SHING! Light up my world baby. Set it on FIRE!

This week has been (mostly) bad.
Full of silent screaming.
I have had no desire to bake. At all.
Yeah. My week was unhappy. Full of giant gaps of patches I can’t actually remember.
I am, for the lack of a better word, burnt out.

But!
There are was a shining light in my week.
When I mean shining light? I mean this thing made my YEAR.
A whole entire year? Yep. That’s a big thing.

You see, this shining light started when I popped over to Colie’s blog – The Colie Chronicles.

SHING! THERE WAS LIGHT IN THE FORM OF THIS –

OH MAI GEE! [FLAIL-FULL-OF-HAPPINESS!][/FLAIL]
That’s right. My very first blog award.

Right. 5 random facts mostly all about Mel.

1. I have owned several sheep. My first sheep was called Scallywag. Scallywag lived on my grandparent’s farm, so every time I went up there I would play with Scallywag. I used to feed him when he was a lamb. Somewhere a long the time, Scallywag got ‘lonely’ and had to move away.
   I never saw Scallywag ever again.

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2. I considered being a nun for a brief period in my life. It was my ‘I’m-going-to-move-to-Italy-and-become-a-nun’ plan. It was actually a pretty good plan, I even had to nunnery all picked out and everything. This plan? Is still on the back burner and might I say, looking very very tempting where I am standing right now.

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3. I adore cleaning the sink, in particular when I’m using Jif. Jif? Is pure love. Cleaning the sink? More pure love. What can I say? Making things all sparkly and shiny makes me happy.

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4. Colgate toothpaste makes me phlegm-y. Really, phlegm-y. The cheaper toothpaste makes me don’t give me as much phlegm and it’s not just Colgate, it’s all of the ‘branded’ more pricey toothpastes as well.

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5. I can not spell. You all think I can spell because I use spell check and google at least once in practically every sentence. My spelling? Is creative. So creative that sometimes I don’t even know what I am trying to spell. I’m not even sure if it can still be counted as English. It’s more like Mellish. That’s right. I’m officially having my own language.

Now! It turns out that I now need to hand this thing to 5 other blogs that I love and adore.

My newest best friend Jillsmo at yeah good times.
Because she is awesomely awesome with a side of awesome.
Plus she makes me laugh, giggle and snort all at the same time. I am all showering her in happiness, love and joy!

Kaitlin at the Whisk-kid.
Seriously, you think my baking is amazing? Hers blows mine out of the freaking water and then some! Did you see her writing? Did you?! …Okay, so maybe you are like me and are distracted by the baking goodies. People? This woman makes her own freaking candy bars! CANDY BARS.

Leandra at The Man Repeller.
Why? Because she is kooky. Plus there are shoes. Clothes. Fashion. Also? I have no idea how on earth she thinks up all of these different things together. Her obsession with vagina shaped clothing/shoes is also amusing. Very amusing.

Aran at Cannelle et Vanille.
A seriously wonderful food blog that makes me swoon. She is actually working on a cook book at the moment! Blogging to food book! SWOON!

Ms. Humble at Not so humble pie.
This is a woman that is after my own heart. Science cookie cutters? SCIENCE CAKES?!
Ohmy. Be still my beating heart!

To my dearest Colin – I give you cake as my eternal gratitude.
 

Eggless-Milkless-Butterless cake.

(Because someone not mentioning any names coughMelcough used up most of the butter in the house.)

3 cups flour*
2 cups white sugar
6 Tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cups vegetable oil – ie Canola
2 cups water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence.
A pinch of salt.

Pre heat the oven to 175ºC /347ºF

Combine the shifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and the sugar into a bowl. Stir to combine.
Create a hole in the middle of the mixture. Pour in the vegetable oil, water, white vinegar, vanilla essence and the salt.
Using a handheld mixer (or a stand alone one or using good old brute force and a spoon) mix to combine until a smooth batter is formed.

Pour it into a prepared bake tin and cook for 20-25 minutes or until cooked.

The cake should be really moist and kind of sticky. The above recipe makes a lot of batter. Lots and lots of batter which is fine by me. More cake? Pish, like I’m ever going to pass that up.

*Alternatively you could use something like rice flour to add a nice gluten-free flavour to it. I haven’t tried it personally as, well, we don’t have any rice flour in the house.

And now? I’m going to eat more cake.

xo Mel.