Dangerous Chocolate Cake-in-a-Mug

1 coffee mug
4 Tbsp. cake flour (plain, not self-rising)
4 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. cocoa
1 egg
3 Tbsp. milk
3 Tbsp. oil
Small splash of vanilla
3 Tbsp. chocolate chips, optional

Add dry ingredients to mug, mix well with a fork.
Add egg, mix thoroughly.
Pour in milk and oil and vanilla, mix well.
Add chips, if using.
Put mug in microwave, and cook for three minutes on 1000 watts.
Cake will rise over top of mug--do not be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little; tip onto a plate if desired.

Eat!

(This can serve two if you want to feel slightly more virtuous.)

***And WHY is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?

Because now we are all only five minutes away from chocolate cake any time of the day or night!!!***

Broccoli/Cauliflower Salad (Anka Crowe)

1 bunch of broccoli, chopped into tiny flowerettes
1/2 large cauliflower, chopped into tiny floweretts
1/2 lb bacon, cooked until crisp, crumbled
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Dressing
1/2 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing
3 tsp vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 clove garlic, crushed

Combine dressing ingredients. Toss with other salad ingredients.
Serves 6 - 8

Mexican Bean Soup (easy peasy!)

chicken or veggie broth (I use homemade, but you can use canned, preferably low sodium)
canned kidney or black beans, drained
frozen or canned corn
1 chopped tomato or 2
huge pinces of cumin, chili powder and oregano
leftover cooked chicken, cut in chunks (I keep some in the freezer for this sort of thing)

Substitute veggies with whatever you have on hand. Heat all together and enjoy.

Zucchini Bread (Peggy Cumming)

3 eggs
1 ½ cup sugar ( I use 1 cup)
1 cup veg oil ( I use ½ oil and ½ applesauce or yogurt)
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini (I use the cuisinart to make entire batter)
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ to 1 cup raisins and/or nuts

(In the Cuisinart, I start with the zucchini then follow with eggs etc). Beat eggs well. Gradually beat in sugar, then oil and vanilla. Stir in zucchini. Mix together dry ingredients and stir into zucchini mixture along with nuts & raisins.

Pour into greased loaf pans, 8 x 4 inches. Bake at 350 oven for 45 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then cool on wire racks.
Makes 2 loaves.

VARIATIONS
Whole Wheat … use half whole wheat and half all purpose- flour.

Honey …sub part of sugar for honey.

Orange or lemon …add 2 tblsp grated rind.

Pineapple … reduce zucchini to 1 ½ cup and add 14 ounce can well-drained crushed pineapple
Chocolate …increase sugar by ¼ cup and add 2 squares melted unsweetened chocolate with zucchini.

Best Brownies Ever! (Judy Stevenson)

8 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups butter
6 eggs
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts

Melt chocolate and butter in microwave. Cool. Beat eggs until lemon coloured. Gradually add sugar beating until thick. Stir in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour, vanilla and nuts. Pour into 2 greased and floured 8 in sq pans (or one 9x13). Bake at 350 for 35-40 min. DO NOT OVERBAKE.

Glaze: melt 1 square chocolate with 1 tbsp butter amd 1/4 cup milk. Blend until smooth. Add 1 1/4 cups icing sugar.

Corn Bread (Jean Grady)

Flour 1 c
Baking Powder 3 1/2 tsps
Salt 1 tsp
Sugar 3 tbsps
Corn meal 1 c
Egg slightly beaten 1
Milk 1 c
Shortening, melted 1/4 c2

Mix all dry together, all wet together then stir them together just enough to moisten, don't beat. Turn into greased pan and bake at 425 about 30 mins.

For you all, (my Kentucky mother's way of talking!) I used white flour, and melted butter, doubled the recipe and baked it in the 8 inch cast iron skillet. That is the way she would make it. For Patrick and me, I use whole wheat flour, canola oil and reduce the sugar to 2 tbsps and make the recipe above (not doubled) but then bake it in a smaller pan or small loaf pan otherwise it is very thin and quite crusty. That's fine if you like it that way, I prefer it softer in the middle. The way I do it is healthier but not like the real deal! Enjoy. Patrick likes it with jam for dessert or in the morning for breakfast.

Gingerbread Spice Cake

1 c whole-wheat flour
1 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground clovers
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 c canola or vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 c pureed cooked broccoli
1/2 c pureed cooked carrot
1/2 c nonfat plain yogurt
1/4 c molasses
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 375. Coat 9x5" loaf pan with cooking spray. Mix flours with baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice & salt; set aside. In large mixing bowl, beat sugar, oil & egg until smooth. Beat in vegetable purees, yogurt, molasses, vanilla & orange zest. Add flour mixture and mix until smooth. Pour batter into pan and smooth the top. Bake until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into center of cake, 45-50 minutes. Cool 5 mnutes in pan before turning out onto rack to cool completely. Dust top with powdered sugar.