The Dangerous Microwave Chocolate Cake-In-A-Mug challenge--cause I can't suck THAT bad can I?

So here's a little something about me: I'm a tolerably good cook, but I am an atrocious baker. I'm just no good at anything where you have to be super precise, but today I found myself on one of those recipe sites and I saw something that looked fast, fun and seriously suck-proof.

Dangerous Microwave Chocolate Cake-In-A-Mug

Recipe #338964 | 5 min | 2 min prep |

This cake is from Haydee's Chocolate Journal and is fantastic for those times where you want just one or two servings of all-natural, warm chocolate goodness. It's easily made with basic pantry items. I found the texture to be more spongy and very moist, It really was delicious. It fit perfectly in a regular-sized mug, although it did get a little messy when it puffed up. If you've got a slightly larger mug, I'd recommend using that.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons cake flour (plain, not self-rising)
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 dash vanilla
• 3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

1. Add dry ingredients to the mug; mix well with a fork.

2. Add egg and mix thoroughly.

3. Pour in milk, oil, and vanilla, and mix well.

4. Add chips, if using.

5. Put mug in the microwave, and cook for three minutes at 1,000 watts. Cake will rise over the top of the mug -- do not be alarmed.

6. When finished, carefully remove mug from microwave and allow to cool a little. Tip onto a small plate prior to serving, if desired.

7. Yields one generous serving or two "more virtuous" servings.

The ratings on the recipe were fabulous and seeing that it only took two minutes and I (lo and behold) already had these items in the house I decided I would try it out. I did leave out the vanilla and chocolate chips but I figured that they wouldn't make much of a difference. The Lowdown: I'm CRAP at baking. I even managed to screw THIS up. I think maybe three minutes was a little long in my microwave. Right after sticking a fork in the substance, which was a not-so-distant cousin of concrete, it began to turn hard and rubbery. My only satisfaction came from the fact that my mug was the perfect size and it didn't spill one drop in the microwave.

Seeing how the multiple ratings were so fabulous I have decided to issue a challenge to all. Think of it as a free blog post and a chance to do some fun easy baking with the kiddies, or maybe you just need a quick easy chocolate fix. Try out this recipe. Post a picture and tell me how it went. Then I can truly know if perhaps I REALLY am the worst baker ever. Feel free to experiment, just don't change the recipe basics, then share your experience.

I promise it takes less then two minutes and you just have to wash a fork and a mug! I'm really looking forward to the feedback!!!

because I revel in the misfortune of others

all good things must come to a bitter, tragic end

As this year starts nearing to a close I've been looking back on some things and seeing which matters went well and which veered completely off course and crashed into a truck carrying crates of chickens.

One thing in particular that didn't go quite as I expected was The Great Blog Off. Initially started as a contest between Stubborn Foodie and myself and then expanding to include my sissy, Easily Amused, and my lovely friend Cheesy Goodness; the Great Blog Off was a competition to see who could post the most blogs throughout the year. Who would have thought that my sister would murder us all in the posts category? Even more shocking to me was the fact that Cheesy was in fact very deeply hedged in the second place spot with me bringing up a distant third and Foodie who was the "original" blogger so far behind I couldn't even smell her usual scent of baked goods.

Now I know that Foodie and I can both cry foul with our computer issues but in the end we really did just get out-blogged by the two people that I thought would do it the LEAST. So bravo to my sister and Cheesy!! You two win the prize!! (Just as soon as I get a suitable loveliness).

So now that I have tasted defeat---and it tastes like bile--who wants in on the next years GREAT Blog Off??? We'll start fresh and on equal ground on January 1st. I think we'll all be back to working computers, and we have some time to be thinking of fun posts as the start date approaches. Remember its all about quantity, not quality people (ok so if you want people to actually read it that might be flip-flopped). So hop on the band wagon. Remember its a win win, the more people who participate the more posts you have to read, besides everyone needs GOALS. It will motivate you! If you've just been a lurker as of late and thinking about starting to blog or just slacking on your posts, now's the time!!
PS... You're all still tagged. Please refer to previous post!!

Its all about Me Me Me!

Whats your Favorite brand of jeans?

I love me a pair of Silver Jeans. Extra bonus would be a flare cut. They are just really flattering, and they usually fit really well. Basically I love anything that cuts down on the size of my thighs like any other good red blooded American woman.

What is your favorite restaurant? What do you get there?

The Cheesecake factory is my favorite. I love that it has a huge menu and you can take even the pickiest person cause there's something for everyone. I LOVE the avacodo egg rolls. The toss up is usually the Chicken Madiera or the Miso Salmon. ::Homer Simpson Gargle::

What is your current favorite song?

Hmmm... Its a little older but I sorta love "Come on Get Higher" by Matt Nathanson. I don't know why it gets me, I just love the lyrics.

What's your "type"? Is that what you ended up with?

My type is most definitely dark hair, dark eyes, and usually darker in the skin tone area. Facial hair is a bonus. Not a whole beard. I like me a goatee. All men look better with a goatee. I prefer stocky rather then tall and skinny. Oh and hair, cannot emphasize how much I like a man with good hair. I pretty much hit the nail on the head... even if he's become such a skinny puppy!!

What is something unusual about you?

Well... here's one some might not know. Here I am; a tolerably good artist, drawer, painter, whatever, but I cannot for the love of all that's holy paint my own nails or toes. Its always a total fiasco. Thats what Randy is for :)

How do you describe your everyday style?

Pretty much on the business/classy side. I like to get tailored pieces and put them with jeans or hoodies or something else to funk it up. Throw on a long necklace and big hoops or other big earrings. We'll just say this.. my casual, isn't all that casual. I almost NEVER wear T-shirts.

What were the last three movie you saw? How were they?

Lets see... Transporter 3: The first one is still the best. Entertaining, in an action sorta way. Jason Statham is hot (for a English guy with no hair). Role Models: So funny. I laughed so hard. I love these new slightly crude but have a sweet side comedies. Hilarious. Bolt: Cute. Saw it in 3-D. Love Rhino the Hampster and the pidgeons.

What are your favorite TV characters?

How could you not enjoy someone so sarcastic and horrible as House?? Love him. He's such a jerk. I really enjoy Dwight on the Office. What a fruit loop. Oh and Christine on The New Adventures of Old Christine. If you've never caught it, you gotta see it. So funny!

What was the last book you read? How was it?

The last thing I read was The Joy Luck Club, and strange to say, but the movie is tons better. Really excellent film. I also just read The Longest Road Home by the author of Marley & Me. I forget his name. Easy read, entertaining, a tear jerker at the end.

You are asked to bring your best dish to a party, what do you make?

Ummm... Chicken Satay, or Guacamole. Come to think of it, fettucini alfredo with shrimp is usually received well.

What qualities do you find attractive in your significant other or a prospective one?

Randy is really confident. Thats really attractive. And of course a sense of humor. I tend to like people that are quick witted. And lets not under estimate the importance of good manners. Total deal breaker.

Is there a song that everytime you hear it, it reminds you of a certain memory? What is it and why?

So many. Songs are like life markers. UB40 will always remind me of summer and my sister. Come on Eileen--going to football games with Kristen in the trooper. That Discovery Channel song reminds me of clubbing with Suzi. Bitter Tears by INXS will always be torturing Amber. Lit is when I was first getting to know Randy. And Rollin by Limp Bizkit will always be my Heathen Diana song.

Do you swear?

Sometimes. Especially when driving. But I can turn it on and off reasonably well depending on the company.

What is your worst vice?

PROCRASINATION. Did I mention I haven't bought a single Christmas gift? No worries I have lots of worn socks guys.

Yeah yeah, being materialistic is bad. What is your favorite THING you own right now?

At this second?? My new Computer. Then my Murano is always way at the top of the list. Its sexy.

Coke or Pepsi?

Pepsi. My biggest love and worst nemesis. I'd rather have a big ole Pepsi then an icecream cone.

Beach, Mountains, Big City, Country, or Desert?

Beach! oh the beach! I LOVE San Diego. I wish I could live there. It just gives me the happy pee shivers.

Whats your favorite Candy?

At the moment I have almost overdosed on chocolate-covered Cinnamon bears. I don't think I have one just in general.

If you could dress your significant other (or prospective mate), how would you dress them? What do they usually wear?

Lucky for me, Randy knows the secret to dressing well: asking me if something looks good on him. LOL. Actually Randy has always dressed up to date and well. However if I could I would put him in one of those dress shirts and sexy vests with some distressed jeans. I don't think he'd ever go for it. A little TOO dressy for him.

What is your favorite dessert?

I like Pastries a lot. Probably because most of them are on the blandly sweet side. I had this friend who was gonna make me creme puffs one time... I also love tempura fried bannas and icecream. Tasty.

Whats your least favorite fashion trend?

SKINNY JEANS. Ugh... personally I think even if you can pull them off tolerably well you would still look better in ANYTHING else. So unflattering . If you're gonna wear them I hope its with BOOTS.

How much did you love doing this??

Hey if I can tag EVERYONE then I will at least have SOMETHING to read. There has been a scandalous lack of posts from everyone lately! Get going, and leave a comment you slacker lurkers!!

I feel a make-out session coming on

I mentioned in an earlier post that we've recently made some big purchases. I finally gave up all hope for a Mac and decided a PC is better then nothing. Which is what I would continue to have for the three years it would take me to save up 3000 dollars without touching it. I lack self control. I admit it. Something would indefinitely keep coming up and the Mac-stork would never arrive.

So I know I said I would never own another, but Dell really did have some screaming deals. Besides my other issues all stemmed from our previous Dell being a laptop so I shouldn't encounter any of the same troubles this time around. Not only that but it seems my family has their very own Dell Technical Support whether she wants to be supportive or not (sorry Mel! Expect a call from me if I can't figure out how to set my TV up through it alone). Introducing the new desktop:



New desk, new printer, new high speed internet. Damn is that sexy or what?? I'm so enamored with the 24 inch monitor that I wanna open-mouth kiss it. Finally photo editing will not involve any nomad-type maneuvering. We've only been seeing each other for about a week but I think that maybe I'm in love. But I'm gonna wait till it says it first.

Bah Humbug!!

In the spirit of the season I thought it was time to spout off some festive crap followed by a disclaimer stating how this season has been good for me and how that means bad things for YOU as my friends and loved ones. So without further ado...

Every year right around this time I am once again reminded why I detest Christmas music SO much. Every store I walk into has the mindless droning of a musician who thought a Christmas album would be great to pad the ole pocket book. I'll go ahead and compare it to say... the Twilight movie. Its the music version of that. Lets hurry and make it and shove it out there to be bought by the masses while its marketable, who cares if it's MADE well? Anyway... I digress. Don't get me wrong. There are some good ones out there, but you can only play them so many times in a space of time between Halloween and Christmas (Thank you Cozy and FM100 for singlehandedly making my ears bleed) before you gotta start filling in the holes with the real stinkers. The following is a list of songs that if I never hear again I won't be all peein' my pants about:

5. Wonderful Christmas time by Paul McCartney. Love love love it when he tries to get that extra syllable to fit.
4. Little Drummer Boy by David Bowie and Bing Crosby. Say what?? Who said, "ya know, I know who would just be GREAT together!!"
3. Anything sang by the Chipmunks, Muppets and or fictional cartoon or holiday characters. Do I have Barney playing in my car? No. I don't wanna hear its equivalent sang while I'm shopping either. 'Nuff said.
2. Grandma Got Ran Over by a Reindeer by Dr Elmo. I can't believe stations even PLAY this. They are probably the same people that think Larry the Cable Guy is funny.

And finally the one you are all waiting for...

1.The Christmas Shoes by Newsong. Oh holy night, is that a BAD song. The person who wrote it should be publically flogged.

Did I miss anything??

And now on a last note, this year Randy and I decided that the bargains were too good to pass up, Christmas or no, on some things we have wanted for a long time. We recently purchased both a new desktop (post coming about THAT later) and a new flat screen TV. What does that mean for you??? You're all getting an old sock with candy in it. Sorry guys!

sweet sweet oblivion

Today my uterus tried to stage a coup. It mustered it's buddies; the Fallopian Tube brothers and Ovary twins to shake things up. Apparently it thought I would just roll over (without popping open my ever present mammoth sized bottle of ibuprofen) and DIE???

Silly, silly, little uterus.

I have since reestablished my tyrannical rule.

Peace out.

babies scare me...

Its true. I am an annomaly, unique, a genetic freak of nature if you will---but its all true. Lets talk a moment about babies.

I am the youngest of two and my sister is considerably older then me. All my close friends growing up were all the babies of the family or pretty close to it. I never babysat and never had any inclination to. I don't have any kids, and for the most part, have had no desire to have any. Thats right. Somewhere in my genome sequence I missed out on that little guy that gives you a maternal instinct. When they were passing out hot heaping shares of "subconscious need to love anything soft, pink, and mewling" I was in the "sunshine, puppy dogs and lollypops, lala lala la!!" line.

I know some find stance on this topic completely unatural and think theres something wrong with me and thats fine. I, for the love of all that's holy, can't figure out why people wanna have whole litters at 18---so we're even. Its not like I haven't thought about it, and in the end I just came to the conclusion that I invest everything I have into ONE relationship--two, or heaven forbid more then that, would just not work for me. In essence i am too selfish an individual: I like money and things. Kids are expensive. I like to travel. I wanna go to places with a startlingly lack of grown men dressed as cartoon charecters. I like time to immerse myself in my interests. They do not include feces and or any other bodily expulsions.

Strangely enough to some, I'd much rather deal with teenagers. I get along marvelously well with teens. They are a little irrational at times, but look at my family! Thats nothing new. The Crazy is always showing out this way. So bring on the sullen teenagers. Especially the boys, they are less drama. And they don't crap their pants. I say that puts us on a level playing field.

My friend Di has a fabullous list she recites, titled: Another Reason Not To Have Kids. Perhaps she'll post it. Its hillarious.

In the meantime go ahead; cheer me on, pity me for my bad judgement, laugh, or maybe feel a rise of religious indignation about my decisions. Just don't call me to babysit.