Working

Pushing myself to finish Echoes in the next few weeks. I’ve been wrestling with the Editor-On-My-Shoulder, telling myself that the important thing now is to just get the words down. I know I’m overwriting in spots. Explaining too much, which slows down the action. I have the remaining chapters plotted, which is a pretty big deal for pantser me, and I know the ending. It’s a matter of getting down the words. Writing by direct mental transference still isn’t a thing.

It’s been a long day, so I decided to give myself a treat. I had heard of microwave mug cake for years, but never tried any recipes because the ones I found all contained so much oil and I don’t like oily baked goods. Then I found this recipe last year–milk and just a dab of butter–and it has become my go-to chocolate cake. I add a quarter teaspoon or so of instant espresso to boost the chocolate flavor, and cinnamon and a dash of cayenne if I’m in the mood for spice. I usually use white whole wheat flour, but this time I opted for Francine Bio, an organic white flour from France. I bought it in order to hit the free shipping amount for an online order, and darn it, I think it resulted in the best cake yet.

I usually eat the cake by itself or with a scoop of ice cream, but this time I opted for a couple of Traverse City brand cocktail cherries with a little of the syrup. Fresh cup of coffee. Good way to end the day.

Cake!