ANZAC biscuits a symbol of a mother's love

Hi there

I'm passing on an extract from an article written by a friend, Eda Utka. To me, it epitomises the spirit of Australia, including our new residents from other lands.  Thanks Eda  https://www.writepublishgrow.com/

LEST WE FORGET
Claire

This Saturday is a special day here in Australia. It’s a day of remembrance for the men who sacrificed their lives to fight battles in faraway lands. One of those distant lands where Australians and New Zealanders fought was Turkey, my homeland.

This year, I baked ANZAC Biscuits. These biscuits are symbolic of a mother’s love and the innovative spirit of the ANZACs. The mothers of the ANZAC soldiers developed a recipe made from non-perishable ingredients to last the long journey to Turkey and this biscuit made of flour, rolled oats, coconut flakes, golden syrup and butter was born.

So this ANZAC spirit that we talk about, mateship, humour, ingenuity, courage and endurance, it is not only in the men who served overseas, but in the women who were left behind to raise their children to provide moral support, bake and ship off ANZAC biscuits as a symbol of their love. These days I see ANZAC spirit in people who leave behind their homes to come to Australia to study or start new lives here with their families.

Lebanese lentil or chickpea salad is seriously addictive

I know - it doesn't look amazing
but it's seriously addictive! 

Lebanese lentil or chickpea salad with garlic and herbs 

This is sooo simple and great for Quarantine cooking ie if you can get tinned lentils.  However, any tinned legumes are transformed by this method.  It can be served as a lunch dish on its own perhaps with the addition of mushrooms (as per picture) or as an accompaniment for just about anything.  
ps  I've reduced the amount of garlic & lemon ...

• Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in small frying pan, add 4 cloves minced garlic or less, and cook over very low heat until garlic is fragrant - about 7-8 minutes. 
• Add 1 tbsp lemon juice with a little zest, 1¼ tsp ground cumin. ¼ tsp ground allspice, salt and fresh ground black pepper; 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and heat for about 1 minute. 
• Add 2 cans Puy (green) lentils, rinsed and drained and warm through for 2 minutes. 
• Remove from heat and add ½ cup each finely chopped fresh mint and parsley. Serve warm or cold.   Also works well with tinned legumes.