Month: October 2022

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Review: The Girl in the Green Dress -Dr Jeni Haynes and Dr George Blair – West

The Girl in the Green Dress

Dr Jeni Haynes & Dr George Blair-West

Hachette Australia

ISBN: 9780733644856

RRP $32.99

Description:

An unforgettable memoir from a woman who refused to be silenced. Jeni Haynes is an inspiration and her bravery and determination to live shows how MPD or DID saved her life. It is a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit.

‘I didn’t know that you’re only supposed to have one personality. I didn’t realise that having lots of voices in your head was abnormal. But you are protecting yourself. You are protecting your soul, and that’s what I did.’

An intelligent, poised woman, Jeni Haynes sat in court and listened as the man who had abused her from birth, a man who should have been her protector, a man who tortured and terrified her, was jailed for a non-parole period of 33 years. The man was her father.

The abuse that began when Jeni was only a baby is unimaginable to most. It was physically, psychologically and emotionally sadistic and never-ending. The fact she survived may be called a miracle by some – but the reality is, it is testament to the extraordinary strength of Jeni’s mind.

What saved her was the process of dissociation – Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) or Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) – a defence mechanism that saw Jeni create over 2500 separate personalities, or alters, who protected her as best they could from the trauma. This army of alters included four-year-old Symphony, teenage motorcycle-loving Muscles, elegant Linda, forthright Judas and eight-year-old Ricky.

With her army, the support of her psychiatrist Dr George Blair-West, and a police officer’s belief in her, Jeni fought to create a life for herself and bring her father to justice. In a history-making ruling, Jeni’s alters were empowered to give evidence in court. In speaking out, Jeni’s courage would see many understand MPD for the first time.

THE GIRL IN THE GREEN DRESS is an unforgettable memoir from a woman who refused to be silenced. Jeni Haynes is an inspiration and her bravery and determination to live is a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit. This is a unique and profoundly important book as it is not only a story of survival, it also includes incredible insight from Dr George Blair-West, Jeni’s psychiatrist and an expert in DID.

My View:
What an incredible read! Reading with one hand over your eyes…blocking out the horrific parts (dont worry you are given written notice of “triggers ahead”), this book is … amazing! The strength, the resilience, the power that Jeni now has in her life is such a contrast to that she had as a child.

I am calling this the best read of the year; powerful, evocative, sensitively written… a book that sheds the light on Multiple Personality Disorder/Dissociative Identity Disorder – the coping mechanism Jeni employed to protect herself from the atrocities she faced. If you get the opportunity watch this video. Hear Jeni and some of her “alters” speaks. So glad you made it through Jeni.

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Review: So You Want to Live Younger Longer? – Dr Norman Swan

So You Want to Live Younger Longer?

Dr Norman Swan

Hachette Australia

ISBN: 9780733648342

RRP $34.99

Description:

The ultimate guide on what you can do at any age to stay young and healthy longer, from Australia’s trusted, straight-talking doctor and broadcaster, Dr Norman Swan, bestselling author of So You Think You Know What’s Good for You?

Many of us dream of staying as young as possible as long as possible whether we’re in our 30s, 40s, 70s or even 80s, and there’s a growing Conga line of products and people offering you just that dream. The dilemma is, which of the pills, mental and physical exercise programs, diets and superfoods actually work? Some of them do help to keep us young, healthy and living longer, others may work when the researchers get the potions right and some are a downright waste of money. So how do you know what and who to trust? That’s the journey that Dr Norman Swan is going to take you on in So You Want to Live Younger Longer?

Deeply researched and written with his trademark wit, common sense and accessibility, Norman brings together what’s known, not known, hopeful but not harmful and harmful and not hopeful, summarised with quick takeaway messages backed up by the science and evidence. No matter what your age, So You Want to Live Younger Longer? gives you the information you need to make your own choices without wasting your time and money or even missing a nice dinner because you might be on a diet that is getting you nowhere.

Norman disentangles our ‘Book of Life’ – the genes we’re born with and what we subject them to later on – and shows that in the search for youth, genes matter much less than you’d think for most of us. In other words, we can overwrite our personal Book of Life and Norman’s book will help you do it.

We can live younger, longer – at any age – we’ve just got to know what to do.

My View:

An excellent, informative, well written, engaging read. So much science based, researched information presented with wit and humour. This is an author I would love to hear speak in person…his ability to connect with the reader/the room is amazing.

A great read.

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Saltimbocca All Romana; The Italian Home Cook – Silvia Colloca

 ‘The Italian Home Cook by Silvia Colloca, published by Plum, RRP $44.99, photography by Rob Palmer.’

Description:
‘Italians are taught from a young age to cherish the ingredients we cook with, whether home grown or store bought. We have observed our nonnas caring for these ingredients with passion and knowledge, and turning them into meals we will never stop craving or recreating.’

Australia’s favourite Italian home cook, Silvia Colloca, shares the 100 recipes that will show you how to cook like a true Italian, using the most humble of ingredients: end-of-summer tomatoes, salty anchovies, vibrant greens, oozy burrata and many more.

These are the dishes made lovingly in homes around Italy every day, and they are often brought to life with only a handful of ingredients and the simplest equipment. Try silky handmade noodles, savoury pies filled with fresh ricotta and parmigiano, crispy fried seafood, or slow-cooked ossobuco over saffron risotto. The Italian Home Cook is your essential guide to shopping, cooking and eating like an Italian, and will help you bring a little slice of Italy into your own home.

Another great book from this wonderful cook! I love Silvia’s recipes and I am going to share one of my favourites with you:

P214 POULTRY & MEAT

Saltimbocca alla Romana (Roman-style veal with sage and prosciutto)
“The name of this classic Roman dish pretty much explains how delicious it is. Saltimbocca literally means ‘jumps in the mouth’, and I can guarantee this is going to be your wish the second you are presented with succulent veal delicately wrapped in savoury, crisp prosciutto and sage, and drizzled with wine-infused pan juices. The fact that this takes only 20 minutes to make should be enough for you to immediately bookmark this page.” p214

Ingredients: Serves 4

4 × 200 g veal minute steaks
4 thin slices of prosciutto di Parma, cut in half
12 sage leaves, plus extra as desired
150 g (1 cup) plain flour
2 1⁄2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
25 g butter
1 garlic clove, bashed with the back of a knife
150 ml dry white wine
sourdough, lemon wedges and green leaves, to serve (optional)

Method
Beat the veal steaks with a mallet until thin, then cut each steak into three pieces. Press a slice of prosciutto onto each piece, then place a sage leaf on top. Fold the meat to half enclose the prosciutto and sage, trying to keep it nice and flat.

Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Dip each steak in the flour, shake off the excess, then place on a platter.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and as many extra sage leaves as you like, then add the veal, sage leaf–side down, and cook for 3–4 minutes or until the prosciutto is crisp. Turn and cook for 1–2 minutes or until the veal is almost cooked through.

Add the wine to the pan and deglaze, scraping up any bits caught on the base. Cook out the alcohol for 1–2 minutes. Transfer the saltimbocca to a platter, drizzle over the pan juices and serve straight away with your choice of sourdough, lemon wedges and fresh green leaves.