Chocolate Cuppies

This recipe has not been tried and tested by yours truly but I'd just share it with you because the cupcakes in the picture looked really yummy. I got this off the newspaper so it should be okay otherwise people will write in to complain. You will need:

150g unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
150ml water
35g cocoa powder
170g cake flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
200g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine butter, salt and water in a small pot. Cover and cook over low heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is about to boil. Add cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Let it cool completely.

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C. Sift cake flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add caster sugar and mix very well. Add eggs and vanilla extract to the pot of cooled cocoa mixture and beat until smooth, then scrape this mixture into the flour bowl.

Stir with a whisk until smooth, then spoon batter into 12 cupcake paper cases - each should be about 2/3 full. Bake for 20 to 25 mins, until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake's centre comes out clean.

That's it folks! Easy peasy. So if you decide to try out this recipe, please let me know how it turns out.

Groggy Froggy

This is unusually early for me. I've been up since 4 am preparing stuff since my supervisor will be coming in to observe me today. The kiddos are blissfully snoring away unaware that I have abandoned them.

After all these years I still get panic attacks when they want to conduct observations. I feel so unnnatural with someone there. When I smile, it feels fake. When I talk, it sounds too chirpy like I've been inhaling helium or something. You know how it feels like when there's a person there observing your every move (or falling asleep with eyes open, I can never tell).

Oh well, I hope it'll be ok. At least it will be over and done with, then I can concentrate on that book review. But I do feel really, really lightheaded and groggy, maybe it's time for that coffee. Hmmm, maybe I'll make a quick trip to Starbucks before my superbly boring course. Did I mention that we have to do a presentation there today as well ... ARRRGH! At least Ms Preggy P is my sidekick. Ciao! Gotta go and bathe now.

The Long Weekend

Short post today, going to dash off to work soon. Just finished reading a few books over the loooong weekend. Tell you more about it another time when I'm not so hurried. We also attended Datin's invite at the ultra-posh Raffles Country Club. Hmmmmm .. we would have never stepped inside if not for Datin, thank you darling, it was an experience.

If you have been looking for the LYCRA TACTEL undies from Marks and Spencer, they are back! Probably for a limited time only so grab yours today! Buy 1 and get the other pack at 1/2 price! Ain't that great. I've already got mine by proxy, thanks again to the lovely Datin.

Managed to shop for kids clothes at GAP. They have got great, great things there! Will be back soooooon ... my credit card shudders. Have a great week everyone! Me ... I'm trying to stay upbeat and positive, hey it's only Tuesday.

Weekend Job

I was waiting for my son to finish his music lesson today when I looked around at all the other mummies and daddies waiting for their assorted offspring when it suddenly hit me ... HEY! I'M ONE OF THEM! As of this year I am an official junior member the League of Parents Who Send Their Kids For All Kinds of Enrichment Lessons. Why a junior member? I haven't chalked up enough waiting outside classes time.

Some people think that I'm torturing my child. Every Saturday morning he goes for music lessons and in the afternoons he attends a phonics class. They say things like letting him enjoy his childhood and I'm tiring him out unnessarily and stuff like that. Most times I don't bother too much about comments like that. It's my kid and I can do what I like. If you want your child's brains to turn to mush, be my guest. Anyway, kids have limitless energy, any idiot with half a brain knows that.

In June, I plan to enrol my son for swimming lessons. What?? Another one you say? I really don't see why not. He enjoys going to the pool so he might as well learn how to survive in the water, unlike me who cannot do much apart from floating like a log. I believe in letting my children learn as much as they can so that they will not be at a disadvantage when they start primary school. At least they will not be sitting at home rotting their brains away from too much television and computer games. As it is they are turning into tv addicts. So these days I have a weekend job, as a personal chauffeur!