In an old, well-kept wooden hall in the main street of Rosewood, 10 ladies are causing a bit of a ruckus.
At other times a heated discussion rebounds from the freshly painted tongue and groove walls.
The kitchen is spotless and inside the fridge sits a huge bowl of freshly whipped cream. The kettle is on and the cakes are sliced.
President Florence Hopper looks like she would blow over in a stiff wind, but when she stands and rings the bell all eyes are on her.
Mrs Hopper is a great grandmother and like many of the ladies in the room has a busy life at home or in the workforce and working hard in the community.
She said her CWA colleagues were known for being excellent cooks and crafters, but there was so much more to these modern ladies than cooking simple scones.
Most of the members cited friendship and helping the community as reasons for remaining with the CWA. These days, even men can join the group.
Florence Hopper is 87 years old and has been in the CWA for 69 years, since she was 18.
That is tens of thousands of eggs beaten, batters mixed and cakes baked.
“I really enjoy cooking. I cook all day,” she said.
“I like to exchange recipes and I have every single CWA cookbook that has come out over the years.”
The branch also puts on a monthly cent sale and offers a catering service to the local area for things like wakes.
“It’s a good way for country ladies to come together and we are always looking for new members. Come along and see if you like it,” Mrs Hopper said.
Something to Share?
One of Mrs Hopper’s favourite things to cook is a slice because they’re easy to cut up and share.
“I like cooking for lots of people. I also like to see what comes out the other end, it usually comes out pretty good,” Mrs Hopper said.
I’d like to share how to make an apple and sour cream slice. For the base you need a packet of vanilla slice mix, 125g of melted butter and one cup of shredded coconut.
Mix the base ingredients together and press into a lamington tray. I also like to put a pinch of salt in there, it brings out the flavour.
Cook in a moderate oven for 20 minutes. I use 180 degrees because I don’t used fan forced, but if you do, set your oven to 160 degrees.
For the topping you need one tin (400g) of sliced pie apples, 250g of sour cream and a cinnamon sugar mix.
To get the sugar mix combine about one teaspoon of cinnamon and about three teaspoons of sugar, then dip your finger into it and taste it. You can then add more cinnamon if you like.
After the base is cooked and slightly cooled, spread the pie apples over the base. Stir the sour cream around a bit so it’s easier to spread, then spread over the top of the apples.
Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mix over the top and put it back in the oven and cook for a further 15 to 20 minutes or until the cream is set.
I like this dish because it’s a simple recipe using packet mix off the shelf. It’s sure to be a crowd pleaser.
- Provides birthing kits to women in the Pacific Islands.
- Kits for Kids – provides a box of classroom items to school students in Papua New Guinea, Fiji and the Solomon Islands.
- Annual competitions across a range of skills such as photography, floral art, cookery, public speaking, essay writing and patchwork. You don’t have to be a member to enter.
- Student bursaries to assist with education costs.
- Created the Public Rural Crisis Fund, supporting families suffering from drought, flood or fire or for any family experiencing any type of crisis.
- Produces a quarterly women’s magazine called Ruth Magazine.
- Supports their local communites in a variety of ways.