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Social media snaps map the sweep of Japan’s cherry blossom season in unprecedented detail

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/adrian-dyer-387798">Adrian Dyer</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alan-dorin-12573">Alan Dorin</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/carolyn-vlasveld-1442834">Carolyn Vlasveld</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/moataz-elqadi-1442833">Moataz ElQadi</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em></p> <p>Social media contains enormous amounts of data about people, our everyday lives, and our interactions with our surroundings. As a byproduct, it also contains a vast trove of information about the natural world.</p> <p>In a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0367253023001019#sec0024a">new study published in Flora</a>, we show how social media can be used for “incidental citizen science”. From photos posted to a social site, we mapped countrywide patterns in nature over a decade in relatively fine detail.</p> <p>Our case study was the annual spread of cherry blossom flowering across Japan, where millions of people view the blooming each year in a cultural event called “hanami”. The flowering spreads across Japan in a wave (“<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_blossom_front">sakura zensen</a>” or 桜前線) following the warmth of the arriving spring season.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529000/original/file-20230530-15-mix84k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529000/original/file-20230530-15-mix84k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529000/original/file-20230530-15-mix84k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529000/original/file-20230530-15-mix84k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529000/original/file-20230530-15-mix84k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529000/original/file-20230530-15-mix84k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529000/original/file-20230530-15-mix84k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="ALT TEXT" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Celebrating the cherry blossom is a centuries-old tradition in Japan.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure> <p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanami">hanami festival</a> has been documented for centuries, and research shows climate change is making <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac6bb4">early blossoming more likely</a>. The advent of mobile phones – and social network sites that allow people to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1574954116302321">upload photos tagged with time and location data</a> – presents a new opportunity to study how Japan’s flowering events are affected by seasonal climate.</p> <h2>Why are flowers useful to understand how nature is being altered by climate change?</h2> <p>Many flowering plants, including the cherry blossoms of Japan (<em>Prunus</em> subgenus <em>Cerasus</em>), require insect pollination. To reproduce, plant flowers bloom at optimal times to receive visits from insects like bees.</p> <p>Temperature is <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0200549">an important mechanism</a> for plants to trigger this flowering. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2008.01269.x">Previous research</a> has highlighted how climate change may create mismatches in space or time between the blooming of plants and the emergence of pollinating insects.</p> <p><iframe id="rtiQ0" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/rtiQ0/2/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <p>It has been difficult for researchers to map the extent of this problem in detail, as its study requires simultaneous data collection over large areas. The use of citizen science images deliberately, or incidentally, uploaded to social network sites enables <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_data">big data</a> solutions.</p> <h2>How did we conduct our study?</h2> <p>We collected images from Japan uploaded to <a href="https://www.flickr.com/">Flickr</a> between 2008 and 2018 that were tagged by users as “cherry blossoms”. We used computer vision techniques to analyse these images, and to provide sets of keywords describing their image content.</p> <p>Next, we automatically filtered out images appearing to contain content that the computer vision algorithms determined didn’t match our targeted cherry blossoms. For instance, many contained images of autumn leaves, another popular ecological event to view in Japan.</p> <p>The locations and timestamps of the remaining cherry blossom images were then used to generate marks on a map of Japan showing the seasonal wave of sakura blossoms, and to estimate peak bloom times each year in different cities.</p> <h2>Checking the data</h2> <p>An important component of any scientific investigation is validation – how well does a proposed solution or data set represent the real-world phenomenon under study?</p> <figure class="align-right zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528702/original/file-20230528-21-4fxpkv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528702/original/file-20230528-21-4fxpkv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528702/original/file-20230528-21-4fxpkv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=591&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528702/original/file-20230528-21-4fxpkv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=591&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528702/original/file-20230528-21-4fxpkv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=591&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528702/original/file-20230528-21-4fxpkv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=743&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528702/original/file-20230528-21-4fxpkv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=743&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528702/original/file-20230528-21-4fxpkv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=743&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Blossom dates calculated from social media images compare well with official data.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">ElQadi et al.</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure> <p>Our study using social network site images was validated against the detailed information published by the <a href="https://www.japan.travel/en/see-and-do/cherry-blossom-forecast-2023/">Japan National Tourism Organization</a>.</p> <p>We also manually examined a subset of images to confirm the presence of cherry flowers.</p> <p>Plum flowers (<em>Prunus mume</em>) look very similar to cherry blossoms, especially to tourists, and they are frequently mistaken and mislabelled as cherry blossoms. We used visible “notches” at the end of cherry petals, and other characteristics, to distinguish cherries from plums.</p> <p>Taken together, the data let us map the flowering event as it unfolds across Japan.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528769/original/file-20230529-17-wmgf5g.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528769/original/file-20230529-17-wmgf5g.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528769/original/file-20230529-17-wmgf5g.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=619&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528769/original/file-20230529-17-wmgf5g.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=619&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528769/original/file-20230529-17-wmgf5g.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=619&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528769/original/file-20230529-17-wmgf5g.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=777&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528769/original/file-20230529-17-wmgf5g.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=777&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528769/original/file-20230529-17-wmgf5g.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=777&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="An animated map showing cherry blossom flowering across Japan" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Images uploaded to social media over a ten year period 2008-2018, let us map the cherry blossom front as it sweeps across Japan.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">ElQadi et al.</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure> <h2>Out-of-season blooms</h2> <p>Our social network site analysis was sufficiently detailed to accurately pinpoint the annual peak spring bloom in the major cities of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo">Tokyo</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto">Kyoto</a>, to within a few days of official records.</p> <p>Our data also revealed the presence of a consistent, and persistent, out-of-season cherry bloom in autumn. Upon further searching, we discovered that this “unexpected” seasonal bloom had also been noted in <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-45898333">mainstream media</a> in recent years. We thus confirmed that this is a real event, not an artefact of our study.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528832/original/file-20230529-25-wonef0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528832/original/file-20230529-25-wonef0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528832/original/file-20230529-25-wonef0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528832/original/file-20230529-25-wonef0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528832/original/file-20230529-25-wonef0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528832/original/file-20230529-25-wonef0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528832/original/file-20230529-25-wonef0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528832/original/file-20230529-25-wonef0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Cherry blossom photographs from Flickr taken within Japan from 2008 to 2018 show an April peak as well as an unexpected smaller peak in November.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">ElQadi et al.</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure> <p>So, even without knowing it, many of us are already helping to understand how climate change influences our environment, simply by posting online photographs we capture. Dedicated sites like <a href="https://wildpollinatorcount.com/">Wild Pollinator Count</a> are excellent resources to contribute to the growing knowledge base.</p> <p>The complex issues of climate change are still being mapped. Citizen science allows our daily observations to improve our understanding, and so better manage our relationship with the natural world.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/206574/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/adrian-dyer-387798">Adrian Dyer</a>, Associate Professor, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alan-dorin-12573">Alan Dorin</a>, Associate Professor, Faculty of Information Technology, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/carolyn-vlasveld-1442834">Carolyn Vlasveld</a>, PhD candidate, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/moataz-elqadi-1442833">Moataz ElQadi</a>, Adjunct Researcher, Faculty of Information Technology, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em></p> <p><em>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/social-media-snaps-map-the-sweep-of-japans-cherry-blossom-season-in-unprecedented-detail-206574">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Technology

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A mother’s love story blossoms from a family reunion 40 years in the making

<p dir="ltr">When Helen Mansfield took to social media in search of her biological mother, she could never have foreseen the good fortune she’d bring about - not only to herself, but to those she held most dear, too. </p> <p dir="ltr">It was in 2016 that Helen posted to Facebook, hoping to connect with her mother - who had given her up when Helen was only 10 days old. </p> <p dir="ltr">And a mere five hours later, someone did reach out, informing Helen that her mother was in the United Kingdom, and that her name was Glenda Joy.  </p> <p dir="ltr">Helen, on the other hand, was in Perth, Australia. She’d been adopted by a Welsh couple, but had moved to Perth after marrying an Australian - with whom she shares two daughters.</p> <p dir="ltr">Four decades of mystery had gone by, but after that stranger on Facebook had set her on the right path, things had quickly fallen into place. </p> <p dir="ltr">As Helen informed<em> 7News</em>, “straight away, we knew each other. [She] gave me a big hug and said ‘I feel I just won the lottery’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">It should have marked the end of that happy chapter for Helen and Glen, but Helen’s adoptive dad, Gwyn, had other ideas. </p> <p dir="ltr">Because when Helen introduced the two - as her biological mother and her adoptive father - they immediately felt a connection, and set out on a number of adventures together, enjoying everything from the cricket to the beach, and last but certainly not least, a kiss. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I went in to Helen,” Glen recounted, “and I said ‘I’ve got something to say’. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I said ‘your dad kissed me’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Glen added that she hadn’t been expecting it, but that wasn’t a bad thing, as she’d very much “wanted it to happen”.</p> <p dir="ltr">And it was only good times from there, with the unexpected couple getting married in the United Kingdom after enjoying a commitment ceremony in Perth with Helen as their joyous celebrant.</p> <p dir="ltr">They have every intention of returning to Australia, too, for a trip packed full of celebration with Gwyn’s 80th and the upcoming birth of a great-grandchild.</p> <p dir="ltr">But at the end of the day, Helen is “just really happy it happened”, and holds hope in her heart that their story will offer encouragement to anyone else in a similar position, searching for their biological or long-lost families. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I hope that anybody else - you know, it probably won’t go this far because this is a different story - but anybody else who wants to reach out and find their birth mother,” she added, “should try and do it.” </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: 7News</em></p>

Relationships

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National Duck Day: Diana Chan’s Luv-a-Duck whole roasted duck with a cinnamon and orange glaze

<p dir="ltr">The family owned business and Australia’s leading duck producer Luv-a-Duck has partnered up with MasterChef alum and duck lover Diana Chan, to officially launch National Duck Day, which falls on Tuesday May 23rd, 2023. </p> <p dir="ltr">Diana Chan is a Malaysian-Australian and won the 9th season of MasterChef in 2017. She has since become a well-known TV host, menu designer, product creator and restaurateur, turning her passion for food into her career.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Diana Chan’s Luv-a-Duck whole roasted duck with a cinnamon and orange glaze</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Serves:</strong> 6-8</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Prep time:</strong> 20 mins</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Cook time:</strong> Approximately 3 hours</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>INGREDIENTS:</strong></p> <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">1 x Luv-A Duck whole duck</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">1 lemon, sliced into wheels</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">5 cloves of garlic, chopped</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">2 cinnamon quill</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Cooking salt to rub</p> </li> </ul> <p dir="ltr"><strong>For the cinnamon and orange glaze:</strong></p> <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">½ cup balsamic vinegar</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">¼ cup honey</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Juice of ½ a lemon</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Juice of 1 whole orange</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Pinch of salt</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">1 tsp ground cinnamon</p> </li> </ul> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Buttered greens:</strong></p> <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">200g green beans, blanched in boiling water</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">2 garlic cloves minced</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">50g butter</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Pinch of salt and pepper</p> </li> </ul> <p dir="ltr"><strong>To garnish:</strong></p> <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Freshly chopped coriander</p> </li> </ul> <p dir="ltr"><strong>METHOD: </strong></p> <ol> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Preheat the oven to 180C.  </p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">To prepare the duck, remove the giblets from inside the duck. Rinse the duck, inside and outside, with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Set the duck on the working surface. Score the duck's skin on the breast in a diamond pattern, making sure you only cut the skin, without reaching the meat. Poke the other fatty parts of the duck with the tip of the knife all over, to ensure fat releases. Season the duck very generously with salt both inside the cavity of the duck and outside on the skin, legs, all over. Place the duck breast side up.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Put the chopped garlic, sliced lemons and cinnamon quills inside the duck cavity (NB:these are just for flavor, not for eating - you will discard them after cooking). The duck will have flapping skin on both ends - fold that skin inwards, to hold the garlic and lemon inside. Tie up the duck legs with butcher's twine.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Place the duck breast side up on a large roasting pan with a rack within  (roasting pan should have a roasting rack to lift the duck from the bottom of the pan and allow the fat to drip below the duck).</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Roast the duck, breast side up, for 1 hour at 180C.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">After 1 hour of roasting, flip the duck on its breast and roast it breast side down (roast the other side) for 40 minutes at the same temperature.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Remove the roasting pan with the duck from the oven and carefully pour off all the duck fat juices from the roasting pan into a large glass or metal bowl.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Flip the duck, breast side up again, and place back on the rack in the roasting pan.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Add to the bowl with the juices from the duck fat, combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, lemon juice with the freshly squeezed juice of 1 orange.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Brush all over the duck with the balsamic mixture and cook the duck, breast side up for another 40-50 minutes at 180C, brushing every 10 minutes with the mixture.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">You can carefully use the grill function in the oven to crisp up the duck skin for the last 10-15 minutes (do it carefully, checking the duck regularly to make sure it doesn't burn).</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">In the meantime, prepare to cook the beans. Using a pan over medium heat, add in the butter. Once melted add in the garlic and toss for a few seconds before adding in the beans to coat through.</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">After the duck is cooked, remove it from the oven, let the duck stand for 15 minutes. Then, carefully remove and discard the lemon from the cavity (being careful not to get burned). Carve the duck and serve with the beans as a side.</p> </li> </ol> <p><em>Image credit: Luv-a-Duck</em></p>

Food & Wine

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REVIEW: Blossom Bar

<p dir="ltr">Feeling a little bored and want to break up the week? Looking for new places to add to your rotation? Look no further than Blossom Bar.</p> <p dir="ltr">Situated in Sydney’s Chippendale Spice Alley, Blossom Bar is a small cocktail hideaway, something you’d likely find walking through the back streets of Tokyo. The venue is intimate and alluring, with different Japanese inspired drinks on the menu that form part of the unique experience. </p> <p dir="ltr">On a Wednesday night, the team at Over60 decided to make it a date and see what Blossom Bar had to offer. </p> <p dir="ltr">Once seated (not too difficult on a Wednesday), we immediately ordered food and drink. The service was quick and the staff seemed to be super confident and efficient. </p> <p dir="ltr">The way the drinks were served and presented made the experience a stand-out and had everyone </p> <p dir="ltr">Starting off strong, the drinks of choice were:</p> <p dir="ltr">The ‘Yuzu Sparkler’ (Japanese gin, yuzu, yuzu bitters, prosecco), served with an actual sparkler, this cocktail looked too pretty to drink. It wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet and had quite a refreshing and citrusy taste to it. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Blossom Martini (Japanese rice gin, maraschino, house-made sakura vermouth). This drink was high on the sweetness scale and I wouldn’t recommend it to those who don’t have a sweet tooth. Best consumed slowly, this drink was like a little dessert. </p> <p dir="ltr">The ‘Bubblegun Martini’ (Hubba Bubba Vodka, hubba bubba syrup, sakura, pressed citrus, rosemary smoke bubble) was served with a bubblegum, forming a rosemary smoke bubble. </p> <p dir="ltr">The absolute crowd favourite was the ‘Disko Drink’ (Vodka, elderflower, house-made yuzu marmalade, lychee sherbet, prosecco), which ended up being the most impressive cocktail on the menu, served with a speaker and disco lights! The staff let us keep the speaker for the table and we ended up picking the tunes all night, and as a millennial would say “the vibes were immaculate”. For those of you who don’t understand, we had an incredible time!</p> <p dir="ltr">The food started rolling out at the perfect time, as we all picked classic sushi restaurant snacks. Think edamame, pork gyoza, chicken and avocado rolls and a grilled salmon nigiri share plate.</p> <p dir="ltr">The portions were small, which complimented the drinks nicely. Blossom bar is first and foremost a cocktail bar, with the emphasis on the relaxed and alluring atmosphere, next time around I will be sure to either start the evening here for a couple of drinks before dinner or eat prior to going, in order to explore a wider variety of their bespoke cocktails.</p> <p dir="ltr">Everything was extremely insta worthy and felt effortlessly glamorous. The prices reflected the quality of the food and drinks, while being on the slightly more expensive side but for a pleasant night out in Sydney it was worth every cent.</p> <p dir="ltr">Blossom Bar is the perfect hole-in-the-wall escape from the hustle and bustle of dining inside the CBD. Spice Alley is quite accessible being a 15-minute walk from Broadway Shopping Centre and a five-minute walk from Central Station.</p> <p dir="ltr">You can flick through a gallery of the team’s favourites below. </p>

Food & Wine

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Gus Worland rushed to hospital

<p>Gus Worland was rushed to hospital in Orange NSW on Saturday the 4th of June, after attending a fundraiser for his charity Gotcha4life.</p> <p>The Triple M host fell ill with a hernia and was rushed into emergency surgery, he will be staying in Orange Hospital for a few days.</p> <p>Colleague Anthony Maroon will be filling his seat this week.</p> <p>“What started with a fundraiser for my foundation in Orange at the mighty @orangeemusrugby on Saturday night turned into an emergency hernia operation-brilliant staff. Here for a few days,” he posted to Instagram.</p> <p>The Gotcha4life foundation focuses on mental health and hosts a variety of events around the country including visiting schools and sports clubs.</p> <p>The team aim to teach boys and young men the skills they need to navigate modern life and gives them the strength to reach out to someone if it all begins to feel like too much.</p> <p>Worland said the focus is to learn to separate mates from true friends, with the radio star saying that, no matter how many mates you have, your true friends really count at the end of the day.</p> <p>“Gotcha4Life came off the back of a program I did, Man Up, for the ABC. It’s had more than 78 million views now. I’m so proud of it. It’s by far the most important thing I’ve ever done,” he says.</p> <p>“I went on a journey to figure our why a friend of mine took his own life. Here was a guy that I thought had everything covered. He had a beautiful wife, family, job; he seemed to have it all. And I loved him like a brother”.</p> <p>“Then I started investigating mental health in Australia, and I realised that the number one way to lose your life as an Aussie male between 15 and 44 is to take your own life. We lose six blokes every single day.</p> <p>I realised I had this wonderful opportunity to set up a foundation around men’s mental health. I’m talking about getting mentally fit, realising it’s OK to not have everything covered. That it’s OK to not to be OK.”</p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

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How to detect cancer with oranges

<div class="copy"> <h2>Cancer detection breakthrough</h2> <p>Have your <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/chemistry/lab-based-grapefruit-compound-could-have-huge-commercial-future/" target="_blank">oranges</a> gone bad? No need to throw them in the bin because University of Sydney PhD student Pooria Lesani has developed a cancer detection technique made from the juice of rancid oranges.</p> <p>In a <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1385894721052426?via%3Dihub" target="_blank">study</a>, published in <em>Chemical Engineering Journal, </em>Lesani described the orange-based, low-cost probe, which proved to be a useful nanobiosensor for screening cells that may be at risk of cancer.</p> <p>The nanobiosenser is a tiny probe that “glows” fluorescently in human cells, and signals if those cells become acidic, indicating that cancer is not far off. This shows which cells are at greatest risk of cancer, so preventative measures can be taken.</p> <div style="position: relative; display: block; max-width: 100%;"> <div style="padding-top: 56.25%;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0px; right: 0px; bottom: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="https://players.brightcove.net/5483960636001/HJH3i8Guf_default/index.html?videoId=6285714810001" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> </div> <p id="caption">Nanobiosensors localising inside cells. Credit: Pooria Lesani.</p> <p>“Many diseases start developing over many years – and even decades – before a person shows even the slightest of symptoms. With many diseases such as Alzheimer’s, once there are symptoms, it is too late to treat them,” says Lesani.</p> <p>“Our device allows for a more accurate disease diagnosis before the onset of symptoms, as well as enabling the early detection of serious diseases associated with pH fluctuations.</p> <p>“We hope this could lead to the early treatment and prevention of serious disease. Current testing methods can be complex, expensive and time-consuming, whereas our nanobiosensor can easily be produced on a large scale at low cost.”</p> <h2>Acidic cells and how oranges detect cancer</h2> <p>Rotten oranges were the key ingredient in the nanobiosensor and were integral for making fluorescent carbon dots – tiny blobs of carbon that are just one-billionth of a metre in length.</p> <p>“The process for making these carbon dots for the nanobiosensor is similar to making a meal in a pressure cooker,” says Lesani.</p> <p>“We throw all the ingredients together – in this instance rancid orange juice and some water – into a reactor which somewhat resembles a pressure cooker, tightly close the lid, and place it in a scientific oven heated to around 200℃.</p> <p>“The increased temperature and pressure inside the reactor break down the initial molecular structure of the ingredients, helping them form a new material: carbon dots. These dots are then used to build the nanobiosensor.”</p> <p>To use the biosensor, a small tissue biopsy is taken from a patient and put in a petri dish. The biosensor is applied to the cells and examined under a fluorescent microscope, which picks up tiny changes in light. Oranges are also high in ascorbic acid, which improves the function of the sensor.</p> <p>If the cells are healthy, the biosensor shines brightly, but if the cells are more on the acidic side the light dulls and indicates the cells may be precancerous.</p> <h2>Super quick cancer detection</h2> <p>This doesn’t take very long and provides quick, accurate results.</p> <p>“Dramatic fluctuations in the acidity of cells can lead to inappropriate cell function, growth and division, and can lead to serious diseases ” says Lesani.</p> <p>“We have developed a sensitive and cost-effective nanobiosensor for real-time measuring of the degree of acidity of the cells.</p> <p>“This nanobiosensor can also help us to gain a better understanding of how these diseases develop.”</p> <p>The new technique also has the added benefit of diverting food waste from landfill.</p> <em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></div> <div id="contributors"> <p><em>This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/medicine/cancer-detection-with-oranges/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Deborah Devis.</em> </p> </div>

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How kids are getting positive COVID test results with orange juice

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Teenagers in the UK have figured out how to “fake” positive results on COVID-19 tests - prompting at least one school to issue a warning to parents.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The trick has taken off on social media, as teens use orange juice or soft drinks to generate a false positive result on lateral flow Covid tests.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It is not known whether any students have used it to successfully get time off school.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gateacre School in Belle Vale, Liverpool, asked students in years 7-10 to stay home from school after some positive COVID-19 test results were discovered in the school community, and warned parents to be vigilant about the social media trend.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Nationally, some school students have discovered that placing droplets of orange juice or other fruit juice on an LFD test gets a false ‘positive’ result,” </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/schools-warning-children-using-fruit-20896618?_ga=2.269013617.1871628857.1625379206-1709235865.1625379206" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">the warning email read</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“In light of this, can you be extra vigilant when your child is doing their LFD tests. Also, remind them that a positive LFD test must be followed by a confirmatory PCR test.”</span></p> <p><strong>How it happens</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The false positive occurs due to the acidity of the juice or soft drink, rather than the beverage containing the virus, which essentially breaks the test.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, Mark Lorch, a professor of science communication and chemistry at the University of Hull, </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/covid-19-kids-are-using-soft-drinks-to-fake-positive-tests-ive-worked-out-the-science-and-how-to-spot-it-163739" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">has said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> it is possible to spot “fake” positive tests by washing them with a buffer solution that restores the correct pH to the testing device. Once this happens, the “positive” line disappears to reveal the negative result.</span></p> <p><strong>A selfish thing to do</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jon Deeks, a professor of biostatistics at the University of Birmingham, has criticised the practice and discouraged teens from trying it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“False positives affect not just that child but their family and their bubble at school, so [it is a] pretty selfish thing to do. There are less harmful ways to fake a day off school,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Professor Lorch instead encouraged students to help him publish his findings.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Children, I applaud your ingenuity, but now that I’ve found a way to uncover your trickery I suggest you use your cunning to devise a set of experiments and test my hypothesis,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Then we can publish your results in a peer-reviewed journal.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Mark Loch</span></em></p>

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Why is the Sun orange when white stars are the hottest?

<p><strong><em>Why is the Sun orange when white stars are hottest? – Rain, age 6, Toowoomba.</em></strong></p> <p>Hi Rain. Thanks for sending in your excellent question.</p> <p>The reason the Sun shines so bright is that it’s hot. And the colour it glows depends on how hot it is.</p> <p>You are right that a star that glows white is hotter than one that glows orange.</p> <p>And it’s true the Sun often looks orange. But it isn’t really orange. It is white. Well, it’s a bit on the yellow side but it’s mostly white.</p> <p>But even white stars aren’t the hottest.</p> <p><strong>The blue giants that burn bright and briefly</strong></p> <p>The very hottest stars actually glow blue. We call them blue giant stars.</p> <p>These blue giants are around 80 times larger than our Sun – so they are really, really big. They live and die very quickly. They are so hot and so big they burn through their fuel very quickly and last just a few million years.</p> <p>That might sound like a long time but it’s not much compared to how long our Sun will live.</p> <p>When our Sun was a million years old, it was still just a child. It’s about 5 billion years old now and will live to about 10 billion years. So you could say the Sun is now middle-aged. It’s about halfway through its life.</p> <p>So blue giants are hottest, white stars are very hot, but there are also orange stars that burn less hot. There are even red stars, which are a bit cooler again. They are a half or even a quarter the size of our Sun and while they are still burning hot, they are nowhere near as hot as our lovely Sun.</p> <p><strong>So why does the Sun look orange, then?</strong></p> <p>A lot of the pictures we take of the Sun make it look orange because of special filters we use to take the photo. The Sun is putting out so much light that we would not be able to photograph the detail on its surface unless we cut some of the brightness out. That’s what the filters do.</p> <p>At sunrise and sunset, the Sun can look especially orange to our eyes. That’s because, at those times of day, its light has to travel through a lot of the Earth’s atmosphere (the layer of swirling air that surrounds our planet). And all the dust and stuff in the atmosphere makes the light scatter and change so it looks less blue and more orangey-red.</p> <p><strong>Only Bored Astronomers Find Gratification Knowing Mnemonics</strong></p> <p>In the olden days, astronomers used letters to try to sort different types of stars. As we learned more about stars, the order changed, and labels became quite mixed up! Today we still use this naming system to remember the order of stars from hottest to least hot. It goes like this: O, B, A, F, G, K, M. (Some versions have more letters at the end).</p> <p>The O-stars are the blue giants, while our Sun is a “G-class” star. That means it’s not the hottest but it’s not the coolest either.</p> <p>Those letters are hard to remember, so astronomers came up with different tricks to remember it. One memory trick is called a “mnemonic” where you pretend each letter stands for a word. It’s easier to remember a sentence instead of a bunch of letters.</p> <p>One student in my class came up with this mnemonic: “Only Bored Astronomers Find Gratification Knowing Mnemonics” (gratification means something like happiness).</p> <p>Another one I like is: “Orange Butterflies And Frogs Get Knitted Mittens”.</p> <p><em>Written by Belinda Nicholson. Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-why-is-the-sun-orange-when-white-stars-are-the-hottest-120216"><em>The Conversation</em></a><em>.</em></p>

Travel Tips

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Top 5 places to see the world's best cherry blossoms

<p><span>No matter where you are in the world, it’s always nice to enjoy the view of cherry blossoms when they are in season. Here are some of the best places in the world to see the beautiful flowers in bloom.</span></p> <p><strong><span>1. Arakurayama Sengen Park, Japan</span></strong></p> <p><span>This scenic gem in Yamanashi shines in April when cherry blossoms are in full bloom, complemented by a classic five-storey pagoda from the Arakura Fuji Sengen-jinja Shrine and majestic views of Mount Fuji in the distance.</span></p> <p><strong><span>2. Kungsträdgården, Stockholm, Sweden</span></strong></p> <p><span>While Stockholm is lined with pink trees every spring, Kungsträdgården is where you can see the flowers form a cotton candy canopy over the entire park. In mid-April you can also stroll through the stands and get some snacks from the annual Japanese festival taking place at the site. Expect the peak around mid-to-late April.</span></p> <p><strong><span>3. Jerte Valley, Spain</span></strong></p> <p>Located between Salamanca and Cáceres, the valley has two million white cherry trees that create a stunning, snow-like panorama. As the locals tell it, <em>Valle del Jerte</em> <span>comes to life every March in three stages: <em>despertar el valle </em>(the valley wakes)<em>, cerezo en Flor </em>(cherry trees in bloom)<em>, </em>and<em> lluvia de Pétalos </em>(shower of flower petals). </span></p> <p><strong><span>4. Washington DC, US</span></strong></p> <p><span>Cherry blossoms first arrived in DC in 1912 as a gift from Japan. To commemorate the occasion, the city celebrates the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival, allowing visitors to enjoy the sea of pink and white from the 3,000-plus trees around the Tidal Basin from late March to mid-April.</span></p> <p><strong><span>5. Pingba, Guizhou, China</span></strong></p> <p><span>According to local media, the region boasts more than 500,000 cherry trees along with azalea and apricot trees. When they blossom in late March to early April, the aerial view of the region shows a lush display of white-pink petals covering the county.</span></p> <p><span>Click through the gallery above to see the cherry blossoms at these spots.</span></p> <p><span>Will you be visiting any of these places? Let us know in the comments.</span></p>

International Travel

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Two of the coolest places for a short break

<p>Coolest? We don’t mean climate, otherwise we’d be talking about Australia’s High Country and snowfields — depending on the time of year. Or, our wonderful Tassie.</p> <p>No, there’s the more modern meaning of “coolness” — not exactly favoured by those of us who grew up before the ‘60s, when “cool, man” was the statutory ending to every sentence.</p> <p>So, Canberra? Orange? How do they qualify?</p> <p>Each boasts unique attractions which make them a great place for a short break. And, while already easily accessible from Sydney by train, plane or car, Tigerair now offers direct flights from Melbourne and Brisbane to both regional cities.</p> <p>Of course, there’s a huge difference between the nation’s capital and a regional city, but there are similarities as well.</p> <p>The common defining factor may well have something to do with fresh country air, great regional produce and wine, a range of activities from very active to quite passive, and simply a surprising “vibe” — to use another of those ‘60s words that have crept into our language.</p> <p>Let’s see what each city has in store:</p> <p><strong class="bigger-text">Canberra</strong><span> </span></p> <p>If you’ve thought of<span> </span><span>Canberra</span> as a place for “serious” tourism — Federal Parliament, the Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery, and so on — you’d be right. Those places should be high on every Australian’s bucket list.</p> <p>But you’d only be half-right. There’s another side to the city, which is attracting a new wave of visitors looking for fun, excitement, good food and wine — and lots of activities that will keep you busy with Facebook or Instagram posts for everyone back home to see. It's no wonder it's been ranked the third best city in Lonely Planet's<span> </span><em>Best in Travel 2018</em>.</p> <p>For example, hot air ballooning on a frosty winter morning is one way to get the pulse racing. It may sound a bit nerve-racking, but ballooning is statistically safer than driving down the street and it’s a lot more fun. In the hands of experienced operators such as<span> </span><span>Balloon Aloft</span>, you get a wonderful bird’s eye view of the city and the picturesque countryside — a joyflight you won’t easily forget.</p> <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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BgMvxqclT0o/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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/BgMvxqclT0o/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Em (@_capitalgirl)</a> on Mar 11, 2018 at 3:09pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Ballooning is just for starters. Here are more fun things to do in Canberra:</p> <ul> <li>Stay at<span> </span><span>Jamala Wildlife Lodge</span> at the heart of the National Zoo &amp; Aquarium. Here, you can choose a room or suite “up close and personal” with a lion, tiger, bear or cheetah — or next to a shark tank! Our favourite is the Giraffe Treehouse where you can feed the handsome Humbekhali from your balcony.</li> <li>Take a Segway tour around<span> </span><span>Lake Burley Griffin</span> — it certainly beats walking and the guides give an amusing commentary.</li> <li>Try your hand at glass blowing at<span> </span><span>Canberra Glassworks</span>, a unique workspace for glass artists where visitors can get arty and make a glass paperweight under the patient guidance of a professional artist.</li> <li>Visit the new<span> </span><span>Capital Brewing Company</span> in Fyshwick, an industrial area fast becoming a trendy urban precinct. Enjoy superb craft beers, and tasty food from the famous<span> </span><span>Brodburger food truck</span>.</li> <li>Spend an hour (or three!) at one of many wineries in the district. The closest to town is<span> </span><span>Mount Majura Vineyard</span> and if you’re anything like us, you’ll want more than a sip of their excellent Tempranillo.</li> <li>Dine at one of Canberra’s hot eateries like<span> </span><span>Italian and Sons</span>,<span> </span><span>ONA Manuka</span> for great locally roasted coffee, or<span> </span><span>Pialligo Estate</span> on the banks of the Molonglo River which incorporates a vineyard, olive grove, market garden and smokehouse for a true gourmet dining experience.</li> <li>Book well ahead for<span> </span><span>Floriade</span> in September 2019 — one of Australia’s premier flower and garden shows, now in its 32nd year.</li> </ul> <p><strong class="bigger-text">Orange</strong><span> </span></p> <p>Many may remember the motor events of the past, at the<span> </span><span>Gnoo Blas</span> car races, which set out to rival Bathurst’s<span> </span><span>Mount Panorama circuit</span> with famous drivers like Jack Brabham and Bob Jane competing.</p> <p>Today, motor events have given way to food, wine, art, and music festivals, attracting a very different kind of visitor. In addition to the usual procession of Sydneysiders and interstate grey nomads in shiny rigs, direct flights from Brisbane and Melbourne are bringing trendier lifestylers seeking new pastures for grazing and graping.</p> <p>Regional wine is at the forefront of the<span> </span><span>“New Orange”</span>. This is made apparent by a visit to the<span> </span><span>Orange Wine Festival</span>, showcasing a huge selection of cool climate varieties from mainly family-owned boutique wineries.</p> <p>The emphasis here is on high quality, limited production, with altitude the key defining attribute, along with the usual variables of terroir: geology, soils, climate, and temperature.</p> <p>According to Justin Jarrett, President of the Orange Region Vignerons Association, the annual Wine Festival has had extraordinary success since it started in 1999; it now runs over ten days and last year’s attendance topped 23,000. That’s a lot of sips at the various venues, translating to the sellout of many vintages on offer. The bubblies were a particular favourite, encouraging the plantings of more grapes for Prosecco — popular with the Surry Hills and Carlton crowd.</p> <p>But the city offers more than wine, of course. The foodie scene in Orange and nearby Millthorpe has been recognised with several Chef’s Hats, and top reviews at places like<span> </span><span>Charred</span>, the<span> </span><span>Agrestic Grocer</span>, and<span> </span><span>The Greenhouse</span> in town; and<span> </span><span>Tonic</span>, the<span> </span><span>Old Mill</span>, and<span> </span><span>Le Billot de Boucher</span> in the quaint Millthorpe village.</p> <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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BsfaaPBh4pf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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/BsfaaPBh4pf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by The Agrestic Grocer (@agrestic_grocer)</a> on Jan 11, 2019 at 2:24am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>To top it off, there’s the<span> </span><span>Origin Organic Chocolate</span> factory where you can make your own bespoke chocolate in a Masterclass, and pair it with local wine, beer, and cheese.</p> <p><strong class="bigger-text">The ideal road trip</strong></p> <p>Perhaps the perfect way to spend a week or so would be to combine visits to Canberra and Orange in a single road trip — they’re less than four hours apart by car if you don’t dally along the way.</p> <p>But then, you’d miss some beautiful country scenery and some excellent coffee stops. So, why rush?</p> <p><em><strong>What's your favourite short break destination?</strong></em></p> <p><em>Written by Phil Hawkes. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/travel/two-of-the-coolest-places-for-a-short-break.aspx">Wyza.com.au</a></em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Urgent alert: Aussie family finds needle in orange from Woolworths

<p>A family from Casula in Sydney’s southwest have found a needle lodged inside an orange they purchased from a Woolworths store yesterday.</p> <p>A distraught 4-year-old, Maddie Sheridan, found the needle after getting a piece of fruit from her mum, reported 7News.</p> <p>The supermarket confirmed the discovery of the needle and notified police.</p> <p>“We’re shocked. We feel violated,” Maddie’s mum said.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7821773/image_.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/db9b1479c6fa455598c290c72f4ad632" /></p> <p>Investigators will now work to determine when the orange may have been contaminated, as the orange may have been in storage for several weeks.</p> <p>It has been almost two months since the initial needle sabotage began in Queensland, which saw strawberry brands Berry Obsession, Berry Licious and Donnybrook all contaminated.</p> <p>By mid-September, all six states were investigating reports of tampering in strawberries, apples and bananas.</p> <p>After the disturbing trend extended beyond the original single grower in Queensland, authorities feared that copycat attacks were occurring.</p> <p>Exporters have since been instructed to prove their fruit is clear of tampering by putting it through a metal detector or x-ray machine.</p> <p>In October, a 12-year-old boy was left panicked after he almost swallowed a “piece of thick wire” hidden inside a cucumber.</p> <p>While speaking to 3AW, the boy’s mum Maria said: “As soon as he came out of his room he said: ‘Mum I found a needle in it’.”</p> <p>“I said, 'Come on stop joking’ and he goes, 'Mum, I’m not joking’ and showed it to me.</p> <p>“I was just beside myself. It looked as though it had been snapped with some pliers, it was curled on one end of it.”</p> <p>Maria said her son was “pricked” by the wire but that it “didn’t penetrate him”.</p> <p>“He was so upset… he said, ‘Mum if I had swallowed it could I have died?’” she said.</p> <p>“He was just so worried, he was panicking."</p> <p>WA Premier Mark McGowan said the offenders were liable to 20 years’ imprisonment.</p> <p>“If you undertake this sort of activity you can and will be caught,” he told reporters in September.</p> <p>“Those people deserve to go to jail.”</p>

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Orange syrup cake

<p>Beautifully sweet and perfectly moist, this cake will have you coming back for second (maybe even thirds).</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>125g
butter, softened</li> <li>3 teaspoon
finely grated orange rind</li> <li>⅔ cup coconut sugar (or caster sugar)</li> <li>3 eggs, separated</li> <li>¾ cup
almond meal</li> <li>1 cup

gluten-free self-raising flour</li> <li>½ cup
buttermilk</li> </ul> <p><em>Orange syrup</em></p> <ul> <li>3 medium oranges</li> <li>¼ cup 
coconut sugar (or caster sugar)</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <p>1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease and flour a 20cm cake tin; tap pan and shake out excess flour.</p> <p>2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, rind and sugar in a small bowl for about three minutes or until light and creamy. One at time, beat in just the yolks of the egg until combined (set egg whites aside). Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, stir in the almonds then flour and buttermilk in two batches.</p> <p>3. Beat egg whites in a clean small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold into batter in two batches. Spread mixture into the prepared pan.</p> <p>4. Bake cake for about 45 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Stand for five minutes. Tap and gently shake cake in pan to release from the side before turning onto a wire rack over a tray.</p> <p>5. To make the orange syrup, remove the rind from one of the oranges with a zester. Squeeze juice from oranges; you will need three-quarters of a cup.</p> <p>6. Combine rind, juice and sugar in a small saucepan. Stir over a medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a simmer and then simmer, uncovered for three minutes.</p> <p>7. Pour hot syrup over hot cake. Pour syrup collected in the tray into jug; repeat until all the syrup is used.</p> <p>Note: This cake looks lovely with orange slices or rind decorated on top of it too.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/03/chocolate-and-fruit-slice/">Try this no-bake chocolate, fruit and macadamia slice</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/03/orange-and-poppyseed-cakes/">These orange and poppyseed cakes are delicious</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/03/flourless-hazelnut-chocolate-cake/">This flourless hazelnut chocolate cake is decadent</a></strong></em></span></p>

Food & Wine

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Peach & orange blossom polenta upside-down cake

<p>Polenta gives this wonderful citrus-laden cake an interesting texture.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients: </span></strong></p> <ul> <li>4 peaches, cut into thin wedges (use Golden Queens if you can)</li> <li>185g butter, softened</li> <li>150g (⅔ cup) golden caster sugar</li> <li>5 eggs</li> <li>Zest of 2 oranges</li> <li>¾ cup thick Greek-style yoghurt</li> <li>2 tablespoons orange blossom water</li> <li>100g almonds, ground (I do this in my coffee grinder, first chopping them roughly)</li> <li>130g fine polenta</li> <li>40g flour</li> <li>1½ teaspoons baking powder</li> <li>1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice</li> <li>2 tablespoons golden caster sugar</li> <li>Thick Greek-style yoghurt or creme fraiche to serve</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <p>1. Preheat the oven to 160°C and line a square or rectangle cake tin with baking paper (I used a tin that measures 21cm x 19cm, but slightly bigger is also fine). Arrange the peach slices on the bottom of the tin in three rows, pushing them snugly together. </p> <p>2. Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. </p> <p>3. Add the orange zest, yoghurt and 1 tablespoon of the orange blossom water and pulse to combine. Add the ground almonds, polenta, flour and baking powder and again pulse until just combined. </p> <p>4. Pour the batter over the peach slices and bake for an hour or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. </p> <p>5. While the cake is cooking, put the orange juice in a saucepan with the sugar, bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 12 minutes or until it begins to go syrupy, then stir in the remaining tablespoon of orange blossom water. </p> <p>6. Once the cake is cooked, remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before removing from the tin and transferring to a plate. </p> <p>7. Using a wooden skewer, make holes all over the cake then pour over the syrup and let it absorb into the cake. Serve with thick Greek-style yoghurt or creme fraiche. </p> <p><em>Written by Emma Boyd. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>. Image credit: Emma Boyd/Stuff.co.nz.</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Dad learns son is alive 11 days after burying him

<p>It’s every parent’s worst nightmare to outlive their child, and for Frank J. Kerrigan, that nightmare came true last month.</p> <p>On May 6, the 82-year-old was contacted by the coroner in Orange County, California, and delivered the heartbreaking news that the body of his homeless, mentally ill 57-year-old son, also named Frank, had been found. He offered to formally identify the body, but was told his son had already been identified through fingerprints.</p> <p>Six days later, the family held a funeral costing over $26,000, attracting more than 50 mourners from around the country. Then, on May 23, Frank Sr.’s world was rocked once more. The body he had buried – the body he had believed to be that of his son – was in fact someone else entirely.</p> <p>“Your son is alive,” a friend told the grieving father.</p> <p>“Put my son on the phone,” Frank Sr. demanded. “He said, ‘Hi Dad.’”</p> <p>According to the <em>Orange County Register</em>, the coroner had somehow misidentified the body.</p> <p>“When somebody tells me my son is dead, when they have fingerprints, I believe them,” Frank Sr. later said. “If he wasn’t identified by fingerprints I would have been there in a heartbeat.”</p> <p>“We thought we were burying our brother,” Frank Jr.’s sister, Carole Meikle, told AP. “Someone else had a beautiful send-off. It’s horrific. We lived through our worst fear. He was dead on the sidewalk. We buried him. Those feelings don’t go away.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Andrew Foulk/AP.</em></p>

Insurance

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Flourless blood orange almond and maple cake

<p><strong><em>Nutritionist and author of new book Get Lean, Stay Lean, Joanna McMillian, takes us through her recipe for flourless blood orange almond and maple cake.</em></strong></p> <p>This is such a simple cake recipe, yet you won’t believe how beautiful it tastes. I use blood oranges when they are in season. If you can’t get hold of any, simply use navel oranges instead. The almonds have been roasted before grinding them to give a deeper depth of flavour. You don’t have to do this and can simply use almond meal instead if you prefer. The recipe as it stands is dairy free, but it is delicious served with a spoonful of Greek-style yoghurt.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Serves:</span> </strong>Six</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>4 blood oranges, skin on, plus extra orange segments to serve</li> <li>Mint leaves, to serve</li> <li>6 large free-range or organic eggs</li> <li>175g pure maple syrup</li> <li>1 teaspoon baking powder</li> <li>1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil to grease the baking tin</li> <li>250g flaked almonds, pan-roasted, then ground (you can use almond meal, see note)</li> <li>Handful whole almonds, to serve</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <ol> <li>Put the oranges in a saucepan and cover with water. Place a piece of baking paper over the top of the oranges—this helps keep the oranges from bobbing on the water surface. Gently bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for one hour.</li> <li>Preheat the oven to fan-forced 180°C. Brush a round 22cm springform cake tin with the extra virgin olive oil and line with baking paper.</li> <li>Drain the oranges and slice in half, removing any pips. Using a food processor or a Vitamix on level 10, blitz the oranges to a paste.</li> <li>Add the eggs and blitz again.</li> <li>Then add the maple syrup and baking powder, and mix together well.</li> <li>Pour the mixture into the tin and bake in the oven for about 1 hour. To test that the cake is ready, insert a skewer into the centre of the cake and if it comes out clean the cake is cooked. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.</li> <li>Remove the cake from the tin, decorate with fresh blood orange segments, whole almonds and mint leaves, and serve.</li> </ol> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><img width="176" height="232" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/35255/book-cover_get-lean-stay-lean_joanna-mcmillan_176x232.jpg" alt="Book Cover _Get Lean , Stay Lean _Joanna Mc Millan (7)" style="float: right;"/></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tip:</strong></span> Using nut meal in place of flour keeps the cake gluten free and since nuts are already high in fat you don’t need to add additional butter or oil as with a traditional cake. This, of course, also ensures you have all good fats present. You do, however, need to be careful with your portion size, as nut meal is energy dense—not always easy with a delicious cake! Just be sure to cut each quarter of the cake into a further four slices to keep your kilojoules appropriate for a snack.</p> <p><em>Images and recipes from </em>Get Lean Stay Lean<em> by Joanna McMillan (Murdoch Books RRP $35). Available from <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/get-lean-stay-lean-by-joanna-mcmillan-9781743368480/%23.WHcXs1N95hE" target="_blank">Dymocks</a></strong></span>.</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Orange, walnut and poached chicken salad

<p>While you can’t go wrong with a good chicken Caesar or cobb salad, sometimes you need to shake things up a bit. The orange in this dish delivers a rush of sweetness, while the walnut provides that perfect crunch.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Serves:</span></strong> 4</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>500g chicken breast</li> <li>Cos lettuce</li> <li>2 oranges, peeled, cut into small, bite-sized sections</li> <li>½ cup walnuts</li> <li>½ cup crumbled feta</li> </ul> <p><em>For the dressing</em></p> <ul> <li>1 tbsp. Dijon mustard</li> <li>½ clove garlic, minced</li> <li>½ tsp. balsamic vinegar</li> <li>¼ cup olive oil</li> <li>Salt and pepper, to taste</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <ol> <li>Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the walnuts on a tray lined with baking paper and toast for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and chop roughly.</li> <li>Season and grill (or pan fry) chicken breast until cooked, then slice from side to side (not lengthwise).</li> <li>In a large bowl, combine the chicken, lettuce, orange, walnuts and feta.</li> <li>To make the dressing, whisk together the mustard, garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Add in olive oil while whisking until the dressing takes on a creamy consistency.</li> <li>Drizzle the dressing over the salad, then serve into four bowls and enjoy.</li> </ol> <p><em><strong>Have you ordered your copy of the Over60 cookbook, The Way Mum Made It, yet? Featuring 175 delicious tried-and-true recipes from you, the Over60 community, and your favourites that have appeared on the Over60 website, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://shop.abc.net.au/products/way-mum-made-it-pbk" target="_blank">head to the abcshop.com.au to order your copy now</a></span>.</strong></em></p>

Food & Wine

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Orange and cardamom biscuits

<p>These orange and cardamom biscuits are a great staple to have in the house. They’re not especially indulgent or impressive, instead they’re designed to be moreish little oaty bites that sate an afternoon sweet tooth or a post-dinner snack attack. The mix of orange, lemon, cardamom and cinnamon flavours them so nicely, while the honey and raisins add a perfect sweetness.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Makes</span>:</strong> 10 - 12</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients</span>:</strong></p> <ul> <li>3–5 cardamom pods, to taste (depending on how strong you want the flavour)</li> <li>300g oats</li> <li>6 tablespoons honey</li> <li>Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon,</li> <li>Juice of 1/2 lemon</li> <li>Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed orange, plus juice of 1/2 orange</li> <li>2 tablespoon chia seeds</li> <li>3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted</li> <li>2 teaspoons ground cinnamon</li> <li>6 tablespoons plant-based milk</li> <li>40g raisins</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <ol> <li>Always zest unwaxed citrus fruit before juicing it; as once you’ve taken the juice out it’s almost impossible to zest the fruit shells.</li> <li>Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C). Line a baking tray with baking parchment.</li> <li>Use the flat side of a knife to crush the cardamom pods. Once each opens, take the seeds out and grind in a pestle and mortar.</li> <li>Place 200g of the oats into a food processor and whizz for 30 seconds or so, until they form a flour.</li> <li>Place the ground cardamom and ground oats in a large bowl and add all the remaining ingredients, not forgetting the remaining 100g of whole oats. Stir well until a nice sticky mix forms. It should be damp, rather than wet or runny.</li> <li>Scoop 1 tablespoon of the mix into your hand, roll it into a ball, then place it on the prepared tray and flatten it down. Repeat to make 10–12 cookies.</li> <li>Bake for 20–25 minutes. Leave on the tray until cold, so they firm up, then serve.</li> </ol> <p>Hmm, doesn’t that sound delicious?</p> <p><img width="143" height="195" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/33866/deliciously-ella-with-friends_143x195.jpg" alt="Deliciously -Ella -with -Friends (1)" style="float: right;"/></p> <p><em>These recipes are extracted from <a href="http://www.booktopia.com.au/deliciously-ella-with-friends-ella-mills-woodward-/prod9781473655263.html"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Deliciously Ella with Friends</span> </strong></a>by Ella Mills, published by Hachette Australia on 31 January 2017 RRP $29.99.</em></p> <p><em><strong>Have you ordered your copy of the Over60 cookbook, The Way Mum Made It, yet? Featuring 175 delicious tried-and-true recipes from you, the Over60 community, and your favourites that have appeared on the Over60 website, <a href="https://shop.abc.net.au/products/way-mum-made-it-pbk"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">head to the abcshop.com.au to order your copy now</span></a>.</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2017/01/flourless-plum-upside-down-cake/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Flourless plum upside down cake</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/12/chinese-doughnuts/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Chinese doughnuts</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/11/ricotta-cake/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Ricotta cake</strong></em></span></a></p>

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