Golden Syrup recipe's

Hi

After the post with the recipe for Anzac Biscuits I have been asked what else you can use golden syrup for. Lutheran Chick doesn't think she could eat it on a sandwich. Ohhhhh yum, Golden syrup never lasts long enough to make anzac biscuits because of a love of golden syrup sandwiches.

I also started reminiscing about going on family holidays up to the far north Coast of NSW during sugar cane season.

One of my favorite memories is driving along at night and seeing the glow of the sugar cane fields alight before harvesting. I have no sense of smell but am told that it smelt good as well. It's just on of those blanket wrapped around you type memories.

Anyway Golden syrup recipe's. If you have one I haven't found add it to the comments.

Honeycomb
6 tbs white sugar
2 tbs golden syrup
2 tsp water
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Place sugar, golden syrup and water in a heavy saucepan and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar is dissolved
Bring to the boil and boil for seven minutes
Remove from the heat and quickly add the bicarbonate of soda
At this point the mixture will froth
Stir quickly and pour into a greased 28x18cm lamington tin
As the mixture starts to cool, mark into pieces
When cold, break into pieces and wrap in cellophane ready for sale
If making a few days in advance, make sure you store in an air tight jar

Sticky Toffee Apples
450g Demerara Sugar
75g butter or margarine
225g golden syrup
150ml water
10ml vinegar
8 medium apples
Place the sugar, butter/margarine, syrup, water and vinegar in a large heavy-based non-stick saucepan and heat gently for five minutes or until dissolved.
Using a clean pastry brush, brush the insides of the pan with cold water just above the level of the syrup and then bring to the boil. Boil rapidly for 5 #150; 10 minutes or until the temperature reaches the soft crack stage. (132-143C if using a sugar thermometer or drop a little of the mix into a bowl of cold water. If the syrupseparatess into threads which are hard but not brittle, it is ready.)
Push wooded sticks into the centre of each apple and then dip the apples very carefully into the toffee to coat well. You will need to twirl each apple around for a few seconds to allow the excess toffee to trip off. Leave to cool and harden on a piece of Glad bake or grease-proof paper.

Golden Syrup Dumplings
Serves 4.
Ingredients

1 tablespoon (15ml) butter
1 cup (135g)Self-raising flour
1 egg
2-3 tablespoons milk

Syrup
1½ cups water
½ cup (110g) white sugar
1½ tablespoons (23ml) butter
1 tablespoon (15ml) golden syrup
1 teaspoon (5ml) lemon juice

Method
Rub butter into flour.
Add egg and sufficient milk to mix into a soft dough.
Place dough in a casserole dish in spoonfuls.
Place syrup ingredients into saucepan, stir until sugar has dissolved and bring to boil.
Pour syrup over dumplings and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 20-30 minutes
Note: dumplings may be boiled instead of baked in ovenCook for approx 30 minutes.
Serve with custard sauce, cream or ice cream


Thank you for the trip down a very pleasant memory lane

Happy cooking

Emma

I have been tagged!

I have been tagged by Miss Eagle, I feel soo special and loved. I have had time to dwell on my 10 simple pleasures so here we go.

1. Hearing my boys laugh when they are getting on well and racing around like lunatics. If I could post a sound bite I would they have incredibly infectious laughs.
2. The Ma and Pa Kettle 1/2 hour. This is at 5 pm approx each day when WM and I sit on our front verandah (porch) with a cuppa tea for WM and coffee for myself and catch up on how our day had been, boys inside watching ABC Kids.
3. Autumn - changing leaves, purple slippers, my grandpa cardie, blankets, crisp mornings, glorious days, warm cups with hot coffee, woolen jumpers ( I did think about just doing a autumn simple pleasures! LOL)
4. Watching my boys learn new things.
5. Sitting on the beach
6. Watching people find out something new about themselves, God or each other when I preach. I love the seeing the Ahhhh moments.
7. Books, books and more books (I was a Children's Librarian in a former life, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!)
8. LB's fascination with Garbage trucks (they are going past as I type and he has raced into the office and declared 'It got us!!')
9. God - the most simple and most complex pleasure in my life
10. Riding my motorbike (and not hitting houses) I know you were thinking it M

So there are the simple pleasures in my life and I now I am tagging 10 more people to reflect on the 10 pleasures in their life.

Drum roll please

1. Kate and Graeme
2. Will Smama
3. Pink Shoes
4. Stephen
5. Lutheran Chick
6. Songbird
7. Sally

That will do for now if you want to be tagged let me know, I will finish it later I need to motor now.

Blessings

Em

Anzac Day

Today is Anzac Day. It's the one day of the year that Australian's become patriotic, it probably even beats Australia Day.

ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. It is on the 25th of April because it commemorates the landing of the Anzacs at Gallipoli on this day in 1915. It was the first military assault that the Australian and New Zealand armies had been part of.

Anzac Day is the day that we remember the men and women who have gone to war on our behalf. There are marches which happen in each capital city, dawn services, legal two-up (gambling) in the streets, anzac biscuits and lots of national pride.

I don't agree with war but the older I get the more I want to honor those who have died protecting us in the wars we have been involved in, and also pass this respect on to my boys.

I would rather that we have a national day of peace, but I also don't want to disrespect those who were in the wars just because I don't agree with war.

I also am going to add the recipe for Anzac Biscuits not only because they were made specifically in relation to sending food to those at war but also because they are incredibly yummy.

Blessings

Emma

ANZAC Biscuit Popular Version
(From a original recipe provided by Mr Bob Lawson, an ANZAC present at the Gallipoli landing)

Ingredients
1 cup each of plain flour, sugar, rolled oats and coconut
4 oz butter
1 tablespoon treacle (golden syrup)
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 teaspoon carbonate soda (add a little more water if mixture is too dry)

Method
1. Grease biscuit tray and pre heat oven to 180C
2. Combine dry ingredients
3. Melt together butter and golden syrup. Combine water and soda add to butter mixture.
4. Mix butter mixture and dry ingredients.
5. Drop teaspoons of mixture onto tray allowing room for spreading.
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool on tray for a few minutes before transferring to cooling racks

Mount Tomah

Well I have come back to earth the boys came home last night, I cooked a baked dinner (one meal I do well, not know for my cook skills)and life is back to normal. Below are some pictures from the gardens. I have much to blog about,the movie FAME, slippers, Autumn, but will space it over the next week or so.


This is where we had lunch, prawns, cheeses, cold meat, juice, and then slept and read in the Autumn sun



This was the view from the cafe table where I ate the best dessert I have ever eaten, seriously, Chocolate mocha slice with strawberry's and toffee. mmmmmmmmmmmm.





And some pictures of the gardens which we then walked through. Just on of the nicest days of my life


Mum and Dad thank you, hopefully your have had a good nights sleep and a sleep in by the time you read this mum.

Blessings

Emma

Kid Free Weekend

Let me start this entry by saying I love my boys completely and wouldn't change them for the world!

But....

We are in the middle of school holidays at the moment, the boys get 2 weeks off starting Good Friday. And my parents for the last year have made the most of this by taking them for a weekend during the holidays, often the middle one from Friday through until dinner Sunday.

This means WM and I have 3 whole days and 2 nights without the boys. BLISS!!

We are at the beginning of one of these week ends at the moment they were pick up at 9:30 this morning and won't be back until dinner Sunday. When this happens I also take leave from church so we have 3 days where we can just spend time together. It is also our 10th wedding anniversary at the beginning of next month so we will go out to dinner and celebrate that as well.

Tomorrow we are going for a drive to Mount Tomah Gardens in the Blue Mountains for a picnic, I will post pictures when I next blog. This morning we went out for breakfast and now I am going to sit down and read a book uninterrupted with a nice hot cup of coffee and a biscuit.

I am in heaven, mum and dad you are wonderful!!

Very relaxed and peaceful blessings

Em

Travelers together

I have embarked on the journey of trying to read the bible in 90 days along with some other brave souls/idiots (depending on who your are, I fall into the later).

As I am hopeless at staying up to this kind of thing I ask for your prayer that I at least survive 30 days.

This will be a real accomplishment for me.

On a side note thanks for your support in relation to the previous post, I think I have decided to visit the minister and have a chat. I know that the opinions which have been expressed are also his as I am aware of the church's theological stance.

Blessings and good luck to those who have also embarked on the 90 day journey

Emma

If you go to that church you won't go to heaven

I have found out something that tops the response "you are female" I received a couple of weeks ago.

Last week (I haven't had a chance to blog since then, been busy for some unexplainable reason) I found out that there is a Christian church in the area who is telling people if they come to my church they won't go to heaven!

They were door knocking to share the Easter message and to invite people to come to their church for Easter. When they knocked on a particular person's door she said that she would probably go to my church for Easter.

The response was "If you go to that church you won't go to heaven."

When she asked why he started on about the bible being very clear about the roles of men and women and that because there was a female minister at that church that the wasn't a biblically based church and therefore if you went to the church you wouldn't get to heaven.

The woman he was speaking to knows me from school and so launched into a character defense on my behalf. (what a wonderful person)

The final remark was, "But don't you want to go to heaven.
To which she replied "Yes, but not yet." and then closed the door.

I have been called and told many things in the time I have been in ministry, but this is the first time I have been accused of being responsible for sending people to hell!!

It doesn't bother me or the other pastor but my husband instantly went into protection mode and is ready to pummel the people that are saying it. You need to understand that my husband is a Christian biker and has the potential to be scary, and along with the other guys from the club that he was going to enlist to visit the church together, it would have been a very scary but amusing thing to watch.

I haven't responded in any way to this church and the things that are being said and am wondering what
a) you would like do or say and then
b)how you would respond in the legal and appropriate way.

I am still tossing up whether I do anything at all.

Blessings

Emma

Update 25/4/06
I have just found out that this entry has made it onto a website for Baptist worldwide called Baptist Life under the forum thread Fundamentalist Pharisee. If anyone is visiting from that link I would love to hear your comments Emma

Easter

This will only be a short entry.

I am preaching on Sunday and so have been fairly hectic as have we all. I will put an entry in on Monday.

Hope you are all keeping your head or at least your nose above water during Easter.

Blessings


Emma

Chocolate Box

One of the highlights of my week is leading a group for the teenage and almost teenage girls in our church. They are in Yrs 7 - 10 at High school.

It's a blast. Chocolate box is a safe place for them to talk about life and the stuff they are going through. We then talk about where God fits into it and begin the process of integrating life and faith. (Not that they realise that this is what we are doing)

The name chocolate box comes from:
Chocolate - there is never a time when chocolate in some form, isn't brought by one of them to be eaten. An integral part of any female group.
Box - there is a question mark shaped box (see above) which is part of the group. If they have a question but want to ask it anonymously, they can put it in the box and the group discusses it.

The latest question answered from the Box was about violence and how they should react.

This lead to the group talking about what is violence, bullying, protecting themselves and I spoke a bit about the group for kids who witness Domestic Violence I was leading, and gave some generic examples of what kids in Domestic Violence situations may witness or experience.

This affected the girls in a deep way and led them to question the injustice of the kids of lives by comparison to their lives. Their response blew me away! They wanted to help, they recognised they were in a position where they could help and so started discussing ways to help and support kids who are in Domestic Violence environments.

What has resulted is a letter that they have written and are going to send to the department stores, furniture store, discount stores, factory outlet stores, etc in the area asking them to donate items to be given to a refuge for women and their kids who are escaping domestic violence. They are also talking about running a pyjama and undies drive for the refuge, as this is often what is needed.

This is a group of 12 - 15 year old girls! They are an inspiration to me, they have a deeper sense or social responsibility than I had at 25 let alone 12! They truly are being Christ to their community and they probably don't even realise what an extraordinary group of young women they are.

CHOCOLATE BOX YOU ROCK!!!

Blessings
Emma

Support Networks

As a minister it is strongly encouraged that you be part of a retreat group. This is a group of other people in ministry that meets once a year to work through issues and help each other through group process grow in faith, life, ministry etc.

I am part of a retreat group and although the time away is anything but a retreat as in nice time of rest and relaxation, the group is one that is very supportive.

We met on Saturday for our mid year gathering we are quite stretched out distance wise with about 10 hours drive being between to 2 furthest away.

Anyway when we get together there is a wonderful feeling of camaraderie and support between each of us. There is a genuine concern for the well being of each other and their families. This support network although mainly by email is a wonderful support.

It's great to have support networks that know you well enough for the mask to be lowered and there to be genuine intimacy which comes from openness and vulnerability.

So to those of you in my retreat group, I love you, think you are wonderful and am blessed by the imprint you leave on my heart.

Blessings

Em

Protect our kids

Over the last 7 weeks I have been co-leading a group for kids that have witnessed Domestic Violence.

It amazes me how much we don't recognise the precious gift our kids are. One of the main reasons I said yes to co-leading this group was the very practical way I would be able to impact these kids lives both now and in the future. Not only did the program help them begin to work through their feelings about divorce, violence, parents, love, anger, boundaries etc. It also helps to begin to break the cycle of abuse by teaching them that this isn't a normal form of communication and relationship and that there are better ways of relating.

Our kids are sponges and they absorb everything that happens around them. There is currently an ad on TV where a young girl swears and the mum asks where she heard such a thing and then drives off swearing to the other drivers on the road. There has been quite an uproar to this ad in Australia, but I think it's a great reminder to us as parents to be careful what we say and do, to, with and around our kids.

Nothing pains me more than seeing kids that have been scarred by life before they have become a teenager.

Kids are a precious gift given to us to protect and help develop so they can then be a balanced productive adult who can make a valuable contribution to society. Anything less is unacceptable.

Blessings

Emma

Community

One of the blessings I have as a minister is writing an article for the local school newsletter. The other pastor and I share the task and therefore I do it once a month.

Today was my turn and I wrote about community and the RGBP got a mention so I thought I would put the article on my blog as today's entry.

Happy reading

Em

What makes a community?

So often today we hear that there isn’t the same sense of community as there was when we were growing up. There are older people dying in their homes without anyone noticing for months, we have neighbours we have never spoken to, let alone asked for a cup of sugar. Isolation is an increasing social concern for people from all walks of life, immigrants, young parents, older people, people new to an area who have moved away from support etc.

What is it about society today that is making this an increasing concern? Is it the business of our lives, a lack of trust of others, feeling unsafe or feeling like no one else understands? There are so many reasons we feel isolated but there are ways to start to overcome this isolation and begin to bring a sense of community back to our suburbs, our community.

Often community starts with a similar interest or life experience. I write a blog (www.revem.blogspot.com), and apart from a number of other benefits, I am part of an online community. This community called Rev Gal Blog Pals is a community of female clergy. It includes ministers, pastors, chaplains, associate pastors etc. There are about 130 of us from all around the world and the sense of community that is felt amongst this group is surprising. We are able to share our life experiences and have other women understand. We laugh, cry, pray, celebrate and support each other in our life journeys and the strangest part is that I will probably never meet any of these women in my life.

I have often wondered why I feel more connected to someone on the other side of the world than I do my neighbour and I think the answer is shared or common experiences. This is one of the keys to beginning to develop community here with each other. We all have experiences which are shared through school, kids sporting groups, parents groups, our own sporting groups, church, dance, hobby groups, community groups, friends and family. Often in our busy lives we don’t make time to be part of community. I know that for myself I have to deliberately make myself stop and slow down and take the time to talk with others, develop and experience community.

Opportunities for community are so often missed or overlooked because we are already racing to the next thing. Where is community for you?

Revem
Pastor

Local suburban Church

Teaching our kids rest

Mondays for me are my day off. I protect this day quite fiercely as it is not only a day off for myself but it is also downtime for LB.

On my day off I normally end up doing washing and ironing (but I find it quite therapeutic). LB often will get to the end of a Monday and still be in his pj's and I am in dag around clothes. LB has developed a routine for himself which includes 5 little biscuits, chocolate milk and the DVD, Finding Nemo. This is his Monday morning. I protect this time as much for him as I do myself as our week ends are just soo hectic that by Monday morning we are ready to crash.

My older son came home today with a brochure for karate stating that he wanted to do this, the reply was he does soccer and Kiz Biz ( the church week day kids club) and that is enough. One sport and one social activity are the limit because, again I want him to still have down time and now that he is at school his possible down time is reduced.

When I pick up Older son from school, I make sure I go in once a week (see prior blog for why it isn't more than this)to tlk with the other mothers. Last week I got talking to one of the other mothers about "me time". We were comparing where we go to have time out and one we both shared was the shower with the water running over the ears so you can't hear anything else. She refers to it as her rainforest, and told me how she showed her daughter her rainforest by teaching her how to stand in the shower so the water ran over her ears. When the mum asked "Can you see my rainforest?" she responded "No I can see my waterfall"

My reflection on this moment was what a wonderful gift to give your children.

We teach and train our kids to do so many things which we consider important for them to be well balanced adults. How often do we take time to teach them how to have downtime, how to relax, to honor Sabbath. Dare I say it how often to we model as adults the practice of Sabbath.

Sabbath is probably one of the lest respected and obeyed commandments and our lifestyle often means we are moving further away form it as a possibility. If our work or lifestyle was making us break almost any other commandment we would at least stop and question doing it. I wonder how many of us stop and question when it means we are unable to observe Sabbath and keep it holy.

Mmmmm think I'll go to my own rainforest now and make my Monday complete.

Rest well

Blessings

Emma