Friday Chat Day

Hello friends

Happy Friday and hope you are all doing ok.

Marvelous weather this week if not a little strange, falling Autumn leaves 

and blistering hot sun.  Taking advantage of this hot spell meant 

venturing out with Bella, she has her own car seat up front with the driver.

Not so sure the boys are impressed sitting in the back!

I'm back on track this week with my nattering, here goes...

Recipe:

I call this Ugly Mug Cake, it's not the prettiest of cakes but it is perfect

if you fancy a speedy treat.  All done in the microwave so you don't even 

have to put the oven on.

50g dark chocolate, 25g butter,

1 egg (beaten), 25g sugar, 25g plain flour,

¼ tsp baking powder, 30g cherries

Place chocolate and butter into a bowl,

microwave until chocolate has melted.

Add egg and sugar, mix.

Add flour, baking powder and cherries, fold until smooth.

Grease a large mug with butter, spoon mixture in.

Cover with cling film and heat for 1½ minutes.

Remove cling film and heat for a further 30 seconds or until risen, cooked through. 

Serve with cherries.

It is a little more like a chocolate steam pud consistency. 

I use frozen cherries but you could use blueberries, orange zest,

whatever you prefer.

The printable is available here.

Crochet:

Whilst I was in the midst of making the Harmony Blanket I was also

making another batch of squares for the Summer Harmony - same design but

using the brighter colours as a wash from warm to cool.

I completed all 100 of them.  

I love this stage, they are all organised and filed in their wallets,

it appeals to the over organised part of my brain! 

 I use CD wallets with labels inside and found this to be the best way for me.

I was actually a little reluctant to start the joining as I just enjoy looking

at them in rows like this!

But I did start the joining and this little 'helper' was quick to appear.

The original Harmony Blanket uses one colour to join all squares, 

this version uses a different colour to join each square
which enhances that colour wash theme.

As mentioned, I'm fully converted to granny squares now

and I think Darcy cat approves.

Garden:

Flowers are still blooming and Bella is still basking in the sunshine.

This rose bush has been a real feature this year,

first rose I've ever owned and it hasn't let me down.

A  flouncy open rose - Bonica Bush Rose Floribunda.

And I'm thrilled with this - a new clematis has flowered and the 

heads are huge.  This is Snow Queen.

 

And this was a real surprise. I bought some Gerbera plug plants online

months ago and they looked tiny and sad in my back garden so I put 

them out the front.

I don't have a front garden, just a small concreted space for the the bins and gas box. 

It gets very hot out there and Gerberas obviously like that.

So here they are doing their showy thing.

I was tempted to cut them but no, they make me smile each time I arrive home 

and glance over the wheelie bins! 

And of an evening I sit outside and try to hide from this one - doesn't work!

Telly:

It has been a bit of a Netflix week.

Netflix - Young Wallander

Well, I'm not so sure about this one, I really liked Kenneth Branagh 

playing Kurt Wallander. I stuck with it and watched the full season but

not so sure I'm eager for a second.

Netflix - The Fall

I watched this when first released but realised I had forgotten a lot of it

and importantly, how it ended so I decided to watch it again.

Oh my it is gripping. Perhaps don't watch just before bedtime!

And that rounds up my week again.

Hope you are all coping in these uncertain times.

I admit to cocooning myself and family - 

staying in our own safe space and keeping occupied by hobbies and routine.   

Checking in on the news once a day otherwise I feel it is overwhelming.

We each have different ways of dealing with the here and now,

so if you need to rush off and make an Ugly Mug Cake...

that's entirely normal! 

Take care friends - have a lovely weekend.