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Why is gluten-free bread so expensive? A food supply chain expert explains

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/flavio-macau-998456">Flavio Macau</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a> Before the cost of living hit Australian families hard, a group of consumers were already paying top dollar for their staples. Whether it be gluten free, dairy free or lactose free, people with special dietary requirements are used to spending more at the supermarket checkout. A 2016 study from the University of Wollongong found that Australians were <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1747-0080.12171">paying up to 17% more for a gluten-free diet</a>. Current examples are easy to find. A <a href="https://www.coles.com.au/product/coles-white-bread-650g-4901345">white sandwich loaf at Coles</a> costs A$2.40 (or A$0.37 per 100g), whereas <a href="https://www.coles.com.au/product/coles-i'm-free-from-white-loaf-500g-3216673">the cheapest gluten-free option</a> costs $5.70 (or $1.14 per 100g). That’s over three times as much. Prices are closer comparing Coles Full Cream Milk at A$1.50 per litre with Coles Lactose Free Lite Milk at A$1.60, the exception that confirms the rule. So why are allergen-free products more expensive? <h2>Is it the ingredients?</h2> If manufacturers pay more for ingredients, this is usually reflected in the price of the final product. Regular and gluten-free bread share many common ingredients, but there is a substantial change where wheat flour is replaced by gluten-free flour. This ingredient may cost manufacturers around two times as much given the uniqueness of gluten-free grains, seeds, and nuts. These special ingredients are not as abundant or easy to process as wheat, and are also a bit more difficult to buy in very large scale. For a simple reference, compare <a href="https://www.coles.com.au/product/coles-white-plain-flour-1kg-5881232">regular</a> and <a href="https://www.coles.com.au/product/coles-i'm-free-from-plain-flour-gluten-free-500g-2478197">gluten-free flour</a> at Coles. Gluten, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jgh.13703">a complex mixture of hundreds of related but distinct proteins</a>, has unique properties. It is a binding agent that improves texture in recipes. Gluten-free bread therefore needs extra help to, literally, hold it together. Additional items such as thickeners, tapioca and maize starches are added to gluten-free recipes to improve viscosity and keep baked items in shape. That means a longer ingredient list and a slightly more complex manufacturing process. So, from an ingredient perspective, gluten-free bread costs more than regular bread. This applies for other allergen-free products as well. But with so many common ingredients, it is reasonable to say that this is not the main explanation. <h2>Is it manufacturing and transporting?</h2> A substantial part of price differences between regular and allergen-free foods comes from <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/economiesofscale.asp">economies of scale</a>. Regular products are manufactured in very large quantities, while allergen-free products involve much smaller volumes. Bulk buying from large suppliers gets you bigger discounts. The more machines in a factory, the cheaper it is to run them. Larger outputs coming from the same place mean smaller costs for each individual product. Given that you have fixed costs to pay anyway, size is king. You pay the same amount for a grain mill regardless of whether you grind one kilo or one tonne of grains a day. Sure, you spend more on electricity or gas, but those are <a href="https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/accounting/fixed-and-variable-costs/">variable costs</a>. Then, there is the need for rigorous quality control. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has a detailed <a href="https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/sh-proxy/en/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252FStandards%252FCXC%2B80-2020%252FCXC_080e.pdf">code of practice on food allergen management for food business operators</a>, covering harvesting, handling, storage, transportation, packaging, and more. The <a href="https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/food-standards-code">Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code</a> also sets specific standards. Deep cleaning machines, thoroughly checking that standards are met, and scrapping whole batches when they are not makes manufacturing allergen-free products more complex and expensive. The <a href="https://www.health.wa.gov.au/-/media/Files/Corporate/general-documents/food/PDF/DOHComplianceandEnforcementPolicyVersion3.pdf">implications for non-compliance</a> vary in severity, from a simple recall to a costly infringement notice, plus <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10574315/">reputational damage to consumer trust</a>. It is hard to exactly measure the impact of economies of scale and quality costs on the price of allergen-free products. Each manufacturer will have its own challenges and solutions. But it is reasonable to say a considerable chunk of the difference we see when comparing gluten-free bread with its regular counterpart comes from these factors. Transportation costs follow a similar rule. If it is easier and quicker to fill your trucks with regular products, while allergen-free products have a hard time making a full load, there are disadvantages in the latter. <h2>Is it the marketing strategy?</h2> The final consideration on allergen-free food prices has to do with competition and willingness to pay. A quick search on Coles’ website shows 276 results for “bread” once you remove the 42 items that are gluten-free. That means that there are many more brands and products competing for bread consumers than for gluten-free bread consumers. That’s over six to one! This means customers with dietary restrictions are at a disadvantage as they are beholden to the limited options on offer. As noted by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, “<a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/business/competition-and-exemptions/competition-and-anti-competitive-behaviour">competition leads to lower prices and more choice for consumers</a>”. Also, fewer allergen-free products make it to the “own brand” list. Australians are <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/money/costs/coles-woolworths-ownbrand-products-booming-on-back-of-costofliving-crisis/news-story/d0be8b8d6e98c0a6477959cd83da17ad">relying more on these when facing the cost-of-living crisis</a>. There is also the <a href="https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/willingness-to-pay">willingness to pay</a>, where consumers pay more for products deemed as having higher value. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/obr.13525">Research</a> shows that on average consumers are willing to pay 30% more for food products that they perceive to be healthier. Manufacturers and retailers more often than not will capitalise on that, increasing their profit margins for allergen-free products. <h2>4 tips for saving money if you have allergies</h2> People with dietary requirements looking to ease the cost of their weekly grocery shop should use the same strategies as every savvy consumer: <ul> <li>research prices</li> <li>buy larger quantities where possible</li> <li>keep a keen eye on price reduction and items on sale</li> <li>consider replacing products tagged “allergen-free” with alternatives from other categories, such as going for rice instead of gluten-free pasta in a dish.</li> </ul> In the long run, if more customers choose allergen-free products it could lead to more volume and competition, bringing prices down. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223648/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/flavio-macau-998456">Flavio Macau</a>, Associate Dean - School of Business and Law, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-gluten-free-bread-so-expensive-a-food-supply-chain-expert-explains-223648">original article</a>.

Money & Banking

South Australian Government's sprinkles ban sparks outrage

New guidelines for school canteens in South Australia have sparked outrage for "taking all the enjoyment away from children". Sprinkles of any kind, including 100s and 1000s - which are an essential ingredient for the iconic fairy bread - have been categorised as “red 2", meaning that they “should not be promoted or encouraged in schools on any occasion”. The ban comes after processed meats including ham would be limited at canteens in Western Australia, with similar restrictions now in place for South Australian canteens. Processed meats fall into the “red 1” or “amber” categories in South Australia, which means that products featuring them would be limited depending on nutritional criteria. These restrictions mean that children will no longer be able to regularly enjoy Australian staples like ham and cheese toasties and fairy bread at school. “Why are they taking all the enjoyment away from children?” one person told 7News. Dieticians have also questioned the decision, saying that it might only cause further problems in the future. “All your brain wants to do is eat that food, and eventually, you can restrict it for a little bit, until you get to that point where you just give in, you want to eat it, and then you binge,” dietitian Mattea Palombo said. Another expert suggested changing the foods we associate with good times. “Celebration foods aren’t so much about the foods that we have at the time of the celebration, but the friends and family we have around at the time of celebrating,” dietitian Dr Evangeline Mantzioris said. “So I think we probably need to balance it out a bit, so healthy foods are available at those celebrations.” Although the changes impact canteens, parents are still free to pack whatever they want in their kids' lunchboxes. Images: Getty

Food & Wine

“Grandma meant Elmo”: Cake-maker reveals hilarious baking blunder

An American baker has left the internet in stitches after misreading her customer’s custom cake request, instead delivering a baking blunder for the Sesame Street history books. In a video posted to her TikTok account, Brianna Romero - who is known professionally as Brinni Cakes - confessed her mistake to the world, recounting the story of how a recent order from a grandmother had led her to the creation of her new friend ‘Emo Elmo’. “So my worst nightmare happened,” she said, with audio playing over a timelapse of Brianne constructing another cake. “Last week a lady DMed me and asked me if I could make her an emo cake, and I was thinking ‘yes, of course, I love emo and I love goth, and I know I’ve been perfecting my black frosting so I’m ready for this’.” Brianna went on to explain that she’d gotten all of her customer’s information, and set to work. However, an hour before she was set to deliver the cake, she decided to offer the woman a number candle - an offer that was soon accepted. “She said ‘yes, the cake is for my granddaughter and she’s turning four’”, Brianna explained in the clip. “And I thought that that was a little bit weird, ‘cause I don’t know an emo four year old.” After trying to understand the weird request, Brianna figured that the little girl must just be a fan of something like Netflix’s Wednesday series. Unfortunately, this was not the case. “Something felt wrong,” she noted, before describing how she’d reach out again to ask what the theme of the party was, only to find out it was Sesame Street. “So my heart sinks a little bit because this is now making sense to me,” she said. It was then that Brianna returned to the original exchange between herself and her customer, and had her worst fears confirmed. “I misread emo,” Brianna admitted, “and it said an Elmo cake.” Luckily, Brianna was a quick thinker in her time of stress and rushed out to find an Elmo topper for her cake, before offering the cake for free. <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; vertical-align: baseline; width: 610.266px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7212109376436391210&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40brinnicakes%2Fvideo%2F7212109376436391210&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2Fe19d4562cc04495c8778154678f1d382_1679200086%7Etplv-dmt-logom%3Atos-useast5-i-0068-tx%2F1ad8d307d5f74948880bf2e0f91228f3.image%3Fx-expires%3D1683669600%26x-signature%3DCxdjPe36YRrx4SrRRwvAPwRsevY%253D&key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> Brianna’s audience were obsessed with her tale, and the video shot to viral heights, with over 11.7 million views to its name. “As soon as you revealed it was for a 4yr old I was like ‘oh no, grandma meant Elmo’,” one follower wrote. “Praying it’s Elmo with a side bang,” said another. Her misfortune drew in over a thousand comments, but there was a recurring thought that stood out among the chorus, and that was a request to see the baked blunder. And while Brianna admitted in an update that she hadn’t had the time to snap pictures on the day of delivery, she did her best with her follow-up video, sharing photos of cakes that looked “almost exactly” like her own, to the delight of her worldwide audience. “This is so funny,” someone said. “Elmo with a side bang has me in tears.” Meanwhile, another commenter wanted to know what the recipients had thought about their unique goods. “She tried to pay still but I told her everything that happened and we just laughed it off,” Brianna said. “It was just for a small family party anyway.” Images: TikTok

Food & Wine

Main bomb maker of 2002 Bali bombings released early

Umar Patek, a convicted terrorist and the main bomb maker in the 2002 Bali bombings, has been released from jail. Patek, a leading member of the al Qaida-linked network Jemaah Islamiyah, helped build the car bomb that killed more than 200 people, including two Kiwis and 88 Australians, at two nightclubs in Kuta Beach in 2002. Patek served just over half of his original 20-year sentence and was released from jail after Indonesian authorities claimed that he was successfully reformed. "The special requirements that have been met by Umar Patek are that he has participated in the de-radicalisation coaching program," Ministry of Law and Human Rights spokesperson Rika Aprianti said. Patek will be required to report to the parole office once a week, before it becomes once a month. He is required to stay on parole until 2030, but his freedom can be revoked if he fails to report to the parole office or breaks the law. During his jail stint, Patek received a total of 33 months of sentence reduction with the most recent one on August 17, Indonesia's Independence Day. This saw Patek given a five-month reduction of his sentence after fulfilling the parole requirement of serving two-thirds of his current sentence At the time of the reduced sentence, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government will look at making "diplomatic representations" to oppose Patek’s release. "I feel a great deal of common distress, along with all Australians, at this time," Albanese said. "We had been advised by the Indonesian government of this further reduction. "This will cause further distress to Australians who were the families of victims of the Bali bombings." Image: Nine News

Legal

News of Bali bomb-maker's sentence cut short sparks fury

The bomb-maker behind the devastating 2002 Bali bombings has been released early from Indonesian prison only days after his sentence was reduced by a further five months. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declared this decision will add trauma to the victims’ families and says his diplomats are lobbying the Indonesian government regarding the reduction. This decision means that Umar Patek, the man who made the explosives that killed 200 people, including 88 Aussies in 2002, will have served only half of his original 20-year sentence. Indonesian authorities insist he has been ‘deradicalised’ but Mr Abanese has described him as ‘abhorrent’. The sentence had already been reduced by 18 months on a previous occasion, meaning his total reduction is now one year and 11 months. He would have been eligible for parole in January 2023 after serving two thirds of his sentence. Patek admitted making the suicide vests that went off at Sari Club and Paddy's Pub in Kuta but claimed he did not know what they would be used for. After nine years on the run in the Philippines and Pakistan, he was caught in 2011 and spared the death sentence after co-operating with police and apologising to victims' families. This coming October marks the 20th anniversary of the bombings. Images: Australian National Museum / Getty

Legal

Why you should never refrigerate your bread

What do you with leftover bread? Do you wrap it in plastic and keep it in the fridge? Well, despite everything you’ve been told, if you want to keep your bread fresher for longer that’s not the way to do it. Food website Serious Eats broke down the science behind why, explaining that as the bread cools after being baked, its starches will regroup back to the original, crystallised state that causes bread to harden and grow stale. Putting the bread in the fridge actually accelerates the process and the bread becomes stale much faster. So what should we be doing with our bread? Freeze it! Freezing slows down the recrystallisation process of bread so wrap it in an airtight bag or container, store bread in the freezer and let it thaw completely before eating it. Or you can buy unsliced bread, as a bread’s shelf life is reduce once it’s cut. Cut off what you want to eat and if you’re going to be eating the bread in the next few days, place the loaf cut-side down against the table.

News

What family violence survivors want policy makers to know

For a long time, policy makers and legislators seeking to address the problem of <a href="https://www.anrows.org.au/research-areas/statistics-prevalence-and-community-attitudes/">domestic and family violence</a> have sought higher penalties and <a href="https://www.agd.sa.gov.au/documents/Discussion-Paper-coercive-control.pdf">tougher laws</a>. But when it comes to finding practical solutions to this complex problem, the voices of those with lived experience of the system have not always been heard. A recent <a href="https://www.rightsnetworksa.com/_files/ugd/8cf77c_bcc168e3171a46c48efd0aac455df0b0.pdf">study</a> I coauthored with Suryawan Rian Yohanesh from <a href="https://www.unitingcommunities.org/">Uniting Communities</a> (an NGO focused on overcoming disadvantage) involved interviews with survivors of domestic and family violence about what changes they’d like to see. Our interviewees told us they want changes giving them control over legal processes like <a href="https://www.police.sa.gov.au/your-safety/intervention-orders">intervention orders</a> (sometimes called “Apprehended Violence Orders” or AVOs), which are legal orders designed to stop perpetrators of violence or abuse from being near or interacting with their partners or children. Currently, if you want to obtain one of these orders, the police and prosecutor often lead the process. They generally decide whether it goes to court, what evidence is collected or used and what parameters that order has (such as whether the perpetrator can collect kids from school or access firearms). The abuse survivor can feel shut out of these decision-making processes. <h2>Getting the first response right</h2> Survivors of violence, and those working to support survivors, want programs focused on getting the first response right every time. As one service provider said: <blockquote> Being told that your abuse is ‘not serious enough’ or there is no abuse identified is one of the most damaging things that can happen. It can impact the relationship of trust going forward. It is therefore critical first responders are adequately trained in trauma-informed care and practice, and have training in best practice responses to domestic violence, so that the victims can also be referred to suitable support services. </blockquote> If that first response (by police, for example) is dismissive or re-traumatising, it can leave survivors vulnerable to ongoing violence and harm, and distrustful of the legal system. As one survivor said: <blockquote> I didn’t feel like I was taken seriously or believed. [I was] made to feel like I was being judged as hysterical, ridiculous and time wasting. This made me feel unsafe to approach police again which was fairly scary, because they were the place I was supposed to be able to count on to help, and I wasn’t sure where else I could go. </blockquote> This type of response can be devastating for women and families already experiencing disadvantage or isolation, including <a href="https://www.anrows.org.au/project/improving-family-violence-legal-and-support-services-for-indigenous-women/">First Nations women</a>, culturally and linguistically diverse women, <a href="https://www.anrows.org.au/publication/women-disability-and-violence-barriers-to-accessing-justice-final-report/read/">women with disabilities</a> and <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/publications/domestic-and-family-violence-regional-rural-and-remote-communities">women living in regional areas</a>. Many of these groups already face myriad practical barriers when it comes to reporting violence. A mishandled first response can reinforce <a href="https://theconversation.com/narcissism-and-the-various-ways-it-can-lead-to-domestically-abusive-relationships-116909">narcissistic or controlling behaviour</a> by perpetrators, who use these experiences as evidence of their own power. To say, “See, I told you nobody would believe you.” One interviewee said: <blockquote> The system that is being built to protect women from this type of abuse can be turned into a weapon in the hands of those men that are seeking to perpetuate control against their partner or their family. </blockquote> Survivors said they want greater focus on perpetrator accountability by exposing the true impact of the violence on the lives of others, not just the aspects of the behaviour leading to criminal offences or breaches of the law. This means engaging professionals to help the survivor confront the perpetrator with the broader health, financial and social impacts of their behaviour. <blockquote> With this support team, the victim survivor could be encouraged to develop a strong recorded, accumulative evidence case. And these other professionals could be empowered to confront the defendant about the harm that he is causing to his partner, and in many cases also to his children. </blockquote> These practices should be <a href="https://www.anrows.org.au/project/improving-family-violence-legal-and-support-services-for-indigenous-women/">informed by cultural knowledge</a> and supported by community leaders who can help improve awareness of the rights of women. The support team could also help identify pathways for safe repair of relationships, social connection and financial security. <h2>Longer term support</h2> Survivors also need longer term support packages, including opportunities to <a href="https://www.monash.edu/arts/gender-and-family-violence/study/scholarship-opportunity-graduate-certificate-of-family-violence-prevention#:%7E:text=For%20the%20first%20time%2C%20the,for%20family%20violence%20victim%2Dsurvivors.&text=Timeframe%3A%20For%20successful%20scholarship%20candidates,be%20completed%20by%20October%202022.">access tertiary education or training</a> and specialist legal and financial services. As one participant told us: <blockquote> I’d really like to see some kind of focal point, resources for [domestic violence] survivors. To support people to rebuild their lives. Getting the universities and tertiary institutions to help with retraining and teaching, employment. Somewhere where people can break back in. Including social life, as well as financial security and employment. </blockquote> Those with lived experience of domestic and family violence want perpetrators to be held to account – not just in the courtroom, but in their workplaces and their social networks. They want to be put at the centre of the system, and be recognised as the powerful agents for change they are. <blockquote> No legislation is good enough until people with lived experience have been consulted […] All these people with lived experience are not being heard. They are the ones that have the knowledge. Every time you don’t go to the coal face you miss the point. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/all-these-people-with-lived-experience-are-not-being-heard-what-family-violence-survivors-want-policy-makers-to-know-180872" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation.</a> Image: Shutterstock </blockquote>

Legal

How to save stale bread from going beyond the pale

A Sydney teacher has shared her “hack” for saving and restoring life to bread that has gone stale. This six-minute trick has been labelled “genius” and praised for preventing unnecessary food waste. Katie Lolas, mother-of-one, has amassed a social media following for sharing healthy food tips and her meal prep skills and more recently, has been sharing a series of handy “hacks” she uses around the kitchen. The 35-year-old just dropped a video detailing how you can bring your dry, stale bread back to life and it has been hailed a “game-changer”. Katie explained that all you need is some water, a warm oven and six minutes on the clock. She explains that all you need to do is pop the old bread under running water until it’s wet, and then pop it into the oven at 160°C for six minutes. Katie’s 163,000 followers were very impressed with the age-old tip, with some stating they had tried it before while others explained it was their first time hearing of it. This trick can be used on any styles of bread, whether it be a loaf or some leftover dinner rolls. So if you’re sick of your bread supplies running out too quickly, give it a try and let us know if it works! Image: TikTok

Food & Wine

Muffin Break’s new menu item brings back childhood memories

Muffin Break is bringing back childhood memories with its exciting new menu item. The Fairy Bread Duffin is a delicious snack covered in sprinkles and perfectly accompanied with your morning coffee. The Duffin is baked fresh in-store daily and is a decadent mouth-watering fusion between a doughnut and muffin. Multiple layers of crispy, buttery pastry and filled with créme patisserie, with 100’s and 1000’s sprinkled on top and a swirl of Cream Cheese Icing you’d be silly to not indulge in this snack. “The newest Duffin, the Fairy Bread Duffin, is the fourth addition to Muffin Break’s luxurious Fancy Collection – indulgence, partnered with a moment of joy!” their website reads. Available for a limited time only, the Fairy Bread Duffin and a coffee will only cost you $9.50. However, if you’re looking to just purchase the Duffin, you can get a pack of four or six for just $1.50 extra. Muffin Break did warn its customers that the Duffin “may be dangerously addictive”. The Duffin is now available at all Muffin Break stores across Australia. Image: Muffin Break

Food & Wine

Aussie mum’s fairy bread hack takes off

A very clever woman who goes by the name of Sarah on <a href="https://www.news.com.au/topics/tiktok">TikTok</a>, clocked up more than 1.5 million views on a video in which she reveals an easy, mess-free way to make this Aussie party favourite. Instead of the usual method of pouring the sprinkles onto buttered bread, Sarah showed a much simpler way. She filled a square container with hundreds and thousands, grabbed a slice of white bread and placed it butter side down into the colourful sprinkles. “It has come to my attention that people have been pouring sprinkles on,” she wrote on the clip. “Look! No mess,” she added, while showing a close-up of the bread evenly covered with hundreds and thousands. “If I can change even one person’s life for the better, then I’m doing things right, one slice of fairy bread at a time,” she joked. While it seems like an obvious way to coat the bread, thousands took to the comments section shocked at her “hack”. “OMG life-changing,” one stunned user wrote. Even Twisties Australia commented: “How have I been doing it wrong my whole life?” Others lost their minds over how it left her kitchen counter sprinkle-free, while some lamented the hack, saying that the “mess” was part of the “ritual”. Despite the majority of people having never thought of making it this way, other’s said they’d also been doing it for years. Image: TikTok

Food & Wine

Intense debate sparked among fiercely loyal Aldi customers

A new feature on Aldi bread has sparked intense debate among the supermarket’s loyal customers. The retail giant is currently trialling cardboard recyclable tags on many of its loaves of bread, replacing plastic tags. ALDI said it’s made the step as part of its commitment to become more sustainable. “ALDI Australia has a number of commitments to improve the sustainability of our product packaging, including a goal to reduce the amount of plastic packaging across our own-label range by a quarter by 2025,” an ALDI Australia spokesperson has told 7NEWS.com.au. “We have started trialling recyclable cardboard bread tags on a select range of our bread products, and we continue to work closely with our business partners to identify opportunities to transition to cardboard tags on more of our products. “The next few years will see us continue to remove plastics from our range or replace it with sustainable alternatives and by 2025 all remaining packaging will be either recyclable, reusable or compostable.” Since being shared on social media, ALDI’s new cardboard bread tags have sparked intense debate. Many agree that the new sustainable tags are “a brilliant idea”. “Every bit of plastic that we can easily replace with a recyclable version is so much better for our environment,” said one. Added another: “This makes me very happy. Hopefully we can lose the vegetables in plastic wrap next. Good direction.” Said a third: “I was impressed by this too!!! And I found the plastic ones would sometimes pierce the bag.” Wrote one more: “ALDI has a commitment to recycling, I think it’s great, use the reuse-able clips, save our environment.” Others have said they were disappointed in the cardboard tags, saying that they don’t work as well. “These really are the worst thing since sliced bread,” said one Facebook user. Another wrote: “I absolutely hate them… they break or become flimsy the first time you open the bread! So I’ve saved a whole heap of plastic ones and swap them as soon as I get home!” Added a third: “My bread ended up through the boot of my car these clips are useless.” Said another: “I love that it’s not plastic but the cardboard isn’t working well. I got a loaf of bread and it was raining, all open by the time I got to the car.” One more wrote: “It’s a great sustainability initiative however they’re so crap that they fall off after the second time getting bread out. Same for other stores too, not just an Aldi issue.” Another added: “Can’t stand them. They break so easily. I’m glad I kept my old plastic ones.” However, other Facebook users urged ALDI users to rise above the various issues. “Tip to anyone that is complaining. You can buy reusable metal pegs or even reuse other plastic tags,” one wrote. “You just need to think outside the box. Man we are living in an interesting time of convenience and self entitlement. These tags are the worst thing for our ocean.” A few others pointed out a very Australian problem with the new cardboard tags. “You can never really fix a thong blow-out with it though,” said one. Another joked: “Won’t last long when I use it to fix my flip flops! Seriously though, good on ya ALDI.” Image: 7News

Food & Wine

Healthy banana bread

Image: Getty Ingredients <ul> <li>4 ripe bananas</li> <li>100g Community Co almond meal (use coconut flour for a nut free version)</li> <li>4 eggs</li> <li>1 tbsp Community Co Olive Oil Spread</li> <li>1 tsp baking powder</li> <li>2 tsp cinnamon</li> </ul> <h2>Method</h2> 1.Preheat oven to 180 degrees. 2.Break 3 and a half of the 4 bananas into chunks and place into your food processor with the eggs and blend until smooth. 3. Melt the olive oil spread and blend into the banana/egg mixture. 4. Add the rest of the ingredients into the food processor. 5. Line a loaf tin with baking paper and pour the mixture into the tin. 6. Cut the remaining banana into disks and decorate the loaf with it Serves: 4

Food & Wine

Aldi Shoppers rave about $40 samosa maker

Image: Facebook Aldi strikes again, sending fiercely loyal customers into frenzy over popular samosa maker. Shoppers everywhere have been raving about this $40 bargain, with many praising it for making “restaurant quality snacks” in minutes. The gadget has been branded “absolutely amazing” with customers and fans sharing snaps of their homemade treats online. The machine can cook up to 24 samosas in one go and features automatic temperature controls and a non-stick surface. One Aussie dad was so impressed by the appliance that he took to Facebook to show off the samosas he made, saying it’s a “big hit” with his family. He made his own mixture using potatoes, peas, onions, chilli, herbs and spices which he then added between two sheets of puff pastry in the samosa maker. Many excited to grab this product, with one woman commenting: “I need one of these machines!” Others are just stunned the samosa maker could be used for other snacks. “WAIT you can make cupcakes in the samosa maker?? Life changing.”

Food & Wine

Maker George becomes Making It Australia’s first winner

After a whole series of challenges, Making It Australia has whittled it’s contestants down to just three: George, Rizaldy and Jack. With the rest of the crafters returning for the final episode, the final three were pitted against each other and George was crowned Australia’s first winner of Making It. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CV4McDHhTk6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CV4McDHhTk6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by George Roppingly-Goode (@george_can_create_it)</a> </div> </blockquote> When asked about how it felt to be Australia’s first winner, George told OverSixty that she “couldn’t believe it”. “I didn’t think I’d make it past a few episodes,” she said, sharing how making it to the final and winning left her feeling stunned. Walking away from the show, George said one of the things that surprised her most was the friendships she made with the rest of the Makers. “I didn’t think I’d walk away with 12 new friends,” she said. George explained that being on Making It also proved to her that she could persevere and go out and achieve the things she wanted to, despite what she had been told over the years. As for the future, George will continue creating on a personal and professional level, and sharing her work on <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/george_can_create_it/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. She also hopes that her being on the show will inspire other women to pick up power tools and embrace more ‘masculine’ crafting techniques. “If I can do it, so can others,” she said. “The university of YouTube is also a great resource. If you don’t know how to use a jigsaw, you can just find a video and learn.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUwjCkzB6px/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUwjCkzB6px/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by George Roppingly-Goode (@george_can_create_it)</a> </div> </blockquote> Fellow finalist Jack was just as thrilled to make it to the end. “I was truly ecstatic and also very thankful to have made it that far in the competition among such talented and amazingly creative contestants,” Jack said. ”I was proud of my efforts and definitely inspired and invigorated by the other projects.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQA7HUeFhYf/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQA7HUeFhYf/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Toy Architecture (@toyarchitecture)</a> </div> </blockquote> Rizaldy shared the sentiment and added that getting through was a huge achievement. “That sums up all our hard work, our skill set, stories behind the projects and most of all it is all about having fun and sharing what we can do with the world,” he said. “It has never been a competition for me. I joined Making It Australia to show the world that making things is a lot of fun and they can do it too.” All three finalists agreed that the experience of being a Maker had been unforgettable, and that they had walked away with new friends from all over the country. “If it wasn’t for lockdown we would all have gotten together,” George said. “I have met amazing fellow Makers who are now my friends forever,'' Rizaldy added. “Spending time with the sensational judges and witty hosts is unforgettable.” “I met some really incredible people along the way, including the hosts and judges,” Jack said. “TV is a hoot!" Image: george_can_create_it / Instagram

Home & Garden

“My age isn’t a barrier”: Maker Will shares his crafting experience

After an act of kindness saw no eliminations on Making It Australia last week, the Makers returned this week to face another series of challenges that ended with an elimination. Will, the youngest Maker to appear on the show, said his goodbyes to the rest of the contestants. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVEp342lHe-/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVEp342lHe-/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Will Thomson (@willmade_aus)</a> </div> </blockquote> Following his elimination, Will sat down with OverSixty to share his experience on the show and how it felt creating pieces under pressure. O60: What was the highlight of being a Maker? I can flat-out just say the entire thing. The entire experience of the show, everything I did. There’s been little highlights, but I definitely can’t pin down one thing [as] the best. It was all just fantastic. O60: It sounds like it, and it looks like you all had an amazing time on the show and made some really great friendships. Yeah for sure. Coming in, I was excited to see other creators and what they did and how they work and how their minds work, and we all met, and we all got along so quickly and well. 30 minutes after we met each other, it was like meeting friends you’d known for two years or five years, 10 years. That was a pretty surreal moment to meet other like minded people and be able to work with them creatively. O60: What surprised you most about your Making It experience? It was all surprising. It was all the emotions at once, but it was all the time. Maybe one thing you could say that surprised me was what people could achieve in a limited time frame, and such a short time frame. O60: Making It saw contestants from a variety of age groups and backgrounds come together to craft, but how did you feel being the youngest competitor on the show? I kind of see myself as an old soul sometimes, so I'm happy to work with anybody. My age isn’t a barrier for me, I don't feel. One thing you could say is [that I was] lucky enough that I kind of found making early and I can grow and develop that for years to come. O60: What’s next for you after Making It? A few things. I finished my trade, so I’ve just become a sparkie. [There are] a few other things on the horizon, which is exciting. There’s some tradie things I want to start and have a dabble in and [I’m] kind of finding those little paths now. O60: Making It posed challenges that saw you use a whole range of different skills and techniques, has it changed how you have gone about your creative practice since leaving the show? I definitely learned a lot from other Makers. I find it easier to use harder material, I suppose, than softer materials … I hadn't done much in textiles or paper and I learnt a little bit more, which is developing into a skill set. O60: Last but not least, if you had the chance, would you do it again? Yes, for sure. It was such a fun, adrenaline-filled challenge. As I said, all the emotions, all the time. The atmosphere and everything was unreal and it was just an absolute delight. Yeah, for sure, I'll do it 100 percent. If you ask me tomorrow, if you ask me in five minutes time, I’ll do it again. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVFUWs5FZI5/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVFUWs5FZI5/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Will Thomson (@willmade_aus)</a> </div> </blockquote> The remaining four contestants will craft their hearts out on the next episode of Making It Australia, airing next Saturday night at 6pm. Image: willmade_aus / Instagram

Home & Garden

‘Holy smoke, what am I doing here?’: Maker Andrew shares his experience

In the latest episode of Making It Australia, the remaining Makers were tasked with inventing a large-scale device to solve a common problem. After wowing the judges with his chicken-powered alarm clock, Andrew was the next Maker to leave the show. The metalworking extraordinaire sat down with OverSixty to tell us about his experiences on the show and what he has gone on to do since. O60: What was the highlight of being a Maker? The highlight of being a Maker was to live and work with an incredibly talented, inspiring group of people for a long period of time. That is something that doesn't happen often in your life, and [I have] very strong, warm memories of it. O60: What surprised you most about your Making It experience? What surprised me most, I don’t think I was as prepared as much as I should have been. When I got there and assessed myself against the abilities of the other competitors, I was a bit intimidated because these people not only were great artists but had skills in all these other areas. And I thought, ‘Holy smoke, what am I doing here?’ And I said to them I’m the Volkswagen that snuck into the BMW car park, and [I’m] gonna get found out real quick. But I lasted longer than I thought. O60: On the show, you mentioned that you were formerly a booby trap instructor for the army. How did you make the transition to crafting and metalwork? That was one of many skills, many qualifications I had in the army. I was a mine warfare and booby trap instructor. I taught a couple of courses in the area, but my main employment was working with army tanks. But I did [work as a] booby trap instructor as one of my extra qualifications. Well, I got out of the army after 20 years. And then, as a 40 year old, joined the shire as an apprentice diesel mechanic. And I learned a whole lot of new skills there that I didn't have: workshop procedures and how to do things safely and they put me on a welders course so now I had some skills. And coming off of a farm we had 100 years or more … [I] had access to all these materials. And I now had a welder in my hand. So … just one day, the wife said to me, ‘Why don’t you go up to the shed and do something creative?’ and I built this cow. And I didn't think it was real good. But I took it down [to display] and no-one shot a hole in it or pushed it over with their ute. And someone said take it to an art show. Anyway, I did that and it won first prize. I couldn't understand how it would do that, because I didn't think it was very good. But the judges were academics out of Sydney and they saw something in it. And they gave me a fistful of money and my name in the paper and I thought, ‘This is alright, I’ll have another crack at this’, and it just flowed from there. O60: What’s next for you after Making It? Well I’ve got two basically completed public artworks in my shed that I’ve got to deliver, one to Maroopna, in Victoria and one in Jinjili, up the hill. I'm currently working on a fruit bat for a private commission. Next week, I'm jumping on a bus as a tour guide, touring the various public artworks I have in the region … and I’ve got the microphone, and I’ll tell them all about the artworks as we go around the district. O60: Making It posed challenges that saw you use a whole range of different skills and techniques, has it changed how you have gone about your creative practice since leaving the show? I’m now more open to try different things, and maybe mix what I'm doing with something else. You get into something and you're comfortable with it, you tend to stick with it, especially if it’s successful. But now I'm open to thinking about change and different things to stay in front of the game. O60: Last but not least, if you had the chance, would you do it again? If I knew that certain logistic problems were sorted, I would. Otherwise no. It's a once in a lifetime, amazing experience and you'd never be able to duplicate it a second time because it was the wonder of getting under the lights, and going to the city, and I'm a country boy and I hate driving around the city and it’s all those events all tied together [that] made it a once-only, amazing thing. I don't think I'd get the buzz out of it a second time. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUMFJGZpWbO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUMFJGZpWbO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by David Andrew Whitehead (@scrapartoz)</a> </div> </blockquote> With only five Makers remaining, Making It Australia returns next weekend for another crafty episode. Image: Making It Australia

Home & Garden

Maker Dan opens up on Parkinson's diagnosis

In episode six of Making It Australia, Makers were set the task of completing one piece in the Mega Craft Challenge. Contestants were tasked with creating an outdoor oasis in a challenge that saw them create spaces with soft lighting, firepits, swings, and functioning water fountains. Jack took out the challenge with his secret silver cinema, complete with a projector and a series of white curtains. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CUcTEfnBCh0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CUcTEfnBCh0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Making It Australia (@makingitau)</a> </div> </blockquote> As always, one person made their exit from the show, and this time it was Dan. After his departure, Dan sat down with OverSixty to chat about his time on the show and the meaning that crafting has for him. O60: What was the highlight of being a Maker? The Incredible Makers, Judges and other people that I got to meet were definitely the highlight for me. This is seriously like the Making Olympics!! O60: What surprised you most about your Making It experience? The pace was so fast! O60: In a personal moment on the show, you shared that you were diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Not to pry, but this is an important issue to many of our readers. Are there any alternative treatments you are considering? Has your diagnosis put pressure on the crafting you do or increased the appeal of making things now? I have always broadcast the enormous sense of duty that accompanies my insatiable internal drive to create. As for [Parkinson’s Disease (PD)]? When I received the news I was actually a little relieved! I had been searching for the correct cause of the restriction in my right hand for several months. This diagnosis came with medication that provided rapid relief and a dim light at the end of a tunnel. Making it was an AMAZING adventure/distraction to which I adhered to a chance to prove to Kye (wife), Australia and MYSELF, I am still the Dan! So, yes, in the 15 months since my PD diagnosis, Crafting and Making has certainly gained emotional magnitude. With regard to treatments: I'm currently managing symptoms with medication. I'm hoping, prioritising my own health and wellbeing, stress minimisation, and a balance of rest/work will prolong the medications' effective window. Although unfortunately DBS Deep brain Stimulation has already raised its head in a few consultations. O60: What’s next for you after Making It? Keep showing my wife, Kye, that I love her! And developing the OCG (Obsessive Compulsive Garden) and I [am] hopeful I can complete my Electric Hotrod by March 2022. Work wise I've been making deliberate choices to consolidate and focus on what makes me happy. This has inspired me to launch DeleurDesign. In order to combine, my passion for the environment and minimising our impact, making skills, knowledge of a broad and growing array of materials and ability to design and create unique practical and beautiful solutions to problems for waste management in particular. Lastly, I am going to raise some funds for Parkinson's Disease Research. If you are familiar with the #CARBAR I Created while on Making It Australia? IT WILL SOON BE COMPLETED AND UP FOR GRABS!!! I encourage you to join me on this journey <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/deleurdesign/" target="_blank">@DeleurDesign</a> on Instagram or find me on Facebook. O60: Making It seems to be challenging the idea that eliminations mean you no longer appear on the show, can you give us an insight into what’s been happening behind the scenes with the eliminated Makers? They did an amazing job of selecting Makers! Assembling a group of Makers that became instant family! We still chat and create every day! O60: Last but not least, if you had the chance, would you do it again? Yes! Starting this weekend, Making It Australia will air on Saturdays at 6 pm on Channel 10. Image: @deleurdesign / Instagram

Maker Russell reflects on Making It experience

Episode two of Making It Australia saw competitors embrace their inner child in two creative challenges. In the first-ever Team Challenge, the Makers came together to make functional billycarts, with Russell, Rehana, Dan, and Denise winning with their Beelycart. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CT4MDN7Nbt0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CT4MDN7Nbt0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Making It Australia (@makingitau)</a> </div> </blockquote> Rizaldy took out the Main Challenge with his magical forest cubby house. But, another person had to go, and this time it was Russell. They sat down with OverSixty and revealed their highlights of being on the show, as well as an insight into the show's unusual elimination process. O60: What was the highlight of being a Maker? I would say that the biggest highlight was the other Makers. To be with such talented people, it was such an experience, like, the creative energy when we were all together. And we all got along so well, like we were all so different yet all so similar at the same time. I don’t know how to explain it, it was as if we’ve known each other for years. We would have dinners and hang out together while we’re not filming. And it was so good because we got to talk about art, we got to talk about film, about music, and it just [had] so much positive energy. O60: What surprised you most about your Making It experience? The thing that probably surprised me the most [that] I could do more than what I thought I could. Sometimes when you look at someone else who’s talented or who’s really good at something, and you’re like, I can’t do that. But I realised when I got there … everyone was sort of positive and encouraging … and it made you want to try stuff. And so I found out that I actually could do a lot of things that I didn’t think I could do. O60: On the show you told Susie and Harvey that crafting is a way of representing your identity as a non-binary person. Could you tell us more about that and how it felt representing the queer community on the show? Yes of course. One of the reasons why I went on the show was I wanted to be a good representation for the queer community and to be someone that people can look to, because when I was younger, there wasn’t a lot of role models, as such, to look to. … you know, if there was someone like me when I was younger, maybe I could’ve got a better understanding of myself a little earlier than I had in life. I have been contacted by quite a few people on social media with just all these kind words and comments of support and admiration of some sort. It makes the whole experience even greater to be able to bring happiness and joy to the people that I’ve never even met. O60: What’s next for you after Making It? Well, at the moment I’m in lockdown, but I have started a YouTube channel, and I want to base it around crafting. It’s called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDW0TRqu0_LRhgtC6leVpA/featured">Procrastinating with Russell</a> [and] I want to base it around being a creative and someone who deals with mental health. I feel as if there is a big stigma around mental health and it has… definitely increased during COVID and lockdown, and it’s become very noticeable with everyday people. So if I make relatable content … it will be a positive influence to people. Like being creative, you just can’t help but smile and have fun. And, you know, you don’t have to be a fine artist of any sort. And anyone can do it as well, be it a four year old or a sixty year old. O60: We love the way the show seems to be trying to do away with the idea of eliminations. You and Kat seem to still be there in some capacity. What’s the deal? Well, we pretty much stayed at the farm. Kat [has been] hanging out the washing and I’m sewing up a storm. O60: Last but not least, if you had the chance, would you do it again? In a heartbeat. Definitely, I would. It’s the greatest thing I’ve done so far. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CT4VuhGP7cL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CT4VuhGP7cL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Russell Zorino-Brown (@luckyfellow)</a> </div> </blockquote> Making It Australia returns next Wednesday and Thursday on Channel 10. Image: Channel 10

Home & Garden

EXCLUSIVE: We chat with Maker Kat

The debut episode of Making It Australia saw 13 creatives test their skills in two challenges. Jack came out on top in the first Faster Craft challenge, while Robert won the main Master Craft challenge with his traditional shield carved from red gum. But, one person had to go, and Kat was delivered the bad news after her Gaelic harp lacked finishing details and its iconic shape. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844110/making-it-ep1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/24746c9540954f85a085fa02448af98d" /> Image: Supplied After her departure, Kat sat down with Over60 to talk about her time on the show, and give a few hints about whether we will see her again. O60: What was the highlight of being a Maker? The experience of meeting other people and forming such good memories while we were together. We all got on so well. I was nervous about coming on the show but there were no dramas at all. I don’t know how [the show] pulled it off. O60: What surprised you most about your Making It experience? [Everything that happened] behind the scenes was interesting, and getting to how production [of a TV show] works. O60: On the show, you surprised Susie and Harvey by sharing that you bought your first book recently. What was the book that you bought and have you made any more progress? [It was called] The subtle of not giving a f**k. I’m about halfway through but whenever I try to read I get distracted by other things … I might stick with my colouring books. O60: What’s next for you after Making It? I’m currently studying a cert 3 and 4 in fitness, and want to become a [personal trainer] next year. I want to expand my brand and start by offering it to friends and family… I just want to make people around me more healthy. I’m also getting into photography and doing photoshoots for my friends and family. … I saved up and got myself a new camera… I don’t have eight hours on a weekend to paint but [with photography] I can go out for an hour or two and satisfy that craving for art. O60: You were the first to be “eliminated” . . . but it seems like you are still on the show! Can you tell us more about that? Is Making It trying to change the format of elimination style reality shows? I can’t go into too much detail about it, but it won’t be the last time you’ll see my face on the show. It’s not like other reality shows like The Bachelorette where it’s your love life that gets squashed [after elimination]. O60: Last but not least, if you had the chance, would you do it again? Absolutely. I would totally do it again. Making It Australia will be returning on Thursday night and challenging the remaining makers to construct their own Happy Place. Image: Supplied

Home & Garden

How I mastered baking a yeast bread from scratch, and saved money doing it

By Jeanne Sidner My introduction to baking started with the home-kitchen classic that cracks open the oven door for so many – chocolate chip cookies. It was the 1970s, and most of the mums in our largely Catholic neighbourhood were busy raising big families. For the girls in my house, that meant our mother made sure we knew our way around the kitchen. At the flour-dusted table, Mum taught eight-year-old me how to make the cookies perfectly chewy with a crispy exterior. (The big secret: Always chill your dough.) So from a young age, I was crystal clear on the power of a baked-to-perfection cookie to make people happy. Baking cookies – then brownies, cakes and pies – became my hobby and a tasty form of social currency. First I used my skills with butter and sugar to impress a series of teenage boyfriends. In time, the fresh goodies were left on doorsteps to welcome new neighbours and set out in the break room for co-workers. Baking was my superpower. A few years ago, I became the content director for Taste of Home, Reader’s Digest’s sister magazine and website that celebrates the treasured recipes of home cooks. I’d never been more excited for a new job, but privately I worried that my baking chops wouldn’t measure up. Why? I had a secret as dark as an oven with a burned-out light bulb: While I had baked sweets my whole life, I’d never made a yeast bread from scratch. Still, this was no time for excuses. I was a baker, now one with Taste of Home attached to my name. I may have been intimidated by bread, but it was time. I wanted in. Getting started, I found Instagram to be a friend. A basic no-knead bread was the one I was seeing online overlaid with dreamy filters. People described it as easy, and to be honest, the thought of removing even one intimidating variable – kneading – was enough to get me to buy two kilograms of bread flour and dive in. I gathered everything I’d need (“be prepared” is the first rule of any baking), including my mum’s trusty Pyrex. It had seen me through my first days as a baker, so I was counting on it to work its magic. I had an easy Taste of Home recipe all set on my iPad. I mixed the flour, salt, and yeast and made sure the water temperature was just right – 38 to 46 degrees – before pouring it in. And then it happened – or didn’t happen. I followed the instructions to the letter, but my dough didn’t rise. Somehow, impossibly, it looked smaller. Sludgy, gooey, wet with a few bubbles. Sad. Three hours later, after I’d resisted the urge to keep checking on it like a nervous mum with a newborn, a puffy dough filled the bowl. I hadn’t killed it; it was just … sleeping. A quick fold, a second rise, and then my bread went into my Dutch oven and off to bake. Thirty minutes later, I took it out. Sure, it was slightly misshapen, but in my eyes, it was golden-brown, crusty perfection, right down to the yeasty-sweet hit of steam coming from its top. Naturally, the first thing I did was grab my phone and hop on Instagram, positioning my beautiful bread just so in a shining stream of daylight on a wooden cutting board. No one needed to know it was my first yeast bread ever – or how close it came to getting scraped into the garbage can. The online reactions started almost immediately – heart emojis and comments like “This looks DELISH!” from my friends. Finally I cut into that lovely brown crust and doled out slices to my husband and kids. Those slices led to seconds, then thirds, each piece slathered with softened butter and a little sprinkle of salt. I made my family perhaps happier with slices of warm, buttered homemade bread than I had with all the sweets combined. At last, I was a bread baker – despite yeast’s best attempts to intimidate me on this first try. No more feeling inferior or afraid. Now I make bread and homemade pizza crust regularly. And I have enough confidence to start thinking (and stressing!) about my next difficult baking challenge: homemade croissants. Image credit: Shutterstock This article first appeared in <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/home-tips/how-i-mastered-baking-a-yeast-bread-from-scratch-after-years-of-failure" target="_blank" title="Mastering yeast bread">Reader’s Digest</a>.

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