Crick

Living on a boat you have to plan whenever you need to use large electrical items like the washer/drier or the vacuum cleaner. The washer is designed to only work when the engine is running or when we’re plugged into the mains in a marina and although the vacuum cleaner will work off the batteries it would take a long time to re-charge them so I tend to only use it when we‘re moving.  Monday is housework day and when we set off this morning at 11.00 I spent 1 ½ hours going right through the boat, dusting and hoovering. I’d much rather do this regularly in short bursts than let it build up when it would take me longer to get everywhere clean again. I’ve found that dust is the main problem on the boat and when the sun comes out it shows every last little speck. I suppose you get the same amount of dust in a house but you don’t notice it as much.

Monday is also baking day and today, along with the bread, I made an apple and sultana cake.  This used up a couple of the cheap baking apples I bought last week in Leicester but would be just as good with windfalls in the Autumn. Because it uses apple puree the cake is very moist and keeps well in an airtight container for about a week.

Recipe
2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
5oz. Butter (we’ve gone over to Flora Buttery as it’s supposed to be healthier but still tastes like butter)
5oz. Soft brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4oz. Plain flour
4oz. Wholemeal self raising flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
4oz. Sultanas
Soft brown sugar for sprinkling

Over (Gas 4 house) Gas 5 boat

Cook the apples in a small pan until soft and either mash or seive to make a puree.
Grease and line a 7inch round tin.
Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer till light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs a bit at a time.
Fold in the dry ingredients and then add the sultanas and apple puree to make a soft batter.
Pour into the tin and sprinkle brown sugar on the top to make a crust.
Bake in oven for about 1 hour. Leave to cool for 15 minutes in the tin then turn out onto a cooling rack .

We’re now on the visitor mooring in Crick Marina as we’ve come to meet up with our friend Keith who moors his boat here and go into the village tonight for a meal. The mooring costs £10 per night  including electricity.