National Chocolate Cake Day - 01/27/12

January 27 is National Chocolate Cake Day in the United States. To be honest, I thought every day was chocolate cake day. This warm (and flourless) chocolate lava cake is delicious enough to declare a national celebration. But to help keep us all focused, there are several national food day lists floating around like this one to make sure all kinds of decadent delights get their day.  I’m a little curious, though, how National Pie Day, National Peanut Butter Day, and National Chocolate Cake Day all fall in the same week. I have a sneaking suspicion that the final week of January is right about the time that most folks have felt pretty good about the three weeks of intense dieting and exercise they have done after the holidays. Admit it. Your thinking has probably come close to this at some point: “I’ve been to the gym twice this week. Of course I deserve pie/peanut butter/chocolate cake!”

Molten lava cakes are the perfect little cakes to celebrate National Chocolate Cake Day. They require relatively little effort and bake in less than 15 minutes. Even if the cakes collapse into a quivering pool of warm chocolate, I promise you that your guests will not complain. Cover them with enough ice cream and in one, two, three, swoops of their spoons the cake will be gone.

But if you do want to impress a loved one, you might want a practice run or two to figure out the best results with your oven. If you underbake it, you will end up with a puddle of chocolate (there are worse things). If you overbake, by even a minute, no molten center – and you’ll end up with more of a brownie cake (again, not a travesty).

Now get celebrating. And keep this recipe handy for Valentine's Day.

Molten Lava Cake
Adapted from Bon Appétit
Serves 4

6-1/2 ounces bittersweet or unsweetened chocolate, chopped (Note: good-quality chocolate chips are an easy shortcut)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Pinch of salt

4 large egg yolks
4 tablespoons sugar, separated
2 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Butter four 3/4 cup custard cups. Dust with flour, shaking out excess, and set aside.

In a double boiler over simmering water, combine chocolate, butter, and salt and heat. Stir until chocolate and butter have melted and mixture is smooth. Remove upper pot from water and let cool 10 minutes.

Beat egg yolks and 3 tablespoons sugar in large bowl until thick and light, about 2 minutes. Fold in chocolate mixture. In a separate bowl beat egg whites and 1 tablespoon sugar using electric mixer with clean, dry beaters, until whites are stiff but not dry. Gently fold whites into chocolate mixture in 3 additions. Divide batter among prepared cups.

Place custard cups on a baking sheet. Bake until cakes are puffed but still soft in center, about 11 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to rack; cool cakes 1 minute.

Using a small knife, cut around sides of cakes to loosen. Place plates on top of cups. Using an oven mitt or tea towel (the cups will be hot) invert cakes onto plates; remove cups. Serve immediately with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

By Kendra Nordin

Happy Opposite Day!! - 01/25/12

Opposite Day, also known as Opposites Day is a word game where speech and what you normally due is modified. Once Opposite Day is declared, statements mean the opposite of what they usually mean. Opposite Day is usually celebrated on the first Tuesday of the new year, or in some cases of every month. Usually, a person would say, "After this phrase is over, it will be officially opposite day," and then Opposite Day will be officially started. Opposite Day can also be declared retroactively to indicate that the opposite meaning of what was said should be inferred. Opposite day games are usually played by schoolchildren.

In the sense that opposite day "excuses" untrue statements, it is similar to the notion that crossed fingers automatically nullify promises. Play has been compared to a children's "philosophy course",^[1] and the game has been used as an educational aid and suggested as preparation for "standardized testing".

The sentence "Today is opposite day" is in fact a paradox, similar to the liar paradox. If the statement is true, then it is opposite day. But since it is opposite day, the statement "Today is opposite day" can be interpreted as "Today is not opposite day" which is implied to also be true. Hence, a paradox exists and one is forced to conclude that it is not opposite day.

[edit]In popular culture

Opposite day is most commonly celebrated on Wednesdays. Wednesday is opposite day.

• In Bill Watterson's comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, Opposite Day was the gag of one Sunday. When a bee stung Calvin because Hobbes did not say there was a bee on account of it being Opposite Day, Calvin chased Hobbes up a tree with a baseball bat. When Hobbes said that Opposite Day ends at midnight, an angry and vigilant Calvin replies "Yes".
• A 1999 episode of SpongeBob SquarePants, called "Opposite Day", featured Squidward's attempted use of Opposite Day to make sure he gets SpongeBob out of the way in a failing attempt to move.
• A Whitest Kids U' Know sketch called "Opposite Day Lawyer" features the lawyer of a hopelessly guilty murder suspect declaring Opposite Day just before the jury goes to deliberate.
• In the 2007 American Dad! episode "I Can't Stan You", Steve's letter to Roger references Opposite Day when Steve tricks Roger leaving him stranded in Mexico.
• Homer makes a reference to Opposite Day in an episode of The Simpsons titled "The Wife Aquatic".
• In an episode of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy titled "Opposite Day", Billy and Mandy trick Grim into doing all their chores declaring that it's opposite day, in the end Mandy reveals that when she said it was opposite day, the meaning was reversed, and Grim did those chores for nothing.
• In a 2009 episode of Robot Chicken titled "Dear Consumer", a character asks if it's Christmas Day or Opposite Day, and then cuts to a calendar with Monday, December 21 circled as Opposite Day, and Friday, December 25 circled as Christmas Day.
• In an episode of Jake and Amir titled "Ground Rule", Jake uses Opposite Day to make Amir do his bidding.
• Sketch comedy group, Derrick Comedy performed a sketch in which a company's boss takes opposite day a little too seriously; going so far as firing staff who do not participate.
• Opposite day is on January 25 officially

Personal Blog:: Movie auditions for me - 1/20/12

These past few weeks I have had audition for 2 movies.  I am a bit worried that I did well.  I think I bombed on the last one.  I think I'm trying not to crawl out of my skin.  The first was to a movie called "12 Dogs".

I auditioned for the role of, ticket holder.  I sooooo did a bad job.  I was asked to do the line again and I did the same character.  UGH!!  

The next movie was a week after that one.  It is called "Mistetones".  It is for the lead part of an ABC holiday Christmas Movie.  I went in and sang "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and danced around really hammy.  I have yet to find out, but I believe they are filming in Utah.  I am keeping my fingers crossed.  Wish me luck blog fellows. :) I'm so excited and scared.

Easy Feng Shui for Love: Lesson # 4 - 01/06/12

Once you know how to create good energy in your home (Lesson # 3), you have to be sure you understand how to troubleshoot forbad energy and know how to remedy it before is becomes a fengshui love disaster. Do not let bad feng shui energy ruin your lovelife! So, the Feng Shui for Love Lesson # 4 is Know How to Neutralize Bad Energy in Your Home. Be sure you understand what bad energy is in feng shui, check the flow of Chi in your home often. Read the checklist of a feng shui bedroom for love disaster and be sure NOT to follow it. Be aware of the movement of the annual feng shui bad stars, as well as see that your bedroom has no Sha Chi (poison arrows) in it. Bathroom over bedroom tips, as well as bad feng shui bedroom art info is also covered in this lesson.

Bad Energy

What is Bad Feng Shui Energy?  Both Sha Chi and Si Chi - low feng shui - are expressions of bad feng shuienergy. Sha Chi is also known as "killing", or "attacking" energy. This bad fengshui energy can be created by... Read more

Bedroom Sha Chi

Identify and Neutralize Sha Chi -Bad Energy in Your Bedroom  Carefully look around your bedroom with "feng shui eyes" and detect all the fengshui poison arrows, called sha chi, pointing at you while you are in bed. Be it from the nearby nightstands or... Read more

Chi Check

How To Check the Flow of Energy in Your Home  With all the emphasis on good Chi for good feng shui, it is really important to get into the habit of regularly checking the energy flow in your home. Be especially mindful about creating a good flow of Chi whenever you are ... Read more

Do The Opposite

How To Create a Bedroom to Ruin Your Love Life  From over 500 bedrooms I have been in (as a feng shui consultant), only a few were conducive to a balanced and vibrant flow of love and sexual energy. The bedroom tends to be one of the most overlooked rooms in the house, while it actually... Read more

Not In The Bedroom!

What NOT to Have in Your Bedroom  I remember watching a good TV show on home design that left me feeling very upset. That particular segment was on re-designing a bedroom which had a big and quite emotional painting of a lonely woman drowning in... Read more

Bathroom Over?

Remedy the Bad Feng Shui of a Bathroom over the Bedroom  A bathroom located above the bedroom is not the best feng shui set-up. An important factor to consider in looking for feng shui cures in this case is how busy the... Read more

Bad Feng Shui Stars

Feng Shui Updates - Bad Feng Shui Areas this Year  One of the classical feng shui schools, called flying stars, takes into consideration the time dimension, as nothing is static. Basically, it is a way of keeping track of the good and bad feng shui energies (called "stars") every new year. I will not...Read more From Rodika Tchi, your Guide to Feng Shui

About Feng Shui: Money Tips, Your Bedroom and Chinese New Year - 01/06/12

This issue is full of questions and answers - from good feng shui in your bedroom to money area tips and solutions. Plus, if you are curious about the Chinese New Year celebration, read all about it in this issue. Enjoy!

Will You Be Celebrating Chinese New Year?  The Chinese New Year, also called the Lunar New Year, is one of the biggest celebrations in Chinese culture. It is a long celebration that lasts for 15 days. Because... Read more

Is Your Feng Shui Money Area Missing?  Is your feng shui money area missing in your home or office? And, do you know what it means when a bagua area is missing, or incomplete? Finding feng shuisolutions for specific missing bagua areas will imply a basic... Read more

What Is Wrong with the Feng Shui of My Money Area?  When it comes to the right application of feng shui, it is not the amount of work one does in order to bring the desired results. Feng shui is easily misunderstood,... Read more

Do You Have Good Feng Shui In Your Bedroom?  A good feng shui bedroom is a bedroom that promotes a harmonious flow of nourishing and sensual energy. A good feng shui bedroom is a bedroom that invites you, lures you in, excites and... Read more From Rodika Tchi, your Guide to Feng Shui

Easy Feng Shui for Love: Lesson # 3 - 01/05/12

The Feng Shui for Love Lesson # 3 is a very important one to remember - Learn How To Create and Maintain Good Energy in Your Home. The only 3rd party that is good for your loverelationship is the fresh, nourishing feng shui energy! No other 3rd parties allowed.  Always be mindful of how important it is to have good feng shuienergy in your home in order to attract and nourish a fulfilling loverelationship. Learn how to create good energy by using variouseasy feng shui cures, such as crystals, essential oils, candles, art, as well as simple interior decor items.

Good Energy

What is Good Feng Shui Energy?  Good feng shui energy, or Sheng Chi, takes many forms, such as, for example, the energy you experience when you walk by the beach and your body feels uplifted by ... Read more

Bedroom Art

Is Your Art Creating a Good or a Bad Feng Shui Bedroom?  Feng Shui of your bedroom art is an important topic to understand for obvious reasons. In fact, the feng shui of any decor item in your bedroom is very important, as the energy of your bedroom... Read more

Candles

Know How To Use Candles for Good Feng Shui  Candles are the strongest expression of the feng shui element of Fire in your home (if you do not have a fireplace, of course). As such, there are specificfeng shui guidelines that ... Read more

Crystals

How To Use Crystals for Good Feng Shui in Your Home  Crystals are used in feng shui in a variety of ways, all with one single goal - to create good feng shui energy in your home. In feng shui, crystals are widely used for their specific energy. For example, the rose quartz crystal is used to attract love and... Read more

Power of Scents

Use Essential Oils to Awaken the Energy of Sensuality  Use the subtle energy effects of specific remedies to create good energy and achieve a favorable emotional response. In the mood for love? Ylang-ylang, sandalwood, rose and jasmine are the classical essential scents for a sensual bedroom. You can also use ... Read more

Fresh Chi: Fountains

Healing and Calming Feng Shui Water Energy for Your Home  For a fountain to be used as a feng shui cure, the fountain does not have to look oriental - in fact, none of your decor feng shui cures have to look oriental in order to bring good feng shui energy... Read more

More Light!

Feng Shui and Light: Have Some More, Please. A Lot More.  The light in your home - both natural and artificial lighting - greatly influences the quality of your home energy (the feng shui of your home.) Smart lighting and good quality air are the very basics of good feng shui, and should always be...Read more

Breathe Deep

Grow Fresh Air: Best Plants for Your Home Decor  Best feng shui advice to keep in mind is to always be aware of the quality of indoor air and do your best to improve it. Numerous research shows that indoor pollution is much worse than the outdoor pollution. Is there a feng shui solution? Yes, there is... Read more From Rodika Tchi, your Guide to Feng Shui

Easy Feng Shui for Love: Lesson # 2 - 01/04/12

Here comes Feng Shui for Love Lesson # 2: You Have To Create A Home for Two! I cannot even start telling you how many "lonely" homes I have seen in my consulting practice, no matter homes of single people or married couples. Learn the art of creating the sense of togetherness, of nourishment and sensual balance and your love life will flourish. From feng shui bedroom solutions to checking the flow of love in your home, from your home as mirror of your relationships to creating a perfect bedroom (and even feng shui tips for sex!) - the Feng Shui for Love Lesson # 2 is loaded with info! Check the Flow of Love Learn to Check the Flow of Love in Your Home  Are you looking to attract a love partner? Or, maybe you are in a love relationship that needs a bit of help? Here is a quick feng shui love check-up of your home to see if you are really open and ready for lasting love ... Read more House as Relationships Mirror Your House Says It ALL About Your Relationships  We learn the most as human beings and grow the most (and the quickest!) through relationships that are important to us. Our relationships often challenge us, bring us joy, take us to heaven and bring us down to earth all in a short amount of time... Read more About Your Bed Best Feng Shui Bed Guidelines and Placement  Your bed is the most important feng shui piece of furniture in your entire life. Strong feng shui statement, isn't it? Strong, but true. Your bed is the only piece of furniture that has the most intimate... Read more Perfect Bedroom Create One for Yourself and For Your Love  A good feng shui bedroom is a bedroom that promotes a harmonious flow of nourishing and sensual energy. A good feng shui bedroom is fun and pleasurable to be in, either you are there for a quick nap, a good night sleep or to make passionate love ... Read more Bedroom Solutions Feng Shui Bed and Bedroom Solutions for Your Home  The truth you need to know is that very few bedrooms have perfect feng shui. Unless you had the luck of designing and building your house with feng shui in mind, you will, most probably, have to face some challenges while ... Read more More Sex Feng Shui Tips for Sex and Sexual Energy in the Bedroom  Sex is healing, beautiful and very powerful. Many ancient cultures knew the mysteries and secret healing powers of sexual energy, and we have yet to learn to respect, understand and be comfortable with the power of our sexuality...Read more From Rodika Tchi, your Guide to Feng Shui