13 Easy Microwave Mug Cakes Week 3: 2 Minute Chocolate & Salted Caramel Mug Cake

Compliments of theKitchn
Recipe by Babble

Hi Friends,

Did you see our last two tasty mug cakes in minutes? Well here is another one to add to that incredible collection. It’s a salted caramel chocolate mug cake that takes just 2 minutes to make. It’s rich decadent and delicious. The recipe makes 1 mug cake in a regular sized coffee mug. It will take you 5 minutes top to bottom. How’s that for quick and easy? If you can’t find salted caramels you can sprinkle a little fleur de sel salt into the mixture as you’re dropping in the caramels. Try a little sprinkling of it on top of the cake too; can't get enough of sweet and salty together.

Here we go...

Salted Caramel Mug Cake
What you’ll need: {makes 1 mug cake}

• 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg – beaten (exclude if too spongy)
• 3 tablespoons skim milk
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 salted caramels

What to do:
1. Into a small bowl add: flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, salt, egg, milk, and vegetable oil. Mix to combine.

2. Pour mixture into a regular sized coffee mug. Drop caramels into center of mixture one at a time.

3. Microwave on high for one minute and 30 seconds. If needed {if cake batter is still gooey}, microwave on high for up to an additional 30 seconds.

Bon Appétit...

Check back next Tuesday for another quick and easy Microwave Mug Cake from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!

Live well,
Yvonne

Happy Memorial Day!

Hi Friends,

We Will Remember Them - The ones that we've lost still go with us in spirit. In the faces of Family, their presence still lingers. In the dreams they once nurtured they still shape our future. In the hearts that embrace them, they live on forever. At daybreak and nightfall, as long as there's memory we will remember them.

Thinking of you this Memorial Day and sharing The Ultimate Sacrifice poem by Joanna Fuchs.

The Ultimate Sacrifice:

We set aside Memorial Day
Each and every year
To honor those who gave their lives
Defending what we hold dear.

In all the dark and deadly wars,
Their graves prove and remind us,
Our brave Americans gave their all
To put danger far behind us.

They made the ultimate sacrifice
Fighting for the American way;
We admire them and respect them
On every Memorial Day.

By Joanna Fuchs

Happy Memorial Day from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!

Live well,
Yvonne

13 Easy Microwave Mug Cakes Week 2: Microwave Strawberry Vanilla Mug Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Glaze

Compliments of theKitchn
Recipe by INSERTNAME

Hi Friends,

Our second week of these fantastic mug cakes will certainly get your attention because it's in the microwave and in only 90 seconds; who doesn’t love cake, with strawberries woven into it, with a puddle of vanilla buttercream glaze added for good measure. Let's get the day started off properly with cake for breakfast, YAY! And it’s healthy because you’re getting in a serving of fruit along with a serving of frosting, which is the best way to start the day, of course.

Ready, set, go!
Let’s make cake, in the microwave, in 90 seconds...

Microwave Strawberry Vanilla Mug Cake with Vanilla Glaze
(with Vegan and Gluten Free Suggestions)

Makes one very generous portion

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter, softened
• 1 large egg (exclude if too spongy)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1 teaspoon+ if you love vanilla)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (or 3 tablespoons if you want it sweeter)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 to 3 tablespoons strawberries, diced (I used TJ’s frozen strawberries and diced them. Halve or quarter your berries as desired)

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients (except strawberries), and whisk until batter is just smooth, but do not overmix. Gently fold in the strawberries. Prepare a mug by spraying it very well with cooking spray and pour batter into mug, taking care that there is plenty of room for growth. The batter/cake will nearly double in height in the microwave so select a large mug and do not fill more than halfway. (You may have leftover batter or you may get two mugcakes from this recipe, but don’t overfill or you will have a big mess) Microwave on high for 75 to 90 seconds, or until done. Microwave cooking times vary widely and I suggest standing in front of the microwave the entire time. It could be done in 60 seconds, it could take 2 minutes; it’s very hard to say but should take about 90 seconds. While the mug cake is cooling, make the glaze.

• Vanilla Buttercream Glaze
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1/2 teaspoon+ if you love vanilla)
• 1 tablespoon+ cream (or milk)

Combine all ingredients (except for cream) in a small bowl and whisk, adding the cream based on desired consistency of glaze. Spoon glaze over the mug cake while it’s in the mug and allow glaze to soak and permeate into the cake. Or, remove cake from the mug by running a knife around the sides and inverting it onto a plate and spooning the glaze over it.

Suggestions: Substitute Butter wuth Avocados from Mexico

Notes: Do not bother with mixing dry ingredients first, then wet; making this in one bowl and everything added at once is fine. You can also mix this all together in the mug and skip the bowl entirely, taking care you’ve sprayed it well with cooking spray. Do not fill your mug more than halfway full as the batter/cake will expand and nearly double in size. Allow plenty of room for growth.

To keep vegan, use margarine in place of butter, use nut milk in place of cream/milk, and use a flax egg. To keep gluten free, use a gluten-free flour blend.

Cake making is as easy as combining everything in one bowl except for the strawberries, stirring, and folding those in last. Don’t bother mixing the dry and mixing wet ingredients separately.

This is a convenience recipe and it’s much more convenient to just do it all at once. You can even mix everything in the mug, making it even more convenient so you have one less dish to do.

• Pour the batter into a mug if you didn’t mix the batter in a mug.
• Make sure your mug is TALL enough to support this recipe. Select a nice, tall mug because the batter will expand considerably; nearly doubling in height.
• Don’t fill your mug more than halfway with batter or you will end up with spillover and a microwave cleanup project that would be a major inconvenience.

Upon initially taking it out, the batter is puffed up very high, even a little higher than the mug’s rim, but as it cools, it will shrink down.

Poured the glaze on top of the cake while inside the mug, and smooth it all around with a spoon. Eat it like hot fudge poured over ice cream in a mug, all messy and blended together, which is the best way. This is so good because it has the sweetness of vanilla cake with the bonus of berries woven in, and then that glaze, Wow! The vanilla glaze really enhanced the vanilla cake flavor. If you are a vanilla fanatic, this is right up your vanilla alley because there is cake involved, frosting is present, and the microwave was used; my kinda recipe...

Bon Appétit, my mug cake lovers...

Check back next Tuesday for another quick and easy Microwave Mug Cake from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!

Live well,
Yvonne

13 Easy Microwave Mug Cakes Week 1: Chocolate Espresso Mug Cake

Compliments of theKitchn
Recipe by Kurryleaves

Hi Friends,

The last thing you want is heat from a kitchen oven during the Summer months. Over the next 13 weeks you will have access to quick and easy, single-serving treats we can all appreciate and enjoy.

When you want something for dessert that's more than a chocolate bar or ice cream, but still easy enough to make that you can eat it ASAP, mug cakes are your friends. Most of these take less than 2 minutes to make in a microwave. Yeah, that's right.

Just because these desserts are made in a microwave, it doesn't mean the cakes can't be made from scratch and taste good. None of these mug cakes use a cake mix, and all of them go a little beyond your normal chocolate pudding bomb kind of mug cake you normally see.

So whether you're living in a dorm, or sending your kids off to one soon, you can be prepared for immediate dessert consumption whenever the overwhelming feeling strikes.

The first of our 13 week series kicks off with a delicious Chocolate Espresso Mug Cake that's so quick and easy. Here's the recipe.

Chocolate Espresso Mug Cake
Ingredients

• All purpose flour- 3 tbsp
• Instant coffee powder-1 tsp
• Drinking chocolate powder or sweetened cocoa powder-2 tbsp
• Sugar- 2 1/2 to 3 tbsp
• Baking powder- 1/4 tsp
• Milk- 2tbsp
• Egg- 1 (exclude if too spongy)
• Oil-2 tbsp

Method

• In a mixing bowl combine all purpose flour,coffee powder,sugar and baking powder.Mix well.
• Add milk,egg ,oil and vanilla extract,stir with a fork ,just until combined.
• Pour this into a greased mug and microwave on high for 90 seconds( or a few seconds more) until cooked through.(DO NOT OVER COOK)
• Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or simply dust with powdered sugar.

ENJOY!!!!!

NOTE: you can use cocoa powder instead of drinking chocolate mix ,in that case add 1 or 2 tsp more sugar according to your taste.

Check back next Tuesday for another quick and easy Microwave Mug Cake from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!

Live well,
Yvonne

Happy Mother's Day!

Hi Friends,

Dedicated to all our wonderful Mothers from your friends at Interior Design - May you enjoy as you are celebrated this Mother's Day with warmest thoughts and special wishes.

A Mother's Eyes

A mother's eyes so often shine with laughter, joy, or tears....and with the pride of seeing children blossom through the years. A mother's lips give kisses, cautions, praise, and good advice. She shares her faith and values through hard work and sacrifice. A mother's hands are busy trying to meet her children's needs, but quick to give applause whenever one of them succeeds. Throughout her children's lives, a mother plays a vital part. She is their shining star, their inspiration, and their heart.

Happy Mother's Day!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!

Live well,
Yvonne

Happy Teacher Appreciation Day!

Poem Courtesy of Joanna Fuchs

Hi Friends,

Teachers mold our minds and the minds of our future. It's so fitting that they are acknowledged and celebrated as they play such an important role in our lives and the lives of our children. Today, I want to take this opportunity to thank all our educators and share a poem that touched a chord with us and hope our followers feel the same.

Thank you for all you do...

A Teacher for All Seasons

A teacher is like Spring,
Who nurtures new green sprouts,
Encourages and leads them,
Whenever they have doubts.

A teacher is like Summer,
Whose sunny temperament
Makes studying a pleasure,
Preventing discontent.

A teacher is like Fall,
With methods crisp and clear,
Lessons of bright colors
And a happy atmosphere.

A teacher is like Winter,
While it's snowing hard outside,
Keeping students comfortable,
As a warm and helpful guide.

Teacher, you do all these things,
With a pleasant attitude;
You're a teacher for all seasons,
And you have my gratitude!

By Joanna Fuchs

Check back for more great ideas from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!

Live well,
Yvonne

Happy Nurses Day!

Courtesy of Calendar Updates

Hi Friends,

National Nurses Day, also known as National RN Recognition Day, is always celebrated on May 6th and opens National Nurses Week. National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6th and ends on May 12th, the birth date of Florence Nightingale.

National Nurses Week is one of the nation's largest health care events, recognizing the contributions and commitments nurses make and educating the public about the significant work they perform. The American Nurses Association (ANA) supports and encourages National Nurses Week through state and district nurses associations, educational facilities, and independent health care companies and institutions. The week-long celebration is designed to accommodate the variety of schedules nurses are required to work.

Activities during National Nurses Week typically include banquets and recognition dinners, state and city proclamations, continuing education seminars, and other community events. Nurses are typically honored with gifts, dinners, and flowers by friends and family members, coworkers such as doctors and administrators, and patients who want to show their appreciation.

The history of Nurses Day can be traced back to 1953 when Dorothy Sutherland of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare sent a proposal to President Eisenhower to proclaim a "Nurse Day" in October of the following year. The proclamation was never made, but the following year National Nurses Week was observed from October 11 – 16, marking the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale's mission to Crimea.

In 1974, President Nixon proclaimed a "National Nurse Week." In 1981, a resolution was initiated by nurses in New Mexico to have May 6th declared "National Recognition Day for Nurses." This proposal was promoted by the ANA Board of Directors and in 1982, with a joint resolution, the United States Congress designated May 6th to be "National Recognition Day for Nurses." The proposal was signed by President Reagan, making May 6 the official "National Recognition Day for Nurses." It was later expanded by the ANA Board of Directors in 1990 to a week-long celebration (May 6-12) known as "National Nurses Week."

National Student Nurses Day is celebrated each year on May 8th. At the request of the National Student Nurses Association, the ANA Board of Directors designated May 8th as National Student Nurses Day beginning in 1998. And as of 2003, the ANA has declared that National School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday within National Nurses Week.

International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world on May 12th of each year. The International Council of Nurses (ICN) commemorates this day each year with the production and distribution of the International Nurses' Day Kit which includes educational and public information materials for use by nurses everywhere. The ICN has celebrated International Nurses Day since 1965.

Thank you for all you do...

Check back for more great ideas from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!

Live well,
Yvonne

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Courtesy of History.com

Hi Friends,

Cinco de Mayo gives us the perfect opportunity to share some information on the history of Cinco de Mayo, which we've shared with you below. Enjoy the read...

History of Cinco de Mayo: Battle of Puebla
In 1861 the liberal Mexican Benito Juárez (1806-1872) became president of a country in financial ruin, and he was forced to default on his debts to European governments. In response, France, Britain and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz to demand reimbursement. Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and withdrew, but France, ruled by Napoleon III (1808-1873), decided to use the opportunity to carve a dependent empire out of Mexican territory. Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large French force and driving President Juárez and his government into retreat.

Certain that success would come swiftly, 6,000 French troops under General Charles Latrille de Lorencez (1814-1892) set out to attack Puebla de Los Angeles, a small town in east-central Mexico. From his new headquarters in the north, Juárez rounded up a rag-tag force of 2,000 loyal men—many of them either indigenous Mexicans or of mixed ancestry—and sent them to Puebla. Led by Texas-born General Ignacio Zaragoza (1829-1862), the vastly outnumbered and poorly supplied Mexicans fortified the town and prepared for the French assault. On May 5, 1862, Lorencez drew his army, well provisioned and supported by heavy artillery, before the city of Puebla and led an assault from the north. The battle lasted from daybreak to early evening, and when the French finally retreated they had lost nearly 500 soldiers. Fewer than 100 Mexicans had been killed in the clash.

Although not a major strategic win in the overall war against the French, Zaragoza's success at Puebla represented a great symbolic victory for the Mexican government and bolstered the resistance movement. Six years later—thanks in part to military support and political pressure from the United States, which was finally in a position to aid its besieged neighbor after the end of the Civil War—France withdrew. The same year, Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, who had been installed as emperor of Mexico by Napoleon in 1864, was captured and executed by Juárez's forces. Puebla de Los Angeles was renamed for General Zaragoza, who died of typhoid fever months after his historic triumph there.

Cinco de Mayo in Mexico
Within Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is primarily observed in the state of Puebla, where Zaragoza’s unlikely triumph occurred, although other parts of the country also take part in the celebration. Traditions include military parades, recreations of the Battle of Puebla and other festive events. For many Mexicans, however, May 5 is a day like any other: It is not a federal holiday, so offices, banks and stores remain open.

Cinco de Mayo in the United States
In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is widely interpreted as a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with substantial Mexican-American populations. Chicano activists raised awareness of the holiday in the 1960s, in part because they identified with the victory of indigenous Mexicans over European invaders during the Battle of Puebla. Today, revelers mark the occasion with parades, parties, mariachi music, Mexican folk dancing and traditional foods such as tacos and mole poblano. Some of the largest festivals are held in Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston.

Confusion with Mexican Independence Day
Many people outside Mexico mistakenly believe that Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexican independence, which was declared more than 50 years before the Battle of Puebla. That event is commemorated on September 16, the anniversary of the revolutionary priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla’s famous “Grito de Dolores” (“Cry of Dolores”), a call to arms that amounted to a declaration of war against the Spanish colonial government in 1810.

Check back for more great ideas from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!

Live well,
Yvonne