Overview of the video
1. Add layers to hair, to add bounce and lift - go shorter
10. Nurture your relationships
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Dominique Sachse tells of 10 ways to look younger
Overview of the video
10. Nurture your relationships
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
BREAKTHROUGH - ONE-STOP DISCIPLINE - For punctuation lovers
Angela says it’s not what you tell your kids, it’s how you tell it
Passing on Angela's excellent article in its entirety - worth a read if you are a punctuation lover or pass on to the mums and dads in our lives who might enjoy. Claire
"Passing the local park on one of my infrequent morning runs, I overheard a mother issuing an instruction to her child.
“I’d like you to get off the slide now, Ben darling, because we need to get to the supermarket before we go for a play with Tom, and if we leave it too late, Isabel will miss her sleep and she’ll be grumpy all afternoon, which means we won’t be able to play with the new Lego you got for your birthday.”
I say “an instruction” but, really, it was a soliloquy. Of Shakespearean proportions. Because the only person this mum was talking to was herself. Ben, who I’m guessing was about three, heard only this: “I’d like blah, blab, blab, Ben, blab, blab, blah, blah, blah, blab, Lego, blah, blab, blab.”
I know this, because I’ve spent a decade negotiating, reprimanding and instructing with the verbosity of a parliamentarian (the pinnacle of my parenting success was shouting at my kids not to shout at each other). No matter how convincing my arguments or witty my rhetoric, it didn’t work. Teeth weren’t brushed, shoes weren’t put on, towels were left on the floor (although that may be genetic).
Then last year I had a breakthrough. I chanced upon the smartest, most effective and under-publicised weapon in the parenting arsenal: the full stop.I rarely read or listen to parenting experts- the notion of any parent being an expert seems oxymoronic — but I do like this chap called Nigel Latta. He swears a lot and advocates padlocking naughty kids in their rooms. Anyway, he’s a huge fan of the full stop.
Latta reckons the humble comma lies behind the conflict between kids and parents. Mums, he says, are the worst offenders, using one comma after another to explain to their kids why they shouldn’t stab their friends with sticks or why they’re not allowed on Facebook. Anything after a comma, he says, is nagging.
As a smug arid frequent user of the semicolon, I knew Latta couldn’t be referring to me; my directives might be an octave higher than necessary, but they were logical and perfectly punctuated, segueing neatly from an admonishment to an exhortation for improvement. The problem had to be the kids.
My husband regularly uses full stops. “Clean your soccer boots,” he says to the eldest. And she does. “Eat with your knife and fork or you’ll be eating dinner alone in your bedroom,” he tells the youngest, who did end up in her bedroom, but only once.
So I tried it. “Empty your schoolbag,” I instructed, turning away so I couldn’t rant about furry lunch boxes and how lost school notes would mean missing out on the zoo excursion. It worked!
I’ve learnt more about the power of punctuation in the past year than in 20 years working with words. Doubly effective is a “no” followed by a full stop - as in, “No,you can’t have a Kit Kat. Rather than, “No, you can’t have a Kit Kat because it’s almost dinner and you had lollies yesterday, and it’s important we make healthy choices, so if you’d like a carrot stick...”
Full stops can also be non-verbal. In my less wordy world, a sharp frown has regained its force, and a silent point towards a homework book is far less combative than a command."
If you’re keen to give it a whirl, Angela has a few extra tips, which I'll leave to your creativity and imagination to fill the gaps.
www.twitter.com/angelamollard angelamollard@sundaymagazifle.com.au
Monday, September 9, 2019
'To Spring' by Leunig - The bell of happiness is ringing
Leunig continues to delight with posts such as these - at other times we are amused or saddened by his truths.
This makes me want to bring out my colours - pastels are my favourite, and draw "a nest is being built upon my head".
Colouring is good for 'mindfulness' (being in the moment) and therefore the brain, so I will include a page or two from my Australian Fauna and Flora colouring book. Sounds trite, I know but...
This makes me want to bring out my colours - pastels are my favourite, and draw "a nest is being built upon my head".
Colouring is good for 'mindfulness' (being in the moment) and therefore the brain, so I will include a page or two from my Australian Fauna and Flora colouring book. Sounds trite, I know but...
Monday, August 26, 2019
Happy Fathers Day - Anyone and everyone who has ever brought forth and nurtured, in one way or another, life and love into the world.
A dedication to all who engage in the art of mothering, be they biological mothers, foster mothers, step-mothers, grandmothers, lesbian mothers, straight mothers, gay dads, straight dads, teachers, artists, activists, peacemakers, community organisers... Anyone and everyone who has ever brought forth and nurtured, in one way or another, life and love into the world.
Photo credit: Michael Leunig
Happy Father's / Mother’s Year to all!
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Help is at hand - Book Review - The Memory Book
The Memory Book reveals the phenomenal potential of your memory – and how you can make the most of it. Tony Buzan, the world's bestselling author on the brain and learning, reveals revolutionary memory techniques that have produced some of the most impressive human memories on this planet.
USE YOUR IMAGINATION
USE YOUR IMAGINATION
“Memory isn’t an old-fashioned filing system where you learn things in a list,” says Tony Buzan, author of The Memory Book. “It’s a playground for your imagination.
When you think of anything - for example, a banana - a picture pops into your head.” Thinking of your memory as a picture library is the solution to those ‘Where did I leave my keys?’ moments; instead of putting things - down without looking, help your brain rem~mber where they are by registering it for a microsecond. “Even better, put things in the same place as a matter of habit - your memory massively improves and life will be less stressful,” says Buzan
Be creative with your memory by making up stories. “If your online banking password is hello 1’, come up with a story to remember it,” says Australian Memory Champion,Tansel Ali. Tansel Ali is most famously known for memorising two Yellow Pages phone books in only 24 days.
“Imagine a hand coming out of the screen waving ‘hello’; Next time you log on to your account, that image of a hand reaching out will prompt you to remember the password.”
CHOOSE RELATED WORDS
“Use specific passwords for different things,” says Ali. “If you go on Amazon to buy electrical goods, use something associated with that. My association with Amazon is books, so I’d imagine a book being thrown at me and come up with a password from that.”
PAINT BY NUMBERS
“For help remembering phone or PIN numbers, use the ‘number-shape technique’,” advises Ali. Think of what the numbers zero to nine look like — ‘2’ might be a snake or ‘6’ a tadpole - then make up a scenario about that combination of numbers. “If you have to remember ‘9351’, you could makeup a story where ‘9’ is a basketball hoop, ‘3’ is a bird flying through it, ‘5’ is a hook it gets caught on and ‘1’ is a pen you write about it with.”
MAKE NOTES IN COLOUR
If you’re studying for a test or preparing a presentation, bring out the Textas. “The way we’re taught note-taking is boring,” says Buzan. “We use one colour, which is monotonous to the brain. If you add different colours and images, it lets you think more creatively and intelligently, and boosts your recollection.”
NOTICE THE LITTLE THINGS
Pay proper attention to faces and you’ll be more likely to retain people’s names, says Ali. He suggests studying someone’s features when you meet them, then linking their name to a prominent feature. “Let’s say you meet Tim and he has really funky hair. You could associate that with Tim Tams and think, Tim’s hair is so tasty, I could eat it.”
EMBELLISH A LITTLE
The more out-there the story, the better “If you met a Jane, you could picture her waiting for Tarzan,” says Ali. “This works because your brain questions stories that don’t make sense, and it loves drama.”
SLOW DOWN AND REPEAT
Using mental imagery may be difficult when you’re meeting a large group of people.
“Ask to be introduced to two or three people to begin with, then move on to the rest,” advises Buzan. “If it’s a hard name, have them repeat it and ask for the spelling or history of the name. Then you get more information to remember it by — and the repetition strengthens the memory.”
Helpful Hints for your Bucket List by Leunig
Michael Leunig is an Australian cartoonist, writer, painter, philosopher and poet. His commentary on political, cultural and emotional life spans more than fifty years and has often explored the idea of an innocent and sacred personal world. The fragile ecosystem of human nature and its relationship to the wider natural world is a related and recurrent theme.
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
A personal tribute to Margaret Fulton
Jul 24, 2019 - Celebrated food writer Margaret Fulton, OAM, has died at the age of 94. ... She was known as “the woman who taught Australia to cook.” Indeed ...
To dear Margaret
Thanks for teaching me how to polish up my cooking. My mum set a fine example, but you took us way up and beyond meat and three overcooked vegetables (vege).
With love, Claire.
 |
The first Margaret Fulton Cookbook was published in
1968. This image is of one of the early editions.
|
Australian food has changed dramatically since World war 11 with the increase in overseas travel in the 1950s and the1960s. Another factor was the great number of recipe books which had begun to be published. overcooked(The early books have lengthy sections on baking with more than half of the recipes being puddings and cakes.)
In 1966, both Epicurean and Australian Gourmet were founded. Epicurean, the official magazine of the Wine and Food Society of Australia, was the first magazine which, because of contributors, was devoted to food and wine.
Margaret Fulton was the first of the Australian celebrity cookery writers. She taught generations of Australian families how to cook and entertain.
Margaret: “I was travelling a lot. I would go to a country and would be introduced to the best cooks and dishes… so I was really bringing the world to Australia. It had been starved, of the international feeling about food because of a world war and a world depression.”
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| Prawn Cocktail - circa the early 1970s for 4 Combine 1/2 cup tomato puree, 2 drops tabasco sauce, 1/2 tsp lemon juice and 2 tbsp cream or Greek yoghurt. Place shredded lettuce in 4 individual dishes; divide and arrange on top - 1 kg cooked prawns (shelled and deveined); spoon sauce over and serve with triangles of thin buttered brown bread and wedges of lemon. |
I had a foot in both camps!
Being the proud owners of a new project home, much of our family's entertainment consisted of impromptu BBQs or hosting dinner parties, often with a culinary theme, which required cooking up a storm for several days before.
Armed with ‘The Margaret Fulton Cookbook’, we produced French influenced dishes featuring entrees such as Prawn Cocktail or Mushroom Pate; mains of Beef Burgundy and Coq a Vin, and desserts like Chocolate Mouse, Pavlova or even Avocado Crème.
In the late 70s in the USA, I bequeathed my copy of Margaret’s book to a friend when she begged me to teach her how to cook vegetables from ‘scratch’.
Footnote - At this time, a large proportion of the diet of many Americans consisted of convenience and fast food.
Extract taken from my latest book, 'ALFRESHCO; foreshore flavour'
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
For the love of Pumpkins & Picnics
PUMPKIN DIP WITH CHILLI & GINGER
A lovely Autumn starter for an Easter picnic or BBQ, equally good warm or cold
Drizzle pumpkin / sweet potato & crushed garlic, with olive oil, season with salt & pepper in a
preheated oven (200c) and roast for about 20 minutes, turning once until tender.
preheated oven (200c) and roast for about 20 minutes, turning once until tender.
Process with (to taste), chopped ginger, seeded red chilli and juice of lime until just blended.
Serve with crackers or French baguette that's been sliced and toasted after being drizzled
Serve with crackers or French baguette that's been sliced and toasted after being drizzled
with olive oil and rubbed with garlic.
A word on DIPS
A dip or dipping sauce is specific to being able to be scooped up with a cracker or likewise, so
A dip or dipping sauce is specific to being able to be scooped up with a cracker or likewise, so
needs to be more substantial and less liquid, but not too chunky. Unlike other sauces, instead
of applying the sauce to the food, the food is typically dipped, or added into the dipping sauce.
Sunday, March 17, 2019
10 years younger Dominique Sachse style
Can't wait to catch up!
Clara
ps - Just like to add fresh produce to the food aspect.
For the video - highlight link then select 'Go to view the link from the dropdown menu'
https://youtu.be/7Mz1_LzzJcc
Description - Dominique Sachse
Throughout my 25 years in TV news, and having to take care of my own hair, makeup and wardrobe, not only did I learn to be camera ready, but I also developed creative self-expression along the way.
I believe in the power of sharing and empowering others to enjoy their best self yet.
Here, it's not just about the right concealer and smokey eyes, although I love both and enjoy producing the latest in make-up videos. I also dive into questions from viewers about organization, confidence, creating a happy and beautiful home and getting outside the comfort zone, all while blending in a little faith and encouragement along the way. My plate is full, just like yours. I'm a wife, mother of one, bonus mother to five, career-oriented, charity-minded and wanting to make a difference. Won't you join me on this journey?
Overview of the video
1. Add layers to hair, to add bounce and lift - go shorter
10. Nurture your relationships
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Good friends are to be cherished
 |
| My birthday broom |
To Rita
Happy birthday! You are a wonderful friend
and I'm grateful to have you in my life.
and I'm grateful to have you in my life.
I hope this birthday year will continue
to bring you happiness and fulfilment
to bring you happiness and fulfilment
with some moments of joy in every day
You deserve it.
with love Clara
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Timeless Beauty Icon - Sophia Loren shares a secret
Sophia Loren at age 52
Who can forget Sophia Loren?
If you can believe it, the legendary Italian actress is now 83 years old — and we still look to her as an example of poise and confidence. Even after five decades in the spotlight, she walks the red carpet with grace and class seeming almost immune to the passage of time.
On ageing…, “There is always something to look forward to in life. Whatever age you have.”
True to her roots, she credits her youthful appearance to the Italian habit of using lots of olive oil in her diet. It turns out, olive oil is full of antioxidants that fight free radical damage. It’s rich in vitamins A, D, K, and especially skin-nourishing vitamin E, contains a powerful compound called squalene — which naturally hydrates our skin and even helps support collagen levels.
In fact, she is famous for applying olive oil directly to her skin to moisturise. Apparently, our skin will absorb only as much as it needs… leaving it both protected and hydrated.
Most Italians will agree that olive oil holds powerful anti-aging properties —
it seemed to work for Sophia!
“Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes.
It is not something physical."
Saturday, February 9, 2019
Tuna with penne, tomatoes and olives ticks all the healthy / delicious boxes
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| Equally good hot or cold but for picnics, either prepare at home or add grilled tuna to a prepared penne salad. |
Cook 2 cups penne in a large pan of lightly salted boiling water according to the packet instructions or until al dente. Drain well.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add 500g tuna steak, cook, stirring occasionally, for 2—3 minutes until seared. Remove from the pan, cut into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
Return the pan to high heat and cook 2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced; 2 long red chillies, seeded and finely chopped and 4 chopped anchovies. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add a punnet of grape tomatoes and a handful of black olives and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes, or until the tomatoes are slightly softened.
Add the hot pasta and tuna to the pan and gently toss. Add a handful of basil leaves and season with salt and pepper.
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For the video - 12 minutes - highlight link - rt click then select 'Go to view https://youtu.be/7Mz1_LzzJcc from the dropdown menu. But first, you may want to read about her below.
Description - Dominique Sachse