Fun Monday# 32

Today Nikki challenges us with doing a good deed. She says " I am not looking for a story of when you have offered your help in the past, I actually want you in the next two weeks to go out and help someone. Go visit a nursing home, cook dinner for someone sick or with a new baby, donate to a charity or even send just a "thinking of you card" to someone who needs it. It doesn't matter what your good deed is, or how great it is. It just needs to help someone!

I think that Nikki set a great challenge and some of my, I hesitate to say, 'good deeds' I would have done regardless of this challenge. So in the last couple of weeks here are some of the little things that I have done.
I have a couple of friends who were feeling very stressed at work and I invited them, together with another friend, for lunch to cheer them up. Unfortunately one had to cancel on the day because of a back problem but we had a long chat on the telephone and I will organise another lunch in a few weeks time.
I passed on a pile of magazines and lent books to someone who loves to read but doesn't get out much.
I sent a message of support to an ex-work colleague when I heard that her partner had moved out. I'm still hoping she will contact me as I'm a good listener and I know how devestated she must be feeling, having been there myself, albeit a long time ago.
I took clothes to a charity shop but I do this every so often and it just happened to be last week.
I assisted someone at a special needs swimming session but again I often do this so I probably shouldn't count it and I get the benefit of a swim as well.
The only other thing I have done is when I was baking some biscuits (cookies) last weekend I did a lot extra so that I could package them and give them away.This is just one of the packets.
Chocolate Crunchies
Recipe:
175g (6oz) rolled Oats
50g (2oz) soft brown sugar
120ml (4fl oz) corn oil
1 egg
125g (4oz) plain choc melted
Method:
Place the oats, sugar, oil and egg in a bowl and beat together thoroughly. Place teaspoonfuls of the mixture well apart on a baking sheet and flatten with a dampened fork. Bake in a pre-heated oven, 160C (325F) Gas mark 3, for 15 to 20 mins, until golden brown. Leave to cool for 1 min, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Spread the melted choc over the flat underside of the biscuits. Leave to slightly set then mark the choc with lines (I used a fork) and then leave to set completely.
makes approx 20.
Choc Chip Biscuits:
Recipe:
125g (4oz) butter or marg.
50g (2oz) soft brown sugar
1 egg beaten
150g (5oz) self-raising flour
175g (6oz) plain choc (chopped- I bought choc chips)

Method:
Cream butter or marg and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and sift in the flour. Mix in choc.
Put teaspoonfuls of the mixture on baking sheet slightly apart and bake in a pre-heated oven 180C (350F) Gas 4 for 15-20 mins.
Cool on wire rack
makes 16-20

I just thought you might like to see these easy recipes. There is not actually that much sugar in these recipes, so the biscuits are not too sweet, and I made batches of the choc chip with both plain and milk choc. For the crunchies I used dark choc 70% cocoa so again they were not that sweet but you could easily use milk choc.

I'm off to see what everyone else has been doing during the past two weeks so see you soon :)