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Mum slammed for being "stingy" after refusing to buy $2 snack for daughter's playdate

A mum has come under fire for being "selfish" and "stingy" after refusing to buy a $2 snack for her 11-year-old daughter’s best friend. The woman, believed to be from the US, and her daughter Ellie were invited for a playdate at an indoor playground with 12-year-old Sophie and her mum. Sophie's mum offered to put them on her membership card so that Ellie and her mum could go to the indoor playground for free. “Sophie’s mum called me... and Sophie wanted to know if Ellie could come and play," she began in a Reddit thread called Am I the a****** . "She offered to put me on her membership card so it would be free for me so I got Ellie in the car and we met them at the playground.” Trouble started when the girls got hungry after an hour of playing, and Ellie's mum only packed a snack for her daughter. “Sophie’s mum didn’t have any snacks on her,” she said. “I told her they sell snacks in the front but she claimed that she didn’t have any money on her and asked me to buy Sophie some Goldfish." Ellie's mum agreed to grab the crackers on one condition - Sophie's mum had to transfer the money to her. “She says she paid for my kid to get in so I could cover the $2 for the Goldfish. I said no, I took care of my kid and it’s not my job to take care of hers too. “I told her if she wanted me to bring snacks she should’ve told me when she invited me but I won’t be wasting $2 for a 50 cent bag of Goldfish because she was unprepared.” She added that Sophie's mum eventually managed to get snacks for her own daughter, and wondered "if she lied about not having money". She then accused Sophie's mum of being "petty" for asking her to pay back for “all the times” she's used her membership to get a guest pass at the indoor playground, adding that "they regularly pay for us to join them on outings.” Her post was met with over 2500 comments slamming her for being “selfish”, “stingy” and “ungrateful”. “You were invited to a place for free that you would otherwise have had to pay for. You only packed snacks for your child? Why didn’t you also take snacks for the other child?" one wrote. “Yes, you did not have to do so, and that child is not your responsibility, but if I was meeting someone for a playdate for my child, not paying to get in, knowing, at some point both girls were going to be hungry, I would have packed snacks for both, as a thank you for the invitation and just because," the commenter continued. “If someone asked me to transfer them $2, I’m rolling my eyes big time. It’s petty, especially when someone gave you something likely far more valuable," another added. “Seriously. I don’t even think I could tell a stranger no when it comes to feeding their hungry child, much less a person I know and spend time with," a third commented. Others called the mum a "fool", for potentially causing Ellie to lose her best friend. “Don’t be an idiot. Apologise. You might care about 50 cents. But your daughter will lose her best friend. And that is worth a lot more. Your daughter might never get a friend like that... And the fact that universe gift wrapped a friend for your daughter. And you choose to throw it in the trash. Wow, you are truly a fool," they said. Image: Getty

Family & Pets

Cheese and bacon muffins

A delicious savoury muffin that’s great for when the grandkids are around or an on-the-go snack. Makes: 12 Ingredients: <ul> <li>2 egg</li> <li>250g self-raising flour</li> <li>1 cup grated cheddar cheese</li> <li>3 rashers bacon, cooked and finely diced</li> <li>1 cup milk</li> <li>½ teaspoon salt</li> <li>½ teaspoon pepper</li> </ul> Method: 1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease muffin tray and set aside. 2. Combine flour, cheese, bacon, salt and pepper in bowl. 3. In separate bowl, whisk eggs and add milk. 4. Make a well in the dry ingredient and gradually add egg mixture. Gently mix until just combined. 5. Spoon mixture into muffin tray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until tops are golden. Images: Shutterstock

Food & Wine

Shoppers left feeling nostalgic over new chocolate treats

Chocolate lovers are in for a treat with Cadbury’s new range hitting supermarket shelves. The confectionary giant’s new “slices” range may feel quite familiar to some, especially those who often follow their sweet tooth into well-stocked bakeries, which makes perfect sense when considering the new blocks are inspired by the likes of crackle, hedgehog, and mint cream slices. <a href="https://www.cadbury.com.au/brand/cadbury-slices">The Cadbury Slices</a>, which carry a price tag of $5.50, are described by their makers as being “inspired by iconic Australian bakery slices and mixed with our iconic Cadbury chocolate to create a new way to enjoy icons, perfect for sharing.” They were an immediate hit with the masses, with one social media snack reviewer even declaring one of the new blocks to be “up there with some of my current favourites”. In a video posted to her Instagram account, she could be seen entering a Woolworths supermarket to pick up the new range, and outlined her journey before reviewing the goods. She did not, however, try the Old Gold mint cream, noting that she wasn’t really a fan of mint chocolate to begin with. First up was the Caramilk hedgehog, and after explaining the “classic Aussie no-bake slice”, she described how the block had a Caramilk base and contained almonds, toasted coconut, and rice crisps, before noting that she “absolutely loved the taste”. Next came the block “inspired by a chocolate crackle”, which also featured rice crisps and toasted coconut, and “definitely resembled the chocolate crackle flavour”. She noted that it had that “recognisable Copha taste”, although she didn’t believe that was one of the ingredients. “It was so delicious,” she surmised, “and I hope this one stays around for a while.” <blockquote class="instagram-media" 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);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cr7-qyFJS1q/?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> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </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;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cr7-qyFJS1q/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Snack Reviews Aus (@snackreviews_aus)</a> </div> </blockquote> Her joy at the range and their nostalgic flavours were exactly what the company had been aiming for, and as Paul Chatfield - vice president marketing for ANZ Mondelez International - told news.com.au, “the new Cadbury Slices range, features a variety of familiar and nostalgic flavours that Cadbury and chocolate-fans alike will enjoy. “We know Aussies share fond memories of bakery slices and hope they too will build new memories with family and friends as they share a Cadbury Slices block.” Images: Instagram

Food & Wine

“Lunch-box-mum queen”: Woman goes viral over 2 ingredient cake mix

One Coles shopper has taken the internet by storm, revealing a “snack hack” with just two ingredients. Aussie mum-of-three Claudia creates content on TikTok on cheap Kmart buys, a day in the life of her family, and her most popular videos, her “snack hacks”. For her most recent hack, only two ingredients are required. “Snack hack! Again!” she said in the video, which has attracted more than 70,000 views on TikTok. “So, this one, I’m looking forward to. “This is not healthy. This is two ingredients — Nutella and eggs — and it’s supposed to make the gooiest, chocolatiest, yummiest cake ever. “I have not tried this before so let’s get to it.” Claudia didn’t have Nutella in her pantry, but she bought the Coles version, which she claims tastes very similar. “I’m a big believer in using what you have, but a few people said ‘check this out, make this, it’s delicious’ so I just had to,” she continued. “I did go and buy the Coles one, and it was very cheap, and I’m sure a lot of people do have Nutella in their cupboard.” For the snack hack, Claudia used one cup of the chocolate spread and four eggs to create a gooey cake mix. “If ‘trust the process’ had a cover photo, it would be this,” she said, visibly grossed out by the gooey batter. “It is safe to say I won’t be trying any of this cake mix.” Claudia instructed viewers to put the cake in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. “Do you know how good this smells?” she said as she took the cake tin out of the oven. She was even more excited by the time she tried it. “That is so good. So, so good. Like no exaggeration. So freaking good,” she said. People flooded the comments, applauding Claudia for another great “snack hack”. “I’m soooo trying this,” one person wrote. “Thank you, lunch-box-mum queen,” another added. “I honestly thought it was going to come out looking like chocolate scrambled eggs,” a third said. Claudia is renowned on TikTok for making snacks that are easy on household budgets, so people were grateful she used the cheaper Coles chocolate spread. “The Coles Nutella is just as good in my opinion,” one wrote. Image credit: TikTok

Food & Wine

“They snack-shamed my three year old”: Mum fires up on school note

An American mother has taken to social media to share her Pringle problem with the world. As Megan Peavey explained in her TikTok video, she’d sent her three-year-old son to school with some chips in his lunchbox to enjoy when snacktime rolled around. However, the staff at the school weren’t exactly of the opinion that Pringles were the right choice, going so far as to suggest Megan had purposefully done the wrong thing and given her child something ‘unhealthy’. “Look at what happened to me today,” she said in the now-private clip. “I sent my son to school with Pringles, which is a very age appropriate snack for a three year old.” She went on to explain that the school had responded by sending the boy home with his empty chip container, the line “please help us make healthy choices at school” written across it in bold black marker. “They wrote that on his Pringles cup,” she said, “they snack shamed my three year old, they snack shamed me, by writing that passive-aggressively on his trash. After asking viewers what they might do in that situation, she described how she got in touch with the school, calling them out on what they’d done, and they “did not label things as healthy and unhealthy” in their house “because that starts eating disorders”. “Do you think that’s ridiculous?” came her final question. “Because I f***ing do.” Megan later shared an update on the entire situation, outlining how she had spoken to the school’s director, and was told “it was passive-aggressive of me to keep sending Pringles after the note”. But, as she pointed out, she didn’t believe Pringles to be an ‘unhealthy’ snack like they did. “I consider things like Doritos, Cheetos, and Milky Way bars to be unhealthy,” she noted, before adding that she regularly sends her son to school with the likes of granola bars with his other snacks, and that she just would have appreciated the school speaking to her directly without leaping to the note. Megan stood her ground and didn’t apologise to the educators, before she “walked downstairs and I just checked my son out - we’re done there.” Her comments were flooded by fellow parents who were more than eager to back her up, with many noting that they may not have handled it so well themselves - one even wrote that she’d have sent her child with an entire tub and a handwritten “no thank you” the next day. “I cannot even explain how out of line and wild this seems to me - on the school's part," another said. “On his birthday…send pringles for EVERY kid in the class,” someone suggested. And one pre-k teacher even came forward to share her take, noting “never would I ever tell a family to 'make healthy choices'. My girls get a bag of chips with their sandwiches, along with fresh fruit." Images: TikTok

Family & Pets

"You're all wrong": Expat slams Aussie snacks

A Canadian expat has given a controversial opinion on several popular Aussie snacks. Her opinion, which no one asked for, claimed that some of Australia’s most cherished snacks were simply not worth the hype. Iona claimed that since she’s lived in the country for nearly seven years, she was entitled to a candid opinion, free of nostalgic basis. The expat clearly knew her video would cause a stir as she pleaded for people “not to get mad”. She began her TikTok, "These are Aussie snacks I would not touch with a 10-foot pole,” The first snack she blasted was the infamous Smith’s Burger Rings, a BBQ flavoured corn-based chip that is no doubt an Aussie staple. "Burger rings are a crime to tastebuds everywhere," she said. "They don't even taste like burgers, they taste like sadness.” From there she was quick to attack the next product, Arnott’s beloved TeeVee snacks. "I would rather go to Bunnings and suck on sandpaper than eat these again," she said, pointing to a TeeVee snack box. "You're all wrong.” The beloved Arnott’s Chicken Crimpy shapes also came under the line of fire, with Iona sharing they “taste like nothing”. Even Cadbury made the list with their strawberry flavoured Freddos and the Caramilk bar, both labelled a solid “no” for the Canadian. “Jail. Immediate jail!” she remarked. Aussies were quick to shut her down, sharing their opinions in the comment section. "You don't have Aussie tastebuds. They all rock,” one wrote. “Nah, you've too far gone!” another responded, with the official TikTok account for Shapes replying, ”Agreed." Another TikToker remarked, “I really tried to be tolerant and accepting but I punched a hole in my wall when burger rings came up, and things only got worse from there.” Some jumped to Iona’s defence, with one “Australian” commenting, "I'm Australian and I agree with everything,” but the majority of comments declared she had no business slandering Aussie icons. Image credit: TikTok

Food & Wine

The truth about ‘illegal’ car snacks revealed

Be it a long haul trip between towns, a coastal getaway, or an early morning Saturday sports run to the local oval, drivers all across Australia have found themselves steering to the drive-through or reaching in the Esky for a much-needed snack. And while rumours have swirled for years that such an act could put hungry drivers behind bars, they don’t have to fear any longer. Road rules may differ from state to state, but at the end of the drive, the answer remains the same: it isn’t illegal to eat while driving in Australia. There are, of course, various conditions that come along with the ruling, and most circle back to whether or not a driver is in complete control over their vehicle at the time of snacking. For example, in New South Wales, if you are found to have lost control of your vehicle due to eating, police officers have the power to impose a fine of $481 and three demerit points. In Victoria, there is no specific rule that prevents drivers from digging in on their drive. However, they can still receive a careless driving charge if eating is found to have a negative impact on either their concentration or their control over their vehicle. This charge comes with a penalty of $444 and - like New South Wales - three demerit points, as well as a maximum of 12 court penalty units if the driver is found guilty by a magistrate. The state of Queensland follows suit - it isn’t illegal there either, though “distracted driving” remains a real threat, with research even determining that eating can be just as dangerous as texting while behind the wheel. And drivers found to be travelling without control over their vehicles can face a fine of up to $575. While this is larger than either New South Wales or Victoria’s financial penalty, the demerit point cost remains the same at three. As a spokesperson for Queensland Transport and Main Roads told Drive, “a driver must always have proper control of their vehicle and drive with care and attention for the safety of other road users. "While there are no specific laws prohibiting a driver from eating while driving, it is up to the driver to ensure they remain in proper control of their vehicle and sufficiently alert to the road environment." And for drivers in the Northern Territory, the Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania, Western Australia, and South Australia, Drive have reported that the message essentially remains the same. While there are no rules that specifically prohibit behind-the-wheel snacking, a driver can - and will - face penalties if they are found to be demonstrating poor control of their vehicle. Images: Getty

Travel Trouble

Caught in the act: supermassive black hole 8.5 billion light years away enjoys violent stellar snack

A supermassive black hole at the centre of a galaxy some 8.5 billion years way has ripped apart a nearby star, producing some of the most luminous jets ever seen. When stars and other objects stray too close to a <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/how-big-is-a-black-hole-watch-how-it-eats/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supermassive black hole</a> they are destroyed by the black hole’s immense gravity. These occurrences, known as <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/a-star-is-torn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tidal-disruption events (TDEs)</a>, result in a <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/the-sleeping-giant-black-hole-that-awoke-to-destroy-a-star/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">circling disk of material</a> that is slowly pulled into the black hole and very occasionally, as in the case of supermassive black hole AT2022cmc, ejecting bright beams of material travelling close to the speed of light. Luminous jets are produced in an estimated 1% of cases and are known as a type of astronomical occurrence known as a transient, because they are short-lived. Bright flashes from the jets were spotted in data from the <a href="https://www.ztf.caltech.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF)</a> in <a href="https://astronomerstelegram.org/?read=15232" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">February this year</a> using a special new technique which can comb through the equivalent of a million pages of information every night. Due to the rapid results produced by the novel data analysis method, a research team in the US was able to swiftly follow up on the transient event with multiwavelength observations of the system from different observatory facilities. The jets were visible across many wavelengths, from X-rays to radio, and follow-up observations enabled the European Southern Observatory’s <a href="https://www.eso.org/public/australia/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/vlt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Very Large Telescope</a> to place AT2022cmc at a whopping distance of 8.5 billion light years away, while optical and infrared observation from NASA’s <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/main/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hubble telescope</a> were able to precisely pinpoint AT2022cmc’s location. “The last time scientists discovered one of these jets was well over a decade ago,” said Michael Coughlin, an assistant professor of astronomy at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and co-lead on the paper <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05465-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">published in Nature</a>. “From the data we have, we can estimate that relativistic jets are launched in only 1% of these destructive events, making AT2022cmc an extremely rare occurrence.” Exactly why this behaviour is so rare remains an enigma, however, the research team believe that AT2022cmc’s rapid spin powers the jets, adding to the current understanding of the physics of these behemoth dead stars at the centres of galaxies. This detection – and the method used to discover it – are valuable as a future models for astronomers as they scour the skies for more events. “Scientists can use AT2022cmc as a model for what to look for and find more disruptive events from distant black holes,” says lead author Igor Andreoni, from the Department of Astronomy at UMD and NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre. This includes using ground-based optical surveys, as opposed to gamma-ray observatories in space – how previous jets were primarily discovered. “Our new search technique helps us to quickly identify rare cosmic events in the ZTF survey data,” says Andreoni. “And since ZTF and upcoming larger surveys such as <a href="https://www.lsst.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vera Rubin’s Large Synoptic Survey Telescope</a> scan the sky so frequently, we can now expect to uncover a wealth of rare, or previously undiscovered cosmic events and study them in detail. More than ever, big data mining is an important tool to advance our knowledge of the universe”.  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=226753&title=Caught+in+the+act%3A+supermassive+black+hole+8.5+billion+light+years+away+enjoys+violent+stellar+snack" width="1" height="1" data-spai-target="src" data-spai-orig="" data-spai-exclude="nocdn" />  <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/supermassive-black-hole-stellar-snack/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on Cosmos Magazine and was written by Clare Kenyon. Image: Getty Images </div>

Technology

Homemade snack eaten by the Queen every day for over nine decades

A former royal chef has revealed that Queen Elizabeth II has been eating one particular snack ever since she was first served it as a child in the royal nursery. Darren McGrady worked for the royal family for almost two decades according to The Sun, and has since revealed some of the Queen’s favourite dishes and frequent requests, including one known as Jam Pennies. McGrady described Jam Pennies as a simple sandwich of “bread and jam with a little butter - usually strawberry jam”, and said the Queen has been eating them every day for 91 years. “We’d make the jam at Balmoral Castle with the gorgeous Scottish strawberries from the gardens,” he said. Meanwhile, another former royal chef has said the Queen is partial to a tuna and mayonnaise sandwich, a popular combination among Brits, but with her own twist. Owen Hodgson told the Telegraph that the monarch prefers hers well-buttered with cucumbers and pepper. Aside from sandwiches, McGrady has shared more insights into Her Majesty’s dining habits, including her insistence on having afternoon tea no matter where in the world she happens to be. The chef recalled one particular instance when he flew to Australia and settled aboard a royal yacht at 5am local time, which was five in the afternoon for the Queen - meaning his first task was to make scones. “In terms of scones - one day plain and one day with raisins folded through,” he said of the Queen’s usual afternoon tea spread. “Also, tiny pastries like raspberry tartlets and a cut cake, honey and cream sponge, fruit cake, banana bread, or her favourite chocolate biscuit cake. “It would all be washed down with a delightful steaming hot cup of Earl Grey tea.” Image: Getty Images

Food & Wine

Sausage rolls

Make it gluten free by swapping the regular puff pastry for a gluten-free variety and us other gluten free substitutes! <h3>Ingredients</h3> <div> • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil • 1 brown onion, finely chopped • 500g sausage mince • 250g beef mince • 2 Tbsp tomato paste • 3 tsp dried Italian herbs • ½ tsp sea-salt flakes • ½ tsp finely ground black pepper • 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, partially thawed • 1 egg, beaten • 2 tsp black sesame seeds • Sweet chilli relish, to serve • Cos lettuce salad, to serve </div> <div id="TeadsContainer0"></div> <div> <h2>Method</h2> <ol> <li> Line an oven tray with baking paper. Heat oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until soft. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool. </li> <li> Add minces, tomato paste, dried herbs, salt and pepper, then stir until well combined. </li> <li> Preheat oven to 200°C. Put 1 sheet of puff pastry on a clean and dry work surface. Cut off the top ¹⁄³ of sheet and reserve. Roll ¼ of the mince mixture into a sausage shape and put down 1 long edge of sheet. Brush opposite long edge with egg. Roll up firmly to enclose filling. Repeat with remaining pastry, mince mixture and egg, reserving a little of the egg. </li> <li> Cut reserved small pastry rectangles into 1cm strips. Put sausage rolls on prepared tray. Brush top of rolls with reserved egg, then arrange pastry strips to form crosses on top of rolls. Brush again with egg and scatter over black sesame seeds. </li> <li> Bake for 35 minutes or until pastry is golden and filling is cooked through. Slice and serve with relish and cos lettuce salad on the side. </li> </ol> Image: Better Homes & Gardens </div>

Food & Wine

Your mid-morning snack taken to a ‘hole’ new level

The world-first “Duffin” will be launched in Australia tomorrow , Tuesday the 5th of July at Krispy Kreme and 7-Eleven across the country. The Duffin is yet another delicious Kripsy Kreme creation which brings all your favourite things about a muffin and fuses them together with a classic Krispy Kreme donut. You will be able to get your hands on the latest and greatest doughtnut-muffin hybrid, available in three delicious flavours: Apple & Cinnamon, Blueburry + white choco and last but not least, double chocolate. What more could you possibly want? WELL anyone who buys a coffee from their local participating Krispy Kreme store on the 5th of July between 9am-11:30am will score their Duffin for free! Who doesn’t love a freebie with their morning coffee? Find your local Krispy Kreme here and happy snacking! *Limit one per person and excludes: Gold Coast Airport, Nudgee, Mt Druitt, Parramatta (Level 5), Watergardens and Melbourne Domestic T1 (Qantas) Krispy Kreme stores. Images: Supplied

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

Petition to change "offensive and outdated" name of popular party snack

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> A petition has been started to change the name of the "offensive and outdated" children's birthday party staple of fairy bread. Fairy bread is buttered bread with 100's and 1000's sprinkles on top and is a popular children's snack. However, the petition has been started by an Australian man who believes that the use of the word "fairy" as the word "has been used to belittle and oppress others". "The fact that Australians in 2021 are still using this word in the name of a children's food is reprehensible," the campaign creator wrote. The campaign has gathered 1,000 signatures. "I never personally ate fairy-bread (sic) while growing up, and am proud to say that I still have not. However, I would like to think that if I had a child I would not be using a term as crude as the term 'fairy' to describe it." The creator proposed changing the name to "Party Bread", "for the sake of countless marginalised Australians. "And until then we boycott 'Fairy Bread' entirely," she wrote. "Bigotry is un-Australian, and so is Fairy bread." Others aren't a fan of the petition. "I have hundreds and thousands of reasons for signing this petition!" joked one. </div> </div> </div>

Food & Wine

Aussie mum’s hack to make 192 kids snacks for $12.30

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> An Aussie mum shared her hack for making 192 kid snacks for just $12.30. Louise, a mum and home baker, posted on the popular Facebook page Budget Friendly Meals Australia and shared how she makes mini muffins and chocolate chip biscuits for her kids. The 192 snacks are made using ALDI blueberry muffin mix, which costs $4 for two packets and she makes 32 mini muffins with them. Louise then cleverly uses vanilla cake mix, margarine and chocolate chips to make the whopping 160 kids-sized cookies for her kids. She puts them into individual snack bags, ready for her kids’ lunches and snack times. “I get 32 kids size muffins and I make 160 kids size choc chip cookies and I bag them into packs of three,” Louise told the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1738941599741137/" target="_blank">Budget Friendly Meals Australia</a> page. “That’s 85 snack bags in total, total cost $12.30 – or 14 cents per snack.” You can find her recipe for the cookies below. Ingredients · 4 packs of ALDI vanilla cake mix · 1 x 250g tub of margarine · 2 x choc chip packs Instructions <ol> <li> Melt the margarine in a saucepan until it just starts to get that cooked butter smell. </li> <li> Leave to set in the fridge </li> <li> Mix margarine with cake mixes </li> <li> Mix until it comes together in a smooth ball </li> <li> Fold in choc chips </li> <li> Form into small balls and place on baking paper-lined trays </li> <li> Bake at 160C for 12 minutes and leave to cool </li> </ol> Photo credits:<a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/food/aussie-mums-clever-hack-to-make-192-kids-snacks-for-1230-c-1107432" target="_blank"> 7News</a> Recipe appeared on the Budget Friendly Meals Australia Facebook page </div> </div> </div>

Food & Wine

URGENT RECALL: Popular seafood snack contains undeclared peanut and soy allergens

An urgent recall has been issued for a popular seafood snack as it contains undeclared peanut and soy allergens that could cause a severe allergic reaction. The Hoshi Otsumami Fish Snack Original and Hoshi Otsumami Fish Snack Herbal have been sold in Asian and independent supermarkets in Queensland. The original 125g version being recalled by Mur Thai Food contains soy while the 110 herbal products contain peanuts. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FQLDHealth%2Fphotos%2Fa.217413675033389%2F2749578215150243%2F%3Ftype%3D3&width=500" width="500" height="658" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe> Food Standards Australia said that those who have an intolerance to the two allergens should not eat the respective fish snacks. “Consumers should return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund,” the advice said. Both products were manufactured in Thailand. Further information on the recall can be found by contacting Mur Thai Food Co. Pty Ltd on 07 3172 4873. Photo credit: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.facebook.com/QLDHealth/posts/2749579715150093" target="_blank">Queensland Health</a>

Food & Wine

4 Ingredients: Try these mandarin friands

Serves 12. Delicious, delectable and, best of all, gluten-free! Serve these as an afternoon treat with tea or coffee. Ingredients: 2 large mandarins, peeled and seeded 1½ cups almond meal 3 eggs, separated 2½ tablespoons agave nectar or honey Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. 2. In a food processor, combine the mandarins, almond meal, egg yolks, and agave and blend for 10 seconds. 3. Whisk the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes. 4. Gently fold the mandarin mix into the egg whites. 5. Divide among 12 nonstick muffin or friand moulds and bake for 20 minutes. Featured in <a href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/69171/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2F4-ingredients-gluten-free-lactose-free-kim-mccosker%2Fprod9780980629460.html">4 Ingredients: Gluten Free, Lactose Free</a> By Kim McCosker, RRP $19.95. Tips: You can substitute mandarins for oranges or limes. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/4-ingredients-mandarin-friands.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a>

Food & Wine

Why snacking could be damaging your health

Only until relatively <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1365-2796.2003.01170.x">recently in human evolution</a> have we eaten three meals plus snacks every day. Breakfast simply didn’t exist for large parts of history. The Romans, for example, didn’t eat it – usually consuming only one meal around midday – <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20243692">breakfast was actively frowned upon</a>. Regular working hours following the industrial revolution brought <a href="https://academic.oup.com/past/article/239/1/71/4794719">structure to mealtimes to sustain labourers</a>. And by the late 18th century the pattern of eating three meals a day in towns and cities emerged. But these days, people are eating more frequently than they ever have before – and often outside of meal times. New smartphone app <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/pdf/S1550-4131(15)00462-3.pdf">data</a> shows that we now have erratic eating patterns. Many of us are continually snacking rather than eating at defined times – which means we spend <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4635036/">up to 16 hours a day in a “fed” state</a>. The issue with inflammation Your body has two metabolically different states: fasted (without food) and post-fed. The absorptive post-fed state is a metabolically active time for your body. But is also a time of immune system activity. When we eat, we do not just take in nutrients – we also trigger our immune system to produce a <a href="https://www.unibas.ch/en/News-Events/News/Uni-Research/Every-Meal-Triggers-Inflammation.html">transient inflammatory response</a>. Inflammation is a normal response of the body to infection and injury, which provides protection against stressors. This means that just the act of eating each meal imparts a degree of physiological stress on the immune system. And so for people snacking around the clock, their bodies can often end up in a near constant inflammatory state. For around four hours after each meal, gut microbes and their components leak into our bloodstream – silently triggering inflammation by the immune system. This process is driven largely by the activation of a critical immune sensor of nutrients called the “inflammasome”, which releases an <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ni.3659">inflammatory molecule known as “interleukin-1β”</a>. Inflammation is only ever meant to be a short-term protective assault by our immune system. But inflammation after eating – known as “postprandial inflammation” can be exacerbated by our modern lifestyles. This includes calorie dense meals, frequent eating, excessive <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22525431?dopt=Abstract">fructose</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17991637">fatty foods</a> – particularly saturated fat. Persistent postprandial inflammation <a href="http://www.eurekaselect.com/93095/article">is a problem because it</a> inflicts recurrent collateral damage on our body that is extremely detrimental to our health over time. Chronic low-grade inflammation has emerged as an important link to many noninfectious lifestyle-related diseases including heart disease and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261561418301286?via%3Dihub#bib13">type 2 diabetes</a>. Stop the snacking We still don’t know the cumulative impact on disease risk of healthy adults who spend longer periods of time in a post-fed inflammatory state. But what is clear, is that low-grade inflammation is the most important driver of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4634197/">unhealthy ageing</a>. Reduced frequency of eating through <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23244540">intermittent fasting</a> or <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5388543/">time-restricted eating</a> also highlights the broadly beneficial effects that eating less has on human health. This includes aiding weight loss and lowering the risk of metabolic diseases, such as diabetes. On the basis of available data, the fact that such a fundamental aspect of our dietary habits – the number of meals we eat every day – has not yet been subject to rigorous scientific investigation is remarkable. But what we do know is that not only does snacking increase your likelihood of elevated <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4549297/">inflammatory markers</a>, but eating excessive calories also leads to weight gain. Eating late has also been linked to elevated cholesterol and glucose and can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29486170">make you more insulin resistant</a>. This leave you feeling more hungry the following day. So it might be worth consolidating your food into fewer, more satisfying meals. You might also want to reduce your eating window to ten hours day or less, and aim to eat your last meal earlier in the day – your body will thank you for it.<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; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/100978/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Written by Jenna Macciochi, Lecturer in Immunology, University of Sussex. Republished with permission of <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/why-snacking-could-be-damaging-your-health-100978" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.

Food & Wine

Spring fruit salad with tangy coconut crème

Serves 6 This is a classic fruit salad with a unique twist - it is like a fruity coconut crème pie - and is absolutely delicious! Be Well Week recipes developed by Bowel Cancer Australia nutritionist, Teresa Mitchell-Paterson. Ingredients <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;">3 mandarins, peeled, pith removed and chopped </li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">1 ripe pawpaw or papaya, peeled and chopped </li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">½ ripe pineapple, chopped</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Zest of 2 blood orange (use the zest of the blood oranges below) </li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">2 blood oranges, peeled, pith removed and chopped </li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Coconut cream</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">4 tbsp coconut syrup </li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">6 mint leaves for decoration</li> </ul> Directions 1. Combine all chopped fruits in a large bowl 2. Add 4 tablespoons of coconut syrup and mix through the combined fruit 3. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge 4. Whip coconut crème to form stiff peaks 5. Gently fold through orange zest (leave 1 tbsp aside to sprinkle at end) 6. Serve cold topped with coconut crème and sprinkled with colourful orange zest and one mint leaf Tips Want to add more fibre? Add a tablespoon of roasted crushed nuts and seeds on top. Delicious! Vegetarian and Vegan with 2-3 grams fibre per serve without nuts, 4-5 grams fibre with nuts.

Food & Wine

Urgent ALDI food recall – do you buy this popular snack?

ALDI has issued a recall for Whopper products sold at stores across NSW and the ACT due to the presence of undeclared allergens. Food Standards Australia & New Zealand said the malted milk balls sold in the 141g boxes contain previously undisclosed allergens milk, wheat, barley, peanuts and tree nuts. <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/BsjQWTBFL0j/" 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/BsjQWTBFL0j/" target="_blank">A post shared by Chef Angela Rose Capanna (@eatyourheartoutedibles)</a> on Jan 12, 2019 at 2:13pm PST </div> </blockquote> Consumers who have an allergy or intolerance to any of the above ingredients may have a reaction after consuming the snack. Australia’s Food Standards Code specifies that a number of allergens – peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, sesame seeds, fish and shellfish, soy and wheat and lupins – must be declared on the food label. The recall applies to all best before dates. “Customers should return the product to the place of purchase for a full cash refund,” the supermarket said in a statement. “ALDI Stores takes product quality and safety seriously and we apologise for any inconvenience.”

Legal

Refreshing apricot turnovers

Move over apples, it's the season for apricots! This crisp and flaky pastry turnover will bring out flavours you know and love. Ingredients <ul> <li>1 sheet puff pastry, thawed</li> <li>3-4 apricots, sliced and stones removed</li> <li>1 tablespoon arrowroot</li> <li>2 tablespoons sugar</li> <li>1 teaspoon vanilla paste</li> <li>1 tablespoon lemon juice</li> <li>1 tablespoon demerara sugar</li> <li>1 egg, beaten lightly, mixed with 1 tablespoon water</li> <li>Icing sugar for dusting</li> </ul> Method <ol> <li>Pre heat oven 200°C.</li> <li>In a medium bowl, toss apricot with arrowroot, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice until there are no lumps. Set aside for 10 minutes.</li> <li>Place pastry on a lightly flour surface, cut into 4 squares. Spoon apricots evenly into each square and gently pull one side over to the other, making a triangle.</li> <li>Use a fork to seal edges, brush with egg wash and cut a few slits in the top of each to allow steam to release. Sprinkle with demerara sugar and bake for 20 minutes or until risen and golden.</li> <li>Serve dusted with icing sugar.</li> </ol> Recipe courtesy of <a href="https://summerfruit.com.au/">Summerfruit Australia</a>.

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Mum slammed for being "stingy" after refusing to buy $2 snack for daughter's playdate

Cheese and bacon muffins

Shoppers left feeling nostalgic over new chocolate treats

“Lunch-box-mum queen”: Woman goes viral over 2 ingredient cake mix

“They snack-shamed my three year old”: Mum fires up on school note

"You're all wrong": Expat slams Aussie snacks

The truth about ‘illegal’ car snacks revealed

Caught in the act: supermassive black hole 8.5 billion light years away enjoys violent stellar snack

Homemade snack eaten by the Queen every day for over nine decades

Sausage rolls

Your mid-morning snack taken to a ‘hole’ new level

Muffin Break’s new menu item brings back childhood memories

Petition to change "offensive and outdated" name of popular party snack

Aussie mum’s hack to make 192 kids snacks for $12.30

URGENT RECALL: Popular seafood snack contains undeclared peanut and soy allergens

4 Ingredients: Try these mandarin friands

Why snacking could be damaging your health

Spring fruit salad with tangy coconut crème

Urgent ALDI food recall – do you buy this popular snack?

Refreshing apricot turnovers

Our Partners

News

Shop

Catalogues

Newspaper

Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Property

Compare

Games

Information

Keep up to date

Search

Mum slammed for being "stingy" after refusing to buy $2 snack for daughter's playdate

Cheese and bacon muffins

Shoppers left feeling nostalgic over new chocolate treats

“Lunch-box-mum queen”: Woman goes viral over 2 ingredient cake mix

“They snack-shamed my three year old”: Mum fires up on school note

"You're all wrong": Expat slams Aussie snacks

The truth about ‘illegal’ car snacks revealed

Caught in the act: supermassive black hole 8.5 billion light years away enjoys violent stellar snack

Homemade snack eaten by the Queen every day for over nine decades

Sausage rolls

Your mid-morning snack taken to a ‘hole’ new level

Muffin Break’s new menu item brings back childhood memories

Petition to change "offensive and outdated" name of popular party snack

Aussie mum’s hack to make 192 kids snacks for $12.30

URGENT RECALL: Popular seafood snack contains undeclared peanut and soy allergens

4 Ingredients: Try these mandarin friands

Why snacking could be damaging your health

Spring fruit salad with tangy coconut crème

Urgent ALDI food recall – do you buy this popular snack?

Refreshing apricot turnovers

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