Wednesday is hump day...

...and the climb up the last peak to get over the top was a slog. A day of meetings, emotionally draining encounters and new protocols at work that taxed my brain more than algebra used to.

So I am glorying in a cosy night in, eating a sumptuous chorizo bean stew (that's been cooked for me) and a glass of red wine.

Here's to Wednesday evening recharging, and that it's something everyone gets (even if not always on a Wed)

An evening in, bliss

Chocolate Muffins : Live blog

Oooh, how exciting. Rather than sit and melt my brain in front of the TV tonight I've decided to use the time since my folks left to make some little cakes, and to tell you all about it.

So, the plan is chocolate muffins. I have flour, butter, eggs and other cake-making things (oven, baking tray, a cat - admittedly that last one is optional, and not always actually helpful).

6:58 The recipe
4oz margarine
3 1/2 oz caster sugar
8 oz self raising flour
2 large eggs
1 oz dark chocolate (melted)

6:59 root in the cupboards.

• Margarine and spread are basically the same - check
• caster sugar? like regular sugar only slightly smaller - stand slightly further away from the regular sugar - check
• self raising flour - definately got that one, I think. The label has fallen off the box, but the other box says 'plain' so sherlock-style detecting says - check
• eggs - check, bought today,so all fresh and recently of chicken
• dark chocolate - check, though surely a single ounce can't be enough. Will melt 2oz, just in case.

7:03 Measuring. My ex-Home Ec teacher would be crying right now. At least I remembered to move the pointer on the scales. Flour *everywhere* when I tipped it into the mixer. Now have a grey cat.

7:06 Melting. Mmmm chocolate.

7:07 Mixing.
Push the button Max. Jush-ing away; cat gone.

7:08 Putting out into little tiny colourful cases.
Check, only a tiny bit of quality control as it goes in. Honest (yum).

7:11 Into the oven. The mix looks like tiny piles of poo. Thanks to the wonders of chemistry that will soon change.

7:12 Wait

7:20 Still waiting.

7:26 as 7:20 The sensible thing to do is to tidy the kitchen while I wait. So I've started some pastry to make jam tarts with. I'd forgotten just how much I enjoy baking. Must do more. And find people to eat the results. Volunteer in the comments - who wants a cake club? Living locally helpful.

7:27 15 minutes is up. Cakes! Out to cool, the ultimate test awaits.

7:40 And the winner is...whoever gets to eat the rest of these chocolate muffins (at least partially me).Yum.
Unfortunately the loser is whoever gets to clean the flour coated kitchen (entirely me).


Apologies if the read-through was dull. The cakes are not, I promise. If you know me off-net, live nearby and would like one (or a few) leave a message, otherwise feel free to try out the recipe for yourself.

Where's Wally?

Having just spent a few hours at a child's birthday party with him, in his'n'hers fancy dress, I can confidently tell you he is 'always in the kitchen at parties' so if you're looking for him (outside the published books) that may be a good place to start.

No pics yet, but there is at least one in existence that I will try to acquire.Picture update!

It was great fun making the outfits; hats from stripey off cuts, with pom poms wound on car journeys, a little blue skirt run together in an evening. Hubster went all out though; making glasses from cardboard, tape and spray paint, a cane from molded plastic, and a super-striped t-shirt sprayed to chemically-stinking fulfillment. Full marks for dedication, creativity and our final impressive appearance.

We've been social butterflies recently, with more events planned over the next few weekends. That's my reasoning for such quietness online and the mess in our house. May is quiet (so far), with my cute baby second-cousin-in-law's christening and a trip to Sundays at Sudley the only fixed points during weekends. It feels refreshingly un-anchored and I've been investigating some things to explore and do, including creative me-time.