Chocolate Mug Cake

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE (posted on Ravelry by Gadgetgirlnz)

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

I think I'm in love with this recipe... it's magic how the cake just pops out of the mug after cooking!

Identity Crisis

WTF? Again I'm having one of my identity crises. How many of these must I endure in one lifetime? I could feel it coming on a few weeks ago and while I'm holding on tightly to my life, I can feel it building into a full-blown hurricane.

I've had many over the years, and in the end they help me successfully plan out where I'm going next in life. My 'most successful' identity crises happened when I was 22, just married and hated my job. I decided this was not how I wanted to live, and that I needed a 10 year plan. After studying First Things First I decided that by the time I was 28 I needed a job where I could work at home so when I started having kids at age 31 I could be home with them and keep my career going.

Now I'm 31, have 2 kids and work at home full-time. I have a great job, a nice house, time to go to the gym, hang out by the pool, knit, read, etc. But again I'm having an identity crisis. Feeling this upheaval coming I decided to purchase Eat, Pray, Love - the book just called to me. Last year I had contemplated reading it, but a friend read it and her review was pretty harsh... something like "the narcisstic whinings of a selfish little rich girl who dropped everything in her life to travel for a year". So far I can see why this friend had that opinion, but I don't necessarily share it. Elizabeth Gilbert's life is far from mine and I would not give up my family for a year-long trip to 3 incredible places, but I do understand the need to know myself. I just need to find a way to do it here in reality.

As I try to figure all this out for myself, here's a thought from the book I particularly like "... it is better to lie your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else's life with perfection."

Soap Socks

In the last week I've had 3 or 4 people ask me for my pattern... so I guess it's time to write it out!

Easy Soap Sock

Sugar'n Cream dishcloth solid

size 7 dpns

size E crochet hook

CO 31 and divide across 3 dpns (10, 10, 11)

Join and knit one round, when you get to the last stitch k2tog with the first stitch (10,10,10)

Rnd 2: *k2tog, yo* repeat for entire round

Rnd 3: k

Rnd 4: either begin seed stitch here, or k in new color (as pictured) for 2 rounds.

Rnd 6: begin seed stitch if you haven't all ready

Continue in seed stitch until sock measures approximately 5"

Arrange stitches on 2 needles (15,15) and turn inside out. Using a third needle, bind off using the 3 needle bind off. Weave in ends.

Crochet a cord (used color from round 4 in picture), and thread through eyelets.

Put your favorite soap in your new soap sock and tie off. Makes a great gift!

Knitting groups everywhere!

Such a different place this is... in Maine there were tons of LYS and a few knitting groups. Here there's a few LYS and tons of knitting groups. And they actually meet... on a regular basis... it's amazing. I've attended 3 meetings with 3 different groups so far. Tomorrow is a KIP at the mall. What a great way to meet people!

My sweater is coming along. I've got another inch and I can finally attach the two ends and knit in the round. I'm so easily distracted by other projects and other hobbies. We've been going to spinning class a bunch this week. It's so fun and a phenomonal workout. Last night we did Cycle Fusion where you do 40 minutes spinning and then 20 using resistance bands. My abs are killing me today. I'm down 10.5 lbs since starting Weight Watchers!

Kyle's in school, so now Greyci has the couch to herself during the day...

Progress!

After ripping out a bunch of my sweater I was pretty bummed. But I joined a knitting group Tuesday night and am almost back to where I was when I had to rip it out. A little progress! I finally got propane for my new grill. Let the grilling begin - more progress! In my first week in Weight Watchers I lost 4 lbs. So far I've lost another 2 this week. More progress! Now I just need to make it through the work week and get to the weekend...

Frogged...

I opened my knitting bag last night and pulled out the sweater that had been hibernating during the move. When I was trying to figure out where in the pattern I had left off I noticed that I had done ALL of my increases wrong.... ugh! So I ripped out 2 inches and started that part over. UGH!!!! But I deserve to have the sweater I want and if I'm going to make something that I wear, it had to be corrected since I noticed I was doing it wrong!

This is Jerry. He's super-cute and we think he's happiest on Greyci's back.

And in my first week of Weight Watchers I lost 4 lbs! Not bad... though the realist in my expects this all to revert to my starting weight any moment now.

Greyci

Here's our new baby Greyci!

She's not really a baby, but a 1-1/2 year old yellow lab mix. We got her from a family who couldn't keep her because of allergies. They got her 2 weeks ago from her owner who had to find her a new home because she moved for work and couldn't have a dog at her new apartment. And that owner got her from a shelter... poor girl has had an unsettled life. She's very good, house broken, and definitely loves us. I took her on my run tonight and she looks exhausted :)