For Carla

I am sorry that I haven't posted for some time but I haven't been able to get a signal and although I can read your blogs at work and comment on some, I can't actually post on my own blog from there. My cyber friend, Carla Yvonne ( http://anthonetta.blogspot.com/ ) who lives on a Dutch barge with her husband and travels around The Netherlands, asked to see a picture of the shape of the barge.  So here it is.  It is very much a 'work in progress', there is a back porch to go on yet and we intend to break up the line of the upper front deck with some sort of railings.  We will eventually have a 'lid' over the entire aft deck, as, in the UK, it is either too hot in the summer or chucking it down with rain!  With a lid, we can use the deck all summer.  We have been given two lovely great big portholes and are trying to decide where we are going to put them.  Any suggestions?

Mushroom and Cashew Stroganoff

I seem to have a thing about mushrooms at the moment,  I can't get enough of them!  As I type, I am waiting for some stuffed mushrooms that are cooking in the oven for my dinner.  This is another of my very quick, cheap and healthy mid week specials.

250g mushrooms
150g unsalted cashews
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp paprika
200 ml veg stock
100 ml low fat creme fraiche

'Toast' the cashews for a few minutes in a dry frying pan, remove from pan.  Fry the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft, add mushrooms and cook for 5 mins.  Add paprika and stock and simmer for another 5 mins.  Add creme fraiche and cashews and simmer for a further 3 minutes.  Serve with tagliatelle or rice.

No picture I'm afraid, so you will have to trust me that it is delicious xxx

Mast off - Season Finished

This is Moana, the boat that Pete sailed at the weekend.  Today Mouse took her out of the water, took the mast off and laid her up in the Sailing Club car park.  When the car park is full of yachts that's when I know that summer is definitely over.   Still, we have the Laying Up Supper to look forward to in a couple of weeks.  Will have to dig out the posh frock!