by Merryn Tinkler
In the lead up to Anzac Day, residents at Daylesford Aged Care made Anzac biscuits to honour and remember those that served our country.
Lifestyle Coordinator Sharon Teloar helped the residents with the activity, choosing two different recipes to taste test.
“One of the recipes was from 1926 and the other from taste.com.au. We wanted to compare to see which was better. Just about everyone wants a chewy Anzac, so we were looking for the best “chewy” recipe.
“Joyce Powell made the 1926 recipe (it felt right since she was born in 1925!) and they turned out to look like little rocks. They were both crunchy and chewy and not as sweet as the ones made by Gloria McCarthy, who tackled the more modern recipe. The older recipe has more oats, whereas the newer one had coconut and twice as much golden syrup. They looked better though.”
Once the baking was complete, residents voted for their favourite biscuits. 11 people favoured the 1926 recipe whereas 10 preferred the newer one. We’ll call that a draw!
Meanwhile Lifestyle crafting genius Charmaine made paper poppies with the residents. The poppies were fiddly and a little frustrating but once complete looked beautiful!
Anzac Day is a day of great solemnity for all Australians, but particularly for the older generations who recall family members who went to war and those who didn’t come home. Staff regard it as very important to mark this occasion with the residents and made an extra effort during this time when family are unable to come in. On the day, staff came in to facilitate a cooked breakfast and arranged for the residents to see the ceremony on TV, given the usual volunteers weren’t able to come in and perform the ceremony.
Merryn Tinkler is the Strategic Communications Manager for Central Highlands Rural Health
