5-Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

I've received the following e-mail twice in the past few days, so considered it my civic duty to try this and pass the results on to you.

To All my "Chocaholic Friends" and those who just might have an occasional sweet tooth.

Subject: Fwd: 5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

The 5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons cake flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk (I used half and half)
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
a small splash of vanilla (1/4 tsp.)
1 coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.
Add egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk
and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla, 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!

Me, not being alarmed, but can you see how high it got:

Although it shrunk pretty quickly (like a frightened turtle):

Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. So...here's my review:

After I removed the cake (which came out very easily) from the mug, I discovered all of the chocolate chips had sunk to the bottom. I cut the cake in half, as it makes a fairly good sized serving, and cooled it in the freezer for a few minutes. I iced the half that didn't have the chocolate chips, with some buttercream I had in the fridge; it's not a terribly sweet cake. The texture is somewhat rubbery, and gets more so as it continues to cool. The half with the chocolate chips was better, and probably would have been tastier if eaten warm.

This would be a fun project for kids, but they may not eat the finished product.

If it was 2 a.m. and I had the chocolate DTs, I'm not sure if this would cure my problems or only make me go out in search of the hard stuff. The last picture from above is what I DIDN'T eat, and you all know that's a rarity for me.

**UPDATE** HA! Look what I found when I was randomly clicking the Next Blog button: http://mrdoc2006.blogspot.com/

Holiday World

Holiday World and Splashin' Safari is an amusement park in Santa Claus, Indiana that boasts "soft drinks are always free and unlimited!" Something tells me they'll be rethinking that policy when they see this:



Click to enlarge picture.

Photo courtesy of Bridgie "Large and In Charge" McBridgerton.

I loves me some Jib Jab

I've been told, "you need help" by more than one person after they've received one of my Jib Jab creations. Don't be hatin' on my creative expression, people. My friend, Mr. J., is one of my favorite Jib Jab-ees. I asked him if it was okay to post some of the videos I made that he starred in. He agreed, but did acknowledge he was "concerned about sexual predators." You really can't blame him; that man rocks a unitard like nobody's business:

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Mr. J. was born to dance:

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Missy J. just had to get in on the act:

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Mr. J.: If Jib Jabbin' you is wrong, I don't want to be right.

Jackass of the Month - September

From The Dallas News:

Banana chasing gorilla stunt at Flower Mound High football game gets teens arrested

Police and school officials in Flower Mound do not mess around. They apparently do not have a sense of humor either.

Two students pulled a relatively hilarious and harmless prank during a Flower Mound High School football game on Friday night. One dressed as a banana and the other as a gorilla and, shockingly, the banana chased the gorilla across the football field.

As the YouTube video shows, the cops didn't think it was very funny and arrested the teens. But a spokesman for the Flower Mound police threw school officials under the bus, telling reporters that it was the district that demanded the cops take the teens to jail, where they stayed overnight.

A Lewisville Independent School District spokeswoman did not dispute that claim.

"When students disrupt an educational environment or an educational program, we will press charges," spokeswoman Kern Permetti told NBC 5.




I'm all for law and order, but come on...this was good, clean fun. So, my first Jackass of the Month award will be shared by the Flower Mound Police Department and Lewisville Independent School District Administration. It's pretty bad, people, when I'm telling you to loosen up.

Happy Birthday, Robin!!

Picture it...

Indianapolis - September 22, 1989. A much younger, fatter - SHUT IT - and extremely uncomfortable me anticipating the arrival of someone wonderful. Finally, a choir of angels sang (or I screamed) and there she was, Robin Elaine, in all her glory. Yeh, she looked like ET, but I thought she was bee-yoo-tee-ful. I couldn't wait to get out of that hospital and take my precious baby home. Once there, I asked myself:

"What the hell am I supposed to do now?"

Luckily, she made it easy for us since she was the sweetest, most congenial baby (after the first few weeks) who has since grown into the beautiful, kind and intelligent young woman we know and love today.

Happy 19th Birthday, Robin!

Colts 21, Jaguars 23

What started off as a beautiful thing, ended up a big, steaming pile....

Well, shiver me timbers!

Arrrr!!

I don't know how this escaped me, but thanks to my co-worker Jenni, I discovered today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. If you're so inclined, check out this link to learn to talk like a pirate. There's also pirate advice, pirate pick-up lines, and pirate fun-n-games for the whole family!

Take a fun quiz and find out your Pirate Name! (Bloody Bess Kidd, here: Every pirate lives for something different. For some, it's the open sea. For others (the masochists), it's the food. For you, it's definitely the fighting. Even though you're not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr!)

Here's Jenni celebrating the day with the ever faithful, fashionable and patient, Flat Cat:



Jerry may not want to be a pirate, but Kramer does!