52 Weeks of Baking - Week #2 - Anzac Cookies

I found this recipe in Women's Weekly (Australian) Old-Fashioned Favorites. It appealed to me a lot as it was so simple! Here is the recipe and pictures of the results.

Ingredients - 1 cup rolled oats1 cup plain flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
125g butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 tablespoon water1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda

Method:
Preheat the oven 160/140 fan forced
Combine and mix well oats, shifted flour, sugar and coconut in a large bowl.
Combine butter, syrup and water in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until smooth. Stir in bicarb soda.
Pour into the large bowl containing the dry ingredients and mix well.
Roll the mixture with your hands to a ball and press down firmly on a baking tray lined with baking paper. The edges might break a little, so you can just form it into a circle. Make them in the size you want.
Bake them for 20 mins and allow to cool on the tray. They keep well in an air tight jar up to a week.

So good with a Cappuccino, lucky we got a home coffee machine the week before!

Blogging Friends - The Sudden Cook.

I found a friend of mine on the blogsphere! We knew each other since we were little in primary school and were in the same school all of our schooling years.



Coming from similar backgrounds I could understand her blog name instantly. We grew up with our parents and do not move out until we were married. However we do pick up some resposibilities in the house as we become adult. Unfortunately for some (me), we do not pick up the cooking.

All grown up, married and moved out, we wait at the dining table for food to appear. But like in an insanely twisted horror movie, nothing. Suddenly we find ourselves in a sink or swim situation with cooking. Battling every fear we have and taking every blind corner as confidently as we can, we head to the kitchen with a cookbook in one hand and a clever in the other.

As wonderful as it seems, most of us end up finding cooking not at all as daunting as it seems! I now enjoy cooking, especially the eating part. Tried dozens of recipes and now have plans to collate them and hand them down to my next generation, so that they would not find themselves in a similar situation as - The Sudden Cook!

52 Weeks of Baking (Official) Week #1 - Smoked Salmon and Silverbeet Quiche

It is officially Week #1! It feels quite weird to start week on again (in case you are wondering, this is the first week of this challenge's swap on swap-bot). I totally forgot that week one was over Easter, therefore was a little out of a lot of stuff while the shops were closed.

Lucky for my we had an over supply of smoked salmon in the fridge and the shops were opened again on Monday. Managed to get cream and silverbeet, which ended up replacing spinach since we couldn't find any in the shop.

I've made quiches before and they are simple. Maybe it is because I am using frozen pastry. So if I ever make another quiche throughout the next 52 weeks, I would have to make the pastry from scratch, just to challenge myself further!

I've been busy...

with my new toy! Yup! I've wanted a sewing machine since I was in school. We had one but it was a 20 year old sewing machine that needed parts which no longer exist.

Three weeks ago I spent lots of time checking on all the available brands and what is good for a beginner like me. All the machines was a little out of my budget and I thought I was going to settle for a really basic Singer machine, cheapest in the range of basic domestic machines. To my surprise, and later much much joy, a craft store was selling this Brother for $199 when it was $349 usually!

We were thinking of just having a look at it, but ended up buying it anyways! Since buying it last weekend I've practice sewing lines and all, but its time to MAKE something!

So any links or suggestions to beginners projects are most welcomed! Thanks!