Pink Puppy

This is a Mitered Baby Jacket by Phazelia (Rav link only). For a friend ... a great way to use up bits and pieces of sock yarn!


Progress on the Pink Clapotis. This is for a friend who I've known since high school - since 1977. Her sister, brother-in-law, and their 3 children perished in the Victorian bushfires last month. I know this won't bring her family back, but hopefully it will provide a little comfort...


And finally a gratuitous puppy piccie (get used to it, there will be more!). This is the little black and white spotted chihuahua - 1 week old. Her eyes should be open in the next week or so.

Cake in a Mug

My friend Honeygo Beasley sent me this recipe, so of course I had to try it out! The only equipment you need is a large mug (volume ~400 ml capacity), a Tablespoon measure, and something to stir with (I used a plastic mini spatula).


5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons plain flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (microwave safe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.

Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.

Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (a bit shorter if you have a more powerful oven).

The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed.
Be warned, the mug will be very hot, use a pot mitt!

Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired - you may need to loosen the cake with a thin knife or spatula.

EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!


My verdict - I think I cooked it 10-15 seconds too long, as it was a bit dry - I prefer to aim for a moist puddingy texture. I'll experiment with additions to the mixture in future attempts, too, a teaspoon of jam would make it moister. But all in all - yes, it was super fast and definitely yummy, with potential to be even yummier!

I've finally finished the Activity Mania book! So apart from needing to cast my eye over the final pages as they come in (illustrated and laid out by their designers), and write some of my regular crosswords in advance, I'm on holidays! Hurrah! And for my first week? Cleaning the house and tidying the garden because the owners of our (rented) house will be in town next Friday and want to 'have a look over the place' because they haven't seen it for 2 years. They have reassured us that this is not preliminary to selling, though, which is a relief. But still - an unofficial house inspection - sigh.

Okay, off you go and bake your own little chocolate cake! Let me know how it turns out!

PUPPIES!!!!!

Kenya gave birth to FIVE puppies yesterday. Four girls (two black, one cream, and one white with black spots) and one boy (the grey one). Eeeee! Exciting!

We can't visit until they're around 6 weeks old, but we will get frequent photo updates. At that time the breeder will decide which two girls she'll keep, and then we can choose OUR pup.

And check out Dotter sans hair - she went the whole way at the World's Greatest Shave yesterday! I'm so very proud of her.

If you'd like to sponsor her, even just a little, there's still a week or so. Note new nose piercing - added to her grand total of 5 others (ears (3), eyebrow and bellybutton) - all done this summer (apart from 1 ear).

Today is our 24th wedding anniversary! I'm retrospectively shocked that we got married when we were 20 ... ! Despite the downs, it's mostly been ups, on balance, and it's still good :)

We're heading off to the National Portrait Gallery soon to check out the new building near the lake, and have a leisurely lunch (neither of us is frightfully well at the moment, but we should be able to manage this much). We couldn't get in to fancy pants afternoon tea at the Hyatt - they're book out a month in advance, it turns out!