Grandma's Anzacs

It's ANZAC Day today. Today commemorates all New Zealanders killed in war and also honours returned servicemen and women.

Anzac Biscuits were sent to soldiers serving overseas because they kept well. I made some this morning (it's a public holiday) using Mrs Christensen's Recipe. Mrs Christensen was not my Grandma, but my cousins' (Kell, Sam and Darcy's) Grandma. I am pretty sure everyone called her Grandma.

In my life I have been to three ANZAC services. Once when I was a House Leader at school and I remember being scared of a bee buzzing around the wreath we were holding to lay at the Cenotaph. Once when I was at University and had a flatmate studying NZ History. That was a freezing cold, rainy and dark dawn in the metropolis of Palmerston North. And the third time, was in Dannevirke maybe 8 years ago with my cousins Kell and Darcy, Darcy's now-wife, and their Aunty Sue. We were disappointed the service only went for 10 mins after getting up that early. It was freezing.

My Dad's old boss served in WW2. Mr S is now 93 and still going strong apart from his eyesight. He ended up a Prisoner of War. He came home to NZ and acquired our orchard as a Returned Serviceman - many other men went farming. Over 1 million acres of land was opened up for Returned Servicemen in NZ. When I asked him why he went to war - expecting an answer abour serving the country - he said because it was bad in NZ at the time. He grew up through the depression. He doesn't commemorate Anzac Day because he believes it glorifies war.

I am grateful Mr S returned, and I am grateful my friend, Major K, always returns from his Provincial Reconstruction Team duties too.

Grandma's Anzacs
Melt:
150g butter with 1 T (Tablespoon) Golden Syrup
Boil 2 T water.
Add 1 teaspoon Baking Soda to the boiled water.
Add water baking soda mixture to butter and golden syrup. Mix together.

In a bowl put:
1 C Flour
2/3 C Sugar
1 C Rolled Oats
3/4 C Dessicated Coconut

Add the liquid to the dry ingredients. Mix with a spoon until just combined. Put spoonfuls on an oven tray and bake slowly at 150C for 12 - 15 mins. Makes about 24 biscuits.
(Don't go making them all trendy by adding chocolate ... you think they added chocolate in the olden days!?)