Innholdsfortegnelse for Christmas 2023 i The Australian Women's Weekly

It seems like just yesterday I was navigating the tricky first few months back at work after becoming a mother while finding my feet in the role of my dreams as the new Editor of The Australian Women’s Weekly. In fact, that was six years ago, and it was the start of the most challenging, exciting and fulfilling period of my career. I watched proudly as the magazine I loved won awards, secured exclusives with influential and remarkable people and helped countless women progress world-changing projects through our Women of the Future initiative. I also got to work with some of the most talented, passionate and genuinely wonderful people, and loved (nearly) every minute. It’s hard for me to write that this is my last letter as Editor of The…

It’sat this time of year when grey skies descend on Gloucestershire, England – as they have for The Weekly’s exclusive photo shoot with Zara and Mike Tindall – that the couple start to get that familiar tingle of delight. They know that in a few weeks’ time they will be swapping Aston Farm, their home on Zara’s mother Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Park estate, for days basking in the Gold Coast sunshine, hanging out with friends and revelling in the passion and fun of The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions Carnival. “It’s such an easy thing to be involved with,” says Zara, grinning. In 2024 she celebrates her 12th year as the horse carnival’s ambassador and she can’t wait. This uniquely Australian festival holds a very special place in her heart.…

Marcia Hines has the voice of an angel. Not some fragile, ethereal angel, but an earthy angel with a song powerful and clear enough to send the devil packing. Growing up in Boston, she inherited a mighty spiritual and musical legacy from her single, “God-fearing” mother, who taught her strength and kindness in equal measure, and from her godmother, who played piano and sang in the church choir. Now, aged 70, Marcia is giving voice to these early influences – and others, including the role that brought her to stardom in Jesus Christ Superstar – with a new album, The Gospel According to Marcia. When we meet in a cafe overlooking Sydney Harbour, she’s just had her nails painted blue, she wears jeans, her hair is in braids, she’s animated…

There was no official mourning, no gun salute, no slow march through the ancient streets of Athens, but when the coffin of King Constantine II of Greece arrived at the city’s Metropolitan Cathedral on January 16, it was to large crowds and an extraordinary show of royal solidarity. Beneath the cathedral’s magnificent Byzantine dome stood a formidable array of crowned heads from around the world, including three kings, six queens, an empress, a tsar, numerous crown princes and princesses, and a grand duke. All had come from their various realms to honour a longdeposed and exiled monarch, now dismissively referred to by the Greek authorities as “Mr Constantine Glücksburg”. Incense and prayer chants filled the air and warm tributes were paid, but it was the closing address of the late…

In the midst of filming Nuts ... when I was feeling incredibly pressured ... I woke up one morning and said excitedly, “I’ve got the shot!” Richard [Baskin, the US film composer and producer] reached for a cigarette and then turned to me in bed, annoyed, and said, “Helloooo??? Good mooorning.” That was the moment when I knew our relationship wasn’t going to last. I felt that he didn’t understand my creative process, and I was hurt. “Richard, if you were making a movie and you woke up with an idea, I’d say, ‘Let me get a pencil and paper and write it down for you before you forget it’.” So that was the beginning of the end. Before I say anything more, I want you to know that Richard…

If people pleasing were a Christmas gift, it would come wrapped in a colossal bow: The obligatory hosting, tightly scheduled toasting and frenzied splurging can inflate the pressure to please to grand proportions. By the time New Year rolls around, even the sturdiest naysayers can feel as frazzled as last year’s tinsel spilling from the hastily packed bauble box. “I think everyone will fall victim to people pleasing at Christmas to some degree,” says Dr Alissa Knight, clinical psychologist and director of The Calming Suite Psychology clinic. “There is a sense of having to conform to societal expectations as a way to maintain the status quo and not feel marginalised.” But for those who are prone to people pleasing at any time of year, the expectation to deliver at Christmas…

1. Ecco womens slides, $199.99. 2. The Grampians Goods Co. candle, $49. 3. GlobeWest vase, $210. 4. GUESS watch, $499.95, at Myer. 5. Mocka kids bookshelf and toy drawer organiser, $199.99. 6. Marcs bag, $149.95, at Myer. 7. Greg Natale bookends, $295. 8. Carrie Case phone case with lanyard, $110. 9. Andie Swim one-piece, $165. 10. Event Cinemas Gold Class Decadence ePackage, $170. 11. The North Face hat, $55. 12. Bunnings barbecue, $74.98. 13. Planet Finska chess set, $199.95. 14. Dualit toaster, $549. 1. Mocka cushion, $24.99. 2. Northcote Pottery pot, $12.50. 3. Shore Club swim shorts, $110. 4. Silver Bullet hair straightener, $264, harveynorman.com.au 5. Sol de Janeiro Beija Flor gift set, $82, at Mecca 6. Women’s Weekly 90 Years of Covers book, $39.99. 7. Fernwood gym membership*, starting…

Curtain ring wreaths These make great decorations for the tree, or use them as place settings on the table for Christmas lunch. Stacked toy decorations What you need Old toy blocks, wooden bits and bobs like old door knobs Hot glue gun and glue sticks Scissors Cord or ribbon Large wooden beads Paints and brushes Markers or paint pens (optional) Varnish or clear glue To make 1 Experiment with stacking toys until you are happy with your arrangements. Glue together with hot glue. 2 Cut a loop of cord and glue it into a large wooden bead, then attach this to your stacked decoration. 3 Paint with your favourite Christmas colours. 4 Add some special details with a smaller brush, markers, or paint pens. 5 Coat in varnish or clear…

From the Test Kitchen The combination of Kikkoman Soy Sauce and honey creates a sweetsavoury flavour profile perfectly suited to the richness of the fish. Warming the honey for a few seconds in the microwave allows it to blend more easily with the other ingredients. The ideal time to marinate salmon for is 30 minutes, but you can go up to 60 minutes. Any longer and the marinade will start to break down the fish, it will start to ‘cook’ and the texture may get mushy. From the Test Kitchen Kikkoman Soy Sauce is a naturally fermented product so it has that unique, umami flavour and it’s something we like to add to a lot of recipes. It’s so versatile, it doesn’t have to be reserved for only Asian dishes.…

Watch us cook on Christmas with THE AUSTRALIAN Women's Weekly ON CHANNEL 10, 7.30PM FRIDAY DECEMBER 8 From the Test Kitchen Vegeta Gourmet Stock Powder contains real vegetable ingredients including carrot, parsnip, potato, onion, celery and parsley. It adds so much extra flavour to salad dressings and when cooking rice, couscous, pulses and lentils. From the Test Kitchen Those following a strict vegetarian/ vegan diet can use vegetarian-style parmesan and cheddar, and plant-based milk and cream. Vegeta Gourmet Stock Powder can be used as a stock or seasoning. It adds a savoury flavour boost to any cream-based dish. For more vegetarian recipes for easy summer entertaining head to Womens Weekly Food.com.au PHOTOCHEF: REBECCA LYALL.…

From the Test Kitchen You will need to start this recipe the day before. Depending on their size, cut the orange and the lemon into quarters before placing in the turkey cavity. DO AHEAD Turkey can be brined up to 2 days ahead. Herb butter can be made 2 days ahead; remove from the fridge 30 minutes before using to soften slightly. Turkey can be cooked up to 2 hours ahead of serving. It will benefit from the extra resting time. Turkey guide Fresh and frozen Fresh turkeys should be bought 2 days before cooking. Remove all packaging and pat the turkey dry with paper towel. Place on a large tray, cover with foil and refrigerate in the lower part of the fridge. To thaw a frozen turkey, allow 2…

Watch us cook on Christmas with THE AUSTRALIAN Women's Weekly ON CHANNEL 10, 7.30PM FRIDAY DECEMBER 8 Stages of ripeness Stage 1 is a harder fruit with a green tinge. Perfect for salads and pickling. Stage 2 is a pale yellow with spots starting to show. Great for BBQ, stir fries and baking. Stage 3 is slightly soft to touch and golden yellow in colour with some black freckles. Best eaten as they are, put into a smoothie, salad or made into a jam or chutney. Cheekier, less seed! Calypso mangoes are the ‘golden child’ of a Kensington Pride and Sensation mango and takes the best of both varieties. The firmer, silky-smooth flesh of a Calypso lasts longer, so you get more mango and less waste. PHOTOCHEF: CAITLYN MCGRATH.…

Bea looked down at the text message from her cousin, Madeleine, and stifled a groan. ‘You guys can’t park there!!!! We’ve parked there. Your dad will spot our car. Go somewhere else. Now!!!!!’ This was going to be a long day. A very long day. Mads was right, naturally. Her dad held quite the torch for Uncle Carl’s burgundy-hued 1967 Jaguar which Bea thought looked like something from an outdated English sitcom, but he described as “the embodiment of class”. “Hey, Mickey.” She leaned forward in the car, head between the two front seats. “Don’t park here. Go further down, behind the supermarket. That way we can walk back along the water.” Sliding her eyes towards the other side of the road and the family’s ultimate destination, Captain’s by The…

“It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” Letter of the month Who doesn’t love Helen Mirren? (“Throw Caution To The Wind”, AWW, December). While initially it was her acting range that caught my eye, Dame Helen’s sense of style and self is what elevated her to icon status. Her face, beautiful and real, celebrates her age. As your cover states, there is real joy in ageing. Mature women are now dressing for themselves – just ask my other idol, centenarian Iris Apfel. Ladies, it’s time to lose the fear and enjoy wearing what you like. You’re never too old for style – or fun. Mullaloo, WA. Labour of love Memories of my mother making everything, from overcoats to cocktail and daytime dresses, flooded…

Ada Nicodemou & Lynne McGranger When Ada Nicodemou hosts her annual friends Christmas bash this year, her co-star Lynne McGranger already knows what to bring. “My Caesar salad,” she says with a throaty laugh. “That’s all I can make, I surround myself with people who can cook.” “You don’t need to bring anything,” Ada demurs. “But you always want to so, okay, bring a salad.” The pair met on the Home and Away set decades ago and quickly became firm friends, sharing a dressing room, a love of books and sense of fun. And while they’ll spend the actual day with their individual families – each with “food, laughs and lots of rosé” – every year they’ve marked the occasion together in some way. Before wrapping up for the year…

Choosing cheer A year after this town was inundated by an ‘inland tsunami’, residents “hope more people come to know Molong, not as the floodaffected town ... but as a town that has so much to offer”. “We see our role as helping to build the community.” Rozzi Smith potters around her backyard in the centre of Molong, drifting between sunny marigolds and petunias like purple stars – in pots because the ground’s akin to concrete after so much mud washed in from who knows where. Sound checks waft across the street from the pub, as a train whooshes past on tracks so close to the house it rustles the English oak she stands under. It’s been 12 months since flash floods destroyed homes and businesses, and took two lives…

“I have to try and make some sense out of why him … I want to continue what he started.” The Singleton sky was a pale shade of blue, and the violet jacarandas and golden silky oaks were blooming. At the showgrounds, amid a solemn crowd, a mother climbed the steps to a temporary stage. Jacqui Varasdi had been dreading this day, as she had come to dread so many mundane things since tragedy had split her life in two and snatched her first-born son, Zach, from this world. She knew she was not alone in that feeling and so, to honour those who were there with her and those who were not, she began to speak. “Don’t think of them as gone away, their journey’s just begun. Life holds…

Sophie Delezio loves Christmas – the joy of gift-giving, extended family get-togethers, lazy summer days and her mother’s legendary plum pudding. This year, however, the festive season will be even more special as Sophie prepares for her upcoming wedding to “best friend” Joseph Salerno following 12 months of life-changing events. First, there was Joseph’s romantic, flower-filled proposal on Valentine’s Day. “Joseph is the most open and accepting person I’ve ever met. It’s an absolute honour to be marrying him,” Sophie told The Weekly back in April. Then Sophie had surgery to repair a dislocated knee in order to walk down the aisle. And right in the middle of her recovery, the couple moved house to their “forever” home in a beachside suburb of Sydney. “Surgery, moving, travel, recovery. It’s all…

I have been a fan of The Australian Women’s Weekly all of my life, and when I recently read a story about the benefits of singing, I had to write in and share my story. Some people don’t believe in love at first sight, but I fell madly in love with my husband, Ron, the moment I laid eyes on him. He was tall and handsome. I was smitten and so was he. It wasn’t long before he proposed. We had a wonderful life. We started with nothing and built a business and raised a family. Of course there were some ups and downs along the way, but Ron was my prince. Our favourite song was My Funny Valentine, and I felt Frank Sinatra wrote that song for us when…

Maggie’s note Duck fat is deliciously indulgent, but you can substitute butter if you prefer. Maggie’s note The chutney can be made up to 4 days ahead. OPENING PAGE: HAIR AND MAKE-UP BY SAMANTHA VLASSIS. MAGGIE WEARS LEE MATHEWS TOP AND SKIRT AND DINOSAUR DESIGNS EARRINGS.…

From the Test Kitchen Buy oysters up to a day ahead; store covered with damp paper towel in the coldest part of the fridge. EXTRA EXPRESS Serve oysters natural, placed on a bed of ice with a grinding of black pepper and lemon halves wrapped in muslin for a decorative touch. Pimm’s punch Place 125g thinly sliced strawberries, 1 thinly sliced orange, 1 thinly sliced lime and a 700ml chilled bottle Pimm’s No. 1 in a large jug; stir to combine. Just before serving, cut 1 Lebanese cucumber into thin slices lengthways; add to the jug with 1.25 litres (5 cups) chilled dry ginger ale and 1 cup fresh mint sprigs. Campari, orange &soda Combine 1 cup (250ml) Campari, 2 cups (500ml) chilled fresh orange juice and 2 cups (500ml)…

Napkin bells Ring in the festivities with this simple upgrade to napkins you already have by sewing a small bell to each corner. It’s a sweet touch of holiday magic as each guest takes their place. Napkin star Head to womensweekly.com.au for the complete instructions for folding this gorgeous festive star from a red nakpin, and for more table setting inspiration. Furoshiki wrap A perfect way to welcome guests is with a small gift at the table. Box up one of our Australian Macadamia nut recipes from page 171 and follow the instructions on the following pages. Salt dough decorations These easy, versatile salt dough decorations can be hung on the tree or used as napkin rings to add a rustic touch to your table. Turn the page for instructions.…

From the Test Kitchen Use a straight-sided glass when pressing the biscuit mixture in the base and side of the pan for a smooth, firm, even coverage. Make sure the cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature before you start the recipe. Store the cheesecake in an airtight container in the fridge. To slice a cheesecake neatly, dip the knife into hot water and wipe the blade clean between each cut. From the Test Kitchen The poached cherries and sponge can be made up to 3 days before serving. The custard cream can be made a day ahead. If the cream deflates slightly, whisk it until thickened. From the Test Kitchen We used Sunbeam Australian Sunmuscat Sultanas and Australian Raisins as they are best for baking. The sultanas are…

Joyful cooking Crumble cookware has launched a gorgeous range of bright new colours including Sunny Yellow, Orange, Bubblegum and Lavender. A Melbourne company, Crumble is the affordable alternative to imported cast-iron cookware.crumble.co Perfect PASTE Maggie’s pantry essential Maggie Beer’s love for the quince came from the beauty of the tree in flower, so after reading about it, she trialled her first ‘membrillo’ or quince paste. It’s the perfect accompaniment to traditional French brie, strong French camembert, parmigiano reggiano, and mature vintage cheddar. Available at larger supermarkets nationally and maggiebeer.com.au Christmas gin The Four Pillars team is excited to announce the release of its 2023 Australian Christmas Gin. The spice-laden gin has a lovely connection to The Weekly. Distiller Cameron MacKenzie was inspired by his late mum’s love of The Weekly’s…

Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton, HarperCollins This is journalist Trent Dalton’s third novel and it deals with hopes and dreams in the most terrifying places. Lola is 17 and living in an orange 1987 Toyota HiAce van on a scrap yard by the Brisbane River. When Lola was a baby, Erica plunged a knife into the neck of “the monster who pretends to love them” and mother and child have been running ever since. Lola dreams of being an artist and imagines her works exhibiting at the Met in New York, but her daily reality is elbow deep in a dangerous underground drug world. Can she escape? Love and fate dance together with a dash of Dalton magic. Prima Facie by Suzie Miller, Picador Prima Facie is the…

THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S WEEKLY CELEBRATING 90 YEARS For the final issue of 1947, The Weekly’s readers received a holiday edition filled with a wealth of short stories and fiction.“Christmas, crossed purposes and crossed lines had Susan’s head in a swirl,” promised romantic tale Wrong Number, Please by Dorothy Staley, while a few pages on A. E. Martin’s dramatic serial A Thousand Looked On began with an intriguing onstage tragedy which would lead to an amateur detective mystery. On page 11 the news that “Shirley Temple has retired from the screen temporarily, to await the birth of her first child early in the new year” was broken. Little did the writer know that this would become permanent, and the actress officially retired two years later. Lana Turner, meanwhile, was the face…

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of COUNTRY The Australian Women’s Weekly acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the traditional custodians of the place we now call Sydney, where this magazine is published. The Weekly also pays respects to Elders past and present. EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES The Australian Women’s Weekly, GPO Box 4178, Sydney, NSW 2001, phone (02) 9282 8000, visit womensweekly.com.au The Australian Women’s Weekly is published by Are Media.  SYNDICATION ENQUIRIES syndication@aremedia.com.au Published by Are Media Pty Limited (ACN 053 273 546), 54-58 Park Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. © 2023. All rights reserved. Printed by IVE Warwick Farm, 8 Priddle Street, Warwick Farm, NSW 2170. ISSN 0005-0458…

Thick tufts of couch grass poke through cracks in the floor, plaster peels away in sheets from the walls and a menacing dark brown stain creeps across the ceiling of Andy Lee and Bec Harding’s dream home. “As you can see, she needs a bit of work … the house … not Bec!” Andy quips of the derelict property on the banks of Melbourne’s Yarra River. It was once described by a real estate agent as “something out of a horror film”. Two years ago, after they drove past it almost by accident, Andy, 41, and his long-time partner, Bec, 32, splashed $8 million on Ravenswood, a crumbling 150-year-old mansion which they plan to painstakingly restore to its former glory. “He’s handsome, funny and charming, but he’s really very dorky…

When Hayley Shute first set eyes on Albert, she wasn’t sure he would make it. “He was tiny,” says the Life Sciences Manager and resident ‘koala whisperer’ at the Australian Reptile Park on the NSW Central Coast. “I looked at him when he came out of the pouch and thought, ‘This isn’t going to be a happy ending’. He was five months old and 190 grams. The smallest koala I’d ever successfully hand-raised was 290 grams. At that size, they’re so dependent on their mum. But I wasn’t going to not try. He looked up at me and I went, ‘Oh God, I’m already in love with him.’ So I took on the task.” The task would be to separate the little joey from his mother, and to bottle-feed and…

If there were such a thing as a reservoir of grace, many of us would be repeatedly lowering buckets into it over the Christmas months. One bucket to steady ourselves for lunch with difficult relatives, colleagues and random ring-ins. A dozen more to steel ourselves against a sense of isolation, financial constraint or the sadness that can descend on the imperfect days where Instagram tells us perfect families frolic on the beach and sit happily around tables groaning with food. Thanks to my carol-singing, angel-loving and ever-calm mother, I’ve always loved Christmas – the sparkle and kitsch, the carols and candles, the board games, the giving and the joy. But it’s also a time of reckoning, and exhaustion. According to Relationships Australia, Christmas is considered to be one of the…

From the Test Kitchen Loosely cover the blondies with foil if the almonds are browning too quickly. Store in an airtight container in a cool spot for up to 3 days. Refrigerate if the weather is hot and humid. Easy swap If fresh lychees are not available use canned lychees instead. You could try this recipe with watermelon and cherries, or peaches and strawberries. From the Test Kitchen The Mojito Syrup and Rose Syrup can be made up to a week ahead. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Both syrups are great in cocktails where a recipe calls for ‘simple syrup’. From the Test Kitchen Use a mandoline or V-slicer to cut zucchini into very thin slices. The frittata can be made ahead and served cold. Store, covered,…

From the Test Kitchen For a kid-friendly version, leave out the chilli powder. KEEP IT Spiced nuts will keep in glass jars, celephane bags or an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Australian Macadamias are a delicious wholefood that has a buttery, moreish taste and inimitable soft crunch. PHOTOCHEF: REBECCA LYALL.…

From the Test Kitchen If you are transporting this salad, pack the almonds, noodles and dressing separately; toss together just before serving. For a presentation idea, we reserved a couple of the nicer looking outer leaves from the cabbage to line the salad bowl. From the Test Kitchen We used green Sicilian olives in this recipe. They are smooth and fineskinned with a crisp, crunchy bite and a refreshingly piquant, buttery flavour. From the Test Kitchen For something different, plate the salad with all the elements separated so guests can build their own. PHOTOCHEF: CAITLYN MCGRATH.…

From the Test Kitchen If you have one, use a mandoline or V-slicer to cut the zucchini into very thin slices. Italian cooks are skilled at the art of battering foods, as in fritto misto (meaning mixed fried things) and ‘di mare’ when prepared with seafood. Such dishes are most often served as a first course. From the Test Kitchen Ricotta salata is produced by salting, ageing and pressing ricotta, resulting in a semi-firm cheese. It is available from select delis and Italian grocers; you can use fetta instead. Fregola is a small, hand-rolled Sardinian pasta that is made from semolina, then toasted. It shares similarities with Israeli couscous, which can be used instead. Enjoy in salads and with sauced dishes. PHOTOCHEFS: REBECCA LYALL, CLARE MAGUIRE.…

Watch us cook on Christmas with THE AUSTRALIAN Women's Weekly ON CHANNEL 10, 7.30PM FRIDAY DECEMBER 8 From the Test Kitchen McKenzie’s Cream of Tartar is an acid that helps stabilise the proteins in the whipped egg whites which makes making pavlovas foolproof. It also gives the meringue a beautiful subtle sheen. Adding a little cream of tartar when whipping cream helps stabilise the mixture. Meringue discs can be made several days in advance. Place discs interleaved with baking paper. Store in a covered container or box in a cool spot. From the Test Kitchen Shaping the meringue directly onto a serving plate eliminates the need to transfer it off an oven tray onto a serving platter, risking breaking the fragile pavlova. It’s a handy tip when taking a dessert…

Milk chocolate macadamia Melt 700g milk chocolate and 1 tablespoon macadamia oil until smooth. Combine 200g white marshmallows, 85g Rice Bubbles, 150g halved mini Violet Crumble bars, 150g red glacé cherries, and 250g lightly toasted Australian Macadamias in a large bowl. Stir in milk chocolate mixture. Spread into prepared pan and decorate top with a few extra mix-ins. From the Test Kitchen It’s easier to cut rocky road at room temperature rather than straight from the fridge. Technically, the rocky road will last for two weeks stored in an airtight container, but realistically it won’t last that long – it’s simply too irresistible!…