Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2018 i Better Homes and Gardens Australia

So, Easter Sunday morning was rolling around down at the farm. And a bunch of little kids and their parents were neatly cocooned in their tents out in the paddock, sleeping peacefully before the big Easter egg hunt was to begin early, early. (We all know what time kids get up on Easter and Christmas mornings to capture the spoils!) So out I went, armed with bag-loads of little choccie eggs to conceal them under bushes, behind trees, down small holes (snake- and spider-checked before selecting) and tucked in the arms of low-hanging branches. Not so easy to find all of them but not so difficult either! It was dark still, but with the help of a tiny torch I was doing ok – surreptitious, quiet as a mouse and…

aform of tie-dyeing (remember tiedyed T-shirts?), shibori uses simple techniques of folding, wrapping and binding to create unique patterns on dyed fabric. Although indigo dye is the traditional colour choice, why not try a modern twist and use hot pink instead to make stylish table linen or cushions? But be warned – it’s very addictive! “Although indigo dye is the traditional colour choice, why not try pink instead?” FOR SHOPPING AND PROJECT SUPPLIES, SEE STOCKISTS PAGE Instructions for projects on page 160 “Whether the results are what you expected or not, they’ll always be beautiful” Instructions for projects on page 160 FOR SHOPPING AND PROJECT SUPPLIES, SEE STOCKISTS PAGE THE SHIBORI STORY ‘Shibori’ comes from the Japanese verb ‘to wring, squeeze or press’, and is a form of resist dyeing,…

Check out small appliances and kitchen accessories to buy at bhgshop.com.au…

Easy prawn fajitas with grilled pineapple and corn salsa Big tasty Mexican flavours the family will love, with a seafood hit that’s perfect for Easter. ALL YOUR INGREDIENTS AVAILABLE AT WOOLWORTHS EASY PRAWN FAJITAS WITH GRILLED PINEAPPLE AND CORN SALSA Preparation time 15 mins Cooking time 20 mins Serves 4 1kg cooked tiger prawns1 cob of corn½ pineapple, trimmed, peeled and cored1 red capsicum, seeded2 long green chillies, seeded4 green shallots¼ cup extra virgin olive oil1 red onion, finely diced2 cloves garlic, minced½ tsp ground cumin¼ tsp ground coriander seed½ bunch coriander leaves, chopped ½ bunch mint leaves, choppedTortillas, shredded lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, coriander sprigs, hot sauce and lime wedges, to serve STEP 1 Preheat a barbecue grill plate over medium heat. Peel and de-vein prawns, then use a…

STICKY PORK STIRFRY WITH CASHEWS Combine ¼ cup CSR Dark Brown Sugar, ¼ cup light soy sauce and 1 clove minced garlic in a small jug. Set aside. Put 500g pork stir-fry strips in a large bowl and season. Add 1 Tbsp cornflour and toss to coat. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over high heat and add 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Cook pork in two batches for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally until cooked through, adding extra oil if necessary. Return pork to pan, add 2 bunches trimmed and blanched broccolini, along with brown sugar mixture, and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes or until hot. Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup roasted cashews and ½ cup Thai basil leaves. Serve on a bed of…

Drink up. Your kidneys love water and lots of it; it’s an easy, beneficial habit to adopt. Go easy on those margaritas! Eat mindfully. Fresh vegetables and fruit, lean meats and fish, healthy fats, legumes and whole grains are where it’s at. You don’t need to go the full Nigella in the kitchen – keeping it simple and wholesome is perfect. Avoid processed foods. Sodium is enemy No. 1 and processed foods are full of it. We’re talking pre-packaged foods, especially microwave meals, frozen pizza, takeaways, cakes, pies, sausage rolls, bickies and more. Watch the sodium content on condiments like tomato, soy and barbecue sauces too. Know your numbers. Monitor your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose levels regularly with your doc. Take fewer pills. Go easy on over-the-counter painkillers…

1 Experiences, not things As travellers become savvier, the cookie-cutter sightseeing journey is being tossed aside for something more adventurous – and bespoke. Research shows that today’s traveller is looking for something more culturally immersive, with unique experiences that go beyond the well-trodden tourist path. Anyone up for swimming with piglets in the Caribbean? Another hot trend – sustainable holidays deep in nature. 2 Solo female travel According to Google statistics, the search term ‘solo female travel’ grew 52% in the past year. Intrepid Travel managing director James Thornton tells us women are not only travelling alone more, but they are becoming more adventurous. Groups of girlfriends, motherdaughter getaways and auntyand-niece travel combos are topping the list. Cyndi Lauper was on to something – girls really do just want to…

EXCLUSIVE TO BHG READERS Save $620* Book your next South Pacific island getaway with P&O Cruises and receive an exclusive $100 onboard spending money per room on select departures. When: Valid for bookings made 1 Feb–31 Mar 2018. How to book: Book online at pocruises.com.au, call 1300 159 456 or visit your travel agent. Quote promo code: BHG2018. Find out more: pocruises. com.au/bhg2018 Save $1000* Tour scenic fjords, towns and cities on the 15-day Viking Homelands cruise, and visit Bergen, Stockholm, St Petersburg, Berlin and Copenhagen. When: Book before 30 April 2018 to save $1000 per couple. Travel between April and September 2018. Price: from $8995pp. How to book: Book online at vikingcruises.com.au or call 138 747. 10% off* Experience a new style of travel with Peregrine Adventure Cruises. When:…

FLOWER SPHERE Gather your supplies • Reliance floral foam brick, dry, grey, large • Serrated knife • Ribbon • Scissors • Plastic head pins • Faux flowers, varied types • Fabric glue STEPS Here’s how STEP 1 Shape floral foam brick into a sphere using a serrated knife, shape does not need to be perfect, it will be covered by flowers and foliage. STEP 2 Cut a piece of ribbon long enough to go around the sphere and hang 20cm. Pin ribbon around the sphere with 2 ends at the bottom, pin into place all the way around to top of the sphere. Tie a loop knot ensuring it sits close to the sphere. This will give you your hanging loop. STEP 3 Trim foliage leaving a 5cm stem to…

CLASSIC LINES Whether it’s a Hamptons, contemporary or traditional weatherboard design, the deep shadow lines of Linea™ weatherboards are an ideal choice. An alternative to timber, the boards will stand up to the harsh Australian climate and are a great canvas for exterior paint. Find them at scyon.com.au/linea CUT TO MEASURE Design your kitchen to size with kaboodle’s new cut to measure range – giving you the freedom to order selected cabinets, doors and panels to size. Mix and match from the 10 new premium melamine shades at kaboodle.com.au ESCAPE PLAN If you want to save on your airfares, look no further than Escape Travel’s EscapeFARE™. Package a selected airfare with either four nights’ accommodation, a seven day tour or cruise, and save! Visit your local Escape Travel store or…

YOUR SHOPPING DIRECTORY Adairs 1300 783 005, adairs.com.au A’kin 1800 631 283, akin.com.au ANL 13 14 58, anlscape.com.au Axolotyl axolotyl.com.au Bed Bath N’ Table bedbathntable.com.au Better Homes and Gardens Shop bhgshop.com.au Blessed By Nature blessedbynature.com.au Bosch Australia 1300 307 044, bosch-pt.com.au Brother brother.com.au Bunnings Warehouse (03) 8831 9777, bunnings.com.au Cabot’s 1800 011 006, cabots.com.au Città cittadesign.com Clarins (02) 9663 4277, clarins.com.au Clark Rubber clarkrubber.com.au Country Road 1800 801 911, countryroad.com.au Custom Brass & Restorations custombrass.com.au David Jones davidjones.com.au DATS Skip Bins 1300 003 287, dats.net.au Domayne domayneonline.com.au Dremel dremel.com.au Dulux 13 25 25, dulux.com.au Early Settler earlysettler.com.au Escape to Paradise escapetoparadise.com.au Essano, 1800 239 657, essano.com.au Essential Stone essentialstone.com.au Everstone everstone.com.au FAB Outdoor Fabrics faboutdoorfabrics.com.au Fantastic Furniture fantasticfurniture.com.au Feast Watson feastwatson.com.au Freedom 1300 135 588, freedom.com.au Garnier 1300 659 350…

give the Easter bunny a warm welcome with these whimsical table decos, featuring carrot lolly bags, eggs, chicks and lots of gorgeous rabbits, of course. Quick, simple and fun to make, these are projects that the kids will enjoy creating as much as you do. Instructions on page 162 FOR CRAFT SUPPLIES, HEAD TO YOUR LOCAL SPOTLIGHT STORE See instructions on page 162 FOR SHOPPING AND PROJECT SUPPLIES, SEE STOCKISTS PAGE Easy step-by-step to make bunny beauties EGGCUP BUNNIES Gather your supplies Pink paper napkins; papiermache eggs; pink chenille sticks; fine black marker Here’s how STEP 1 Fold a pink paper napkin in half diagonally. STEP 2 Beginning at the corner opposite the fold, turn the edge over and over towards the fold, making your folds about 3–4cm wide. STEP…

1 YOUR BRIGHT IDEA When planning a new home or renovation, explore the possibility of ‘floor lights’ as opposed to skylights. It’s a clever way of getting light down to lower levels. 2 NOISE CONTROL Line a ceiling with timber to warm the interior and reduce noise, which will otherwise bounce around hard, flat surfaces. 3 BE WATER WISE Any home built on the side of a slope has an increased risk of water penetration. Lower levels require subsurface drains to guide water around the foundations. However, these lower levels are thermally stable and perfect for bedrooms and cellars, if waterproofed correctly. 4 CLAD IN STONE When choosing a type of stone for cladding or interior finishes, consult an expert. While many varieties require little to no maintenance, some are…

Times are in Australian Eastern Standard Time, AEST. This applies to NSW, the ACT, Qld, Vic and Tas. For SA and NT, deduct half an hour. For WA, deduct two hours. During Daylight Saving Time, add one hour. ZODIAC SIGNS The 12 signs of the zodiac are divided into four groups – fire, air, earth and water. Fire signs Aries and Sagittarius are in harmony with all fruit. Leo is in harmony with nuts and all seed-producing crops. Earth signs Capricorn and Taurus are in harmony with all root vegetables that produce crops below the ground, including garlic. Virgo is in harmony with all herbs. Air signs Libra, Aquarius and Gemini are in harmony with plants that produce flowers and perfumes. Water signs Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces are in harmony…

Easter comes early this year, so you don’t have to wait to enjoy a hot cross bun – or three! At Woolworths, we’re baking for Australia, bringing you our famous hot cross buns made from Australian wheat flour and no artificial colours or flavours. NEW FLAVOURS TO TEMPT ALL TASTES This year we’ve introduced new brioche-style hot cross buns. But if traditional fruit is your thing, fear not – they’re not going anywhere! There are also mocha and fruitless versions, or try the mini buns in traditional fruit and chocolate. There’s a hot cross bun for everyone. + HOT CROSS BUNS HACKS Beautiful with butter, yes, but why not get creative and hack your hot cross buns! Try yours as a festive fairy bread, a luscious ice cream sandwich, sensational…

PROJECT 1 RUSTIC RECYCLED TABLE Don’t spend a fortune buying a unique table for your home, build your own! Use inexpensive materials for the frame then add the style with recycled fence palings that are free! Gather your supplies • Rails and corner braces 90 x 45mm x 4.2m treated pine (2) • Legs 90 x 90mm x 3m treated pine (1) • Tabletop 2440 x 1220 x 12mm plywood (1) • Table, face and leg cover boards recycled fence palings 38 lineal metres (approx.) Table Diagram Components • Cross rails 90 x 45 x 810mm treated pine (4) • Side rails 90 x 45 x 1800mm treated pine (2) • Legs 90 x 90 x 740mm treated pine (4) • Corner braces 90 x 45 x 265mm treated pine…

1 Make it with marbles Here’s how Encase glass marbles in the fabric at regular – or irregular – intervals, securing each marble very tightly with a rubber band. The result This will give a pattern of small white circles or ‘flowers’. 2 Choose chopsticks Here’s how Accordion-pleat your fabric and secure the pleats in place between pairs of chopsticks or narrow dowels, positioned at equal distances along the pleated fabric and held together very tightly at each end with rubber bands. The result This will give a pattern of narrow stripes. 3 Peg it! Here’s how Accordion-pleat your fabric and secure the pleated edges together by placing wooden clothes pegs along one or both edges. The result This will give a pattern of small, regular white rectangles. 4 Wow…

A GOOD CAUSE Part proceeds of kit sales will be donated to Legacy to help support its vital work with the families of those who have served our country. Throw kits available in two symbolic colourways to knit or crochet in premium acrylic or wool Fields of poppies at sunset WOOL THROW CODE: CY7056.001 – $130 PREMIUM ACRYLIC THROW CODE: PY7056.001 – $60 Colours vary slightly between wool and acrylic yarn Shores of bravery WOOL THROW CODE: CY7056.002 – $130 PREMIUM ACRYLIC THROW CODE: PY7056.002 – $60 Colours vary slightly between wool and acrylic yarn BUY NOW In your kit! • 28 balls Cleckheaton 8 ply wool 50g or 13 balls Panda Thorobred 8 ply acrylic 100g plus • 5mm circular knitting needle • 5mm crochet hook • Wool needle…

forget book club, the creative way to catch up with your pals is a crafternoon. What’s that? Exactly what it sounds like! An afternoon to come together and craft, sharing skills and ideas – and yummy food. Party decos are a great place to start but anything goes, check out the inspiration on these pages. Instructions on page 156 FOR SHOPPING DETAILS, SEE STOCKISTS PAGE “Makers are sharers, so pass on your expertise and learn new skills” Instructions on page 156 SHOP IT AT SPOTLIGHT! FOR PROJECT SUPPLIES, SEE STOCKISTS PAGE Instructions on page 156 Wallpaper from LuxeWalls, luxewalls.com.au FOR SHOPPING DETAILS, SEE STOCKISTS PAGE Celebrate craft month with your friends and get into Spotlight for your supplies…

1 DO IT YOURSELF! There are plenty of things you can do that will save you big dollars. Look online for DIY tips, techniques and tutorials. If you’re handy with a sewing machine, make your own soft furnishings with bargain fabric buys. 2 DO A DECLUTTER A clean-up will instantly make your space look bigger. So shift everything extraneous off the floors, from walls and windows, and off benchtops, too. 3 REPURPOSE IT! Before you buy, double-check what you already own. Could you clean up an old lampshade? Pop new covers on your existing cushions? 4 TREASURE HUNT Check out the freebies section of online trading sites like Gumtree or have a look at Freecycle – you’ll be amazed at what you can find for nix. 5 CASH IN Before…

there is no better way to slow down and relax with your favourite people than over a lazy lunch, or dinner if you choose. These recipes are beauties – in looks and taste – and also easy to prepare. They’re designed to go straight from the stovetop or oven to the table, in casual self-serve style. And less time plating up means more time catching up STEPS VEGETABLE AND HAM HOCK SOUP Preparation time 20 mins Cooking time 1 hour 40 mins Serves 4-6 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil2 brown onions, finely chopped5 cloves garlic, smashed1.5L salt-reduced chicken stock2L hot water1 smoked ham hock10 sprigs thymeSea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season250g butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeded, chopped into 3cm chunks4 carrots, sliced into 2cm-thick rounds4 sticks celery,…

Italian beef salad Serve your salad in separate segments for beautiful visual appeal. ITALIAN BEEF SALAD Preparation time 15 mins Cooking time 5 mins Serves 4 2 handfuls rocket2 handfuls kale, stalks removed, finely sliced1 handful mixed lettuce leaves (such as oak, butter, radicchio and iceberg)4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley leaves, torn2 handfuls basil leaves4 radishes, trimmed, finely sliced1 handful fresh or frozen peas, blanched, refreshed in cold water90ml extra virgin olive oil150ml good quality balsamic vinegarSea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season800g rump steak, sliced into strips, 1cm thick150g plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper½ white or red onion, finely sliced200g fresh ricotta STEP 1 Put rocket on a large flat serving plate. Top with kale and lettuce, then half the parsley, half the basil and half…

as body bits go, kidneys are mysterious. In fact, unless they’re causing you grief, you may not be sure what these amazing little organs actually do. Just think of them as body command central. Your kidneys work tirelessly – often against all odds – to keep you healthy. They: • Remove waste and toxins from the blood (filtering about 200 litres per day), keeping the good stuff and expelling the rest as urine. • Regulate your blood pressure to keep your heart healthy. Produce an active form of vitamin D, needed for healthy bones and muscles. • Produce a hormone called erythropoietin that signals bone marrow to make red blood cells, which transport fresh oxygen from the lungs to the entire body. So it’s very important. Chronic kidney disease (CKD)…

are you an exercise avoider par excellence? A self-confessed sloth per chance? If you desire long-term good health and happiness, you might want to reconsider your position! It’s not really ‘how’ you move that matters, but ‘that’ you move. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, simply adding as little as 15 minutes of brisk walking on five or more days a week will substantially reduce your risk of chronic conditions including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, bowel, uterine and breast cancer, and dementia. Regardless of your age, weight or current state of health, exercise helps you feel better, look better and ‘be’ better! REALITY CHECK Here’s some tough love: most of your ‘reasons’ for not being more active are really just excuses in disguise. 1 I’m too busy/not…

Retirement age is a personal choice and can vary. Most Australians will be able to access their super between age 55-60, but you don’t have to retire early. Instead, you could wind down your working hours and begin accessing some of your super via a transition to retirement (TTR) strategy. Often, a combination of the Age Pension with your super and other income is a good option. One good way to manage income in retirement is to keep your super within your Industry SuperFund so that it keeps working for you. You can then draw down on it via a retirement income stream, which may then be complemented by other investments or even the Age Pension. One option is to wind down your working hours and begin accessing some of…

1 WIPE IT CLEAN When clear coating or staining a timber project, wipe off any excess PVA glue with a damp cloth. If you leave it to dry the stain won’t soak into the timber, ruining the finish. 2 NAILING TRICKS So you don’t damage the timber when you’re nailing, don’t try to drive the nail all the way home. Leave it a few millimetres proud then use your nail punch to do the rest. 3 LINE THEM UP Sometimes parts can move slightly when they’re nailed together. To push them back into line, place a block against the joint and use a hammer to tap them back into position. 4 PUNCH ON! To keep your punch on the nail head as you tap it, press your fingers against the…

at last! The days are growing cooler and craft stores are filled with a tantalising array of gorgeous new yarns to get those needles and hooks in use again. Whether you’re a seasoned knitter, with fingers just itching to get on with your next project, or a total newbie, ready to start at the very beginning, this cosy collection has something for everyone, both knitting and crochet. Fabulous winter garments for men, women, kids and babies super easy hats and scarves, snuggly homewares and accessories – where will you start? Retro beauty 1 With flared collar, low V-neck and cinched waist, this pretty ribbed jumper has all the elegance of a fabulous ’40s knit – with the modern convenience of being machine-washable! Instructions on page 19 Katia yarn stockists, 1800…