Discovering a dismembered caterpillar in my freshly chopped parsley has probably been the highlight of my day today - and I don't mean that in an Emily Strange kind of way...
I also have the cold from Hell, which means that my head is throbbing, my lips are dry, my nose is snotty, my eyes are tired, and my back aches.
I have shunned the Nurofen Cold and Flu in favour of gin. If I had some chocolate, I would eat it. But I don't. Cake is the next best thing. Do feel free to help yourself:
Ingredients:
6 oz caster sugar
6 oz butter
6 oz self raising flour
3 large eggs (or 4 small)
1tsp almond essence
1 cup dried fruit - any will do, I have used unsulphered apricots chopped up small
1/2 cup nuts chopped.
Method:
Cream together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add beaten eggs little by little to avoid curdeling. Beat until light and fluffy. Add almond essense. Add dried fruit and nuts and sift the flour into the bowl. Fold together quickly so as not to 'overwork' the flour. Put into a 2lb loaf tin and bake at approx 170 degrees for just over an hour or until springy to the touch.
