Fantasy Veggie Dinner Guest - ADRIAN MOLE

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ by Sue Townsend was published in 1982 and recounts the events of a hapless teenage boy in 1981-2. My friends and I were of a similar age and we loved reading it and quoting parts of it. I put it aside as I grew up myself but then, about ten years ago, I re-read it, along with the rest of the books in the series which  had been published since. I thought it would be a bit of nostalgia but I realised just how much I had missed first time round, particularly the literary references and highly intelligent in-jokes.

This is an entry from March:
Cleaned toilet, washed basin and bath before doing my paper round. Came home, made breakfast, put washing in machine, went to school. Gave Barry Kent his menaces money, went to Bert Baxter’s, waited for social worker who didn’t come, had school dinner. Had Domestic Science – made apple crumble. Came home. Vacuumed hall, lounge, and breakfast room. Peeled potatoes, chopped up cabbage, cut finger, rinsed blood off cabbage. Put chops under grill, looked in cookery book for a recipe for gravy. Made gravy. Strained lumps out with a colander. Set table, served dinner, washed up. Put burnt saucepans in to soak. Got washing out of machine; everything blue, including white underwear and handkerchiefs. Hung washing on clothes-horse. Fed dog. Ironed PE kit, cleaned shoes. Did homework. Took dog for a walk, had bath. Cleaned bath. Made three cups of tea. Washed cups up. Went to bed. Just my luck to have an assertive mother!

Let's have Adrian round to dinner then, and make the crumble for him. 

Apple Crumble

400g cooking applesjuice of half an orange
50g caster sugar
175g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
75g butter, cut into chunks
75g brown sugar

Peel and slice the apples.
Place in a dish.
Sprinkle over the caster sugar and spritz with the orange.

Mix the flour with the baking powder.
Rub the butter into the flour.

Stir in the sugar.

Place the topping over the top of the fruit.

Cook at Gas 6/ 200˚C for about half an hour.

Lovely with a bit of custard.