INFUSED M A G A Z I N E T he
High Tea Party
IDEAS
for a pamper day at home
Easy knitting projects to get you started
Recipes
for the freezer
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Our monthly WOW award! This month we celebrate Amanda Archibald. Amanda has been nominated by her friend Nicoletta Nici. Nicoletta wrote to Infused to tell us about some of the challenges Amanda has faced over the last few years, including a seeing one of her sons born with a severe medical condition. Nicoletta says that, through it all, Amanda “has remained positive and a true inspiration to everyone … I would also love for her to be rewarded for her selflessness and love she has for [all her boys] and everyone else, despite what she has going on in her life.” Congratulations, Amanda! Your friend and colleague Nicoletta describes you as “our Superwoman”. We hope you enjoy your pamper pack. We love hearing your stories! We are taking nominations for the WOW of the month for September! Nominating the special woman in your life is simple, email us at admin@thepeppermintgroup.com.au and tell us what makes this woman so special and why she deserves to win. Nominations close on the 3rd Sunday of every month. We’ll contact you for further details if your nomination is successful.
*gift package shown is a true reflection of products that can be included in a WOW award. Products used can vary. Packaging may differ.
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HOM E & LIF ESTY LE
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FOOD & BEV E R AG E
ENT ERTA IN MENT
AUGUST/2019 6/FOOD & BEVERAGE
10/ BEAUTY
The best things to bake and freeze.
Ideas for a home pampering session.
8/ HOME & LIFESTYLE
12/ENTERTAINMENT
Waste not inspiration.
New TV series that are worth a look.
14/ CRAFT Easy knitting projects to get you started.
Dear Reader, Welcome to the August issue of Infused. Thank you everyone who nominated a special person for our Woman of Worth Award. This month, we have chosen Amanda Archibald in WA to receive a special pamper pack. You can read more about Amanda’s story on page 3. Don’t forget to nominate the woman of worth in your life for her chance to win a pamper pack in September. Looking for a hobby? This month we direct you to some easy and satisfying knitting projects to get you started. There’s a treasure trove of achievable projects out there in internet-land and we can send you to the tried and tested ones. Check out page 14 for some great ideas. Or, on the other hand, if you’re time-poor you might want to check out the ideas for meals you can bake and freeze so you’ll never be stuck calling for a pizza on a Wednesday night again. Unless you really want one, of course. Page 6 is where you’ll find our bake-and-freeze article. For self-care this month we recommend some me-time! There are some fabulous shows to stream right now and we tell you where you can find them (page 12), we also give you some tips for a home-pamper day (page 10), should you find yourself with a day (or even 20 minutes!) to yourself. And for the planet, we’ve also got an article on how to cut back on your waste in easy ways (page 8). As always, we’d love to hear from you if you’d like to see something in our e-magazine or if you have something you’d like to share, so get in touch at admin@thepeppermintgroup.com.au Best wishes, Sarah
Want to say hello, have a question or feedback? Drop us an email at admin@thepeppermintgroup.com.au
FOOD & BEVERAGE
e z e e r f d n a e k ba
The best things to Sometimes weeknight cooking is too hard – but we don’t always want to call for a pizza or put on some 2-minute noodles. The solution is to bake in advance and stock up the freezer. So what are the best things to cook and freeze? Here are some ideas.
Vegetarian sausage rolls (or meat sausage rolls) – I’m just suggesting the vego ones because they’re a little healthier so you won’t feel guilty getting them out of the freezer for a weeknight dinner. And they’re delicious. Here’s a recipe.
Vegetarian lasagne. This one looks good and who doesn’t love lasagne, especially on a weeknight! Bolognese sauce – Find a simple bolognese recipe and store it in portions. Then all you’ve got to do is defrost and cook up some pasta to go with it. Healthy, hearty dinner in minutes. Soup – I’ve frozen vegetable soup and pumpkin soup many times and it’s a great one to have on hand. All you need is some crusty bread and you’ve got a meal that will fill anyone up. Here are some good soup recipes. Chicken Cacciatore. A nice warming casserole is perfect because you can easily add rice. And I have perfected the cooking of rice, thanks to Delia Smith. It’s so easy if you follow her instructions!
Here’s a good guide to freezing food
There’s nothing wrong with keeping frozen vegetables – studies have shown that frozen vegies can have just as many nutrients as fresh. Add some frozen crumbed chicken tenders and you’ve got a meal that’s easy, cheaper and a bit more nutritious than takeaway pizza.
HOME AND LIFESTYLE
WASTE
not
Been watching War on Waste? Inspired to cut back your waste-line? Here are some ideas. Ban the bag. It’s great that so many supermarkets now charge for plastic bags, but remember to take along a re-usable bag to your supermarket so you won’t have to buy any! Juice box begone. We have a big family dinner every week at my parents’ house, and Mum has always bought disposable juice boxes for the kids, because it’s easy. But, after watching War on Waste, Mum has decided to go for a large carton or bottle of juice to reduce the waste. The kids now use cups. No big deal. Nude food. We’re trying to use re-useable containers instead of Clingwrap and alfoil for the kids’ lunches, and it’s going quite well. My daughters really like to have their apples cut, so this week we’ve tried using rubber bands to keep the apple pieces secure around the core. It works! And stops the apple from going brown!
Shop pre-loved. A visit to your local op-shop or Vinnies is a really fun family excursion. There is bound to be something for everyone, and it’s a really good idea to check it out before you buy new kitchen goods, clothes, even toys for the kids. If you have school-aged children, you could also see if there is a clothing pool at their school to save dollars and recycle uniforms. Share. Before you invest in a new drill, or sander, or leaf-blower, why not consider asking a family member or friend if they want to go halvies with you? Chances are you’ll be able share it between you pretty easily.
BEAUTY
IDEAS
for a home pamper day When I was a young lass, one of my favourite books was a big Reader’s Digest brick that had all these ideas and tips for girls, including home-made face masks, hair treatments and lots of other info they thought girls should have back in the 1980s. I’m not sure it was as practical as Girl Stuff, but I treasured it nonetheless. I’d always be sneaking into the kitchen and pilfering lemons to lighten my hair or eggs to make into a skin treatment. Part of me still loves that loves the DIY/home pamper day, especially now that time to myself is so scarce. So for others out there who’d like to spend an hour, a day, or even just twenty minutes treating their bodies, here are some great ideas from all over the internet.
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Foot spa. About ten years ago Choice magazine released a survey that named electronic foot spas as the most useless Christmas gifts ever given, and I’m not convinced that much has changed. But you don’t even need one for the occasional soak. Just get a bucket, fill it with warm water (on a cool day) or cool water (on a hot day), put in some essential oil and just relax in front of the TV or with a good book. A friend of mine swears by this as the perfect way to shake off a stressful day at work. DIY manicure. Some of us love getting away to the nail salon but if you’ve not got time or you’re on a budget, here’s a great step-by-step guide to making your own nails as pretty as they can be.
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The old clingfilm on conditioner on hair trick. Leave it for 20 minutes, then rinse and enjoy your lovely soft hair. You could also use coconut oil.
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Add essential oil either to your bath or even to a face-washer and use it in the shower.
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Dim the lights, use candles (real or electronic) and breathe slowly. Try to meditate or just do something that makes you feel happy, like read a magazine or a feel-good book. Try to avoid caffeine for the day but stay hydrated with water and herbal tea.
ENTERTAINMENT
BEST SHOWS TO STREAM RIGHT NOW There’s always something new to watch on the multiple platforms we have available to us. Here are four new TV series that are worth a look.
FLEABAG
Written by and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, this tragi-comedy is a must watch. It is rude and crude but very funny. Phoebe plays “Fleabag”, a woman whose best friend has recently died and she’s struggling to get through each day as best she can. She doesn’t always make the best choices and you’ll be cringing as much as you’re laughing, but this is worth a look. Fleabag is available to watch on Amazon Prime.
TRUE DETECTIVE SEASON 3
This noir detective story has a different cast, and a different storyline, every season. I was enamoured with Season 1 but the second season didn’t win me over. However, everyone tells me that this one, starring Mahershala Ali, is definitely worth a watch. I have received the hot tip that it’s worth watching with subtitles in order to understand the Louisiana accent. True Detective is available to watch on Foxtel or Amazon Prime.
MINDHUNTER SEASON 1 AND 2
This series is about the early days of the criminal profiling unit of the FBI – the serial killers it features are all based on real cases, although the investigators are inventions or combinations of real people. It’s riveting stuff and Season 2 looks to be just as good as the first. This is available to watch on Netflix.
DIRTY JOHN
Based on the true story that was made into a widely popular podcast, Dirty John stars Eric Bana as an utterly convincing con man and Connie Britton as the kind-hearted woman who fell for him. The thing that this dramatisation does really well is that it really shows how a smart and successful woman could have been taken in by such a cad. I found this a little bit soap-opera-ish but redeemed by brilliant actors. You can watch this on Netflix.
! G N I T T I N K
CRAFT
5
Five Easy Knitting Projects to Get You Started
There are still a few cooler weeks left of winter, and knitting is the perfect craft for keeping your fingers warm and occupied. So if you have never knitted anything before and would like to get started, I have compiled a list of easy but satisfying projects for you to try. Happy knitting!
Chaussons mignons – or tiny little slippers. This is a very easy project because it is knit in garter stitch (the easiest, just knit all the way, baby, no purling or skipping or yarn over or trickiness like that). And it’s knit flat in a T-shape, you just do some stitching to make it look as cute as it does. I made this when I was a true novice and it turned out pretty well! (This website is in French but there is an English version of the pattern on this page). Chunky scarf – one of the oldest tricks in the book is to use a nice big chunky yarn. It will make your project finish up quickly and can look really elegant. Another trick is to make it smaller and join it up to make a snood. Very elegant and on-trend. Cushion cover – okay, so blankets are easy, but who can be bothered knitting and sewing up all those squares? The solution is to keep it simple and knit two squares to make a cute cushion cover. There are heaps of patterns online, from simple to slightly more complicated. Baby jacket – this is a very simple pattern with some easy steps that anyone could master. And because it’s for a tiny human, it won’t take you four winters to complete. Easiest beenie ever – the pussyhat is a good project for a beginner but if you’re not a feminist you can make it in any colour you want. It looks gorgeous.
T he
High Tea Party
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