Aussie Love Story

[El Presidente]

Aussie Love Story

An elderly man lay dying in his bed. While suffering the agonies of impending death, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favourite Anzac bikkies wafting up the stairs. He gathered his remaining strength, and lifted himself from the bed. Leaning on the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and with even greater effort, gripping the railing with both hands, he crawled downstairs.

With laboured breath, he leaned against the door-frame, gazing into the kitchen. Were it not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven, for there, spread out upon waxed paper on the kitchen table here literally hundreds of his favourite Anzac bickies. Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of love from his devoted Aussie wife of sixty years, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?

Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself towards the table, landing on his knees in rumpled posture. His aged and withered hand trembled towards a biscuit at the edge of the table, when it was

suddenly smacked by his wife with a spatula.

'F#ck off' she said, 'they're for the funeral.'

[Colt45]

Okay, I'l bite - what the flog are anzac bikkies?

[Ben]

And I'll just add that they are freakin beautiful, I love the things.

[Ken Gargett]

i see you've borrowed lisa's 'big book of most commonly told jokes, 1951'

[JMH]

» i see you've borrowed lisa's 'big book of most commonly told jokes, 1951'

It seems to make the rounds amongst you queenslanders.

Those biscuits look a bit on the burnt side too.

[shrink]

Touching story, Rob.

Now if you just substitute Lisa for the devoted wife, and a few well-aged cigars for the 'bikkies'...

It could be you one day, mate!

[Claudius]

How cruel.

I love it :-D LOL

[El Presidente]

» i see you've borrowed lisa's 'big book of most commonly told jokes, 1951'

You are on thin ice with her already. Tread carefully senior Gargett ;-)

[First Lady]

» » i see you've borrowed lisa's 'big book of most commonly told jokes,

» 1951'

»

» You are on thin ice with her already. Tread carefully senior Gargett ;-)

Remember Ken honey I am the keeper of your cigars ;-)

[El Presidente]

» Okay, I'l bite - what the flog are anzac bikkies?

ANZAC Biscuits : Australian and New Zealand Army Corps

During World War 1, the wives, mothers and girlfriends of the Australian soldiers were concerned for the nutritional value of the food being supplied to their men. Here was a problem. Any food they sent to the fighting men had to be carried in the ships of the Merchant Navy. Most of these were lucky to maintain a speed of ten knots (18.5 kilometers per hour). Most had no refrigerated facilities, so any food sent had to be able to remain edible after periods in excess of two months. A body of women came up with the answer - a biscuit with all the nutritional value possible. The basis was a Scottish recipe using rolled oats. These oats were used extensively in Scotland, especially for a heavy porridge that helped counteract the extremely cold climate.

The ingredients they used were: rolled oats, sugar, plain flour, coconut, butter, golden syrup or treacle, bi-carbonate of soda and boiling water. All these items did not readily spoil. At first the biscuits were called Soldiers’ Biscuits, but after the landing on Gallipoli, they were renamed ANZAC Biscuits.

A point of interest is the lack of eggs to bind the ANZAC biscuit mixture together. Because of the war, many of the poultry farmers had joined the services, thus, eggs were scarce. The binding agent for the biscuits was golden syrup or treacle. Eggs that were sent long distances were coated with a product called ke peg (like Vaseline) then packed in air tight containers filled with sand to cushion the eggs and keep out the air.

As the war drew on, many groups like the CWA (Country Women’s Association), church groups, schools and other women’s organisations devoted a great deal of time to the making of ANZAC biscuits. To ensure that the biscuits remained crisp, they were packed in used tins, such as Billy Tea tins. You can see some of these tins appearing in your supermarket as exact replicas of the ones of earlier years. Look around. The tins were airtight, thus no moisture in the air was able to soak into the biscuits and make them soft. Most people would agree there is nothing worse than a soft biscuit.

During World War 2, with refrigeration in so many Merchant Navy Ships, the biscuits were not made to any great extent. It was now possible to send a greater variety of food, like fruit cake.

ANZAC biscuits are still made today. They can also be purchased from supermarkets and specialty biscuit shops. Around ANZAC Day, these biscuits are also often used by veterans’ organisations to raise funds for the care and welfare of aged war veterans.