Egyptian Sesame Cookies (Semsemia)

When reading the GiA (Guiding in Australia July Vol 18 no 6 this is what we were told:
Egyptian recipes often utilise lentils, chick peas and other pulses. Lamb is the basic meat used. Vegetables are popular and garlic is an important ingredient in many Egyptian dishes. Citrus fruits, peaches, pomegranates, grapes, melons and bananas are locally grown. You might like to try this easy Egyptian dessert recipe in your Unit.

We then had to work out the weights and measurements- and we cheated here as we had an old lb/oz and metric weighting scale. The Guides and I just converted it from one side to the other. Then they had to weight everything twice. The conversion was more fun at one stage that the cooking. Then of course came the talk about very hot substances, the crackle and pop test and general cooking safety.

Someone did get over anxious with the peanut butter a few years later when we retried the recipe. Very sticky they were. And they stuck to the top if the mouth with too much peanut butter.


Sesame Cookies (Semsemia)
A tasty dessert. You can increase the peanut butter a little to
make it softer and more appealing to kids. Too much peanut
butter, however, makes the cookies too soft to handle.
Ingredients
1 Ib. ( 475 grams) sesame seeds 8 oz. honey (225grams)
3 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon rose water 1 teaspoon cardamom
1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped

Method
Brown sesame seeds slightly in the oven or on the stove top. Set aside. Mix hiney, peanut butter, rose water and caramon in a saucepan. Cook on a low heat until it bubbles. Stir in the seasame and the walnuts. Spread in a greased 9 x 14 inch [23 x 32cm] (or similar size) pan to cool. To serve, cut into diamond shapes.

Playdough

Great recipe for teaching kitchen safety even with the youngest of Guides.  However best done on a camp or all day activity as the dough needs time to cool down before use.

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cooking salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon of cream of tartar
• 1 tablespoon of cooking oil
• Food colouring

Mix the flour, water, salt and cream of tartar in a saucepan over medium heat until thick. Allow the mixture to cool and then add the oil and knead well over a floured cutting board or similar. Divide this blob evenly into as many colours as you'd like to make. Add food colouring to each ball until it is just the colour your child is looking for. That's it! Allow the children to let their imaginations take them away.

Sitapon

Ever think what your going to do with that tatty looking foam padding that used to be comfortable under your sleeping bag?

Is there an area that is about 30 cm square?  Good.  Having cut this to shape this will be your light weight camp sit-upon.

Sneeking in a pillow for camp.

Some people can manage without a pillow at camp, others can not. You can make a pillow by putting your spare clothing inside a pillow case and resting the case on your shoes. This method is hard to sleep on. However you know where your clothes for the next morning are, there's less ferreting about for them, and then you may be in the front of the shower line in am.  Also if emergency arises grab and run.

You can also get blow-up plastic ones which are light and small, or, you might like to just take a pillow with you. If you take a pillow be sure that it is protected from the weather. Put it into a garbage bag sealed with an elastic band until you use it at night.  I found these uncomfortable as when in deep sleep i moved around my head 'thonked' on the ground.  Then someone laughingly told me not to blow them up very much at all.  Since that time, and when I remember to pack this pillow things have gone okay for my poor head and misbegotten ears.