Floored (Well Sort Of!)

Nope, Pete and I haven't had a major fight resulting in me laying him out on deck!  This is what Pete has been working at this week.  He has finished preparing the floor and is now laying the floor joists at the aft end of the boat.  Now this bit is where the companionway steps (staircase!) are going and to the left is the heads (bathroom!).  Behind the ladder is where the workshop and walk in pantry are going.  (Sorry Mel, don't know the nautical terms for those!)  Now, call me an old cycnic, but I find it a little predictable that the bit of floor and bulkheads that seem to be going in first are for Pete's workshop.  He swears that it is so that he can get the heads in so that I can have a washing machine to use (he's so kind to me!)  Mind you, with all that black tar stuff that he has used on the floor, his clothes and himself, a shower and washing machine for him to use are probably a good idea! 

Tortilla Cake

I adapted this recipe from one of those free recipe cards from Sainsbury's and it is absolutely delicious, even that carnivore, Pete, agreed.  As always, very simple to make and looks stunning.  It makes enough for four people.

Ingredients:
1 onion (chopped)
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 garlic gloves
1 x can of mixed beans
1 can chopped tomatoes
100 ml veg stock
1 bunch spring onions (chopped)
1 can sweetcorn
4 tortilla wraps
100g cheese

Gently fry onion until soft, add chilli, cumin, coriander and garlic and fry for further minute.  Add beans, tomatoes, spring onions, sweet corn and stock and simmer for approx 15 mins until sauce is thicker.
Put 1 x tortilla wrap in greased baking dish, put quarter of sauce on top and sprinkle with quarter of the cheese.  Repeat 3 times, finishing with the cheese and bake at 200C for 25 minutes.  Enjoy!!!

Ouch!

No picture today, just reporting what I have been up to. I seriously ache having put in a session at the gym today. What idiot decided that exercise was good for you!! But I have discovered that I quite like the rowing machine, must be because of my love of the water! However, I really don't like the treadmill. I have to take the iPod as the tv is permanently on MTV, which drives me nuts!!! I need to keep this up and lose some weight, so expect some more moaning from me soon!

Please.....

.......can we go and play ball?

This Beautiful Life

I have had a fairly stressful day at work, we are being Ofsteded (okay I know, not good English for an English teacher!).  So far it is going well, but the proof will be in the feedback session tomorrow.  I was on my way home, crossing the reservoir when I had to stop the car and take this photo.  The sunset was so beautiful that it literally took my breath away.  It struck me how beautiful the world is around us and how we take it so much for granted.  Sometimes we need to just stop and look.

Allotment Update

It has been a while since I gave you an allotment update, so here we go....  We are still eating from the allotment - kale, brussels (and tops) cabbages, romanesco, parsnips, carrots, swede and this beauty is one of my favourites .....

....purple sprouting broccoli.

I am also getting ready for the next season, so I have broad beans thriving in pots and the following picture is of the garlic and shallots that I planted last November.  I think I will plant a few more of these in the spring as we need plenty for next winter.

I have potatoes chitting on the windowsill and will sow the celeriac very shortly.  I love that we can eat all year round from the allotment.  Last year we put all the infrastructure in place, which was quite expensive, but this year we should really start reaping the rewards.

With A Little Help.....

I put out a call for help yesterday to all my boys.  Pete had a load of wood delivered on Friday and needed help moving it to the barge.  All three answered, offering their help.  Phil worked last night so couldn't get here til the afternoon, but the other two boys turned up at 1030am ready to work, some feat considering the hangover that Stuart had!

Having shifted the pile of wood, they then helped with a large sheet of ply that was destined for the roof of the 'aft deck companionway'!

I am lucky with all the men in my life!

New Toy

As you probably know, I have been having problems getting a signal recently and it was getting very frustrating.  I like to come home from work, have dinner and settle down to read my favourite blogs and surf for new ones (I am a bit of a blog tart!).  With no signal I have been condemned to black and white war movies, programmes about WW2 and other really obscure programmes (Pete's choice!).  It was time to tackle the problem once and for all.  So I bought myself a new toy......

My phone was due for an upgrade and, with my discount, the iphone and ipad package was about the same as I had been paying previously.  I am not really up with technology, but what a piece of kit this is.  I am so impressed and can see that it is definitely the way forward for the future.  It is easy to use and clear to read (especially when the eyesight is beginning to fade!), although I do find it spooky that my phone, computer and tablet can all talk to one another!  It can also be used like a Kindle and I have been downloading several free books, not just fiction, but recipe books etc.  I am now revisiting Little Women, which I adored as a child and has not lost its charm now I am a little older.  Hopefully now I can blog a bit more often and comment on all my blogging friends posts.  Well, I have to sign off now as I have to go and play! 

Wind and Work

Along with the rest of the country, we have had some serious winds.  There was a mini tornado that whistled through the village causing destruction - starting in the Marina by dumping a brand new 30' Etap into the chandlery and ripping off roller doors from the shed, moving on to the flats and placing a shed on to a car and then a couple of factory roofs wrote off a couple more cars and so on up the village.  I have just been up to the allotment and discovered that my greenhouse is no more.  The damage has actually come from the neighbour's shed that was not secured down properly - very annoying since it was entirely preventable.

The wind stopped work on the extention for a couple of days, but Pete is back to it now and this is how it is looking right now ...

Hopefully, weather permitting, we should have a roof and walls by the end of the day.