Anzac Day Biscuits

Ingredients
1 cup (150g) plain flour
1 cup (90g) rolled oats
1 cup (85g) Ward McKenzie desiccated coconut
3/4 cup (155g) brown sugar
125g butter
2 tbs golden syrup
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Stir in the oats, coconut and brown sugar.
Put the butter, golden syrup and 2 tbs water in a small saucepan. Stir over a medium heat until melted. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda.
Pour the butter mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined.
Roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls. Place on the trays, about 5cm apart.
Press with a fork to flatten slightly. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Set aside on the trays for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack so it cools completely.

Cracking Easter Cards

I wanted to make some Easter cards with the boys to attach to Easter Eggs that Master 4 will give to his teachers at kinder on Thursday. I use to love receiving homemade cards from the children that I taught, they were always made with such love. I cut out some egg and bunny templates from white card and the boys had a wonderful time making bubble prints on them.

Bubble prints are like fingerprints, except made with bubbles. You can make bubble prints and learn about how bubbles are shaped and how pigments combine to make different colours.

Bubble prints are made by colouring bubble solution, blowing bubbles, and pressing paper onto the bubbles. You need brightly-colored bubbles in order to get a good picture. Tempera paint powder works really well, but you can substitute other water-soluble paints if you like.

Make Coloured Bubble Solution Pour a little bubble solution onto the bottom of a cup. Stir in paint powder until you have a thick paint. You want the thickest paint you can get, yet still be able to make bubbles using it. If you get the three primary colours of tempera paint then you can mix them in order to make other colours. You can add black or white paint, too.

Homemade Pasties

This is my basic Homemade Pastie recipe you can make adding your own flavours or tastes in vegetables too. I use different types of mince and vegetables depending on what I have on hand. Make different sizes depending on the age of those who will eat them. Littlies will love small pasties. It's a fun way to encourage those with small appetites to try new vegetables.

Ingredients

500g lamb mince

Sausage Meat

1 egg

1 cup of breadcrumbs

1 jar tomato relish

1 onion, peeled and diced

1 potato, peeled and diced

1/2 carrot, peeled and diced

1/2 turnip, peeled and diced

1 tsp salt

freshly ground pepper

1 tbsp chopped parsley

frozen sheets of shortcrust pastry

1 egg, beaten

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Combine lamb, vegetables, salt, pepper and parsley.

Cut pastry into 4 circles. You can use a saucer as a guide.

Place a quarter of the mixture into the middle of each pastry round.

Brush pastry edges with egg wash, fold edges together, joining in the middle. Pinch the edges together to seal well.

Place on a lined oven tray and glaze with remaining egg wash.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 180 degrees and continue to cook for 35 minutes.

Serve hot with homemade tomato sauce.

Home Made Tomato Ketchup

We take ketchup for granted - it is everywhere and Australians use it in almost everything. Some even put it on scrambled eggs!! So maybe you wondered if homemade ketchup taste any different or better? Making your own tomato ketchup with fresh tomatoes is a labour of love, but well worth the effort. By making it yourself you can cook it to your exact tastes - as salty, sweet, or spicy as you like it - save money, and use up a glut of tomatoes. I also like to know what the boys are eating and by making my own I can control the amount of sugar and salt that is added, and also know that they are eating a sauce that is additive free. Because of the amount of work involved, I make one large batch of ketchup at a time. It preserves well in jars or cans. This is our family recipe that has been passed around from family to family, I hope you enjoy!

10 LBS TOMATOES

1/2 OZ CLOVES GROUND

1/2 OUNCE ALL SPICE

1/2 TEASPOON CAYENNE

1/2 TEASPOON PEPPER

4 OZ SALT

1 OZ GARLIC= 4 CLOVES

3 POUNDS SUGAR

1 PINT OF VINEGAR

BOIL ALL TOGETHER FOR 4 HOURS THEN STRAIN AND BOTTLE

IT IS BEST TO SKIN TOMATOES

ALWAYS STIR WELL UNTIL SUGAR DISSOLVES OR IT WILL STICK

The Littlest Owl

(Sung To: I'm a little Teapot)

I'm a great big owl,

as you can see

I live high up in a tree.

All the other birds wake me up when they play,

Because I like to sleep in the day

Since our camping trip a few weekends ago, Master 2 has become obsessed with listening and looking out for Owls at night time. So much so that it has become a bit of a Saturday night ritual since that we take the torches out for a quick walk and try to Owl Spot in the surrounding trees. At our weekly library visit this week we were on an Owl hunt to find some interesting books to read. We manged to find a number of them and so have been Owl-ing about all week.

Master 2 had great fun painting his owl shape and then adding feathers (strips of crepe paper) to produce this super cute owl.

Last night I had found this cute Owl sandwich (Little Food Junction) to make for Master 2 to have for lunch. He thought it was hoot-astic!