Magic in the microwave !

I found this recipe online while searching for easy choclate cake recipes.. After reading through it, I was dubious.. A cake in 2 minutes ? And that too in a single cup ? This is too good to be true !! So I wrote it down dutifully.. And tried it out the next day. .. And I was awestruck !! It really worked !!
I just took a coffee cup, added all the ingredients, gave it a stir with a spoon.Kept it in the microwave .. Set for 2 minutes.. Shrugged to myself.. And pressed the start button. .and what do you know ? I had a little cake in my cup !!MAGIC!! Theres no other word for it other than that !

This is a perfect recipe for a cute dessert .. Or for those times you need to whip up a snack fast ... So go on.. Try zapping this up in your microwave and see the magic for yourself !!

Take a microwave proof cup.

Mix together :

3 tbs warm milk
2 tbsp cocoa
1 egg white
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp Maida
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 tsp baking powder.
2 tbsp sugar

Add cinnamon or coffee powder 1/4 tsp if u want instead of essence.
Also , you could add a tsp of nutella for an even more yum taste !

Zap 2 minutes in microwave..

Serve hot with a scoop of icecream or a dollop of whipped cream

The sense of smell

The other day, I was baking cookies.. And my husband walked in asking, are you baking something ? It smells yum !
.. Which led to a long discussion about how the sense of smell affects our taste too..

Did you know that there's a school for smell? it helps you in developing your sense of smell.

.And we all started listing our favorite smells.. Raise your hands if you find any of your favorites in the list below !

Freshly brewed coffee..especially on cold winter mornings or while it's raing cats and dogs

The citrusy scent you get when you start peeling an orange

Paalappoo and the elanji poo .. Both fragrant flowers .. They release the most amazing scents when they bloom.. In fact , poems and songs have been written based on them.

Jackfruit. In all it's forms.. Fresh.. Cooked.. Made into halwa ..kumbilappam.. Mm.. Mouthwatering !!

That clean smell of wet earth after it rains heavily ..

That first bite of a fresh apple ..

.. And of course.. The aroma of freshly baked cookies or choclate cake !



EGGLESS CHOCLATE CAKE

3 cup flour
2 cup sugar
2 cup cold water
2/3 cup oil
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tsp soda pwdr
2 tsp vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 180*C.
Mix all ingredients till well blended . Pour into a greased baking pan and bake 25-40 minutes till done.

TO DIET OR NOT TO DIET..THAT IS THE QUESTION...

I had been going for yoga and off in the past two years, but last month I resumed yoga after a two month long break and decided I would go on a strict diet as well.
So there I was, guzzling carrot juice and tomato juice instead of tea, having oats for my breakfast, eating a light lunch, no snacks, no dinner, just juices,....along with a solid two hours of yoga...and was there any mistake in thinking that I'd lost weight?
Looking in the mirror, I thought I looked all slim and stylish.
After one month of being a good girl, I went to my ancestral home last week, only to hear everyone's comments of ..resh, you have put on weight, resh, you're fat...
boohooo.....is this the result of leading a disciplined diet and yoga??
Anyways , the minute I reached home, I decided that there will be no more dieting...just plain common sense..so I've been going for yoga everyday now, as well as cutting down on tea, cakes, fried stuff..now let's see what happens in a month's time..a month?I don't think that will be enough,make it a year...will be posting updates on my diet every now and then..
On the downside..the minute I reached home , first thing I reached out for , was a whole packet of MINI SNICKER BARS!!Aaah...that felt sinfully good!!!

This post being all about dietingf and not dieting, I thought I would post a recipe that is as sinfully delicious as the snicker bars I had...

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE
Ingredients :
Maida 1 and 3/4 cup
Cocoa 1/4 cup
Milk 1 cup
Butter 1/2 cup
Eggs 2
Sugar 1 and 1/2 cup
Vanilla essence 1tsp
Soda bicarb 1 tsp


Method:

1. Beat together butter and 1/4 cup milk till it becomes a light and fluffy cream.

2. Add rest of ingredients, beating well in between.

3. Pour into a greased baking tray and bake till done . (approx. 30 minutes)

4. Leave to cool, then remove from tray.

5. Slit in half horizontally, and spread choclate fudge icing in between the two pieces.

6.Spread icing on top and serve.

Tip:
the cake is great even if you don't ice it!!

Choclate fudge Icing.

Ingredients:
* 5 oz of butter
* 5 oz of icing sugar, sifted
* 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder
* 3 tablespoons of milk
Method:

1. Melt the butter in a pan.

2. Add the cocoa and up the heat, cooking it gently for a minute or so, then add the icing sugar.

3. Add the milk gradually and keep stirring until you have a glossy, smooth paste.

4. Allow it to cool, and then use half to sandwich your cake together, and half for the topping. It looks fabulous and tastes divine.