Friday 24 December 2010

Oat Crackers

With Bill's impending retirement, we've been talking about what shape our days might take.  For one thing, we need to figure out lunch.  He's used to having a cook at work trying to bribe him for a raise by tempting him with chicken pot pies, Cornish pasties or, of late, Jamaican delicacies, the last cook being a young man from that part of the world.  

I'm used to stopping around 2 or 3 or even later for a piece of fruit or a pot of yoghurt, just enough to keep me going til dinner.  At the weekend I might make an omelette or some soup, but wasn't planning to do this on a daily basis.  I don't mind the cooking, it's the calories I'd like to avoid.  

Bill's happy with the idea of a snack, but mine don't appeal.  I can keep him in spice cake or homemade flapjack and offered to add whatever he wished to my pantry list, hoping it would be something that didn't appeal to me.  (If I don't want to eat it, I try not to buy it.  It just saves a lot of problems.)  We were still considering all this when he accidently made a discovery:  I'm not fond of Scottish oat crackers. 


So, having finally discovered a cracker I won't gobble down and a cheese I really don't like (it has onions in it), he's all set.  Only, in keeping with the homemade idea, he's decided to make his own oat crackers.  I came home the other day to find a cookie sheet on the stove with what looked like chocolate crinkle cookies, but without the right aroma.   I tried half of one, but wasn't very excited.  He said they were too thick and so set about finding another recipe that didn't use so much baking soda.


I'm thinking Bill's retirement may find him doing more cooking experiments.  I know Vivien's husband is enjoying working his way through a Nigella cookbook (has she made it to the States?), so it's not that unusual.  The only other man in my family who baked, however, was Grandpa.  

The one at the bottom is the store bought version.

When Bill gets his oat cracker recipe perfected, I'll be sure to share it with you.

3 comments:

Rick Stone said...

Nice that Bill is taking his lunch on himself. When Jo and I were getting ready to retire a RV friend told me that "Jo married me for better or worse but not for lunch". Lunch has pretty much been up to me for the last four and one half years. On most days I just skip it or stop at Taco Bell while I'm out running around.

Jo said...

Many retirees here have gone to two meals a day, having breakfast and their main meal at noon or 2p.m. Then something light in the evening if it is needed. Needless to say we haven't because Rick doesn't get up until 10 or later.

If that doesn't work make enought at your evening meal to freeze a serving for Bill's lunch. If it is frozen he can eat it what ever day he wants it so he doesn't have to eat the same meal two days in a row.

Pauline Wiles said...

Hmm, yes, oat crackers are OK, but I like them best when they have smoked salmon on top :)
Is there something about men and retirement which turns them to baking? My Dad now makes all the bread for him and Mum, but had to suddenly increase production when consumption practically tripled, due to the ravenous offspring returning for Christmas!