Flapjacks and nuisance calls

If you are coming to work with us in Clearing you will need to be very careful about switching off your phone before starting work.  If it rings you are fined cake!  That means bringing cake for the whole office and if you leave it too long it turns into a pizza debt.

The most unfortunate timing for me occurred on the day I brought in a cake just because I felt like it and then my phone went off at 5.29pm – a minute before the office closed. We are not allowed to ‘bank’ cake points so I still had to bring in a cake my next shift.  Even worse was finding out that it was an unsolicited call – aaahhhh!

We were talking in the office about making all potential candidates bring in a cake as part of the interview process to assess their suitability for joining our teams but then thought it may be a little mean. 

Last week I paid my fine with flapjacks.  They are incredibly easy to make and contain lots of goodies.

Flapjacks

75g (3oz) butter or block margarine

50g (2oz) soft brown sugar

30ml (2 level tbsp) golden syrup

175g (6oz) rolled oats

Grease a shallow 7” (18cm) square cake tin

Melt the butter, sugar and syrup together in a saucepan over a low heat, then pour it onto the rolled oats, Mix well, turn the mixture into the prepared tin and press down well.

Bake in the oven at 180^c C (350^oF) gas mark 4 for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.  Cool slightly in the tin, mark into fingers with a sharp knife and loosen around the edges.

When firm remove from the tin, and cool on a wire rack, then break into fingers.  The flapjacks may be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

I added a handful of coconut and another of raisins – quite delicious!

As I was searching for pics of flapjacks I came across a great article entitled “How to cook perfect flapjacks” by Felicity Cloake.  For any aficionados out there I would thoroughly recommend it as a sound bit of research (see link below).

…and speaking of unsolicited calls I was watching an item on the news about it last week and viewers sent in various tips for dealing with them.  My favourite was from the viewer who hands the phone to her toddler who enjoys a good chat.

When I am not highly irate at being interrupted once again, I may decide to have a little fun with  my responses.  These are some:

If they ask for Mrs ……. I may reply that “Sorry she’s dead” – a bit macabre but it works!

If they ask if I am the householder, or Mrs …., I say “Sorry I’m only the cleaner”

If they want to repair my computer I ask what a computer is and say I haven’t got one.

If they want to double glaze the house, I say that I really like it cold.

  

Sources: 

Flapjack recipe:  Good Housekeeping Cookery Book (1992) Ebury Press

Unsolicited calls: http://www.91mobiles.com/blog/4471/TRAI+on+Unsolicited+commercial+calls++UCC+.html

Not another telemarketer cartoon: http://www.cliffshomette.com/unsolicited-phone-calls/

Flapjacks research:   http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/mar/10/how-to-cook-perfect-flapjacks 
Flapjack pic: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1430/golden-orange-and-walnut-flapjacks