Cow Appreciation Week and a little flapjack

Ever since an unfortunate close encounter between my 2 year old son and a rather hungry, rather vocal cow at a local animal centre, said son has been absolutely petrified of all things cow. So this week has been Cow Appreciation Week! I unfortunately do not have pictorial proof of the offending cow, but I will divulge that she is a resident of one of our much loved family attractions, The Rare Breed Centre. (In searching out that link, I have discovered not only a picture of the cow in question, but also a name - Luna.)

So, as part of CAW we have utilised YouTube and found a clip that A thinks is hilarious. It was the first thing cow related which didn't invoke an immediate response of "Don't crike it, Mummy." We've viewed more pictures via Google than I care to recall, poking the screen and "tickling" the cows to show that they couldn't hurt us. I've mooed at A, and in turn he has done his loudest moo at me. We've progressed from tears and cries of "Don't crike it, Mummy" at the mere mention of a cow to him asking to see pictures and videos, as well as randomly role playing as a cow. We have yet to revisit Luna, but give him time and I'm sure he'll come around to the idea!

To round off the week I used a line drawing of a cow which I printed and cut out. 

We had a good old delve through the craft boxes and came out with some fabric scraps that had been acquired some time ago from a pound shop. 

Out came the glue, and then A set to work making his patchwork cow. 

I know I'm his mummy, but considering he is only 2 years old, I think he did a fab job!

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It would seem of late that my Fridays are not complete without baking up a little treat for the weekend; this week is flapjack.

To make my yummy flapjacks you need:

150g salted butter
75g soft brown sugar
4 tbs golden syrup
250g rolled oats
100g milk chocolate

The method:

• Pre-heat your oven to gas mark 4. Line and grease an 8 inch cake tin.
• Very gently heat the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pan, stirring often until all of the butter has melted. Then remove from the heat.
• Pour in the oats and coat completely with the lovely yummy runny mixture.
• Press the mixture into the cake tin, right to the edges and use a silicon spatula to level the top.
• Cook on gas mark 4 for 25 minutes. If you prefer it chewier then cook for an extra 3-4 minutes. Allow to cool on a rack (still in the lining paper).
• Once the flapjack has cooled, melt your chocolate and coat as desired. My hubby likes the random, uneven coating so that's the way I have gone.

I specifically recommend mixing and pressing this mixture with a silicon spatula as I have found that less of the mixture sticks to it. A wooden spoon tends to cling to some of the mixture and you end up picking up more than you press down!

Admiring his work!

Pressed into the pan and ready to go into the oven.

Good enough to eat!