Friday, December 23, 2011

Dangers of Drink, Health, Siku, Math’s Geniuses.

This is the most incredible story, there are lots of problems with drunkenness, but this story which I came across in August Mayfield’s Diaries, takes the biscuit. A woman gets out of a train and then staggers back falling underneath it. August assures me the woman was basically unhurt. She is so lucky.

 

Sorry about the lack of blog yesterday, I went to Let it Heal the afternoon before and then we went to a friend’s for supper which was very enjoyable, however, through all this I was in a lot of pain and by the time we got home, I had had enough. After the treatment one is supposed to avoid pain killers but it got just too bad, so I took some and went to bed. Just didn’t feel up to blogging at all. Hope you enjoyed the story of the sparkly pants though. I am aware that with Bowen Therapy it is perfectly possible for the situation to get worse before it gets better, this is the first time that’s happened to  me though and I assure you its not funny. I have another appointment next week, but I do hope things will have calmed down by Christmas though. Of course when one is sick and feeling sorry for oneself, there are always continuous reminders of others who are worse off.

SikuCute story about a polar bear cub, Siku, which is to be raised by hand because his mother had no milk. He will need 24/7 care and attention for the first year of his life and there are three staff allocated to do this in the Swedish zoo where Siku lives. There is a video which can be seen here.

Another funny story on CBC news tells that pigeons’ Math Pigeonsmath skills are as good as monkeys’. I wonder why anyone would think to test this kind of thing, but apparently they did. Apparently scientists had previously thought only humans could learn certain abstract math skills, but through research they have been proved wrong. Now there’s something, my math skills have never been good, but I didn’t realise I could be outdone by a pigeon or a monkey come to that.

Damn I found what looked like a lovely recipe to share, but when I checked it out, it was full of ingredients that most of us don’t carry in our store cupboards, I know I certainly don’t. Pity, it was for muffins which looked delicious. Anyway, according to Eating Well this recipe is one of several which will lift your spirits and promote a happier mood; of course, its chocolate!!!

Mini Molten Chocolate Cakes with Mocha Sauce

From EatingWell: January/February 2007

Some molten-cake recipes call for simply underbaking the batter so Mini Molten Choc Cakesthe middles stay lava-like, but mini cakes get done so quickly it's best to give them a filling that won't set up. These rich, mocha-flavored morsels are guaranteed to stay moist and gooey, owing to a simple mocha ganache in the middle. Serve the cakes with a scoop of low-fat coffee ice cream and garnish with a chocolate-covered espresso bean, if desired.

6 servings, 2 cakes each

Ingredients
  • 4 ounces dark or bittersweet chocolate, (60-75% cacao), coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons light cream
  • 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder, or granules dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water, divided
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1-3 teaspoons very hot water
Preparation
  1. Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Generously coat the mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
  2. Place chocolate and butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. (Alternatively, see “No Microwave?” below.) Microwave on High for 1 minute. Stir well, then continue microwaving on Medium, stirring every 20 seconds, until the remaining chocolate melts completely.
  3. To prepare filling: Stir together granulated sugar, cream and half the espresso mixture in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on High just to steaming, 20 to 40 seconds. (Alternatively, combine in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until just steaming.) Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add corn syrup and half the melted chocolate (reserve the other half for the batter); stir until completely smooth. Cover and transfer to the freezer until cold and firm, about 30 minutes.
  4. To prepare batter: When the filling has been chilling for 20 minutes, whisk egg, oil, vanilla, salt and the remaining espresso mixture in a medium bowl until very smooth. Return the remaining chocolate mixture to the microwave. Microwave on Medium, stirring every 20 seconds, until just warm again (do not overheat). In two batches, whisk the egg mixture into the warm chocolate until well blended. Sift confectioners' sugar, flour and cocoa over the batter and whisk in just until smoothly incorporated.
  5. To assemble cakes: Remove the filling from the freezer. Spoon half the batter into the mini muffin cups, about 1 rounded teaspoon per cup. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon filling onto the center of each (reserve the rest for the sauce). Divide the remaining batter evenly among the muffin cups, about 1 rounded teaspoon per cake. Smooth out the batter to cover the filling.
  6. Bake the cakes on the middle rack until the edges look dry and puffed but the centers still look very underdone and puddinglike, 6 to 9 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack until firm, about 2 minutes. Place a cutting board on top of the pan and invert the mini cakes out onto it. If the cakes are stuck to the pan, run a knife around and under them to loosen.
  7. To prepare sauce & serve: Thoroughly stir very hot water into the reserved filling, 1 teaspoon at a time, until very smooth and slightly fluid. Serve the warm cakes drizzled with the sauce.
Nutrition

Per serving :244 Calories; 17 g Fat; 7 g Sat; 3 g Mono; 49 mg Cholesterol; 27 g Carbohydrates; 3 g Protein; 2 g Fiber; 64 mg Sodium; 30 mg Potassium

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 other carbohydrate, 3 fat

Tips & Notes
  • Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 5, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. After baking (Step 6), the cakes will keep in the pan, tightly covered with foil, for up to 1 day. The sauce (Step 7) will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To serve, reheat the cakes in the covered pan at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. Reheat the sauce in a microwave on Medium for about 20 seconds. | Equipment: 12-cup mini muffin pan
  • No Microwave? Melt chocolate in a double boiler instead: Place chopped chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling water. Gently stir until the chocolate is almost melted. Remove from the heat and stir until it melts completely.

Have a great day

Jo_thumb[2]

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