tracey Ho rd e r n

A

N ENCHANTING and romantic bedroom setting can easily be achieved with the addition of a few well-placed accessories and decor and fabrics that are soft and sensuous to the touch.

Romantic should be a relaxing style that charms all the senses through silk, satin, print patterns, soft colours and painted or vintage pieces of furniture, plus fragrant candles or room scent.

This style is all about setting the mood in your bedroom by filtering light through sheer fabrics, using soft bedding, and even floral arrangements.

If you want to add some romance to your bedroom, place accessories in pairs; a pair of bedside tables, a pair of lamps, a pair of paintings.

Feng Shui applies, but pairing adds an element of symmetry that is always pleasing to the eye.

Anyone can have a bedroom that is both romantic and relaxing. The most important elements to a sexy bedroom are fabrics that are soft to the touch, dimmers on all the lights, low wattage globes in lamps, plus candles. Indulging your sense of touch by choosing soft sheets is more important than choosing a colour for the bedroom, which makes perfect sense when you think about it. So again, the most important element is soft, high thread count, pure cotton sheets.

Rugs are also just as important as the bedding.

Go for silk if it’s in the budget. If the price tag is too high then pure wool is a great alternative to silk, as it feels just as soft to bare feet. For luxe comfort, make sure you can step on to carpet or a soft rug as soon as you get out of bed.

+ A master’s bedroom I NTER IORS with Tracey Hordern

ROMANTIC SPACES CATER TO ALL THE SENSES

Set an al p h a masc ul i ne tone wi th n eu tra ls a n d c la ssi c p rin t s MANY women struggle with styling a bedroom that is sexy, but not too girly. It’s easy to create a space that is appealing to both sexes by choosing a neutral palette, and if you are considering print bed linen, go for classics such as stripes.

Quality bed linen sets the tone – and you don’t have to spend a fortune, with frequent sales and stores such as Target retailing exclusive ranges for fabulously affordable prices.

: Opt for a style that charms all the senses through silk, satin, print patterns and soft colours.

PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

FIRST ROW: : Hamilton button-tufted bedhead with wing detail. Queen bed head from $1199, king bed head, $1399, Forty Winks, fortywinks.com.au, : Wooden bed, $POA, Vast Interior, vastinterior.com.au . : Marci quilt cover set, $69-$89, Target, target.com.au SECOND ROW: : Charcoal Asha quilt cover set, starting at $49.95, Temple & Webster, templeandwebster.com.au : Linen cotton quilt cover, $89-$109 Target, target.com.au : Broadway cotton quilt cover set, $109, Pillow Talk, pillowtalk.com.au CORRECTION: Last week’s Valentine’s Gift Guide incorrectly listed the NutriBullet available online at kmart.com.au.

These are only available at kmart.com (US site) or www.buythebullet.com.au.

Do you know an awesome mum?

20th Anniversary

Join Australia’s biggest celebration of mums; Barnardos Mother of the Year

NOMINATE NOW! Nominations close 15/2/15.

Nominations to include a maximum of 400 words.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

es win gre at priz Moth

erO f TheYear.com.au

#BMOTY #BMOTY20YearAnniversary #WeBelieveInChildren #Barnardos

ABN 18 068 557 906 | A Company Limited by Guarantee | Registered Charity | MOTY15_00811_ST_APN

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make SMART SPACE: Having storage under your bed is a smart way to make the most of your space.

Tools:

: Power drill : Hammer : Paintbrush

Materials:

: 1 x handle : 4 x wheels : 50mm nails : Paint (white acrylic or colour sample pot) : Base – 600mm x 900mm x 12mm MDF : Sides – 18mm x 140mm x 562mm pine : Back and front – 18mm x 140mm x 900mm pine All tools and materials available at your local Bunnings Warehouse. To locate your nearest store please visit www.bunnings.com.au.

STEP 3: ATTACH WHEELS

: Make the most of your space with this stylish storage unit.

PHOTO: BUNNINGS

+ Put storage to bed

STEP 4: FIT HANDLE

( O r, mo r e a cc urately, s af ely un d e r th e bed)

H

AVING storage under your bed is a smart way to make the most of your space. Whether it’s for a kid’s or parents’ bedroom, this DIY under-bed storage design is perfect for keeping things stored out of sight.

: STEP 1: BASE Start by screwing in the two sides into your MDF base. Allow for roughly four screws per side, starting in the corner and spacing each screw 12cm apart. Then screw in your front and back pieces to the base.

: STEP 2: SIDES The next step is to hammer each of the sides together to secure them in place. Start by nailing in the top corner and then reinforcing with a second nail just below it.

: STEP 3: WHEELS Position the wheels in each corner of your base and screw

Weekend

them in place.

: STEP 4: HANDLES

STEP 5: COAT OF PAINT

Position your handle on one of the long sides of your box, mark it and then pre-drill the holes for your screws. A handy tip is to leave the handle off while you paint.

: STEP 5: PAINT You should be able to paint this size storage box using a sample pot of paint. Make sure you apply two coats of paint for a better finish.

Choose bright colours to create a statement piece or neutral colours if you want your box to blend in with the rest of your room. Once the paint dries, remember to attach the handle.

To view this project online and others online, visit www.bunnings.com.au/diy-advice.

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close t

+

L I F E M O ST FA B U LO US

SPOILER ALERT: Roses are red, Dior lipstick is redder.

Knickers are lovely, Tiffany diamonds are better.

w i th M e re d i th Pap ava s i l i o u

Love yourself first and the rest will follow

L

OVE. It’s as true as it is undefinable; as sweet as it can be bitter; as nourishing as it is a distraction.

It can take your breath away in an instant. But it can take years to recover from.

Some swear by it. Others have sworn off it.

But as mushy as it sounds, love is that which lies at the very nucleus of our existence.

It’s not only what feeds our heart and soul. More than that: it defines us, what we do and the tracks we tread in life.

Not by way of following a person mindlessly or living a life best contained to the pages of something akin to (dare I say it) 50 Shades of Grey.

It’s not submission.

It’s not control.

Love is the one definable attribute in all who make a success of what they do.

First and foremost: love of self.

+

FA SH ION w i th Me re di th Pap a sva s i li o u

Love me tender

‘‘

Love is ... not only w hat feeds our he ar t an d soul. Mor e tha n t hat: i t de f ines us, what we do and the tra c ks we t re ad i n life.

And from that comes the faith and knowledge you can back yourself in whatever it is you live to do.

Be it parenting (grandparenting or guarding) your children, being driven in your career, learning, teaching, being a good friend, staying true to your beliefs, practising your faith, living by principle ...

Whatever it is, at the centre of all of this is a love and the kind of embracing of self that makes all and any of the above worthwhile.

It’s what gives us worth, and in tandem, it’s what honours what we do with the same kind of worth.

So what is it you love?

Know it. Own it. Honour it.

Be true to it – and to you.

And in doing that everything else – everything most fabulous – will fall into place.

KNOW WHAT YOU LOVE AND HONOUR THAT

+ .

ST YLE wi th Tracey Ho rd e r n

Men like women to wear...

ASK any guy what they like to see women wearing, and they’ll more than likely joke: “Nothing.” But it’s certainly true that men are very visual and, not only do they notice what women are wearing, they also draw certain conclusions about you from how you dress more than you realise.

I think most men develop a life-long liking for a certain type of dressing in a woman after a seismically sartorial moment in their adolescence. It could be a boy who watched his Saturday, February 14, 2015

An d i f yo u ca n’t . .. ju st sp oil me .. . p l ea se Roses are red, Dior lipstick is redder.

Knickers are lovely, Tiffany diamonds are better.

Ah. The spell (or curse) of St Valentine. It’s either a day to love or loathe. Either way, indulge.

And if he isn’t going to spoil you, then spoil yourself.

And of course, only the very best will do.

FIRST ROW: : Peter Alexander Chiffon Gingham PJs, $79.95 : Tiffany and Co Pink Diamond Floral Ring $120,500 : Spencer and Rutherford Poison Apple Wallet, $99 : Joyce Scarf, $39.95 : Rouge Dior Lipstick in Rouge Blossom, $65. SECOND ROW: : Mel by Melissa Black Platform Pumps with heart detail, $75 : Jimmy Choo Sunglasses, $480 : Ralph Lauren Romance 30ml, $85 : Heidi Klum Intimates Bra and Knickers, $110

mother apply eyeliner in the 60s, or a teenager who caught a glimpse of a gorgeous boho babe. The point is, every man is different, and so are his preferences.

Then what is it that men actually want to see women wearing? While women are inclined to cover up what they perceive as their less-than-perfect bodies, men don’t see women nearly as critically as most women see themselves.

In a very unscientific mode, I spoke to a few of my male friends, about what they like women to wear. Unsurprisingly, all the men I spoke to had one thing in common and that was their fondness for clothing that accentuated the female shape, lines which complemented the contours of a woman’s frame, revealing a truly feminine, curvaceous form.

All the men agreed that the classic LBD (little black dress) – especially if fitted – was a good choice, as were bikinis (no surprise), and heels (but definitely not too high) were also on the list. Short skirts were unsurprisingly a crowd-pleaser, as were skinny jeans and tight anything.

But the one thing that every man agreed on was that a woman is going to look her best in something she feels good in, so the ultimate accessory is confidence – and a smile.

PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

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st uff

+ Use reason, because I said so

GADGETS

+

w i th D av i d St u a r t | @ bi g k a m o

B e a c o n s i d e rate p a r e n t l i ke m e a n d yo u wo n ’ t m i s s t h e b l i n d o b e d i e n c e .

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

A

CCORDING to the experts, telling my children “Because I said so” is very bad for the little idiots’ self-esteem. Amazing.

My earliest childhood memory of hearing “Because I said so!” occurred when my father told me to stop drinking the water in the swimming pool. “Why?” I had asked, after a long burp.

It was a reasonable question. I was thirsty, the pool was full of water. Why get out for a drink when I could simply swallow a few refreshing mouthfuls as I paddled around?

“Because I said so” didn’t even come close to answering my question. Perhaps my father could have taken the time to explain that while a swimming pool may look like a giant drink container, it is in reality a watery cocktail filled with nasty chemicals and we kids were the swizzle sticks.

Or if he’d simply said, “Because you’re not the only one peeing in the pool” I wouldn’t have taken another swig of pool water again – instead of sneaking sips while he wasn’t looking.

Later in life, I learnt that “Because I said so” also happened to be the catch-cry of bosses, army officers and a certain leader of a certain Liberal party. Basically the sort of people

+

G A D G ET REV I EW

with David Stuart

Raspberry Pi gets Windows RASPBERRY Pi has entered its second phase with the release of a new version of their trademark, business-card-sized computer. The creators have been working closely with Microsoft and it has been announced that a special version of Windows 10 will come free with Raspberry Pi 2.

The device was designed to promote computer literacy and it has become a cult hit across the world with hobbyists and developers creating a variety of Raspberry Pi gadgets such as arcade games and audiobook readers.

Weekend

‘‘

M y f at h er co uld h ave ta ken t h e t i m e to exp la in th at w hile a sw im m i ng po ol may lo ok like a gia n t drin k co n ta in e r, it is in re a lit y a wate ry co ckt a il fille d w it h n a st y ch e mica ls a nd we k ids we r e t h e sw izz le st icks . who value blind obedience over individual thought, good judgment or reason.

So, after much thought, I’ve decided to add the phrase to my growing list of Things I Must Stop Saying to the Kids, along with: “Stop asking stupid questions”, “Yeah? Well, I hate you, too” and “I’m pretty sure you were a mistake.”

In future, should my children ever use logic, or facts, to question my decisions, I’ve still got one more useful phrase to fire back at them: “Do as I say, not as I do” Honestly, they’re lucky to have a considerate parent like me around.

Greg Bray blogs at www.gregbraywriter.wordpress.com.

Find him on Facebook: Greg Bray – Writer.

: Toshiba’s Encrypted USB flash drive lets those carrying sensitive files around breathe easily. The device incorporates a keypad to input a pin and grant access to the drive; $80 for the 4GB version.

: Kingston’s SSDNow range of solid state drives boasts read and write speeds of 450MB/s, or ten times faster than a hard drive. Available in multiple sizes, the drives come with a three-year warranty. POA.

FEATURES: A 900MHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 CPU, 1GB RAM, 4 x USB, HDMI, Micro SD, Ethernet... Price: $45.

: Sesame allows a Mac user to automatically lock the machine by walking away from it. Return to the computer with the Bluetooth-powered device and it unlocks – open sesame. $50 from atama.

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yo u

+

WE LOV E

wi th He l e n Haw ke s

+

TA K E 5

Stop sabotaging path to happiness .

: Be responsible for your own health and well-being.

PHOTO: THINK STOCK

YO U w i th Vi k i Th o n d ley : Vitamin C isn’t just good for your body, it’s great for your skin. Société Clinical Skincare Triple C Serum combines three of the most stable forms of Vitamin C available, in a non-acidic form, making it suitable for all skin types. $167.20. Stockists: 1800 648 851.

: To boost youth in aging skin without a scalpel or laser, try SkinMedica Retinol Complex 1.0, the highest concentration of Vitamin A available without prescription. It helps enhance and improve the appearance of skin texture with an effective form of stabilised retinol. $112.20. Stockists: 1800 648 851.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

W

HEN I look back at how I pined to look as skinny as the other girls, I remember how angry I felt when thinking I was a failure. I kept asking myself, how can they lose weight and I can’t? Back then, my intention and goal was to lose weight at any cost so as to be seen as someone worthy, and then maybe I could be happy. Now I am living proof that to be seen in the world and valued, you have to believe you are already worthy. Then you can show up every day in the most authentic way.

So ask yourself, are you: : being the best version of yourself? : living the life you want? : happy and healthy? : confident you can create real and lasting change?

With the right help, support and guidance you can accomplish everything you have ever wanted. Underneath it all, though, you have to believe you are worth it. I think you are. But it does not matter what I think, it matters what you think. It always comes back to what you think. If you think you are not worthy, deserving, good enough, smart enough, special enough – think again.

You are all of those things and more in your own unique and

‘‘

O nce yo u k now what yo u wa nt, th en yo u ca n st ar t to c om pare it to what yo u h ave . individual way. Own it. Be responsible for your health, happiness and life. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know how you’ll create change. The burning desire to have it, be it, do it, see it, feel it... is the first step in starting to visualise and create the future vision of your ideal life.

Once you know what you want, then you can start to compare it to what you already have. Where does your thinking, habits and attitude need tweaking to start creating a greater balance throughout your life?

Here’s a great neuroscience trick: decide on your goal. Write down three things you do to sabotage yourself. Then write down three new things you could do instead. And begin doing them.

Connect with Viki, holistic health therapist and mind-body wellness specialist at www.mindbodyfood.net.

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yo u

+ Fur goodness sake

THE IMPORTANT QUESTION: Check their predilection for a budgie, a cat, a dog, or some kind of reptile.

I f yo u have a pe t yo u a r e at t a c h e d t o, t h e f i rst b ox yo u a re p r ob ably ti c ki ng o f f in a pa r t ne r i s “ l ike s d og s ” or “li ke s c at s ” . . . but wa i t .

B ETW E EN THE SH EETS

w i th

He l en Haw kes

M

UCH is written about blending families or mixing your children with his. Where’s the advice on blending fur kids? With the rate at which single women are acquiring dogs or cats rising even faster than teenage chlamydia, this oversight definitely needs to be rectified. You’ll know what I’m talking about if you’ve watched his boxer chase your moggy around a corner, with its fur standing vertically; or his kelpie hump your little chihuahua.

Dr Harry, Dr Chris or Sigmund Freud come in.

If you have a pet you are attached to, the first box you are probably ticking off in a partner is “likes dogs” or “likes cats”.

And there’s a divide right there. Is he/she a dog or a cat person? I love dogs. Big ones, small ones, young and old, sloppy and dirty, slobbery and goofy, loyal and loving, chasing balls or rolling around blissfully on freshly mown grass.

However, I am repulsed by the idea of cat litter and deal very badly with felines killing wildlife. So maybe I am not a cat person. If you are, however, and your nearly toothless siamese is forced to cohabitate with his boisterous staffordshire, whose idea of a good game is

Weekend

‘‘

I ’m a d og pe rs on , s h e ha d a cat a n d it’ s b ee n inter estin g . .. n o o n e h as lo st a n eye chase-the-old-cat-up-a-tree, I am not thinking wedded bliss.

My friend Wayne may offer a solution. “I’m a dog person, she had a cat (or her cat had her as a servant) and it’s been an interesting exercise so far – no one has lost an eye. At the start, we split the house in half using a kiddy gate and kept the cat on one side and the dog on the other.”

Maybe he or she is neither a dog nor a cat person and doesn’t really like animals, except grilled, fried or roasted – pass. But say you both agree that pets are good, your dogs/cats will mix and that you can, woof, live happily ever after.

Then there’s the whole issue of what you both consider appropriate care. I couldn’t date anyone who kept a dog on a chain and never walked it. And someone who doesn’t think dogs should be inside, or sleep on the bed, probably wouldn’t want to date me, either.

Dog hair and dirt in the car, in the house and on my clothes – guilty, guilty, guilty. Special food for the dog, yes. Fresh meat and bones, not tinned. Treats, yes. Car rides, beach outings, cuddles. Yes, yes, yes. Which brings us to jealousy,

on both sides. I did have a dog that just didn’t like men, especially those that wanted to share my bed. He would stand on guard, teeth bared, until we locked him outside.

My current dog is much more man friendly, but definitely confused about who this strange guy may be and whether he has to give over rights to his favourite sofa/couch spots.

While my dog is fairly flexible, the same can’t be said about the men I date.

I had one boyfriend, a very jealous type, throw a wobbly in the middle of a restaurant about how much attention he thought the dog got. So don’t just ask your would-be partner about their sexual or family history. Check their predilection for a budgie, a cat, a dog, or some kind of reptile and then decide if you can live not only with them but with their favourite feathered/furry/scaly friend.

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screen life GOOD LOOKS: Seen on a big screen in 3D, it certainly provides an eye-popping spectacle.

Jupiter Ascending

: Stars: Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Eddie Redmayne, Sean Bean, Douglas Booth. : Directors: Lana and Andy Wachowski : Rating: M : Reviewer’s last word: The script is so juvenile not even Eddie Redmayne can save this space romp from the makers of The Matrix Trilogy.

Star profile: Mila Kunis : Eddie Redmayne in a scene from the movie Jupiter Ascending.

: Quirky fact: Has one brown eye and one green eye. She also underwent surgery in one eye in 2011 to correct blindness. : Best known for: That ‘70s Show, Family Guy, Black Swan, Friends With Benefits. : If you like this movie you’ll like these: The Fifth Element, Mortdecai, Seventh Son. : Quote: “I started acting when I was nine as a hobby because it was fun and I could get out of school. I didn’t ever think that I would have it as a job because I didn’t know you could have a job in acting. But now I really love what I do and I can’t even imagine doing anything else.”

PHOTOS: WARNER BROS PICTURES

+ As Jupiter ascends ... ... th e g l or y d ays o f T h e M at r i x se e m l ig h t ye ar s away S C R E EN L I FE

w ith G e o ffrey M acNab

J

UPITER Ascending, the kitsch new sci-fi blockbuster from Lana and Andy Wachowski, blends astonishing special effects work with plotting that would barely pass muster in a bad Saturday morning episode of Flash Gordon or Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

Seen on a big screen in 3D, it certainly provides an eye-popping spectacle. You won’t grumble that you’ve been short-changed in terms of either action or production and costume design.

The opening few minutes are masterly. Love, death, birth and the entire backstory are condensed into only a few

moments of screen time. We learn how Jupiter Jackson (Mila Kunis) has lost her father and comes to be working as a cleaning lady in Chicago.

Early on, the contrast between Jupiter’s grim daily existence and what is happening on the distant planets is drawn in comical fashion.

Jupiter is a “recurrence”. That is to say she has the identical genetic profile to Seraphi Abrasax, the deceased matriarch to one of the most powerful families in the universe. That puts her in mortal danger.

The performances are enjoyable enough in their own overcooked pantomime way. Eddie Redmayne is clammy unctuousness personified as the whispering villain, Balem Abrasax. Channing Tatum yet again reprises his action man routine, this time in saving the galaxy mode.

Kunis brings vigour and humour to her role as a modern-day Cinderella, a poor Russian girl who discovers that she is actually queen of a distant universe – and soon gets to dress the part, as if she is auditioning for Jane Fonda’s role in a remake of Barbarella.

The script, though, is a dud. The glory days of The Matrix seem light years away as the Wachowskis’ work grows ever more juvenile.

The Wachowskis borrow from Under The Skin (notably the idea of “harvesting” humans) and other offbeat recent sci-fi movies as well as from Star Wars.

They’re caught, though, in some purgatorial world between kids’ action-adventure and cerebral adult thriller.

The arch dialogue (Bees “sniffing” royalty, Jupiter telling Channing Tatum that she likes dogs when she discovers he’s part wolf) and horribly predictable denouement don’t help.

– The Independent Jupiter Ascending opens nationally on Thursday .

+

REV IE WS Wh a t’ s new on th e b i g sc re e n

A Most Violent Year

SET during the early 1980s in crime-ridden New York City, this gritty underworld drama is an impressive offering from writer/director JC Chandor. Gripping and thought-provoking, A Most Violent Year examines the dark side of the American Dream. : Stars: Jessica Chastain, Oscar Isaac, David Oyelowo. : Rating: MA 15+ : In cinemas: February 26.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Selma

THIS Oscars contender about American civil rights campaigner Martin Luther King Jr features a powerful performance by David Oyelowo. As well as paying tribute to King’s tireless work, it also highlights how much more needs to be done to achieve his vision of equality. : Stars: David Oyelowo, Carmen Ejogo, Tim Roth. : Rating: M : In cinemas: Now.

Fifty Shades of Grey

THE highly anticipated adaptation of EL James’s bestselling Twilight fan-fiction novel will be a box office smash regardless of its critical reception. While some of the book’s steamier sex scenes have been toned down, this saucy romance still features a heavy dose of BDSM. : Stars: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan. : Rating: MA 15+ : In cinemas: Now. Weekend

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re lax

+ Tale of twists, turns B e au t i f u l ly d e t a i l e d , e a sy- t o - r e a d st o r y o f a wo r l d w h e r e l ove i s we a k n e s s

+

EDITOR’S PICK: The Boston Girl for an engaging glimpse of a past and a culture.

WO R DS AND MUSI C

The Boston Girl

R E LA X w i th Ta l l u l a h M . E . G rey

By Anita Diamant: A grandmother relives her youth in early 20th century Boston as an intelligent, ambitious child of Jewish immigrants in a time of tumultuous change. A personal tale, full of wit, drama and sadness.

A

VERY, book one of The Chronicles of Kaya, opens in the middle of a long and bloody war between Kaya and Pirenti.

In Pirenti, military strength is everything, and love is weakness. For Kayans, love is their greatest weapon – for as well as against themselves. Kayans die in pairs.

Thanks to an ancient spell, the people of Kaya form a bond with their soulmates. It links them in a lot of ways, including death.

That is until Avery, the namesake of this book, is killed – in the prologue. Don’t get attached just because he’s in the book title – he’s gone.

This book is really about his bondmate, Ava, who somehow survives the bond being severed and is living as an outcast with, according to her people who now shun her, only half a soul. Ava is thrown together with a Pirenti prince, Ambrose, with whom she forms a tentative alliance.

The story also follows Ambrose’s brother, the berserker warrior Thorne, and his strange wife Roselyn. Thorne is struggling with several difficult truths and fighting against his own violent nature.

Roselyn’s struggle is mainly not getting herself executed by the queen because of her seemingly weak mind. She is, however, arguably the strongest character in this book.

Charlotte McConaghy has written Avery in the first person, and switches effortlessly between Ava, Ambrose, Thorne and Roselyn as the story progresses. Never did I find myself having to check back to see from whose perspective I was reading. Each character has a unique narrative style which makes it easy to slip into each character’s thoughts and emotions as you read.

This book has some great twists and turns, and the storytelling style is beautifully detailed in its descriptions

+

N E WS F O R READERS w i th Jo h n G rey

Blind date’s a novel idea for library lovers

Weekend

Wolf, Wolf

By Eben Venter: Lismore author tells of the difficult relationship between a dying father and his adult son, whose addiction to internet porn dominates his life. An uncomfortable story set in modern South Africa, with recurring internal monologues.

Shadows in the Night

: Avery: Book One of the Chronicles of Kaya, by Charlotte McConaghy. Published by Random House Books.

while still being easy to read – a fantastic and refreshing combination. I’m looking forward to seeing where The Chronicles of Kaya takes us next.

Tallulah writes lightning fast reviews at 5secondreviews.tumblr.com.

CARE for a Valentine’s Day blind date – with a book?

February 14 is also Library Lovers’ Day, and it’s a big deal in a nation with 10 million library members visiting libraries nine million times a month, according to the Australian Library and Information Association. ALIA CEO Sue McKerracher said one of the activities on the day would be blind dates, in which library staff encourage customers to choose a book based only on a description without knowing the title. “Think of it like reading someone’s online dating profile,” she said. For example: “Heart-wrenching, soul-bearing novel seeks reader who likes a sad but satisfying read with good characters.

Once you start me you’ll find it hard to put me down!” (I Know This Much to Be True by Wally Lamb). You can share your library love story on Twitter (@ALIANational), using the hashtag #librarylove, and Facebook (facebook.com/ALIANational).

+

By Bob Dylan: The great songwriter singing others’ songs. Dylan’s ravaged, emotional voice brings a degree of grace to a CD of stripped-down ballads and standards. For Dylan devotees only.

NE W ON DV D

Human Universe

THE ever-charming Professor Brian Cox brings thought-provoking, inspiring and mindblowing insights into the universe and our part in it. Questions (why are we here, how did we go from apeman to spaceman) are probed with accessible science and beautiful visuals.

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+

mind

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

+ I think I heart you M I N D YOU

QUIZ

1. In which year will February 28 next be the last day of the month?

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

Yo u g e t my a d r e n a l i n e , d o p a m i n e , s e r o t o n i n a n d ox y t o c i n b u z z i n g

2. Is most of Africa in the northern or southern hemisphere?

3. Sisters Bronte and Cate Campbell are Australian Olympic representatives in which sport?

4. Beginning with “p”, what is the term for lying under oath?

5. The world’s most widely used civil calendar is named after which pope (a) Gregory XIII (b) John Paul II (c) Julius III? 6. The “deener” was the nickname for which Australian pre-decimal currency coin?

7. Which current affairs TV show has the slogan “news delivered differently”?

8. Last year, Adam Goodes said whose on-air racist slur destroyed their friendship?

9. How many men served as Australian prime minister during the 1990s?

10. How is 999 written in Roman numerals?

11. With a broken tattooed forearm and badly twisted ankle, which Sharks prop requested a pair of crutches to resume playing in a match against the Warriors last season?

12. Is philology the study of languages or stamps?

13. Last year, which iconic Australian car race was suspended for 63 minutes while workers repaired the track?

14. Midway Atoll is about equidistant from North America and which other continent?

15. Was John Curtin an Australian Labor or Liberal prime minister?

16. “Thy choicest gifts in store,” are the first words of the third verse of (a) Advance Australia Fair (b) God Save the Queen (c) Up There Cazaly?

17. Beginning with “d”, what is the term for an auction that begins with a high price and is lowered until it is accepted by a buyer?

18. Is the Arctic or Indian the world’s smallest ocean?

19. Is a discography a catalogue of sound recordings or second-hand goods?

20. In geography and geometry, how many minutes are in a degree?

21. “You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies,” was the tagline for which 2010 movie?

22. When Tony Abbott answered a question about petrol indexation last year, Labor MPs held up copies of a Melbourne newspaper with which two-word front page headline?

: When we fall in love our brain releases chemicals and hormones that lead to lust and attraction.

THINK STOCK

W

HEN it comes to Valentine’s Day you may be an enthusiastic romantic or a sceptical cynic but what is love, actually? Is it a feeling or an

emotion?

It’s a personal experience and therefore different for everyone and yet there are similar responses in the brain and around the body (keep calm, it’s not that sort of article).

When we fall in love our brain releases chemicals and hormones that lead to lust (sex hormones) and attraction (adrenaline, dopamine and serotonin). Think sweaty palms, racing heart and euphoria. And, if we stay in the same relationship, we form an attachment, which deepens over time and feelings of well-being and security follow, largely due to oxytocin and vasopressin.

Oxytocin, also known as the love hormone, plays a role not only in childbirth and breast feeding but also in emotional, cognitive and social behaviours. It contributes to relaxation, trust and psychological stability and reduces stress and anxiety. For a quick oxytocin boost go and claim a 20-second hug from someone; probably best to choose someone you know well. So although there is a lot of evidence to show that the brain, hormones and chemicals have key roles to play in our love response and overall function, we often talk about the heart when describing our love. So what role does the heart really have and should we trust the brain and its response in matters of the heart?

Research in the field of neuro-cardiology indicates that the

heart is made up of 60-65% neuron cells rather than muscle cells and can work independently of and has intelligence in some ways superior to that of the brain. Supporting that, the heart starts to function 20 days after conception and the brain after 90 days, the heart generates a stronger electro-magnetic field than any other organ, can be felt several feet away from the body and changes in relation to an

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F or a qu ick ox ytoc in b oo st go and claim a 20-s e co nd hu g f r om so me one ; pro bably be st to cho os e s om eo ne yo u k n ow emotional shift, yours and other people’s.

So, given all of this and the fact that the heart can connect and send signals directly to the limbic (emotional) centre of the brain, when it comes to love clearly it is important to check in with your heart’s response before engaging the seemingly logical, rational brain and avoid any premature emotional, hormonal, chemical or other reactions.

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

NEXT SATURDAY IN WEEKEND

23. Name the three consecutive childless Tudor monarchs of England.

24. Which ship crashed into a pylon of the Tasman Bridge in 1975 and caused the collapse of a 127-metre section?

25. In 2012, the clock tower housing Big Ben was officially given which new name?

ANSW E R S 1. 2017. 2. Northern hemisphere. 3. Swimming. 4. Perjury. 5. (a) Pope Gregory XIII. 6. Shilling. 7. The Project. 8. Eddie McGuire. 9. Three.

(Hawke, Keating, Howard). 10. CMXCIX. 11. Andrew Fifita. 12. Languages. 13. Bathurst 1000. 14. Asia. 15. Labor. 16. (b) God Save the Queen.

17. Dutch auction. 18. Arctic Ocean. 19. Sound recordings. 20. 60. 21.

The Social Network. 22. Bowser Bandit. 23. Edward VI, Mary I, Elizabeth I. 24. Lake Illawarra. 25. Elizabeth Tower.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

+ RE A D //

Meet the wo m an he l pin g lad ies put thei r b est foot fo rward .

+ MIND //

How to u s e a trau mati c event as a mea ns of empowerment a nd chan ge .

Weekend