62
Friends... I'm about to ruin your life. At least that's what this cake did to me. RUINED my LIFE. Why in the world would someone make homemade chocolate cake SO accessible?? And single serve!? ARGH!
If you've met me more than once, you probably know that baking is my thing. I love it and sometimes I just NEED to make a cake or some cookies to get it out of my system. But some days, you just want something warm and chocolate and you don't want to wait or go through the process of whipping up a whole cake or batch of brownies. Heat up the oven, lots if ingredients to mix together and then the waiting while it bakes, then waiting while it cools. Takes forever! Well, here's where the life-ruining comes in: you can do it in one dish. And in the MICROWAVE.
The latest issue of Food Network magazine has a little section on 10-minute desserts which includes this recipe for a chocolate cake you make in a coffee mug.... a COFFEE MUG! Can you tell I'm excited about this?? You have to use a big coffee mug and, really, this is enough for two people to share but the whole thing is done in under 5 minutes! Shoot me.
I mean... c'mon. Really?
Dangerously Accessible Microwave Chocolate Cake
from Food Network Magazine - April 2011
1/4 cup flour
5 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 egg
3 tbsp milk
3 tbsp vegetable oil
dash vanilla
dash salt
Whatever add-ins you want (I like walnuts/pecans)
Whisk all together in a large mug (not kidding. Make sure it's big.) Microwave 2 mins. or until puffed up. Top with more cocoa powder or powdered sugar (or if you're me, top with caramel sauce... what? Don't judge me).
You're welcome.
If you've met me more than once, you probably know that baking is my thing. I love it and sometimes I just NEED to make a cake or some cookies to get it out of my system. But some days, you just want something warm and chocolate and you don't want to wait or go through the process of whipping up a whole cake or batch of brownies. Heat up the oven, lots if ingredients to mix together and then the waiting while it bakes, then waiting while it cools. Takes forever! Well, here's where the life-ruining comes in: you can do it in one dish. And in the MICROWAVE.
The latest issue of Food Network magazine has a little section on 10-minute desserts which includes this recipe for a chocolate cake you make in a coffee mug.... a COFFEE MUG! Can you tell I'm excited about this?? You have to use a big coffee mug and, really, this is enough for two people to share but the whole thing is done in under 5 minutes! Shoot me.
I mean... c'mon. Really?
Dangerously Accessible Microwave Chocolate Cake
from Food Network Magazine - April 2011
1/4 cup flour
5 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 egg
3 tbsp milk
3 tbsp vegetable oil
dash vanilla
dash salt
Whatever add-ins you want (I like walnuts/pecans)
Whisk all together in a large mug (not kidding. Make sure it's big.) Microwave 2 mins. or until puffed up. Top with more cocoa powder or powdered sugar (or if you're me, top with caramel sauce... what? Don't judge me).
You're welcome.
p.s. for the photo nerds, these shots were alllll taken with my Canon S95 point and shoot (Full RAW at f2.0, even). No kidding. That little guy is awesomesauce.
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Chocolate Cake in a Mug
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61
Its so close. A tree bud here and there. More rain than snow. Opting for the jacket rather than the wool coat. Spring is inching its way back in and I, for one, welcome it with open arms. Who's ready for summer!? :)
In the spirit of WILLING the warmer temps and sunnier days out into the open, I'm offering up a little freebie desktop background image to you all. Just cuz I like you so much! I took pictures at the MO Botanical Garden Orchid Show this year and this is one of my favs. I like that it looks not quite open all the way with just a hint of its bold color. Appropriate for March, wouldn't you say?
Click on your screen resolution to download. Enjoy! Yay for spring!
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In the spirit of WILLING the warmer temps and sunnier days out into the open, I'm offering up a little freebie desktop background image to you all. Just cuz I like you so much! I took pictures at the MO Botanical Garden Orchid Show this year and this is one of my favs. I like that it looks not quite open all the way with just a hint of its bold color. Appropriate for March, wouldn't you say?
Click on your screen resolution to download. Enjoy! Yay for spring!
1024x768
1200x800
1280x1024
1440x900
1920x1080
Marcie:
Thanks! This is my new office desktop, and I love it. Makes me excited for spring. :-)
(03.17.11)
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Dreaming of spring and a freebie!
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60
I'm ashamed to say that I've let the ENTIRE first week of this glorious new year go by without so much as a peep (ok, maybe a few tweets) to you guys! Sad face. You know what I think it is? Pressure. I wanted to present something GREAT for my first post of the year and the pressure of that delivery was just overwhelming! Well, I dilly-dally no more! Ok, maybe I still don't have anything super great but I DO want to wish you all a Happy New Year! Not just happy - but fulfilling, successful, joyful, prosperous, rewarding and (hopefully a little) relaxing. Lets make 2011 the best one yet, eh? So far, so good? Good! Lets keep going like this. :)
Really, though. I can't wait to see what's in store for this year. I've got some amazing weddings coming up and some big changes for the Stevie brand and website that I'm really excited about.
Since posts without photos are boring, here's one from my iPhone that I thought was pretty. Its supposed snow somethin' fierce tonight so maybe my backyard will look like this again in the morning.
Happy, super, awesome, amazing 2011 to you all. love.
Really, though. I can't wait to see what's in store for this year. I've got some amazing weddings coming up and some big changes for the Stevie brand and website that I'm really excited about.
Since posts without photos are boring, here's one from my iPhone that I thought was pretty. Its supposed snow somethin' fierce tonight so maybe my backyard will look like this again in the morning.
Happy, super, awesome, amazing 2011 to you all. love.
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Happy New Year...?
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53
No, really. I made this. Ok, so its no major accomplishment to many but I'd never made jam before. I decided I wanted to give this a try after realizing that late summer fruit would be shortly gone and peaches were currently at a pretty good price. I called my authority on all things kitchen, my mother, and invited her over for a lazy Sunday of simmering jam and rented movies. I remember my mom making jams of all different kinds when I was a kid and thinking it was magic that the fruit just allofasudden was jam. It was the magic jam moment! I climbed up on a chair by the stove and peeked into the big pot to see this glossy surface and bubbly texture while she stirred the last few minutes. And it smelled so good, I had to physically restrain myself from reaching in for a taste!
Aren't they lovely?
So I told her I was going to document this process and blog it. She looked at me like I had 3 heads. "It'll be so fun! Our little jam-teaching project!" I promised as we pulled out little mason jars from 1972. Seriously, I'm pretty sure they were that old. The box was still sealed up but if you know my mom, it was entirely possible she'd have these at her house.
We set about cutting up the fruit and general 'mom-and-me' chatting. And for the record, I didn't make her cut them all up. I did some of it, I just had to be the one manning the camera.
Into the pot it goes! With more sugar than should be allowed in one batch of ANYTHING. I'm not kidding when I say there was probably 5 cups or better. You have a gym membership, right? :) Put some heat to those babies and let 'er go! (Hi mom!)
Now the kicker here is to be patient. A few good stirs and you just have to let it do its thing. Something about the sugar mixing with the pectin in the fruit and adding the heat will thicken it into spreadable goodness. Whatever. You have to WAIT FOR IT.
The start. Lookin' all sugary and solid. Oh and I threw a piece of split vanilla bean in there, too. Just for some flavor depth. Because that's what vanilla bean lends. DEPTH. That, and fancy little black specks that make people go 'ooh, vanilla bean'.
While we waited, we enjoyed a few tasty beverages. Mom had made a peach sangria and brought me a bottle. The Sprite was to make it fizzy. It went very nice with the peachy aromas floating around my kitchen as the fruit bubbled away.
So we chilled out and chatted and watched a movie in the living room. Every once in a while, one of us would hop up to give the fruit a good stir to avoid burning or sticking on the bottom. I have to say that what I thought would be endless hours of waiting for the magic moment of 'Jam' actually went by fairly quickly. Before I knew it, this happened.
Isn't that just the most perfect jewel toned peach thing you've ever seen??? Say yes.
Holy cow, I've made jam! I fished out the vanilla bean pods and ladled the sticky sweetness into our prepared jars to cool.
Soon the little telltale 'pop' of 6 canning lids promised a sealed and shareable treat. And a photoshoot of full jars.
This one is Josh's. "You should stack them." Mkay. Here you go, baby.
So pretty! I can still see my mom shaking her head at my 'jam jar photo session'. :)
I'll definitely be doing this again. It wasn't nearly as tedious or time-consuming as I thought it would be. And I can add it to my list of 'Cooking stuff Mom taught me'. I love spending time with her anyway, but having her teach me this is a great memory I'll always have. Thanks, Mom, for coming to my own kitchen, in my own home and making new memories with me. You're my favorite mom ever! :)
Aren't they lovely?
So I told her I was going to document this process and blog it. She looked at me like I had 3 heads. "It'll be so fun! Our little jam-teaching project!" I promised as we pulled out little mason jars from 1972. Seriously, I'm pretty sure they were that old. The box was still sealed up but if you know my mom, it was entirely possible she'd have these at her house.
We set about cutting up the fruit and general 'mom-and-me' chatting. And for the record, I didn't make her cut them all up. I did some of it, I just had to be the one manning the camera.
Into the pot it goes! With more sugar than should be allowed in one batch of ANYTHING. I'm not kidding when I say there was probably 5 cups or better. You have a gym membership, right? :) Put some heat to those babies and let 'er go! (Hi mom!)
Now the kicker here is to be patient. A few good stirs and you just have to let it do its thing. Something about the sugar mixing with the pectin in the fruit and adding the heat will thicken it into spreadable goodness. Whatever. You have to WAIT FOR IT.
The start. Lookin' all sugary and solid. Oh and I threw a piece of split vanilla bean in there, too. Just for some flavor depth. Because that's what vanilla bean lends. DEPTH. That, and fancy little black specks that make people go 'ooh, vanilla bean'.
While we waited, we enjoyed a few tasty beverages. Mom had made a peach sangria and brought me a bottle. The Sprite was to make it fizzy. It went very nice with the peachy aromas floating around my kitchen as the fruit bubbled away.
So we chilled out and chatted and watched a movie in the living room. Every once in a while, one of us would hop up to give the fruit a good stir to avoid burning or sticking on the bottom. I have to say that what I thought would be endless hours of waiting for the magic moment of 'Jam' actually went by fairly quickly. Before I knew it, this happened.
Isn't that just the most perfect jewel toned peach thing you've ever seen??? Say yes.
Holy cow, I've made jam! I fished out the vanilla bean pods and ladled the sticky sweetness into our prepared jars to cool.
Soon the little telltale 'pop' of 6 canning lids promised a sealed and shareable treat. And a photoshoot of full jars.
This one is Josh's. "You should stack them." Mkay. Here you go, baby.
So pretty! I can still see my mom shaking her head at my 'jam jar photo session'. :)
I'll definitely be doing this again. It wasn't nearly as tedious or time-consuming as I thought it would be. And I can add it to my list of 'Cooking stuff Mom taught me'. I love spending time with her anyway, but having her teach me this is a great memory I'll always have. Thanks, Mom, for coming to my own kitchen, in my own home and making new memories with me. You're my favorite mom ever! :)
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Peach Vanilla Jam with Mom
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46
I went on a trip to San Diego, CA last weekend to shoot a wedding with my good friend and stellar photographer, Kelly Park. I'd never been to SD and since she grew up there, she promised to show me around the day after the wedding. Needless to say, I was excited to see the ocean again and explore a city with someone so passionate about it.
I did something I don't do nearly enough - I photographed the day. Not just a snap from the ol' point n' shoot, but I documented the majority of what we did that day and I'm going to post these on Facebook and write a caption for each one just so I can remember. Go check 'em out if you get a few minutes and want to see the quick photo tour of San Diego.
One of the funniest things that happened that day was sparked by my forgetfulness. I forgot my sunglasses at the house that morning, and if you know anything about me, its that I'm a blind, stumbling mess outside without my sunglasses. Its embarrassing. So we stopped into a drug store on our shopping venture to look for a cheap pair to get me through the day. Being the goofball kids we are, I was trying on all the ridiculous pairs on the rack and Kelly was taking pictures. We're fun like that. In the midst of our impromptu shoot, Kelly accidentally backed up and stepped on another customer in the store, to whom she promptly turned and apologized for the stumble. Well, this lady was just DETERMINED to ruin our day, and proceeded to lecture Kelly on the virtues of watching where you're going and how this was the first time out since she broke her foot and all the puppies in the world are going to die now! Ok, I made up that last part but she was SO MAD! Even after apologizing more than necessary, Kelly was made out to be the worst person ever! I was so irritated at this angry stranger! (in hind sight, I should've taken her picture, but she might've hunted me down if I did...) I got my sunglasses and we made a quick exit.
I read a quote today from, of all people, Martin Short. He said "...if you have wonderful moments, don't second-guess them, just enjoy them." That really resonated with me since I'm the type of person to second-guess most things, but this day was so full of wonderful moments that I don't even remember feeling mad at that lady. It was a day I just enjoyed and I think I'll work on having more of those days.
Here's a pic of me that Kelly took on the shore at La Jolla.
I did something I don't do nearly enough - I photographed the day. Not just a snap from the ol' point n' shoot, but I documented the majority of what we did that day and I'm going to post these on Facebook and write a caption for each one just so I can remember. Go check 'em out if you get a few minutes and want to see the quick photo tour of San Diego.
One of the funniest things that happened that day was sparked by my forgetfulness. I forgot my sunglasses at the house that morning, and if you know anything about me, its that I'm a blind, stumbling mess outside without my sunglasses. Its embarrassing. So we stopped into a drug store on our shopping venture to look for a cheap pair to get me through the day. Being the goofball kids we are, I was trying on all the ridiculous pairs on the rack and Kelly was taking pictures. We're fun like that. In the midst of our impromptu shoot, Kelly accidentally backed up and stepped on another customer in the store, to whom she promptly turned and apologized for the stumble. Well, this lady was just DETERMINED to ruin our day, and proceeded to lecture Kelly on the virtues of watching where you're going and how this was the first time out since she broke her foot and all the puppies in the world are going to die now! Ok, I made up that last part but she was SO MAD! Even after apologizing more than necessary, Kelly was made out to be the worst person ever! I was so irritated at this angry stranger! (in hind sight, I should've taken her picture, but she might've hunted me down if I did...) I got my sunglasses and we made a quick exit.
I read a quote today from, of all people, Martin Short. He said "...if you have wonderful moments, don't second-guess them, just enjoy them." That really resonated with me since I'm the type of person to second-guess most things, but this day was so full of wonderful moments that I don't even remember feeling mad at that lady. It was a day I just enjoyed and I think I'll work on having more of those days.
Here's a pic of me that Kelly took on the shore at La Jolla.
Kelly Park:
Stephanie, soooooooooo glad you came to SD with me :) Can't wait to do it again!
(08.25.10)
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San Diego, angry strangers and wonderful moments
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