A Woman's Work is Never Done!

I wouldn’t like any of you to get the idea that Mike is the only one doing the hard graft round here and that I just swan around the place taking the odd photograph etc., etc!!!

Please note – I favour the more eco-friendly method of poo picking!  Apart from anything else it’s good for the ageing waistline and since I’ve always got plenty of home-made cake in the larder supposedly just for our B and B guests, I need all the help I can get.

 

This photo of me in action was actually taken yesterday morning and proves that we have had some sunshine this week.  It’s not like that today!!!!  It is dry to be fair but it’s overcast with a chill easterly wind.  However, the land is starting to dry out now.  I’m glad that our land is pretty dry anyway, as I keep seeing photos of people’s fields that are just a sea of mud. That must be really tough.

Talking of cakes, my favourite 100% reliable cake is a fruit cake that I’ve adapted from a Mary Berry recipe.  My version is a bit cheaper and I think tastes just as good.

Ingredients:

450 g. (1lb) mixed dried fruit

100 g (4oz) butter or margarine

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

175 g (6 ozs) light brown or caster sugar

275 g ( 10 ozs) self raising flour

2 tsps ground ginger – optional

225 ml (8 fl. ozs.) water

 2 eggs beaten

Makes one 20 cms (8”) deep round cake.  I usually pop a cake tin liner into the tin which saves time which I am all in favour of.

Put fruit, butter, soda, sugar and water into a pan and bring to the boil for a couple of minutes.  Cool.  Then add flour, beaten eggs and ginger or preferred spice if using.

Cook at 160 degrees (325F, Gas 3 for about 1 ½ hours.  I usually check after an hour to make sure it’s not browning too much and if it is, then I put a bit of paper or foil over the top.

This cake does freeze well

I usually make at least two at a time and try to be strong-willed enough to freeze at least one of them!!