Table of contents for TAK2440 in Take 5

Week after week, I’m inspired by stories from readers who know what they want and go for it. On page 4, Kim tells us how she grew up riding horses in the Netherlands and loved it so much, she moved to the Aussie outback to ride horses full-time as a station hand. What a legend! Speaking of going for what you want, we have loads of spectacular prizes that could be yours this week. Along with amazing puzzle prizes, we’re launching two new comps. First, we’ve teamed up with our friends at The Bradford Exchange to give three lucky readers $1000 to spend at Bradford. If you haven’t already visited their website, you should. There’s literally something for everyone – even that bloke who’s always hard to buy for! Another…

My Sunday morning romp led to a grim discovery… Melanie Betteridge, 52. Feeling the warmth of the sun shining through the curtain onto my face, my eyes flickered open. It was Sunday, so I knew there was no rush to get up, instantly putting me in a good mood. I rolled over to my partner, Phil, beside me. “Good morning,” I smiled at him. “Morning you,” he grinned back. Then, he leaned over and kissed me and soon his hands were all over me. Despite having been married for 18 years, Phil and I had a healthy sex life. We were still very much in love and attracted to each other. Once we were finished, Phil lay back down on the pillow beside me. His face suddenly went serious. “Babe,”…

DISASTER DATE While many people have had dates they’d rather forget, one man couldn’t move on from a ‘disaster’ date in 2017. Brandon Vezmar, 37, took Crystal Cruz, 35, to the movies on a romantic first date to see Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 in 3D. As the movie began, Vezmar said he noticed his date was busy texting on her phone. Annoyed, he asked her to put her phone away or go outside to text. She got up, left, and didn’t come back. The next day, an outraged Vezmar sent her a text asking to be reimbursed for the $25.80 price of the movie ticket as well as the six dollar slice of pizza they ate before the cinema. When she refused, he filed a petition claiming Cruz…

Japanese beef salad SERVES 4 PREP 10 MINS COOK 10 MINS 1 tbsp vegetable oil 410g can baby corn spears, drained 400g beef rump steak, thinly sliced 1 onion, thinly sliced 2 tbsp sesame seeds ¼ cup teriyaki sauce SALAD 50g snow pea sprouts 1 cup shredded wombok 1 cup mixed salad leaves ¼ cup crushed pineapple in natural juice 1 tbsp white vinegar 1 In a wok or large frying pan, heat half the oil on high. Stir-fry corn 3-4 mins until tender and lightly browned. Remove from wok. 2 In same wok, heat remaining oil on high. Stir-fry beef, onion and sesame seeds 2-3 mins until evenly browned and cooked through. Return corn to wok with sauce and stir-fry 30 secs. 3 SALAD In a large…

Unable to buy a home, I built my own! Chelsea Roper, 30, Queenstown, NZ. Sitting at my office desk, I stared out the window in despair, praying the time would go quicker. I don’t want to do this anymore, I thought with a sigh. It was 2018, and I’d been working as a graphic designer for seven years, after spending two years studying it at university. But recently I’d started getting restless sitting in front of a computer all day. Both my partner Dan, 26, and brother Danny, 34, worked as tradies and I envied them being outside all day and knowing practical skills. On top of being fed up with my job, Dan and I had been looking to buy a house in Auckland, where we lived, but they…

Gripping the reins tightly as my horse galloped across the rocky terrain, I grinned from ear to ear. “Yeehaa,” I cheered as we gathered more speed. But slowly, the landscape in front of me started to blur. Everything went black and when my eyes fluttered open, I was tucked up in bed. It had all been a dream. I’d had the same one for weeks and took it as a sign. I’d grown up riding horses in Borger, Netherlands, and missed the freedom of being on horseback. So, a year later, in 2020, I started riding lessons again after at least 10 years out of the saddle. Feeling the horse beneath me and the wind whipping through my hair, I fell in love with riding again. At this point,…

We’re on a mission to make dating fun! Corina Hough, 36, Gold Coast, Qld. Walking beside my bestie, Sarah, 34, I had to have a moan. “I’m so over online dating,” I groaned. It was January 2022 and I’d been single two years. While I’d met men through dating apps, I was spending more time chatting online than going on actual dates. Sarah agreed there had to be a better way, so we started tossing around ideas. “Half the problem is finding someone with similar interests,” I said. Most of our first dates at cafes or bars felt like job interviews that didn’t help us get to know someone romantically. “So boring,” Sarah said. “I’d rather join someone in an activity we both like.” A cute guy took my…

Sticky lemon & harissa chicken drumsticks SERVES 4 PREP 10 MINS COOK 40 MINS 2 lemons, 1 juiced and zested, 1 sliced 1⁄3 cup soy sauce 2 tbsp harissa paste 1 tsp paprika 4 garlic cloves, crushed 8 chicken drumsticks 6 corn cobettes 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 red onion, cut into wedges 200g shop-bought coleslaw mix Torn bread, to serve 1 Preheat oven to 220°C. 2 Combine lemon juice, zest, soy sauce, harissa, paprika and garlic in a large bowl. Add drumsticks and toss to coat. Allow to marinate 20 mins if time permits. 3 Transfer chicken to a large tray. Add corn and drizzle with oil. Bake 40 mins, adding onion and lemon slices halfway. 4 Make coleslaw according to packet directions. Serve drumsticks with…

I’m using beauty pageants to help the environment Sarah Tute, 26, Bannockburn, Vic. Tottering down the hallway, I practiced walking in high heels. “Don’t break your ankle,” my sister, Jess, 23, called out, “or my shoes!” It was 2019 and at 21, I was preparing for my first beauty pageant. Having grown up in country Victoria, I’d ridden horses since I was five and played with kangaroos in the back paddock. I’d always been shy, but a recent ad for the Miss International Australia pageant had piqued my interest. Scrolling their website, I saw glammed-up girls beaming with confidence. I want to feel like that, I thought. After applying, I was over the moon to make the cut! For four weeks, I prepared for my interview, as well as the…

LIBRA Sept 24 –Oct 23 Breakthroughs you can only imagine are possible now. The habits you’ve changed and the lessons learned are about to pay off. You are so close to your dreams coming true. Don’t stop now. ★ Desire is the key to manifesting all you want. SCORPIO Oct 24 – Nov 22 There’s a lot of talk about the eclipse. For you though, it’s probably more exhausting than it is exciting. Don’t worry too much if that’s how it turns out for you. The sooner you fall behind, the more time you’ll have to catch up. ★ Meditate, rest and dream – that’s your best bet. SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 –Dec 22 A total solar eclipse in your Luck Zone could go either way this week. An opportunity may…

They say blood is thicker than water but my family has torn me apart Annmarie Kaye, 43. Picking confetti out of my hair, I laughed. My partner, Craig, 28, and I had just tied the knot in a simple, but perfect registry office ceremony. “You’re covered in it,” Craig said with a grin as I straightened his purple tie. We’d met a year earlier volunteering at a homeless shelter. Craig was great with my two children from a previous relationship, aged three and one. Our own baby boy was six months old at our wedding. In time, two little girls followed to complete our family. With five kids, life was chaotic, but Craig and I made a great team. We’d been married for over a decade when a friend invited…

It took me 10 years to find my way out… Gregory P. Smith, 69, Orange, NSW. Dragging me by the wrist, the nun forced me into the closet beneath the stairs. “Think about your actions,” she barked, slamming the door shut. It was 1965, and at 10 years old, I’d been caught trying to run away from the Catholic orphanage where I resided in Armidale, NSW. My four sisters and I were brought here by our mum earlier that year after she’d left our violent dad. Pregnant with her sixth, and with no support for women escaping domestic abuse at the time, she wasn’t equipped to raise us alone. I made many attempts to escape, but the furthest I made it was Dorrigo, before the authorities got hold of me…

Baked cherry croissant crumble SERVES 4 PREP 30 MINS COOK 40 MINS 2 cups milk 3 eggs ½ cup cream ¼ cup caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 12 mini croissants, roughly torn 400g can cherries, drained ½ tsp ground nutmeg ¼ tsp ground cinnamon ½ cup toasted nut muesli, to serve Vanilla yoghurt, to serve 1 Preheat oven to 160°C. Lightly grease an 8-cup ovenproof dish. 2 In a medium bowl, whisk milk, eggs, cream, sugar and vanilla together until well combined. 3 Layer croissants and cherries in dish. Pour egg mixture evenly over top. Sprinkle with spices. Set aside 20 mins to soak. 4 Place dish in a large baking pan. Add enough boiling water to baking pan to come halfway up sides of dish. Bake…

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