Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 5, 2022 i New Zealand Woman's Weekly

‘Now I force myself to do things and be brave’ For many Debbie Harwood fans, it’s all about her signature smoky voice, which has meant that for more than 40 years she has been front and centre of New Zealand music. Whether she was singing in her own band, other people’s groups or producing in the studio, her career has been rock solid. Which is why it was no surprise that the band she formed with four other incredible women singers, When the Cat’s Away, was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame last December. “I didn’t realise how loved we were,” says Debbie, 61, whose idea it was to form the band back in the mid ’80s. “I was working for Harlequin Studios and had my own…

Over the course of her 57-year career, Cher has been a true trailblazer, turning heads with her fashion and beauty choices at every turn. But there’s one line the If I Could Turn Back Time singer won’t cross – letting her hair turn grey. “Going grey is fine for other girls,” smiles Cher. “I’m just not doing it!” It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Cher has no intention of kissing goodbye to her bottle of hair dye any time soon. The 75-year-old has been vocal about her dislike of the ageing process, saying recently, “I hate it. What, I’m going to say I like it? No, I don’t. Any woman who is honest will say it’s not as much fun.” And who would expect anything else from this powerhouse…

Chocolate & coconut slice PREP + COOK TIME 45 MINUTES MAKES 20 PIECES 125g butter, chopped 100g dark chocolate, chopped finely 1/3 cup (75g) firmly packed brown sugar 2 eggs, beaten lightly 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste ½ cup (75g) plain flour ¼ cup (25g) cocoa powder ½ cup (65g) dried cranberries COCONUT TOPPING 4 egg whites 2/3 cup (150g) caster sugar 2 cups (160g) desiccated coconut 1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a shallow 20cm square cake pan. Line base and two sides with baking paper, extending paper 5cm over sides of pan. 2 Combine butter and chocolate in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring, over low heat until just melted. 3 In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add chocolate mixture, stirring until smooth. Sift over flour…

RITUALISE YOUR MORNING Pick a few outfits and breakfasts you like and put them on rotation. Even the seemingly smallest choices can start to drain your energy. DON’T OVER PREP THE NIGHT BEFORE When evenings are taken up by chores, people tend to stay up late for “me time” in the form of television, internet or reading, only to wake up sleep-deprived. Save a few jobs that make sense for morning (such as packing lunches), turn in earlier, and you’ll rise and shine raring to go. SET AN ‘ALMOST TIME TO LEAVE’ ALARM You can’t get rid of all morning chaos, but setting an alarm for 10-15 minutes before you need to head out can help you make the most of your time. Recognise that those minutes after the alarm…

I love old photos. When I was a kid and had the day off sick from school, my mother wouldn’t bring me in a book or a game. She’d bring in “the photos”, a huge cardboard box of family snaps, mainly black and white. I didn’t know half the people in these photos. They were mainly ancient relatives or friends of my parents. But they occupied me all day. I’d get out my magnifying glass to study those tiny prints or investigate the background of the larger ones. “Photos I’ve been mystified about for over half a century now have their stories revealed by digital technology” Even now, I find myself taking phone images of some of these old shots so, for the first time, I can zoom in on…

After the terrible twins known as 2020 and 2021, my expectations are not particularly high for the futuristic-sounding 2022. All this year needs to do is not screw it up. It doesn’t have to try hard – just get through 365 days of uneventful sunrises and sunsets. But it has delivered already. It’s been a great summer! With stunning weather and stable, friendly ocean swells designed for the middle-aged boogie boarder. As an aside, is there any bigger gap in cool than the chasm between “boogie boarder” and “surfer”? The latter doesn’t even bother to tease the former – we all know. Anyway, like many Kiwis, I felt blessed to float listlessly in our beautiful, clear, warmer oceans during the first weeks of January. I had risen early for some…

She grew up in Northern Ireland and started writing columns for a newspaper at the age of 12, eventually becoming a journalist and contributing articles to numerous publications. She now hosts a chart-topping podcast, How to Fail, and is the author of two non-fiction books and five novels. On what inspired this book: A whole heap of it is based on my own experiences of fertility and the things some women go through in their quest to become mothers. It can be a confusing and grief-stricken journey. I wanted to put my experience somewhere because it’s one of the most meaningful things I’ve been through in my life and I wanted to write the truth of it, so readers could potentially see their own reflection. On her writing process: I…

When I told our columnist Jeremy Corbett last August that I was considering getting two puppies (my thinking was that one on its own might feel a bit lonely), he laughed at me. “Let me know how you get on,” he said, adding that they are just like kids. As you may know, my husband and I settled on one dog, Molly. We love her to pieces, but boy, is she a handful! Just like having a toddler in the home, everything from a piece of paper to a cushion or rug is now a potential chew toy. And, just like a baby, we get woken in the wee hours if she needs to go outside. She needs regular playtime, feeding, exercise and daycare now that we’re back at work…

We’re only a few weeks into 2022 and already it is shaping up to be the worst year of Prince Andrew’s life. A US judge has ruled that a civil lawsuit brought against him by Virginia Giuffre, alleging he sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17, can go ahead. As a result, he has been stripped of his military affi liations and royal patronages, and can no longer use the title His Royal Highness. A statement from Buckingham Palace announced that he would have to fight the court case as a private citizen. The dramatic move came the day after Andrew, 61, got the news that the lawsuit would be going ahead, despite his lawyers’ best efforts to get it thrown out. They argued that Virginia’s 2009…

Being asked to play one of the most famous, beloved and misunderstood women of the 20th century would be a dream come true for most Hollywood actresses. But when Kristen Stewart was offered the role of Princess Diana for the movie Spencer, her reaction startled even herself. “I was like, ‘Dude, no. Trust me, no,’” laughs Kristen as she recalls the moment director Pablo Larraín asked her to play the late Princess of Wales in the film. But in the end, the actress, 31, confesses, “His assurance was so contagious and the prospect of playing her was too sparkly.” Now tipped to be in hot contention for an Oscar for her mesmerising performance, it’s not surprising that Kristen has never once regretted her decision to accept the role, despite the…

Grilled coconut curry prawns SERVES 4 PREP + COOK TIME 15 MINS 24 king prawns, peeled with tails intact 2 tbsp green curry paste (see recipe, page 38) 3 tsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) 1 tsp sesame oil 4 roti or naan bread, warmed following packet directions Thai basil, quick pickled shallots, (see Something on the side, recipe right) lime wedges, to serve 1 Place prawns, curry paste, kecap manis and sesame oil in a large bowl. Toss to coat, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to marinate. 2 Thread 3 prawns onto each of 8 metal skewers. 3 Preheat a chargrill plate over high heat. Grill prawns, turning, for 4 minutes or until lightly charred and cooked through. 4 Arrange skewers on roti or naan. Scatter with…

Fairy-tale baking Need a bit of baking inspiration, quick-smart? The Cinderella range of baking mixes is here to help. Look out for Chocolate Mud Cake, Vanilla Mud Cake and Triple Choc Fudge Brownie, as well as a delicious Double Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding, all available at leading supermarkets and priced $5.99. For recipe ideas, visit cinderella.co.nz Say cheese Talbot Forest Cheese Co has recreated some of the best cheeses from around the globe and produced some lip-smacking originals. Whether arranged on a platter with crackers, grated over pasta or melted on pizza, there’s a cheese for every occasion. The new range includes Gruyere, Gouda (Cumin, Mild and Garlic & Chives), Cheddar (Smoked and Geraldine Aged), Havarti (Creamy, Peppered and Chilli), Raukapuka Red, Maasdam, Parmesan and Mozzarella. Available now from your local…

Hands up if you use old containers or a plastic bag to tote your lunch around in. Well, now’s the time to think about smartening up work and school lunches by making these roomy roll-top bags. Sew the smaller size for packed lunches and the scaled-up version for picnics and outdoor adventures. It’s all about making the most of sunny days and socially distanced catch-ups. SEW AN EASY LUNCH BAG YOU WILL NEED • 1.5m x 150cm-wide patterned oilcloth (Fabric A) • 1.5m x 150cm-wide plain oilcloth (Fabric B) • Sew-on Velcro, 35cm • Nylon webbing, 50cm • General sewing supplies, washi tape, clips or clothespegs TOP TIPS • Unless otherwise stated, use a 1cm seam allowance throughout when sewing. • Oilcloth is slightly trickier to sew than lighter-weight fabrics.…

Life-changing. That’s the only way I can describe it. It has brightened my mornings, lifted my mood and didn’t cost me a cent. I’m more than happy to share the secret so we can all get on board, and you’re very welcome! Here’s what I did – I cleaned out my undie drawer. Marie Kondo’d my knickers, chucked out the ones that didn’t bring me joy. The ones that judged me and said I’d had too much Christmas trifle. The ones meant to suck in my tummy but made me feel trapped. Those others designed to feel young and funky, but which cut me off at the thighs, or disappeared up my bum or rolled over at the hint of a belly. Also, the shabby ones, and the ones that…

I’ve loved watching my daughter add her own special touches to our Hokianga hideaway this summer. She has great taste and a good eye, so I’ve appreciated her cleaning away the clutter in the bathroom into shelves beneath the sink, and replacing the bottles and jars with one lovely green plant in a statement pot. She’s re-organised the pantry so we can see what we have and, more importantly, what we don’t have. And she’s put up art and taken art away, including a portrait of me that was hanging in the spare room, for want of anywhere else to put it. The spare room has become the children’s bedroom and so she had been making it more child-friendly. And while having a portrait of your grandparent in the kids’…

As her whirlwind promotional tour for Spencer comes to an end, with the film finally arriving in Kiwi cinemas on January 20, we look back as some of Kristen Stewart’s best fashion moments. Usually opting for her favourite fashion house, Chanel, it was especially fitting as the brand also produced some of Princess Diana’s most iconic looks. Rock’s stars A quiet Sunday morning at home with his “two tornadoes” was on the cards for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, 49, as he indulged his daughters Tia, three, and Jasmine, six, with their favourite activity, watching Youtube videos with their dad! Just cruisy In between soaking up the sun on her holiday in Thailand, Jane Seymour, 70, has also been working hard for her charity, the Open Hearts Foundation, meeting with environmental…

It’s been just over a month since Amanda Gillies signed off from The AM Show after five years of early starts – and she looks amazing. Gone are the designer outfits, and studio hair and make-up, and instead there is a relaxed woman in a simple black singlet dress, with her hair tied back in a classic, smooth ponytail and if there is any make-up on, it’s what beauty editors call “the natural look”. ‘I’ll certainly have to rein it in. There will be no dancing and singing’ She looks like a woman who has had a wonderful night’s sleep and woken up to all the joys of the world. Which she agrees is true after five years of getting up in the middle of the night. “I had been…

In the decades since she shot to fame in Peter Jackson’s award-winning Heavenly Creatures, there have been myriad ways to describe the roles Melanie Lynskey has played in Hollywood – quirky, headstrong, slightly unhinged… Now, there’s a new one to add to the mix – angry! In her hit new psychological drama Yellowjackets, currently streaming on Neon, the Kiwi actress plays Shauna, an unassuming mum with a secret. Simmering just below her sweet smile – and collection of ceramic bunny ornaments – is a streak of barely disguised fury, and Melanie, 44, admits she had to dig deep to find her inner wrath for the part. “The way I was brought up was to not show a ton of emotion and not get angry,” Melanie shared in a recent interview.…

HELPLINE INFORMATION Need to talk? 1737 – free call or text 24/7 to talk to a trained counsellor Lifeline – 0800 543 354 Depression Helpline – 0800 111 757 Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) Healthline – 0800 611 116 Samaritans – 0800 726 666 Information about suicide prevention can be found at mentalhealth.org.nz/ suicideprevention When Southland woman Harriet Bremner walked on stage to receive her Rural Champion trophy at this year’s Rural Women NZ Business Awards, there was one onlooker cheering, or rather howling, the loudest. It was Poppy the sausage dog, Harriet’s adorable miniature dachshund, who was among the guests invited to the illustrious ceremony. “Poppy only barked when I went on stage and people were clapping, but not for any of the other winners,”…

COCONUT RICE Rinse 2 cups jasmine rice under cold running water, then transfer to a large saucepan. Add 500ml water, 300ml coconut cream and a thickly sliced 3cm piece ginger. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside, still covered, for 10 minutes. Discard ginger slices. Stir in 2 tbsp toasted desiccated coconut, then serve garnished with extra coconut. Serves 4. QUICK PICKLED SHALLOTS Put 3 very thinly sliced shallots in a large bowl and stir in 60ml white vinegar, 1 tbsp caster sugar and 1 tsp sea salt flakes. Set aside for 15 minutes, then serve. Makes about ½ cup. NAAN OR ROTI BREAD Store-bought varieties come plain or flavoured. Buy chilli or garlic for added…

1. Matchy matchy Take the guess work out of compiling an outfit and go for matching coordinates. Pairing this kimono-wrap jacket and cropped pants together will have you turning heads wherever you’re headed. Jacket $149, pants $75.90, both from Zara 2. Bag appeal While a monochromatic bag is a wardrobe staple, having a bold floral print option like this one will elevate a tonal o outfit or dress up denim with ease. Bag $188 Strand Bags 3. Top it off Having a hat or two in your wardrobe is a must for a Kiwi summer and completes an outfit perfectly. This oversized brim style in a retro floral print will work for day or play. Hat $125 Lack of Color 4. Sole mate Add some bright floral flair to your…

Avo toast Mash ½ avocado and season with sea salt, pepper and lemon juice. Spread mixture on a slice of wholegrain toast and top with ½ cup of your preferred beans – they’ll easily stick to the mixture. Sprinkle on 1 tablespoon chia seeds for extra protein. Natural yoghurt parfait Top unsweetened, low-fat yoghurt with ½ cup high-fibre cereal, muesli or a few crumbled mini wheats, and ½ cup raspberries and blueberries or peaches. PB and toast Top 2 slices of wholegrain toast with 2 tablespoons nut butter and ½ a sliced apple. With wholegrains from the toast and the protein and healthy fat from the nut butter, you won’t risk becoming hangry! PS, peanut butter has the most protein.…

AQUARIUS Jan 21 – Feb 19 The only reward you will get this week is for pure, physical work. You can have all the best ideas and be as creative as the next person, but what impresses everyone is working with your hands. Stacking shelves, moving blocks, sorting files, making sandwiches or whatever comes your way will be the very thing that people remember and thank you for. There is certainly extra cash to be made and a good day’s work is satisfying. PISCES Feb 20 – Mar 20 When you are at work, focus on work. There is a great deal going on in your personal life and you could get easily distracted. This is not a negative distraction, quite the contrary, you will be extremely happy and on…

Happy accidents I was minding our nearly three-year-old granddaughter for two weeks while her parents were involved in major house renovations. She had progressed onto toilet training quite well, but with some minor mishaps. This prompted us to visit the nearby Big Red Store to purchase another pack of five different-coloured underpants. When I found them, I called to her, “Here they are, Elsa.” To which she replied, “Yes and I have wet every colour!” I recall this matter-of fact reply almost every day and how a laugh is always just the ticket. Kids are so precious. Nanna Gail Daily bread The question of brown bread versus white has again cropped up in  our home. Everyone prefers white, I know, but in the hope that brown is better from a…

This has to be one of the most diffi cult books to describe without ruining it with a massive spoiler. But I think I can safely say that it is a story about the desperate yearning to have a baby and how it can colour someone’s whole world. It is about three very different but all complicated women, is tense and suspenseful but also emotionally authentic and there is a gut-punch somewhere in the middle. Marisa has only known Jake for a few months, but he is everything she wants. Very quickly they move in together and start trying for a baby. After a troubled childhood, it feels like life is finally going right for her and, at first, she is happy. The only problem is Kate, the lodger. She…