Coffee @ Starbucks

Corky and I met Liz at Starbucks this morning. We went to our usual one in Brea that has a nice patio and lots of people. Corky likes watching the people and the other dogs.

But then he gets bored when Liz and I talk too long.

[Look at the cute little curl under his chin.]

I don't think either Corky or Liz wanted their picture taken.

But Corky was willing when I dangled a bag of treats under the camera!

I took Liz a slice of the Chocolate Mug Cake - she thought it was okay. Bet she makes one at home!

Just Wicked! 10-03-08

The Five-Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

I received this recipe the other day and then again today from someone else. Of course, I had to test it before I pass it on. And I discovered that it is indeed dangerous. Don't blame me - I'm on a diet too.

When it comes out of the microwave it looks like this. If you can see into your microwave while things are cooking, it expands straight up and even leans a bit. But the minute you cut the power the cake recedes into the mug. If you don't have a spray oil, just oil or butter the cup so the cake will come out in one piece.

Yes, it looks warped and not very pretty. It is very dense, like a flourless chocolate cake. I think the chocolate chips are important - I didn't have any left for this cake.

As you can see it will cut into four generous slices plus the thinner top [so the cook can test for flavor]. Or, if you are on a chocolate binge, eat the whole cake and don't leave any evidence. This cake took longer than five minutes because I had to pause for photos. The others took five minutes.

FIVE MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
1 Coffee Mug
4 tablespoons flour (that's plain flour, not self-rising)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
Small splash of vanilla

Put dry ingredients in mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Add the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave (on a paper towel or paper plate) 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 and eat with a fork. Or, if desired, forget sophistication and eat it out of the mug with a spoon.

* For extra pleasure be sure to have vanilla ice cream or cool whip on hand.
And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night.

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well . Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Add the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave (on a paper towel or paper plate) 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 and eat with a fork. Or, if desired, forget sophistication and eat it out of the mug with a spoon.

* For extra pleasure be sure to have vanilla ice cream or cool whip on hand.

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

A few notes Verna found to be helpful:
>Mix the cake in a small bowl . Lightly spray the mug with Pam. Pour the cake mixture in the Mug. Follow the above directions for baking.

>I added 2 tablespoons of chopped pecans and stirred real well but as the cake baked all of the pecans came to the top.

>I laid the cake down on the side and sliced it into round pieces. It was enough to serve four people about a one inch slice.

Del's notes: I made the cake three times - once in the mug, once in the bowl and poured into the mug, once in a 1-quart, Ziploc freezer bag and poured into the mug. I think the bowl works best because it is easier mix everything together very well.

I wonder if this started as one of those college dorm recipes, like ironing a cheese sandwich in the fifties. It would be a perfect fit - easy, fast and wicked.

One more thing: I don't use cooking oil much so I never have it in the house, so I used a light olive oil and it tasted just great.

Bad Times 09-02-08

Not much to do these days except worry.

Guess my renovations will be on hold until the financial situation improves. It is to be hoped that it will.

Meanwhile, I have all this fabric and these sewing machines - now if I can only find them.

Anaheim Lakes 10-01-08

I picked up Corky to spend a few days at Camp Del and on the way home we dropped by Starbuck's - so I could buy a latte, he could do his business and we could see if there were any winter birds already occupying Anaheim Lakes.

This is one of three man made lakes in the river bed of the Santa Ana River - for flood control, water bird habitat and so people have a place to fish close by. I didn't realize they drained them this time of year since we don't have much of a chance rain for a month or so. But enlarging this photo shows the skip loader tracks going up the slope, so maybe they are just digging it out a bit to allow for more water later. Don't really know.

We saw these two Cormorants flying over. Some of them are year round residents, but more flying in for the winter. The sky was blue with a few clouds and at 5pm the breeze had come up to maybe cool things off. It was 103.2F today - whoopee, it went down a tenth of a degree from yesterday! Suppose to be down a few more degrees tomorrow and rain possible on Saturday. I'll believe when I see it.

For other photos of Anaheim Lakes see: http://tinyurl.com/3n9mu2 http://tinyurl.com/4p5dfr

No excitement 09-30-08

I'm still working on digging out my house. How on earth did I collect so much junk? Now it is mostly papers which will have to be shredded. I think I will probably have the shredder some here so I won't have to schlep all these boxes to a brick and mortar place.

The yellow glow from the sun setting shines on the trees to the east of our house. Makes it look very much like autumn, but today it was 103.3F and tomorrow is supposed to be the same. After I took this picture I noticed the graffiti on the wall just below the Pyracantha (almost covered with berries). As you can see, we have had this problem before and sections of the wall were repainted. But it has been at least twenty years. I'll call the City Works department, but since it is on the wall surrounding the Patio Homes, I suspect they won't do anything about it. I thought that after they put in the wall closing off the dirt pathway along the cyclone fence that it would be so difficult to reach the taggers would leave it alone. Dreaming.

This fellow is becoming a regular. Almost every week day he comes in shorts and shirt carrying a towel. He removes his shirt and folds it nicely then lays face down on the towel with his legs spread open. Previously we have had girls sunbathing topless, druggies, couples making out, couples going all the way, and lots of people running their dogs. Seems as though they would recognize that people look out their windows now and then and they would be more circumspect. But I only call the police about the druggies. The rest is like a soap opera outside my windows.

Today's excitement was a 7:30am appointment at the garage for regular servicing of the van. Not really all that exciting, but at least I got out of the house. The mechanic working on my van thought I was a little odd with my picture taking. He also said, "Looks lighter (in weight) when it is up there, doesn't it?" He's right.

By-the-way, my license plate is the same as my e-mail address, minus the "aol". When I am at a quilt show people know I am there before they even see my hat. I think it is fun.

Going out for Breakfast 09-29-08

I really do live a very boring, quiet life and I think that is one reason why I enjoy certain blogs. They are written by people who have a lot of relatives and friends in their daily lives, and they are always coming and going and having company or... something. I am happy with my quiet way of living, but it is exciting to read about the way others live - like reading a serialized novel.

September is my birthday month and it has always been my habit to schedule my "doctor days" during that month. Of course, I don't actually spend days at the doctor's office - except sometimes it feels like I've spent a day in the waiting room! I've been going to Dr. Susan Debin in Orange for about eighteen years and we have a good working relationship. She is big on pills and I am always finding other ways to treat whatever ails me. But I do have a number of prescriptions that I must take daily, like it or not. When I have an early morning appointment with Dr. Debin I never eat before I go in, just in case she needs a fasting blood test - I hate having to go back just for that. When I have finished the doctoring for the day I take myself out to breakfast. Not being a morning person I rarely have that meal out. Last week I drove to Katella Deli in Los Alamitos (Katella St & Lexington Dr) for one of their outstanding breakfast offerings. I was tempted to have a corned beef or pastrami sandwich (fabulous), but it was only 9am and it seemed a little early for lunch. I was particularly proud of myself because I walked through the bakery and didn't buy anything! When I got outside I thought to take pictures so I went in and ask permission, which I received with a "you are a weird lady" look.

The smell in the bakery can make
me gain weight! I don't know who eats all these treats, but they are always fresh - I've never had a stale anything here.

My husband was a great cookie lover, so he always tried to find something he had never sampled before.

I do love cookies, but my first choice would be a pastry - Bear Claw, Cheese Danish, Cherry Danish... you get the idea.

I've only had a cake once, for a meeting/birthday party and it was delicious. But I can't eat a whole cake myself so I've never purchased another. The bread is also very good.

I came here once with a friend from New York and she said it was just like a Jewish Deli in NYC or New Jersey. It is almost always full and Sundays are a complete crush. If you are ever in Los Alamitos/Long Beach give it a try. Afterward I waddled to my van and drove over to visit with Corky for an hour or so. I didn't need to eat again until dinner and that was light.

Quilts from TCQC 09-28-08

For thirty years (give or take a year) I have worn hats. I grew up in a time when ladies hats were still popular and I always liked them. Sometime in the 70s I was diagnosed with Rosacea, a facial skin condition that is aggravated by sunlight. I started wearing hats when I was outside, but when I went somewhere I would take them off and then forget them. Ultimately, I had hats all over town. So, I decided that I would wear a hat ALL of the time, day or night, outdoors or in. That way I wouldn't be losing my hats all the time. As time went by, that turned out to be a good idea because ladies hats for sale are few and far between and I am always on the hunt to replace some of my worn out hats. I'd hate to be losing any. Because of my be-hatted status I have been gifted with several hat quilts and purchased these two.

"Lowanda Does Hollywood" Jean Ray Laury 2001 30.5W x 33.5L

There is a striking resemblance between Lowanda and myself, but Jean Ray did not use me as a model, even though we have known each other for years. In this quilt Jean has used many of the techniques she has taught over the years -- silk screen printing, Thermofax printing, hand drawing, hand painting, foiling, piecing and machine quilting.

A very special quilt for me, made by an artist I have always respected.

"Mad Hattery" 1999 41.5" square

Pamela Jenner, Barbara Cannon, Michele Lecrivain of Santa Clarita, CA

This is a whole cloth quilt with the design applied with permanent fabric pens and markers, crayons, and fabric paint. Machine pieced and quilted. I bought it at an auction to raise money for Breast Cancer Research. I was never able to locate any of the makers to ask further questions or to tell them I had purchased the quilt. I am always interested in connecting modern art quilts to the quilting traditions of the past - what a long journey it has been for whole cloth quilts over the last 200+ years.

Quilts from TCQC 09-27-08

Not all the quilts in the Collection have been made by internationally known quilt makers. I try to see as many exhibits and quilt shows as I can and I "surf the net" looking at websites: artists, galleries, on-line exhibits, etc. Just Googling "art quilt" offers hundreds of thousands of hits these days. It was a lot easier twenty years ago when there were fewer websites, but not nearly as interesting. I learned about Wilda Northrop when I picked up a postcard for a small quilt auction in Pacific Grove in 2001. Since then there have been several exhibits of her work at Back Porch Fabric Shop where she shows both her lovely appliqued pieces and her fabulous watercolors. She is know for her paintings throughout the USA and in Europe. She earned her MFA at Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles and is a member of the American Watercolor Society, the National Watercolor Society and Watercolor West.

"Sunflowers" Wilda Northrop 2001 39"W x 49"L

I was amazed to learn that one doesn't have to cut out each flower exactly, a little background left on or extra twig or two doesn't make a difference in the total image. Wilda has a sharp eye for color, line, shape, perspective.... well, all those things she has used for years as a water colorist. As far as I know she doesn't have a website, but if you wish to contact her I'm sure that Back Porch Fabric Shop will take messages. Gail@backporchfabrics.com Especially since Wilda is part of a two woman exhibit which runs from Sep 28 through Dec 3, 2008.