Anzac Biscuits

Anzac Day – a solemn day where we remember the Australian & New Zealand Army Corps soldiers who fought in Gallipoli in 1915. Tomorrow’s marks the 101 year anniversary. We also offer our thoughts on this day to all the other servicemen and women, past and present, who protect our country.

And of course at this time of year, the Anzac biscuit is seen everywhere – across cafes and supermarkets. It was thought during the war, the wives’ soldiers used to send them the Anzac biscuit. Since, they are made of ingredients that don’t spoil easily, they were perfect to transport abroad. Fast forward to today, and it’s a popular commercial food, sometimes seen year-around!

Why not spend some of your Sunday making a batch! We’ve got our foolproof recipe below for the delicious biscuit… The traditional combination of oats, coconut and rich golden syrup makes for the perfect edition to your afternoon cuppa, or to pass around after Dawn service tomorrow morning.

You’ll need:

2 1/3 plain flour, sifted

1 2/3 cups rolled oats

1 ½ cups brown sugar

1 cup desiccated coconut

250g butter, chopped

80ml golden syrup

60ml water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

Preheat oven to 170C, line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.

Place flour, oats, sugar and coconut in a bowl and stir to combine.

Place butter, golden syrup, water, vanilla and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Then add the bicarbonate soda, and stir into flour mixture until well combined. Spoon onto baking trays, allowing room to spread.

Cook for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 40 cookies – enough to pass around!

Caves House, Jenolan Caves

The iconic & fabulous Jenolan Caves in the Blue Mountains – we often associate it with being a popular destination for school excursions or tourists. However, just a few minutes walk away is the  beautifully Victorian Era styled Caves House – one of the most unique wedding venues I’ve seen! Built within natural cave formations, the site also has a long history of love, with it being a popular honeymoon spot in the early 1900’s and to this day, home to many proposals!

Within Caves House there are two fabulous room options – you can choose to have up to 100 guests underground, or up to 30 in the Temple of Baal, which their aboveground venue and has spectacular limestone wall formations. With fantastic acoustics and a 300-stair chamber entrance, it’s a venue worth checking out if you want an impressive setting for your special day. They also have a wide range of accommodation options for you and your guests.

To find out more about Caves House, click here. Or better yet, take a trip there for the day and explore one of the most spectacular caves systems in the world – a perfect day out these school holidays!

Click here to hear my chat with Carolyn from the Caves House on this week’s episode of Weddings, Parties, Celebrations on 2GB.

Photo credit to Instinctive Images

Leaving love in the hands of the experts

Last year, Channel 9 aired the first season of Married at First Sight – captivating the nation with such a ground-breaking, unconventional way of finding true love. If you watched it, I’m sure you were glued, and well, if you didn’t – Season 2 starts tonight for you!

I spoke to Mel Schilling, Psychologist and dating expert; part of a team on the show who carefully pair 4 new brides and 4 new grooms to marry upon sight. Well, it’s more of a commitment ceremony as it’s illegal to marry someone you don’t know in Australia – but still, what a brave and bold move to make!

So I can hear some of you ask why. … Well, can you believe that the percentage of Australian singles is the highest it’s ever been?!  And the participants on Married at First Sight,  have tried everything to find love. They’ve been through all the motions of dating life in Australia with unfortunately no success. So, they have passed on the task to find love, onto professional psychologists and dating experts.

And whilst yes, this idea may first sound quite ridiculous, it’s based on some strong findings. Mel explained that it’s been proven time and time again that arranged marriages are the most successful. So using the team’s expertise, they’ve matched up each couple based on the their values and family history – aligning them with those who share the same views, or perhaps even balance out some of their qualities – ying and yang!

Throughout the experiment, they are counselled by the team on how to handle and overcome conflicts, assessing their growing connection and attraction along the way. I’m sure those who watched Season 1 remember that Zoe couldn’t look Alex in the eye when she first saw him down the aisle – they however ended up being the most successful match and are still enjoying a wonderful relationship together!

Sure, I know what you might be thinking – but I recommend you tune in tonight regardless! It’s captivating, and puts the method of finding love into a whole new light for some singles who have genuinely tried it all!

And as for any insights on the show from Mel? Well, of course it’s all hush hush right now, but we know that there are smiles on the final episode – who doesn’t love a happy ending!

Click here to find out more and get a quick sneak peak!

To hear my chat with Mel as well as the full episode of Weddings, Parties, Celebrations, click here.