Chocolatey Goodness

I kyped this from Marjorie M. Liu's blog because it looks so amazingly sinful and easy and wonderful and I'm going to try it this weekend, South Beach Diet be damned! LOL

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons cake flour ( that's plain flour, not self-raising)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
a small splash of vanilla essence
1 coffee mug

Put dry ingredients in mug 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 essence, and mix
again.
(you can also do all the above in a bowl and then pour it in your
mug)

Microwave 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!

Note: This can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous.

I Am A Lobster

Yesterday there was a celebration for the successful launch of a project at work. We went to this fantastic British-style pub down town and had all sorts of great food, beer, wine and desserts. We also played lawn bowling on a green they put on the roof of the building.

Books Read in July

1. Master by Collette Gale -- A delightful and rather sensual retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo.
2. Bollywood Nights by Shobhaa De -- Being unfamiliar with Bollywood and Indian culture so this book was an interesting read for me.
3. Blue Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas -- A follow up to LK's first Contemporary Romance, Sugar Daddy.
4. Fallen by Erin McCarthy -- A fallen angel over coming addiction. A woman who's family appears to be caught in a pattern of addiction and death. New Orleans. What more do I need to say. *grin*
5. The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot -- Better than the movies!
6. The Horsemaster's Daughter by Susan Wiggs -- Book 2 of SW's Calhoun Chronicles. Recently re-released.
7. Tribute by Nora Roberts -- Another great contribution by Nora!
8. Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich -- I could have used some more Ranger, but book 14 of JE's Stephanie Plum series is a great, fun read.
9. Flashpoint by Jill Shalvis -- Firemen. Need I say more? This Blaze novel is the first in a short series. The next book comes out in August.
10. Into The Fire by Suzanne Brockmann -- Book 13 of SB's Troubleshooter series. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
    
11. Ready by Lucy Monroe -- Book one in LM's Ready, Willing, and Able trilogy. April suggested these books to me a year or so ago. Ready was worth the wait.
    
12. The 5th Horseman by James Patterson -- Book 5 of the Women's Murder Club series. A strong addition.
    
13. The Iron Hunt by Marjorie M. Liu -- Book 1 of MML's Hunter Kiss urban fantasy series. (not including the short in the anthology Wild Things). Darker than her Dirke & Steele series, but very satisfying.
    
14. Sweet Talk by Susan Mallery -- Book 1 in SM's Keyes Sisters trilogy. Book two is out in August and book 3 is out in September.
    
15. Why Work Sucks and How To Fix It by Cali Ressler & Jody Thompson -- If you feel caught in a work world that no longer makes sense, this is the book for you! I've been reading it and it makes me angry and hopeful at the same time. Angry that in this global economy, we are tied to 9-5 and inflexible rules around the nature of work. Hopeful that there are people out there questioning outmoded/outdated assumptions and doing something about it. Thanks for this book!