No Cake For Me

Mr Midlife and I have just returned from a long trek on foot through the snow.  This is the beginning of our joint agreement to get fit; it’s also a great way to beat winter cabin fever.

On the way back we trudged into town on a couple of errands and came across a lovely newly opened coffee shop.  Needless to say, it was too much for us to get past the door without popping in for an essential sampling.  The place is cosy; each table lit by a different lamp (these are also for sale in the shop at the front), and our table had a crackled glass bowl full of fairy lights to welcome us.  The hot chocolate I ordered was very hot and very chocolatey – yummy.

And although we had no intention of ordering food from the limited menu, it did occur to me that I should never be able to eat there as the entire menu consisted of bread and cake based goods.  As a midlife coeliac I am used to this being the case here in the UK; however it is frustrating and always a little disappointing when I find somewhere I like the look and feel of.

I had a conversation with the middle aged, affable and helpful proprietor, who tells me that she would be happy to stock some gluten free goods.  The only problem is that she doesn’t get asked often enough for GF food to justify much of a range.  I reckon, however, that if she were to advertise the coffee shop as a place which does cater for coeliacs, then she’d do quite well out of it.  There are plenty of us around, judging by the speed at which the GF bread disappears from the supermarket shelf in our town.

So, sitting once more at my desk this afternoon, I was thinking about a good GF recipe that the coffee shop owner might use.  I recall my husband making us a flourless chocolate cake a while back, which the entire family enjoyed as it was so delicious.

I intend to make it again and take some down for the coffee shop as a trial.  So here it is.  Let me know what you think.

Flourless Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free)

Ingredients

260 g (9  ¼ oz) dark chocolate (55% cocoa), finely chopped
135 ml (4 ½ fl oz) milk
40 g (½oz) yoghurt
4 eggs
105 g (3 ¾ oz) caster sugar, for eggs
4 egg whites
160 g (5 ¾ oz) caster sugar, for egg whites
135 ml (4 ½ fl oz) pouring (whipping) cream (35% fat)
55 g (2 oz) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

Method for Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 150C (300F / Gas 2). Grease a 20 cm (8 inch) springform cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper – the paper should rise about 2.5 cm (1 inch) above the tin rim.
2. Put the chocolate in a large stainless steel bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water – the bowl must be large enough to hold the whole cake mix. Allow the water in the saucepan to boil for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat and stir the chocolate while it slowly melts.
3. Put the milk and yoghurt in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat – you should have a curdled milk mixture.
4. Put the eggs and the sugar for the eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk the eggs at medium speed for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture is very light and has doubled in volume.
5. In a very clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then slowly add the sugar for the whites, whisking until soft peaks form a shiny meringue. Be careful not to overwhisk. Place in the refrigerator.
6. Whisk the cream until soft peaks form and place in the refrigerator until needed.
7. You should have ready to fold together the melted chocolate, curdled milk, whipped eggs, meringue, whipped cream and cocoa powder. Pour the curdled milk into the chocolate and use a whisk to mix it in, then add the cocoa and whisk to completely incorporate. Fold in the whipped eggs in three batches, making sure you completely incorporate the first batch before adding more – do not worry too much if you can still see streaks of eggs with the following batches. Lightly fold the meringue into the whipped cream, taking care not to knock out too much air. Fold this into the chocolate mix in three batches, making sure you incorporate the first batch before adding more.
8. Using a spatula, scoop the cake batter into the prepared tin and tap it twice gently on the bench to even out the mix. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. (If you smell the cake cooking within the first 25 minutes your oven is too hot and you need to drop the temperature.)
9. Do not disturb the cake for the first 45 minutes of cooking, after which time you should rotate it to ensure even cooking. You may need to cover the top of the cake with baking paper and lower the oven temperature if the top of the cake is starting to brown. Test to see if the cake is baked by gently placing your hand on top of it and wobbling it a little, you should feel that the cake has set through. Remove from the oven the allow to cool for about 30 minutes in the tin before removing the sides. When completely cool, slide the cake onto a serving plate, to serve.
10. It is best to use a sharp fine-bladed knife to cut this cake. Have a jug of very hot water, dip the knife in, and leave for about 10 seconds to warm the blade through. Dry the knife on a tea towel before slicing. Repeat this process after every slice for a perfectly clean cut.  Serves 12.

This chocolate cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, and can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.  It tastes equally great when warmed up in a 150C (300F / Gas 2) oven for about 10 minutes to liven it up again. The cake is also delicious when cut into portions and steamed for about 6-8 minutes and topped with fresh berries and thick double cream or Greek yogurt.

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Well, Yes, Sex Is Good For Your Health

An American couple recently resolved to have sex every day throughout December in an effort to curb their vices – his was cigarettes, hers was chocolate.  (Pull the other one!)  And it seems that it worked, in more ways than one.  The couple did indeed find that their cravings were reduced, but in addition they also felt healthier, slept better, and avoided the horrible winter viruses that normally affect them.  The results have been so successful that they are aiming to continue their “mission” into January.  I bet they are, and I suspect there are a good number of additional motives that they’re not mentioning.

I reckon that it would be an absolute doddle to keep this one up, don’t you, whether you’re young, middle aged or old, especially when you consider the lengthy list of possible benefits below.  Christ, sex cures all ills apparently.  So here we go – sexual activity -

1. Helps you live longer
2. Lowers your risk of heart disease and stroke if you have sex twice a week or more
3. Reduces your risk of breast cancer
4. Bolsters your immune system
5. Helps you sleep
6. Makes you appear more youthful
7. Improves your fitness
8. Helps protect against endometriosis
9. Enhances fertility
10. Regulates menstrual cycles
11. Relieves menstrual cramps
12. Helps carry a pregnancy to full term
13. Relieves chronic pain
14. Helps reduce migraine headache pain in some individuals
15. Improves quality of life
16. Reduces the risk of depression
17. Lowers stress levels
18. Improves self esteem
19. Improves intimacy with your partner
20. Helps you grow spiritually  (What … ?)

Could it be then, that more of us should be including sex in our list of New Year resolutions?  I think so, but not just because of the personal health improvement element; that would make it a bit of a chore, like going to the gym.  It should be included simply for the pure pleasure element in my view.  The rest is a bonus.

It does occur to this midlife writer though – what if sex becomes an addiction, with all this increased activity, pleasure and benefits?  Would that mean that next New Year I’d have yet another midlife addiction to resolve to fix, as well as my current addictions to cigarettes, alcohol and Millionaire’s Flapjack?  God, I might as well book myself into rehab right now.

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Ice Swimming for Chinese Pensioners

Oddly enough, as UK inhabitants shiver in the freezing winter weather, there is a group of middle aged and older people in Harbin, China, who embrace the cold and go ice swimming, claiming that it is good for their health. Brrrrr…!

That wouldn’t do for this midlife writer – I’d probably have a heart attack on hitting the water.  I also have a feeling that this activity would not be allowed to take place in the UK, because of the health and safety risks.  Check out the solid ice they are all trotting about on.  No, it wouldn’t happen here!  This video is a small sample of “cold” clips courtesy of Yahoo News.

more about “Ice Swimming for Chinese Pensioners -…“, posted with vodpod

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Christmas Party? Sorry, can’t make it.

We’ve decided to organise a Christmas party.

It’s a while since we threw a proper Christmas bash for family and friends.  Now, I know that we’ve left it a little late, to book a venue, sort out food and so on.  However, I have found a lovely room, and the owners will cater if required.  They also provide overnight accommodation for anyone too pickled to make it home afterwards. So ..  this knees-up will be taking place on Monday 21^st December at 7.30pm.

All of that was amazingly easy to arrange; done within 24 hours of the first party thought crossing my mind.

Phone calls and emails swiftly followed; invitations were extended.

A week later it occurs to me that I may have been over-ambitious; I think I may have got a little carried away with the thought of spending a few pleasurable festive fun-filled hours in the company of my nearest and dearest.  It seems that not everyone has the same enthusiasm as me.

I’m well aware that 21^st December is very close to Christmas, and people will obviously be busy with their own preparations and events.  I also know that many folk will have to get up the following morning and go to work.  I also definitely know for sure that if a friend was to call our house and invite us to a completely free festive bash, we’d be there like a shot, especially during Christmas week – what a great way to get the festivities started.

I should point out that the lack of enthusiasm I’m talking about emanates in the main from our midlife friends.  Our daughter has had a completely different response from the young livelies she’s asked along, and some of them will have to travel half way across the country to join us.  And that’s the difference.  Young people are keen to get involved in anything that promises to be fun, regardless of undertaking long, expensive train journeys, sleeping on someone’s floor or dragging themselves to work bleary eyed after a night out.

Guys looking lively at a 50th birthday party!

Middle aged people, on the other hand, are not so keen it seems.  Maybe midlifers are just too tired.  Maybe midlifers are sick to death of Christmas; after all we’ve done a good number of them.  It’s completely plausible that my midlife friends are struggling to find that elusive “Christmas spirit” in the midst of this bloody awful recession.  Or maybe their partying days are just, well .. over.

Me thinks not.  Me thinks that lack of confidence is a primary factor; laziness is another.  It’s easier to not do something than to do it.  Comfort zone shrinkage is a common affliction amongst the middle aged; I witness it every day in the people I know.  I have to concede ultimately, however, that it’s possible I’m way off the mark with my entire way of thinking.  Perhaps it’s just me.

Regardless of the midlife reluctance vibes coming my way, and I will waste no more time considering them, we are going to have a lovely evening in the company of like-minded people who love a good old knees-up.  Even if it means holding a recruitment day at the local college.

"The music's playing, but I'll be buggered if I'm getting up to dance."

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My Next Life by Woody Allen

This appealed to me; it was sent to me by my good friend, Edwina.  As a young woman it would never have occurred to me that I might want to slow time down.  As a midlife woman, however, the idea of going backwards is very appealing.  Maybe this will also strike a chord with other middle-aged men and women out there.

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Anti-Ageing Argan Oil Face Mask – DIY Beauty Treatment

more about “Anti-Ageing Argan Oil Face Mask“, posted with vodpod

Argan oil is rich in Vitamin E and essential fatty acids, it’s fast absorbing and lightweight. Honey and yogurt are also great (and cheap) ingredients to use in any DIY beauty treatment for hydrating and nourishing the skin.

The plant sterols active in argan oil have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties which make it safe for all skin types and can naturally treat acne, eczema and other skin conditions.

This is a DIY beauty mask to add hydration to your skin, neutralize free radicals responsible for aging, and minimize the appearance of fine lines by boosting collagen and elastin.  This DIY beauty treatment is brilliant for middle aged women (tried and tested by this midlife writer!).

Ingredients
1 tsp organic honey (draws and retains moisture)
1 tbsp organic yogurt (skin-nourishing natural fats and lactic acids)
1-5 drops argan oil (rich in Vitamin E, anti-age, reduce inflammation)

Directions
Microwave honey for 10 seconds in a microwave. Mix honey, yogurt, and argan oil in a small bowl. Apply to face, leave on 15 mins and remove with a warm towel.

Video and recipe is courtesy of http://glamology.com

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Noisy British lover loses sex appeal

This story made me laugh out loud, especially when I saw that Caroline Cartwright was 48 years old.  Sounds like this middle aged woman is a proper midlife howler.  Go girl!!

Quote from Yahoo News: A British woman lost her appeal on Tuesday against a ban on her noisy sex sessions, after a court heard how her marathon romps that kept neighbours awake sounded like someone being murdered.

Caroline and Steve Cartwright’s “howling” lovemaking sounded “unnatural”, “hysterical” and “like they are both in considerable pain”, Newcastle Crown Court in northeast England heard.  A 10-minute recording of their sex sessions was played out in court, which also heard how she tried covering her face with a pillow to muffle her cries of passion.

Neighbours at their home in Washington, south of Newcastle, complained about the noise, as did passers-by and the postman.  The couple were banned from “shouting, screaming or vocalisation at such a level as to be a statutory nuisance”, but Caroline Cartwright, 48, appealed under human rights laws against her conviction for breaching the ban.

However, a judge on Tuesday upheld the original conviction and ordered that the banning order should stay.

Caroline Cartwright said she was unable to stop the din.

“I tried to control it. I even tried to use a pillow (over her own face) to try and lessen the noise,” she said.

The judge, Recorder Jeremy Freedman, rejected her claim.

“We are in no doubt whatsoever about the level of noise that can be heard in neighbouring properties, in the street and in the back lane,” he said.

“It certainly was intrusive and constituted a statutory nuisance. It was clearly of a very disturbing nature and it was also compounded by the duration — this was not a one-off, it went on for hours at a time.

“It is further compounded by the frequency of the episode — virtually every night.

“We do not find there is any infringement of her human rights in any shape or form.”

The romps typically started at midnight and lasted several hours, the judge heard.

The couple’s next-door neighbour Rachel O’Connor told court: “It’s just quite unnatural. The noise sounds like they are both in considerable pain.  I cannot describe the noise. Totally excessive and I have never, ever heard anything like it.  I put my television in my bedroom on as loud as it could go and they drown it out.”

The local council set up special equipment in O’Connor’s flat and recorded noise levels of between 30 to 40 decibels, peaking at 47 – as loud as a conversation in the very same room.

Marion Dixon, a council environmental health manager, took notes which said: “I heard a male voice howling loudly, which I felt was very unnerving.”

Her colleague Pamela Spark called the sounds “hysterical, almost continuous, just screaming.  I found it very disturbing and I noted that it sounded like she was being murdered.”

Dixon said when the council confronted the couple, “Mr Cartwright held his head in his hands but Mrs Cartwright seemed to find it quite amusing.”

End of Quote from Yahoo News

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Midlife shopping experience in South Yorkshire. Fashion conscious? I think not.

It occurs to me that huge chunks of the British population really do not care what they look like.  This opinion was formed whilst shopping in a large South Yorkshire town a good few miles away from my home this afternoon.

The place has a fantastic market; the best for miles around I’d say.  If it’s food you’re after then this market is short of nothing.  I’ve never seen so many meat stalls, fish stalls, fruit and vegetable stalls, cheese stalls and delicatessen stalls anywhere before.  I love the place for fresh food shopping.  I would suggest, however, that you don’t go browsing in the food halls with an empty stomach, because you’ll spend more than you intended, guaranteed.

This busy town also has a great indoor shopping mall, recently extended to house some of the best shops and brands known to the UK.  There are some marvellous designer shops tucked away down side streets as well, with window displays to die for.

Midlife women shopping in South Yorkshire town

But the people walking about.  Dear, oh dear.  They are a sight to behold.  Well, most of them I’d say.  Today I’ve seen young and middle aged women with tatty hair, in baggy dresses with anoraks over; young men and midlife men in ill-fitting jeans and cheap shirts; and numerous teenagers dressed in shell-suit style fabrics with scruffy trainers.  There was a distinct lack of well dressed people out and about.  And every time I go there I think the same thing.

Ill-dressed midlife men hanging out in South Yorkshire town

This town has a busy, somewhat affluent feel to it.  The shops are full to brimming with fashionable and attractive clothes.  So why does the population here appear to own nothing but mismatched clothes from jumble sales or charity shops?  And more to the point, how on earth do the shops survive?  Who the hell is buying their goods?  Because it’s definitely not the local population this midlifer was shopping with today.

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Billy Connolly’s Prostate Comedy

Billy Connolly jokes about a common midlife issue – the prostate! This is midlife humour from an hilarious middle aged man to put a smile on the faces of all male and female midlifers.  Comedy video that’s sure to make you laugh out loud.

more about “Billy Connolly’s Prostate Comedy“, posted with vodpod

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Funny Stuff to raise a midlife smile – From Mrs Hughes

Mrs Hughes jokes about midlife, family life and kids. Funny stuff – midlife humour from a middle aged mother and wife to put a smile on the faces of all midlifers out there. Enjoy this video.

more about “Funny Stuff to raise a midlife smile …“, posted with vodpod

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