Damn blogger ate yesterday's post. Grrrr! Let me attempt to recreate.

So there was this every evil friend named AliP (find a link to her in the sidebar) who sent me this very evil email, with a very evil, very fast chocolate dessert. Yeah! Don't you just hate her?

Let me tell you, by the time I finished replying to her (how DARE she send me such calorific and tempting recipe!) I had the recipe printed off, and I practically floated upstairs to the kitchen to gather the ingredients to test it out.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour (or 1/4 cup if you can't find your tbsp measure)

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa (or 1/8 cup)

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)

a small splash of vanilla extract

1 large coffee mug

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. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. 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!

See that picture? Before I opened the microwave door, I could have sworn the cake was going to get dumped out all over the place and mess up the clean microwave (which my hubby had cleaned only a couple days before!). Don't be alarmed? Yeah right!

This is how the cake looked about a minute before it was accosted by my fork. If you're expecting something light and fluffy, forget this recipe. I mean, come on! It cooks in 3 minutes. In the microwave oven! So yeah, the outside was a big chewy, and on the heavier side, but still good enough to eat. But then I don't have high standards as long as the chocolate levels are high. Which they were, because instead of the chocolate chips I added some shredded baking chocolate into the batter. I don't think it had time to cool off before I devoured it. HEHEH

Perhaps I may need some 5-minute cake today.

From Chaos

I learned a lesson very recently. Life doesn't get simpler if one avoids making difficult decisions, or if one procrastinates dealing with difficulties or unpleasantness that may arise. Eventually chaos reigns supreme and one has to stop procrastinating, stop avoiding, and just deal with the cards that have been dealt. Take a deep breath. Drawn the line and say "enough is enough". Not that any of that is ever easy, hence the whole procrastination and avoidance nonsense. But hey, nobody promised me a rose garden.

That's all to say that I am dealing with a lot of crap that I did not want to face up to or work out. But I don't have my own fairy godmother. So of course I am up to my ears in unpleasantness that probably wouldn't have been so unpleasant if I had not procrastinated in the first place. Yeah, yeah. Lesson learned. At the same time I am trying to teach my kid this very same lesson. How ironic. Do as I say and not as I do. Blah. You make your bed, you better prepare to lay in it...

Anyhoo...

Have I mentioned that I am on a yarn diet, a fabric diet, a book diet? Do I need to state my obvious cravings? Good grief.

I have something else to share with you. Did you happen to see Yarn Harlot's post on October 24 th? Her big news? I left her a comment. There were already over 700 by the time I finished typing mine! Because of that I copied what I wrote. Ignore the gushing and skip over to the dream part...

"You rock!

You're my hero!

Don't take this the wrong way, but I have to admit I had a dream with you in it last night. Somehow I ended up getting off a bus in your neighbourhood and you invited me into your livingroom where there were many knitters sitting around and there were lots of knitting books on tables and lots and lots and lots of high quality yarn on the floor, and then you said: "Go on, roll around in it! We already did!"

Posted by: Barbara from Nova Scotia at October 28, 2008 5:20 PM"

Yup, that was my comment in it's entirety. It's absolutely true. She replied in a personal email to say that she could totally see that happening. But that's beside the point. The point, after I got to thinking, is this, or at least how I see it. I think the dream was a sign. NO, not to fly to Toronto and invade the Harlot's privacy, but perhaps I need to de-stress by surrounding myself with knitting books, and knitting friends and perhaps even gathering my yarn stash in one place (OH MY!!) and have a good roll around in it. Because that sure would seem like an escape from chaos and stress to me.

What say you?

On the knitting front, last night I completed knitting a Christmas gift for my youngest off-spring. I have to add some dazzle to it and that's one down. Then I have a sweater to create for second off-spring. And then roll around in my stash.

When Nothing Else Comes To Mind

You Are Animal

A complete lunatic, you're operating on 100% animal instincts. You thrive on uncontrolled energy, and you're downright scary. But you sure can beat a good drum. "Kill! Kill!"

The Muppet Personality Test

Wow

I took this picture from the ValleyView Provincial Park. I was totalled wowed. That's been happening a lot lately. It's a good thing.

I think I may have developed stalker syndrome. Go visit Ducky and see if you don't. The woman is talented. Wow. I want to be like her when I grow up. Ok, admittedly I'm too lazy to take up needle felting so I guess I'll just quietly stalk her blog. You should too. The woman is a marvel.

Aren't this guys just the cutest? I've given up hope for Pandora's return. I guess that's what happens to outdoor cats. *sniff sniff* On the other hand, these guys totally don't mind the extra attention.

Happy Thanksgiving

Pointdexter wasn't overly pleased being teased by the squirrel knocking acorns off our oak tree.

I am thankful for spending a day with my family yesterday, as hubby got a day off from picking apples. He hadn't had a day off in over three weeks. I am thankful for the rain that allowed him stay home this morning for a couple hours so we could enjoy a family breakfast.

Happy Thanksgiving!

What are you thankful for?

Hump Day Randomness

Well, you knew that eventually even I would succumb to randomness.

Here's a little cartoon from Over the Hedge 2, by Michael Fry & T. Lewis, in honour of the Green Party's monumental victory to participate in the election debates. (I believe they will be televised tomorrow evening.)

Brianna's first western riding lesson, a part of an early birthday present. She loved it! This is going to cost me money, I can tell already. *Sigh*

I had to be in Bridgewater for an appointment on Monday. I managed to leave the house early enough to take a quick drive down to one of my favourite spots on the South Shore, the Crescent Beach. The tide was in, with waves crashing onto the shore in a post-Kyle storm surge. I only wish I could have sat there longer. The air was warm, despite the threatening clouds, and in spite of a couple that stayed long enough to take a few pictures, I felt alone in the world, with my thoughts and the ocean for company.

That's it, that's all. Now go out there and do some leaf-peepin' before they're gone!