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Just two minutes of “doom-scrolling” can worsen your mood

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Just two minutes of exposure to COVID-19 content can leave you feeling less optimistic and feeling worse, according to new research.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A team of scientists from the UK and Canada exposed 1000 participants to COVID news, COVID-related acts of kindness, or nothing at all, to determine whether negative news or kind acts would affect mood.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When compared to the group exposed to nothing at all, those who were exposed to COVID-related news experienced an “immediate and significant” reduction in happiness.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The team found that this drop in mood could occur after just two to four minutes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As for those who consumed content about COVID-related acts of kindness, the study found they didn’t experience the negative consequences.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The researchers, led by psychologist Dr Kathryn Buchanan, claim that exposure to negative content can be particularly problematic on social media as they make “passive consumption of news almost unavoidable”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Even a few minutes of exposure to COVID-related news on social media can ruin a person’s mood,” the team wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Given that many people spend five to 10 times the amount of time interacting with COVID-related news each day, this likely offers a conservative estimate of the emotional toll.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They also argued that additional work would be needed to confirm that the effect would be felt after exposure to content about other large-scale threats, such as climate change.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The study, published in </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0257728" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">PLOS One</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, also had some advice for those looking to avoid these negative effects.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The team offered several solutions: the increase in positive stories produced by media outlets, seeking out positive content, or engaging in other activities that can bolster happiness.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They concluded: “We would all do well to be mindful of these effects and consider balancing our doom-scrolling with some kindness-scrolling.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Mind

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Julie Goodwin’s tear and share pizza scrolls

<p>Pizza is great enough already, but these pizza scrolls take it to the next level. Easy to customise, you can alter this recipe to make it even better.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Makes</span>:</strong> 12 scrolls</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>3 cups plain flour</li> <li>2 teaspoons (7 g/1 sachet) dried yeast</li> <li>1½ teaspoons salt</li> <li>1¼ cups lukewarm water</li> <li>1 tablespoon olive oil</li> <li>⅓ cup tomato paste</li> <li>½ cup grated tasty cheese</li> <li>½ cup grated mozzarella cheese</li> <li>Handful of baby spinach leaves</li> <li>4 shallots (spring onions), finely sliced</li> <li>100 g shaved hot salami</li> <li>1 egg, beaten</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <ol> <li>Make the dough a few hours in advance. In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast and salt and mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, combine the water with the oil and pour into the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly again. Knead in the bowl for a few minutes, until all the ingredients are combined. Cover and put in a warm place for at least an hour, or until the dough doubles in size. (If the weather is cold, we sit ours under the heat lamps in the bathroom.)</li> <li>Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking sheet with baking paper.</li> <li>Sprinkle some flour on the bench top and roll the pizza dough out into a rectangle about 25 x 35 cm. Lay the dough so that the long edge is aligned with the edge of the bench. Using a spoon, spread the tomato paste over the dough, right to the edges. Scatter the 2 cheeses evenly over the top. Spread the spinach and shallots over the cheese then top with the salami.</li> <li>Starting at the edge closest to you, roll the dough into a Swiss-style roll. Carefully lift onto a cutting board and slice into 12 even pieces.</li> <li>Place the slices on their side on the baking tray, just touching. Brush with egg and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.</li> </ol> <p>Note: This recipe is easily varied – put your own favourite topping in the scroll as you would if making a pizza.</p> <p><img width="169" height="233" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/37888/julie-goodwin-cover_169x233.jpg" alt="Julie Goodwin Cover (1)" style="float: right;"/></p> <p><em>Recipe courtesy of </em>Julie Goodwin’s Essential Cookbook<em> ($39.99), published by Hachette Australia.</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Pizza scrolls

<p>Everyone loves pizza, and if you’re like me, you wouldn’t object to having it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. These delicious scrolls are the perfect, snack-sized way to fill your pizza craving without packing on the calories. Don’t mind if I do!</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Makes</span>:</strong> 12</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>2 cups self-raising flour</li> <li>1 cup wholemeal self-raising flour</li> <li>3 tbsp. margarine or butter</li> <li>1 cup light milk</li> <li>3 tbsp. low-sodium tomato paste</li> <li>1 cup low-fat cheese, shredded</li> <li>½ cup ham, finely chopped</li> <li>½ cup mushroom, finely chopped</li> <li>½ cup onion, finely chopped</li> <li>½ red capsicum, finely chopped</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <ol> <li>Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.</li> <li>In a large bowl, add the flours, margarine or butter and rub together until a breadcrumb-like texture forms.</li> <li>Add milk and mix together to create dough.</li> <li>Place the dough onto the benchtop, lightly dusted with flour. Roll into a rectangular shape, about 40 cm by 30 cm.</li> <li>Spread the tomato paste onto the dough and sprinkle the cheese, ham, mushroom, onion and capsicum evenly over the dough.</li> <li>From the long side, roll the dough tightly into a log shape, then cut into 12 slices.</li> <li>Lay the slices flat on a large tray lined with baking paper and bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden.</li> </ol> <p>Note: if the ham, mushroom, onion and capsicum topping isn’t your thing, simply substitute with the same quantity (2 cups all up) of your favourite ingredients.</p> <p><strong><em>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" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">head to the abcshop.com.au to order your copy now</span></a>.</em></strong></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/06/pizza-risotto/"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Pizza risotto</em></span></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/05/michael-klim-mushroom-and-parmesan-pizza/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Michael Klim’s mushroom and parmesan pizza</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/02/gluten-free-pizza-with-cauliflower-base/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Gluten-free pizza with cauliflower base</strong></em></span></a></p>

Food & Wine

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Macadamia and vegemite scrolls

<p>For a delightful twist, try this scroll recipe which adds the soft crunch of macadamias and the saltiness of vegemite to it! </p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Makes:</strong></span> 10</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Ingredients:</strong></span></p> <ul> <li>500g plain bread flour plus ¼ cup for kneading and rolling</li> <li>1 sachet dried yeast</li> <li>1 teaspoon fine salt</li> <li>325ml warm water</li> <li>1 tablespoon olive oil</li> <li>2 tablespoons vegemite, or to taste</li> <li>2 cups (125g) tasty cheese, grated</li> <li>3/4 cup raw macadamias, chopped roughly</li> </ul> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Method:</strong></span></p> <ol> <li>Combine the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Combine water and olive oil and pour into the well. Using a knife, stir together the water mixture with the flour mixture until it comes together and starts to form a ball.</li> <li>Place the ball onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, adding more flour if the mixture is too sticky. Place the dough in a lightly oiled mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.</li> <li>Punch down the dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to a 30cm square. Spread with Vegemite and sprinkle with cheese and macadamias.</li> <li>Roll the dough into one long scroll and cut into 10 pieces. Place the pieces, cut side down onto a lightly oiled baking tray in a circular pattern, leaving at least 3cm between pieces for them to spread. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place the tray in a warm place until pieces have doubled in size, about 1 hour.</li> <li>Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C. Place tray in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden. Serve warm or when cool.</li> </ol> <p><em>Recipe courtesy of Australian Macadamias –</em> <a href="http://www.australian-macadamias.org/consumer/en/taste/recipes" target="_blank"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">visit their site for more yummy food ideas.</span></strong></em></a></p> <p>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, head to the <a href="https://shop.abc.net.au/products/way-mum-made-it-pbk" target="_blank"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">abcshop.com.au to order your copy now.</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/01/rocket-feta-pomegranate-salad/">Rocket, feta and pomegranate salad</a></span></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/01/spinach-feta-muffins/">Spinach feta muffins</a></span></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/01/macadamia-salad-dressing/">Macadamia salad dressing</a></span></em></strong></p>

Food & Wine

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Cheese and vegemite scrolls

<p>Perfect for morning or afternoon tea, cheese and vegemite scrolls are a favourite at bakeries all around Australia. And now you can make them at home! Perfect for visits from the grandkids.</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>4 sheets puff pastry, thawed</li> <li>¼ cup Vegemite</li> <li>3 cups grated tasty cheese</li> <li>1 egg, beaten</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <ol> <li>Preheat oven to 220°C. Line 3 baking trays with baking paper. Place pastry, 1 sheet at a time, onto a chopping board. Spread Vegemite over pastry. Sprinkle cheese over Vegemite.</li> <li>Starting from the edge nearest you, roll up pastry, 1 sheet at a time. Be careful not to roll the pastry sheets too tight. Cut each roll into 12 equal portions.</li> <li>An easy way to do this is to cut each roll into quarters, then cut each quarter in 3.</li> <li>Brush pastry scroll tops with beaten egg.</li> <li>Place scrolls, cut-side up, onto baking trays, allowing room for spreading. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until pastry is golden and cheese is melted.</li> <li>Allow to cool for 5 minutes on trays before transferring to a wire rack. Serve.</li> </ol> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/12/classic-bacon-and-egg-quiche/">Classic bacon and egg quiche</a></strong></em></p> <p><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/12/salmon-quiche/">Salmon quiche</a></strong></em></p> <p><em><strong><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/12/diy-barbecue-sauce/">DIY barbecue sauce</a></strong></em></p>

Food & Wine

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Apple berry cream-cheese scrolls

<p>If you have friends coming over for morning tea, we can’t think of anything nicer to serve than these soft, sweet and delicious apple berry cream cheese scrolls. Be careful though! Serve these once and your friends are probably going to be looking for an excuse to come around to your house again!</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Serves:</span></strong> 12</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>30g cold reduced fat dairy spread</li> <li>2 cups of self-raising flour</li> <li>¾ cup reduced fat milk</li> <li>½ cup reduced fat spreadable cream cheese</li> <li>1 teaspoon of cinnamon</li> <li>1 finely chopped apple</li> <li>1 cup of raspberries (fresh or frozen)</li> <li>2 tablespoons of caster sugar</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <ol> <li>Rub the spread into the sifted flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.</li> <li>Make a well in the centre, and add milk at once. Mix to a soft dough.</li> <li>Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly.</li> <li>Roll your dough out into a rectangle that’s roughly 1cm thick.</li> <li>Spread the dough out with cream cheese, then sprinkle with cinnamon then fruit and sugar.</li> <li>Roll up dough and cut into 12 slices with a sharp serrated knife (wipe knife with each cut).</li> <li>Fit the scrolls into a 20cm x 30cm baking tray lined with baking paper.</li> <li>Bake at 220°C for 15-20 minutes or until golden and cooked.</li> </ol> <p>Recipe courtesy of Legendairy – <a href="http://www.legendairy.com.au/recipes/the-dairy-kitchen-recipe-landing"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">visit their site for more delicious food ideas</span></a>. </p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/12/guacamole/"><em>Guacamole</em></a></strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/11/mashed-potato-balls/"><em>Crispy mashed potato balls</em></a></strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/11/cauliflower-pizza/"><em>Cauliflower pizza</em></a></strong></p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/11/chocolate-chip-blondies/"> </a></span></strong></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>

Food & Wine