Snow Day!

     This winter has been a fairly dry one, but we got a sprinkling to snow at last! What is more, ice and rain came along with it, so even though the snow barely covers the ground, schools let out for a school day.

Mug Cake

Ingredients:

- 4 T all-purpose flour

- 2 T unsweetened cocoa powder

- 1/4 tsp. baking powder

- 3 T granulated sugar

- 1/8 tsp. (pinch) salt

- 3 T milk

- 3 T vegetable oil

- splash of vanilla extract

- 1 T Nutella/peanut butter OR 3 T chocolate chips (optional)

Method:

1. In a bowl mix dry ingredients.

2. Whisk in milk and vegetable oil with a fork until no clumps remain.

3. Pour batter into a large (14 oz. +) mug.

4. Add 1 T of optional ingredients.

5. Place mug in microwave on top of a paper towel. Cook for 70 seconds (950 watt microwave). Enjoy!

A Christmas Budgie

     Several years ago, our first parakeet, Petey, died. He was much beloved and the house missed his chirping and chatter. This Christmas talk was circulating about getting another budgie.

    The thing is, when we were kids my brother and I got a hamster for Christmas. It was a very big surprise Christmas morning when we came down to see a cage with a new pet in it. We referred to it as the Christmas hamster. Mom debated getting another Christmas hamster, but decided a budgie would be easier to care for in the long run. Besides, she could always pawn it off on my brother and I when she got tired of it.

    And so Pax the Christmas budgie came to be!