Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 34, 2025 i that's life!

What would you do if you won $25,000? Thanks to our brand new $25k Pay Day competition (p13), one lucky reader will do just that! I know exactly what I’d do with that much money. It’d go towards my savings for a house deposit, and perhaps I’d treat myself to some new clothes. We got talking in the office about what we’d do with a windfall, and turns out we’re not short on ideas. Jude would buy a car. What would you do with $25,000? ‘Having hired one recently, I’d love the freedom of wheels!’ she told us. Wheels were a popular choice. ‘Campervan for me,’ Darren said, and Alix agreed. ‘I’m weirdly obsessed with campervans and van life,’ she laughed. ‘And I’d pay for my mum’s driveway to be…

Sonia and her husband Pete were travelling when he received a fatal bite Sonia Blackaby, 52, Tom Price, WA Cheers!’ my hubby, Pete, then 58, and I beamed as I clinked my glass of red with his beer. It was April 2023, and we were on a trip in our campervan to celebrate my 50th birthday and our 22nd wedding anniversary. We’d left our grown-up kids, Tyler, then 24, and Ella, 21, back home. Our first stop was Eighty Mile Beach, WA. Next we made our way to Broome, then up the coast to the Dampier Peninsula, stopping at Cygnet Bay, before travelling by seaplane to see the Horizontal Waterfalls in the Kimberley. Now, after heading back south again, we were watching the sun set over Eighty Mile Beach as…

CAJUN SPINACH CHICKEN WITH PARSLEY POTATOES SERVES 4 PREP & COOK 20 MINS 600g baby white potatoes, quartered 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 4 x 150g chicken breast fillets, trimmed 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning 50g baby spinach leaves 4 slices tasty cheese Mixed salad leaves, cherry tomatoes, lemon cheeks, to serve 1 Boil, steam or microwave potatoes until tender. Drain. Stir through parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm. 2 Meanwhile, toss chicken with seasoning in a medium bowl. 3 Heat an oiled, large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add chicken. Cook for about 3 mins on each side, or until golden brown. 4 Top evenly with spinach then cheese. Cover with lid. Cook over a low heat for about 2-3 mins, or until chicken…

EDITORIAL Editorial Director Kate Kirsten, Editor Sarah Firth, Deputy Editor Beth Young, Art Director Darren Monaghan, Picture Editor Holly Campbell ARE MEDIA Chief Executive Officer Jane Huxley, Director of Sales Anna Quinn, Director of Content Sally Eagle, General Manager Entertainment Susan Armstrong, Commercial Brand Manager Jessica Ashworth, Director of Marketing Carly Bowra Subscription enquiries: Customer Service 136 116 (Mon-Fri 8am-6pm AEST) International +61 2 9692 3535 Email magshop@magshop.com.au Website www.magshop.com.au Advertising enquiries: advertising@aremedia.com.au Published by Are Media Pty Limited (ABN 18 053 273 546), 54-58 Park Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. ©2025. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without prior written permission. that’s life! is a registered trade mark of Are Media. Use of trademark strictly prohibited. Licensing Inquiries: www.contentshop.com.au / syndication@aremedia.com.au…

WE PAY FOR EACH PHOTO USED Our dog Asha loves her walks. Christine Davis, The Ponds, NSW This is me and my husband, Les, at Uluru, NT. Sue Brown, Cranbourne, Vic Chilling out on a cruise with my favourite magazine. Dianne Stewart, Mareeba, Qld I ♥ THAT’S LIFE! WHAT’S ODD? PUZZLE $50 CASH HOW TO WIN... This image has been taken from the film The Gentlemen. We’ve tinkered with the image and added something that doesn’t appear in the original scene (7). Write only which object doesn’t belong on the entry coupon, and you could win. Turn to entry coupon (p50) to enter! Tommy was not impressed with his first bath and blow dry. Paul Delaney, Carrum Downs, Vic Leo enjoying an ice cream. Denis Moles, Rokeby, Tas Sophie, Aria…

Top tips Metal pie pans are available from specialty kitchen stores and some major supermarkets. Replace beef sausages with pork sausages if preferred. SAUSAGE AND EGG BREAKFAST PIES MAKES 8 PREP & COOK 40 MINS 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, just thawed Chopped fresh parsley, tomato chutney, to serve FILLING 5 thin beef sausages ½ cup drained, chargrilled and marinated capsicum strips (100g) 2 green onions, thinly sliced 8 eggs ⅔ cup grated tasty cheese 1 Lightly grease eight x 1-cup capacity round, metal pie pans (11cm in diameter x 4cm deep). 2 FILLING Heat a lightly oiled, medium non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add sausages. Cook, turning occasionally, for about 8-10 mins, or until browned all over and cooked. Remove from pan and drain on absorbent kitchen…

Karen Buckley - Food Editor Top tip You’ll need about 9 small Granny Smith apples for this recipe. APPLE AND RASPBERRY CUSTARD STREUSEL PIE SERVES 6 PREP & COOK 1 HOUR 15 MINS 1¾ cups plain flour ¼ cup custard powder ⅓ cup icing sugar mixture, plus extra to serve 175g cold butter, chopped 1 egg yolk Vanilla ice-cream, to serve FILLING 1.25kg Granny Smith apples  ½ cup caster sugar  1 tbsp cornflour  ¾ cup frozen raspberries  ¼ cup raspberry jam 1 Invert base of a 20cm round springform pan (base measures 19cm). Grease and line base with baking paper. 2 To make pastry, process flour, custard powder, sugar and butter in a food processor until mixture resembles fine crumbs. With motor operating, add yolk and 2 tbsp cold water until…

GOOD TO KNOW We’ve been hit by some extreme weather these last few years. While these events bring out the best in communities as they rally to support each other, there are also some predatory characters who try to take advantage. They’re known as ‘Disaster-chasers’ and they often knock on your door saying they’ve spotted damage to your home, or that your insurance company asked them to do your repairs. They usually offer a price that sounds too good to refuse, say they can start immediately, and pressure you to hand over a deposit to secure the job. At best, they take your cash and run. At worst, they’re unqualified and uninsured, and their shonky work leaves you with a bigger repair bill than you started with. If you get…

When Bethany fell pregnant her health spiralled Bethany Chambers, 47, Brisbane, Qld S tumbling into the obstetrician’s office, I clutched my stomach. It was March 2012 and, five months pregnant, I’d been experiencing excruciating pain in the right side of my stomach for weeks. Now, a CT scan and ultrasound revealed I had a spigelian hernia in the right lower side of my abdomen. It meant part of my bowel was poking through to my stomach. ‘We can’t do anything until the baby’s born,’ the doctor said, adding I’d have to spend the rest of my pregnancy in hospital. ‘I just want my bub to be okay,’ I cried. Phoning my husband, Scott, then 32, I explained I had to stay here in hospital until our baby was born. ‘Okay…

1 WHAT DRIVES YOU THE MOST IN LIFE? A Security (1) B Creativity (2) C Personal power (3) D Love (4) E Truth (5) F Intuition (6) G Spiritual awareness (7) 2 WHEN FACING CHALLENGES, WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST STRUGGLE? A Feeling insecure (1) B Lack of adaptability (2) C Self-doubt (3) D Asking for help (4) E Facing honest communication (5) F Ignoring inner wisdom (6) G Feeling disconnected from a higher purpose (7) 3 WHICH OF THESE COLOURS ARE YOU MOST DRAWN TO? A Red (1) B Orange (2) C Yellow (3) D Green (4) E Blue (5) F Indigo (6) G Violet (7) 4 WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO STRESS RELIEF? A Grounding in nature (1) B Artistic or creative expression (2) C Physical exercise (3) D Connecting…

Mandy found a hidden family on the other side of the world Mandy Punton, 52, Newcastle, NSW Gazing at photos of my mum, Shirley, when she was young, I sighed. With her blonde hair and piercing blue eyes she looked so Scandinavian. ‘I wonder what Mum’s father was like?’ I said to my husband, Andrew. Mum’s past had always been mysterious. Raised by her maternal grandparents, Mum didn’t have a close relationship with her mother, Dorothy, who passed away in 1997. But the identity of Mum’s father remained a secret. Throughout the years I’d asked Mum if she wanted to trace her father, but she was intensely private. In 2010, Mum tragically passed away from ovarian cancer, aged 57. I was heartbroken. By then, I’d had my own kids, Britt,…

Oldest bub ON THE BLOCK Ever heard of kids being born too old for their years? Well Thaddeus Daniel Pierce was born on July 26 from an embryo frozen for over 30 years, making him the oldest baby ever born. Back in 1994, Linda Archerd and her then husband created four embryos via IVF and used one to have their daughter. After separating from her hubby, Linda spent thousands of dollars freezing the remaining three. Kind-hearted Linda, now 62, donated the embryos to Lindsey, 35, and Tim Pierce, 34, who had tried to have a bub for seven years. Lindsey, from Ohio, told MIT Technology Review, ‘We didn’t go into it thinking we would break any records. We just wanted to have a baby.’ The previous record was twins born…

Try this For a change, omit the raspberries and sugar and replace with 2 tbsp lemon curd. Stir curd until smooth, then gently fold through whipped cream. Warming, comfort desserts have never been so fast and simple LIME AND COCONUT MUG CAKES SERVES 4 PREP & COOK 20 MINS ⅓ cup frozen raspberries 1 tbsp icing sugar mixture 150g unsalted butter, melted, cooled, plus extra for greasing ½ cup milk 3 eggs, lightly beaten 1½ tsp finely grated lime rind 1 cup caster sugar ½ cup desiccated coconut 1 cup self-raising flour ½ cup thickened cream Toasted coconut chips, to serve 1 Lightly grease four x 1½-cups capacity microwave-safe mugs with butter. 2 Place raspberries on a plate. Sprinkle with icing sugar. Stand for 10 mins. Coarsely mash with a…

SEND US YOUR CLEVER IDEAS When a mustard or mayo jar is nearly empty, add a little vinegar and oil, shake well, and use it as a salad dressing or marinade. Derek Smith, Christchurch, NZ When boiling vegetables, save the cooking water. It’s full of nutrients and makes a great base for soups or stews. Ann McPhee, Newcastle, NSW Unplug unused appliances at the wall and save up to 10 per cent off power bills a year. Lottie Graham, Davenport, Tas To help stop needles and pins from rusting, add moisture-absorbing silica packs to you sewing box. Emily Richards, Mackay, Qld To keep floor tiles free of dust, spray them lightly with window cleaner then go over with a mop. Joyce Baker, Blacktown, NSW Love to knit? Don’t let the…

S ince he was a young boy, Heinz Le has been obsessed with tomato sauce. Nicknamed ‘Ketchup’ in school because of his name, whenever Heinz was introduced to someone new, his go-to line was, ‘Yep, like the sauce!’ So, it came as no surprise to his bride-to-be, Michelle, that the tomato condiment featured heavily in their nuptials – including their proposal and wedding! After popping the big question, Heinz posted the happy news of their engagement on social media, with a photo of Michelle showing off her ring – her hand wrapped around a bottle of Heinz sauce! The post gained so much attention online, the happy couple went one step further, inviting the iconic brand to their wedding in September 2024. Ahead of their big day, the company sent…