Inspired and motivated

Posted on 22/11/2013 by foxglovenarrowboat

Oh my goodness, checked my blog this morning to find a new follower on there who also has a blog going. Hi Lewis & Pav if you are reading. Had to say something as not only did they leave me a lovely comment but just take a look at their website, as long as you come back look at mine;-)

http://www.edwardsnb.blogspot.com

I got reading it this morning and was hooked and I was amazed by all the baking that they do and wine making on board their boat. They wrote back to say they have another website:

http://www.narrowboatbaker.com

Sometimes things happen for a reason and today I am so glad that these guys got in contact because it has given me a bit of inspiration and motivation to get some baking done. Definitely got to try the bread, basic white Boule. It looks gorgeous. It takes you through everything step by step which is great when you are new to some recipes.

Roy will not know what has hit him. We have got the second half of the cottage pie tonight for tea with savoy cabbage again. I can’t wait as I really enjoyed it. I was so pleased with myself because it went really well and tasted good but more importantly I am really enjoying making these new recipes.

The cross stitch just isn’t getting done because I am reading lots, not just books but looking at different recipes etc., oh and also following other blogs. Where we are moving to next week I will be more on my own during the day as there will be no neighbours about so I am glad that I have an interest that can keep me busy otherwise I could get quite bored. This time next week we will have left Mercia on the way to our new home but I will be back as I have made some nice friends here. I best start making a list of recipes I am going to try out. The first thing I will make is the bread, this is one thing that I am always running out of and I have not yet used the freezer on Foxglove yet as I have been buying everything fresh but a freezer would be useful for extra bread, ice cubes (oh my goodness I love ice cubes, I can just eat them and eat them), ice creams, frozen veg and chips! You see I have been making my own chips/wedges, used veg from fresh, managed without icecream (much to Roy’s dismay) and just kept nipping to the shops when I need bread so I have managed perfectly well, just ice cubes I have had to do without. I think if I switched the freezer on though I would cook extra portions so that I could freeze it because sometime these recipes can take 2-3 hours to make. Would be great to make extra for another day.

Goodness just think, I could make my own icecream, then freeze it, bake my own bread, then freeze it, make cakes, then freeze them…………oh my goodness I am going to get even fatter!!! My head goes in over drive when I think of things like this……….just think I could start selling icecream from the boat or even homemade bread……..gosh the possibilities!!

I can hear Roy saying ( even though he is about 30 miles away at the moment) saying calm down, calm down, one thing at a time……….yes dear!!!

There is one thing I don’t lack and that is enthusiasm!

Anyway, back to the real world for a second……..we are going to see Doctor Who at the cinema tomorrow night………….next subject!!! Only kidding Roy, but yes I will be dragged kicking and screaming tomorrow night to go and watch the anniversary of the Doctor Who something or another tomorrow which Roy is really excited about………me on the other hand is not quite so enthusiastic……..I am sure I will love it. I have warned Roy I am going dressed as a Dalek! He thinks I am joking………we will see……….now where’s that plunger 😉

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday……….car boot to be done. This will be all the items that need to go from the house that we have not parted with yet. Everything has to go………I am not coming back with anything……..if it doesn’t sell on Sunday then everything else will be taken to a charity shop first thing Monday morning. We will have to be up in the middle of the night….yes at least 5.30 am as the car boot is near Nottingham and it starts at 7am!!!!!

7am!!!!! Oh goodness!!!! I am normally in the land of nod still. I know what we will be doing Sunday afternoon………..Sleeping ZzzzZZZzzzzzZZZZZ!!!

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Marks & Spencers v Domestic Goddess (that’s me by the way)

Posted on 21/11/2013 by foxglovenarrowboat

Use your imagination now here folks………I am sure you have all the seen the M&S advert for food with the seductive voice over and the romantic music etc etc, blah, blah blah……….well imagine this……

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The music is playing………my seductive voice ( ermmmm cough cough!)….
and then the food is revealed…….

This is no ordinary cottage pie this is Clare’s’ the Domestic Goddess, Cottage Pie!
Is it working???…
Oh well I did try 😉

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Well as you can see I spent a few hours in the kitchen today making this cottage pie which tasted absolutely gorgeous. On sale in a marina near you!

Go to my recipe section to see how it was made.

imageThis afternoon I spent reading my latest book with a glass of wine and a bowl crisps.

All in all a good day 🙂

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Blog Makeover

Posted on 20/11/2013 by foxglovenarrowboat

I have been trying so many recipes out, much to Roy’s delight 😉 and also found reading a good way of relaxing, that I thought I would share my recipes and books with you.

I know this is perhaps stating the obvious but you will find new tabs at the top of the screen which I will update whenever I find a new recipe or book I like.

There are also new links at the side of the screen with blogs I follow on a daily basis and also useful links that we browse quite a lot.

Roy has just said I do not need to tell people where the tabs are etc as they can see what I have done…………however viewing on a mobile is totally different from on a PC, plus I am doing the blogging so I can waffle as much as I like 🙂

It is sometimes difficult to write each day when you aren’t traveling all the time and that is a shame as I love writing, or typing as it is now a days, so this will give me a new hobby to do………..don’t expect your meals on the table every night now Roy……….I might get so engrossed in all of this blogging there may be no stopping me now!!I

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Fresh

Posted on 19/11/2013 by foxglovenarrowboat

imageimageWhat a beautiful day today. We were up earlier than normal ( shockingly) and there had been a heavy frost overnight. Wish was ready to go out as always and so off we went with camera in hand.
It was bitterly cold but the sun was still shining. It was glorious. I love days like to day, there is a real “fresh” feeling in the air.

 imageimageMost of the hire boats were all moored back at the marina all lined up ready to be cleaned. The Autumn leaves were falling all around. Really beautiful.

imageThe building work at the marina is finally underway. It will be a shame that we will miss the progress of the building works but hopefully we will be back next year when it is all completed.

imageEverywhere was very still and peaceful and all the autumn colours and flowers are looking stunning.

imageimageWish enjoyed her usual walk over the bridge and then back to the boat where I went off for coffee and cake with the neighbours, there were 7 of us and we were all chatting and laughing for so long we all ended up having lunch there also.

imageToday has been great, I even managed to have a bike ride around the marina. The fire is on tonight as it has gone really cold but it is now snug and cosy on the boat. Perfect end to a perfect day 🙂

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Success

Posted on 17/11/2013 by foxglovenarrowboat

Well my flapjacks must have very successful as they have all gone. Sat out at our new front cratch table with a cup of tea and in no time all the flapjacks went one by one shared between the neighbours. They are all still alive & kicking so they must have been ok.

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Whilst I was busy baking and being a usual domestic Goddess Roy had a big sort out in the boatmans cabin so everything was in order ready for our travels. All wood washed down, brass all polished, coal and kindling stocked up. He did a fab job.

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Even the engine got a polish up!

Wish had a visit from her furry friend, Billy the cat. She goes mad whenever I say to her “where’s Billy?”image I had to chase the cat away in the end cause it kept trying to get in the boat. Not sure how a Wish would have reacted to that as she is very protective to anyone/ or animal coming on the boat. I wasn’t going to take the risk.

imageIt has been a lovely weekend and the weather has remained dry. Snow flurries are on the way on Tuesday apparently and we are going into -3 degrees at night. Hopefully we will be on our travels and arrive at our new moorings before any freezing canals stop us in our tracks. We are all prepared, boat stocked up and uncluttered of all unneccessary items. Liking the simpler, clutter free life 🙂

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To do list :-)

Posted on 16/11/2013 by foxglovenarrowboat

Spent most of Friday running here, there and everywhere with Roy & Wish. We had a list mile long of things to do. One of the important things we had to do was to get a new button fender for Foxglove. Since the boat was painted back in May the front fender has wedged itself on an angle and every time we go in a lock the fender just swings to one side and scratches the boat. Now we can’t have that can we? We have tried all sorts of things to pound it back in place but to no avail so we have bought a new one, slightly different from the last one though. Fingers crossed this one will work. Roy thought he would practice some Russian dancing to embed it into place. He is so not funny!image

imageWe emptied all the front cratch area today and gave everywhere a good clean and finally Roy has finished varnishing and putting the new front cratch table up. This will be handy to use when sitting at the front for cups of tea etc and the all important piece of cake 🙂

Ticking the list off slowly we have just a few jobs left to do tomorrow, luckily they are all in the boatmans cabin so I am sure Roy will be disappearing for a few hours in there tomorrow whilst I cook dinner and bake some flapjacks.

imageBoth gas bottles have been changed today also which is good, otherwise another baking disaster would have been on the agenda for tomorrow. image

Another item was ticked off the list and that was to find a new mooring. A new mooring you may ask? Yes you have read correct. We will be on the move soon. One good thing is that we have no packing to do, our home moves with us. We will arrive at our new destination 1st December. New moorings in our new home ready for our new plans in the New Year. All exciting 🙂

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Technology

Posted on 13/11/2013 by foxglovenarrowboat

Laptops, i-pads, i-phones, cameras etc etc…….we all use them nowadays. In fact I take photos on my camera, upload them to the laptop then I do my blogging ……..however, no photos, no blogging fora few days because the batteries on the laptop have gone flat……not necessarily a problem unless your husband has left the charger at the office which is an hours journey away! So unfortunately all the rest of the photos that I had taken whilst we have been away are sitting waiting on the camera ready to be uploaded. So with just an i-pad to hand I am typing away on tiny screen………annoying is one word that comes to mind 😉

Well Roy ate all the pineapple upside down cake. He said all joking apart he thought it was really nice. He is still alive and kicking so it must have been ok. I put cinnamon in it and I didn’t really like the taste of it but I am not defeated I am going to try another one but slightly different ingredients. I have my little guinea pig on board to try them out (Roy)!

Woke up this morning and there was thick frost on the jetties, so much so you could scrape it up and it looked just like snow. The sun is shining though again today and I have just been out with Wish and it is actually really warm in the sun. The boat is still cosy and warm , even had the side hatches open yesterday because the sun was out, probably do the same today.

All boat work done for today so I have the rest of today to myself. Hoping to get stuck into my cross stitch today but I might read a bit more of my book. It is called “The Voyage of Princess Matilda”, by Shane Spall, the wife of actor Timothy Spall. It is the story of Shane & Timothy Spall and their Dutch barge The Princess Matilda. After a summer on the Thames they head out to sea with only a road atlas and a vast amount of ignorance- and it is absolutely terrifying!

Roy has already read it and he enjoyed it so I will let you know my thoughts when I have finished.

The kettle is whistling away so my morning coffee awaits! 🙂

 

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Memory Foam??

Posted on 09/11/2013 by foxglovenarrowboat

Now try not to laugh when I tell you this but I am not referring to any mattress, cushioning, pillows or anything like that but these are the 2 words that Roy described my cake like………..yes today I finally made my first ever Pineapple Upside Down Cake…….Roy said it had the texture of “memory foam”!! Cheeky!! imageHe ate the piece I gave to him though. I have to admit it was horrible. Took me about 15 minutes to put it together, 15 minutes to bake it, got it out the oven, turned it the right way, it was still like a foamy mixture, turned it back upside down, back in the oven for another 10 minutes and hey presto……1 memory foam cake with pineapples and cherries on!!I can cross baking cakes off the list of businesses I would ever want to run, ” should” I ever decide to go back to work. That will not be happening yet……work that is!

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We actually managed to set off reasonably early this morning, 9.30 am to be precise, but we did both have showers and I had to dry my hair off also as there was a bit of chill in the air this morning.

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It has stayed dry all day today and the sun even put in an appearance this afternoon. We managed to get to Shardlow lock where I went through it turned it around and back in the lock to join another boat……..Roy said he was very impressed how I turned the boat round so quickly……..have to admit so was I but I acted very cool about it like it was nothing but inside I was doing another one of my yes, yes yes, moments!!

Saw the Parrot brothers on our travels. They each have their own boat and one of them was similar colours to ours. Gave them both a wave……..I could see if they are still there tomorrow and offer them some of my cake……..yummy!!IMG_1087

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One man and his dog were having fun today with a ball. The dog kept jumping in the canal after the ball. The dog was really enjoying himself.IMG_1072

Roy has been busy polishing up the inside of the portholes today with brushing wax. We almost replaced most of them as we didn’t think they would come up very nice but they have come up like new. Well done Roy 🙂

imageToday has been great and we are shortly going to settle down to a film as I have just heard it doesn’t look like there is a good TV reception where we are……..No X factor tonight then! He has been fiddling with the aerial for a while and it has now gone dark so looks like a film/dvd is on the agenda. My choice tonight though if we are going to be watching a film………had to suffer Star Trek last night (actually it was quite good but don’t tell Roy that) so my turn to tonight. Might choose Bridget Jones just to see his expression on his face 😉 Oh even better, I could get the “How to do Cross Stitch” DVD out……now that would be funny!

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Good to get out.

Posted on 08/11/2013 by foxglovenarrowboat

Last night I kept waking up as I was so excited that we were going out today, finally after all the house sale etc etc. Woke up at 4am thinking only 3 hours to go as we had planned to get up at 7 so we could be off early. Woke up at 6am, 1 hour to go…………couldn’t wait……… then OMG I woke up at 8.30 am. Best laid plans and all that!!!

Anyway, after the initial shock after waking up so late, Roy took Wish out for her morning wee whilst I cooked breakfast. All the normal checks were done before we could go and a fire was lit in the boatmans cabin ready for our travels as there was a bit of chill in the air today. We also had to nip over to the shop to sort out our post as redirection has now started……………..then finally………..11 am…………we were off!!! Yay!!

I took Foxglove out of her mooring spot, perfectly may I add, one for the girls!! Waved to a few passers-by then we came to the marina exit, decision time, left or right…………..left it was. Double locks!

After 20 minutes or so there was a little spit, spot of rain but nothing too drastic. It was so nice to get out onto the canals. Then I had a realisation………….yes I have a few of these……….anyway, I realised this was the first time we were taking Foxglove out as our permanent home, the house all sold, this really was it, this was real………..our home was on the move. It felt good 🙂

Stenson Lock

Stenson Lock

Arrived at Stenson Lock and it started to drizzle a bit and just as we were going to go into the lock another boat came in with us, this made it so much easier as we didn’t have to tie up. Had a nice chat with the man on the tiller who had just sold his house, him and his wife had give up work and they had just bought their boat from Overwater Marina. The rain certainly didn’t dampen their spirits. It was the first double lock they had ever encountered. They were enjoying every minute of their new lives. He asked if we lived aboard or if we were just out for the weekend and of course it was the first time I was able to say that we were permanent liveaboards. I still get excited over the fact that we have actually done this. Finally this weekend is what it has all been about, living aboard and travelling out on the canals.

The rain turned from a spit spot, to drizzle to a heavy downpour by which time we had moored up by the Ragley Boat Stop for lunch. We only moored outside as I cooked lunch, roast chicken and salad sandwiches and the all important crisps. Sandwiches are never the same without crisps.

Had a relaxing afternoon by watching a film and then I made a start on the Bolognese that we would be having for tea. It has just finished cooking in the oven after 2 hours simmering away………..I am getting hungry and it smells divine.

We both went and read our book for an hour or so late this afternoon in the boatmans cabin as it was still warm in there. It went dark very early and as we were sitting there, actually I was a bit horizontal as I was nodding off, another boat arrived in the dark, it looked very enchanting with all its lights lit amongst the darkness. The gentleman came and knocked on our boat and said hello. He let us into a little secret that everyone will now know………..the middle bollard outside the Ragley Boat Stop has free electric!! Apparently it has been that way for about 7 years as people keep putting electric cards in the post not knowing there is already electric on there. Handy to know if we were moored there for a few days, but with the  ‘nuclear power station ‘in our engine room we can give it a miss for 1 night. Roy just explained what we have in there, so many Kilo watts, ampage or something or another.

…………I just know we have lights and power and that I am o.k with 😉

Well I am going to retire to the  dining quarters……………and enjoy my spag bol.

We will aim to get up earlier in the morning
and hopefully take some photos. Pineapple
upside down cake on the agenda for tomorrow!

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Waiting patiently…..trying to…

Posted on 07/11/2013 by foxglovenarrowboat

Well tomorrow will be 1 week since we completed on the house and the only movement Foxglove has had is from her blowing in the wind. Tomorrow will finally be the day we get to go out. Hooray!! I have waited very patiently….well sort of 😉

Roy has had lots to do this week as he has moved offices and had lots of “technical stuff” as I call it to set up, so that has had to take priority. So with not going anywhere I haven’t written much as I have just been doing my own thing, cooking, reading, chatting, cups of coffees out etc etc.

Started to make some really nice friends at the marina which is great. Starting to get out a bit which is good compared to what I used to be like. When it has been just work, more work, home, cook, clean, bed then the same thing the next day our social life went out the window years ago, it is only through having the boat that made us get out more and meet new people and now it is great. Roy says I am making up for lost time cause I don’t shut up once I start chatting.

Well first thing in the morning we will be off and I can’t wait. Bought enough food in to last for at least a week without going shopping in between, fingers crossed, and I have also bought all the ingredients to make a pineapple upside down cake. Quite excited about making this as I haven’t eaten this kind of cake since I was in my early teens. I actually found the recipe in a book I have just finished reading where the girl used to bake this cake and they actually gave the recipe to it in the back of the book. If it works out good I will let you all have the recipe and perhaps even a photo. If it goes a complete disaster there will be no photo!

Going to be cooking that spaghetti bolognese again that I tried a few weeks ago, the one where you use white wine and milk in it which I thought was strange but it was absolutely delicious.

Not sure where we are going yet, it is either left out of the marina where upon there will be double locks or right out of the marina where there is only single locks. I guess we will decide when we are leaving in the morning. Either way it will be nice to get out on the canals for a while and I am sure Wish will be pleased to discover new dog walking territory. Hopefully I will be able to get the camera out…….I will try not to take too many photos of Wish, Roy said I will bore everyone with photos of her!! She just makes me laugh and I cannot resist, plus when someone tells me not to do something I normally go totally the opposite way. Roy knows this and sometimes he tries reverse psychology on me which I know when he is doing this and I tell him so then he tries reverse, reverse psychology but then it just gets very confusing!

OMG Roy has just arrived back at the boat and said people have already got Christmas trees up at the marina! I still have my pumpkins out! I have heard it gets like Blackpool illuminations here at Christmas. I will be taking part! Ha ha 🙂

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