Some ANZACs for some ANZACs!

As you would all know ANZAC Day is probably Australia's most important national occasion marking the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. More importantly though now it also gives us an opportunity to commemorate all our fallen soldiers that fought for our country in subsequent wars.
It' s no secret that Matt and I bring both the Aussie and Kiwi heritage together in this partnership and often enough there is much rivalry that goes with it. But on such a significant and historical occasion we often enough must cast it aside, get in the kitchen and commemorate the legacy with a bit of baking! So with ANZAC day fast approaching on Wednesday we thought it would be fitting to  share our take on the traditional ANZAC cookie. ANZAC cookies can be a little dry and boring sometimes and often enough there is no better way to spice things up than with a bit of chocolate! 
So here it is, Meko's Chocolate Coated ANZAC Cookies:


(Makes 20)
1/2 cup plain flour
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup coconut
3/4 cup rolled oats
50g butter
1 tbsp golden syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbspns boiling water
250g milk chocolate drops
250g white chocolate drops


Mix together the flour, sugar, coconut and rolled oats in a large bowl. 
Then melt the butter and golden syrup in a heat proof bowl in the microwave until just melted through.
Next dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water and add to the butter and golden syrup mixture. 
Stir the butter mixture into the dry ingredients until well mixed through. 
Then place level tablespoons of the mixture onto a well greased baking tray. Bake at 180 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden.
Once the cookies are cool, melt the white chocolate in heat proof bowl in the microwave in 20-30 second bursts (depending on your microwave), stirring in between until melted through. 
Lay some grease proof paper out onto a baking tray and take the cookies you want dipped in white chocolate and half dip them, ensuring to scrape the excess chocolate off the base of the cookie against the bowl. 
Place on the baking tray and leave to set. For quick setting, place them in the fridge or freezer. 
Once set, melt the milk chocolate as described above and using the same process dip either the other side of white chocolate cookies or the remaining undipped cookies and leave to set. 
It's nice to mix it up a bit and have some that are half white and half milk chocolate and others with just one or the other.
Then once completely set, sit back and enjoy them all with a lovely big cup of tea!

Happy baking and happy ANZAC Day!

A prisoner of the Meko Studio!

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter break! I have been a bit quiet on the blog I know, but with good reason as I have been super busy the last two weekends down in the studio painting...... or as I sometimes like to refer to it as 'giving birth' to some masterpieces! Most days I've been covered from head to toe in oil paint, inhaling toxic amounts of turps and crouched down so close to my canvases that my eyes blur.  Some days I find paint in places on my body where there just shouldn't be paint, but it's my hands that really suffer..... currently they are a lovely shade of cobalt blue that could easily pass for a character's in Avatar! But none the less, I love it. It's my passion and always will be.

I recently seem to be focusing on themes of soldiers and prisoners in my paintings (don't ask where this has come from....clearly there is something going on in my subconscious that needs addressing!) 

I thought I would share with you the two I created over the last two weeks and also a third that I did a couple of years ago that carries a similar theme. 

I must say, I find painting the most relaxing activity in my life. It gives me an opportunity to completely switch off and just focus purely on the brushstrokes and the image I am trying to bring to life. 

Hey if I had it my way I would paint all day long!......but alas there are bills to pay and mortgages to sustain......[sigh].

Hope you enjoy. Signing off x