Like we need more sugar

Alright, I will admit that posting a dessert recipe on Hallowe'en seems a bit much. I cannot resist, however, and this is SO easy and SO good that I'm almost tempted to whip one up tonight to savour without little chocolate beggars hanging off of me!

This came to my mom via email, so I can't reference the source, but it's delish...

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

In a LARGE coffee mug, mix:

4 tbsp flour

4 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp cocoa powder

Beat one egg, add it to the mug and mix well.

Add the following to the mug and mix well:

3 tbsp milk (soy works fine, too)

3 tbsp oil

3 tbsp chocolate chips (totally optional!)

1 small splash of vanilla

Now put the mug in the microwave, uncovered, and zap on high for 3 minutes.

If it puffs over the top, don't worry...just let it do it's thing.

Let it cool slightly, tip out onto a plate and share if you like.

Here, in all its glory, is my first attempt. I see a spooky face in there, don't you?

A Most Unusual Lunch

For a kid who will eat almost anything, the littlest monkey is stuck in a lunch rut. The usual request is for a "nibbly lunch". This involves crackers, vegan cheese (though we're not vegan), olives (black, not green), fruit, some form of protein (hard boiled egg is the preference) and sundry other things scrounged from the pantry.

I know smoothies are commonplace in many households, but Jordan loathes bananas, I'm allergic to them and I can't think of how to thicken a smoothie otherwise. I did, however, spy some frozen mango in the freezer yesterday (and actually remembered it was there today) and thought that the spotty banana could meet it's maker in the blender with some soy milk and aforementioned mango cubes. Broke out the blender and, well, broke the blender. This means that the food processor is now kaput, too. I suppose that 8 years and gallons of baby food took their toll, but I will miss it the half dozen times a year that I pull it out & dust it off. Thank goodness for the immersion blender that found its way under the Christmas tree last year.

The smoothie was a HUGE success and the remainder of the mushky banana was rolled up with some peanut butter for a "rolly sandwich". Now the odd part....spinach salad with honey curry dressing. The orange chunks in it were the appealing part, I suspect, but the spinach is sliding down as I type this, so it must be another hit from the awesome cookbook "Whitewater Cooks".

The food groups are all there, loads of colour and variety but I can't get past mixing sweet and savoury. I despite any fruit/meat combination and I think the onion in the salad would so completely not go with the sweet in the smoothie that my nose is wrinkling up even as I write this. Ah well, she's happy (with the straw for the smoothie mostly) and I feel good that loads of goodness landed in her tummy. Let it go.....just let it go.....