To Mac or not to Mac!

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I'm getting closer to the idea of getting a Mac. So many questions still to answer though!

Playing favourites

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I've been doing a fair bit of blurfing recently and have been lucky enough to blurf across some excellent new (to me) blogs.
The one that wins my 'consistently thought provoking' and 'oh my goodness that makes perfect sense' award so far is

Adventures in Delicious Dating After 40

Very close runner in the same category is

Smart At Love

The winner of the 'crikey do those things really go on behind the scenes, must check back and see what he writes next week' award goes to

Back of House in DXB

I still love Helen the most though.

Of course

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I was talking about my forearm of course. And it took till half way through my 2nd drink.

Smooth and soft

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I went for a wax earlier today, they were having a special deal - I can rarely resist a special deal, now I have somewhere new smooth, soft and completely hairless for the first time. My fingers keep returning to my skin there, stroking myself, feeling the strangeness of that place for the first time without a single follicle. Meeting friends for drinks this evening, I wonder how many drinks it will take before it seems like a good idea to ask others to stroke me there.

The 10 Real Reasons Why Geeks Make Better Lovers

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Geeks build it so you will come

Geeks get personal with tech

Geeks dig consensual role playing

Geeks interact

Geeks get things done

Geeks are hot …

Geeks don't shock easily

Geeks know kinky people

Geeks understand multi-dimensional relationships

Geeks aren't threatened by new tech or "the future of sex"

Article in full here

Why are men so scared of telling the truth?

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Its late, I'm tired, but I have to just ask.

Why are men so bloody scared of saying the truth about the simple things? I found out this evening that 2 different men have lied to me about 2 different but very simple situations - if either of them had told me the truth it wouldn't have resulted in anything other than "ok, no worries" and I just can't see why they had to lie. It's only now that I know they have lied about something so stupid that I am pissed off.
I had offered something that is open to many friends of mine - I will not be offering this again - not to these men anyway.

G R T

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Last night just as I was drifting off to sleep I finally remembered the significance of the initials G.R.T. As I lay there so close to sleep I told myself to retain that knowledge as it had been bothering me all day. This morning I woke up and

a) Realised that those initials meant nothing to me and I hadn't been thinking about them at all till just before sleep.
b) No idea what they signify.
c) And now it bothers me!

So any suggestions from the floor?

For old times sake

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Here are a couple of my favourite chocolate recipes, enjoy.

Chocolate soufflè

Ingredients
3 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3 ounces good quality unsweetened baking chocolate (or use four ounces semi-sweet, but you must therefore reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup)
5 eggs, separated

Directions

You will need a soufflè dish for this, so that the soufflè can bake and rise correctly. If your dish is too small to accommodate high-rising batter, you can add a foil collar (folded over aluminum foil, folded the long way, and paper-clipped at the ends as it fits around the top edge of the dish, to make an "extension" of your dish's height.)
You will also need a second bowl to whip the egg whites in.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Butter and then sugar-dust the inside of the soufflè dish and also the optional foil collar (best to this before you attach it to the rim). This helps the soufflè climb, and it also adds a bit of flavor to the "edges" of the soufflè.

Over medium or medium-low heat, melt butter and flour together in a saucepan, stirring to make a roux, it should smell nice, and be thickened a bit.
Now, add the milk, and stir well to make it smooth and keep it from clumping, and add the vanilla.
Stirring, add the chocolate, and keep stirring until it is melted and smooth.
Cool the chocolate mixture a bit, because you will be adding the egg yolks at this point (save some calories and use just four egg yolks, not five... it will also be lighter in weight, rising a little higher). If the mixture is too hot, the egg yolks might clump up before you have a chance to finish stirring them in.
Stir the egg yolks in, mixing until smooth. Set this aside for a moment.
Using clean egg beaters and a clean bowl, whip the 5 egg whites until firm but not stiff.
Scrape the chocolate mixture into a large bowl. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture in about three additions, folding but not collapsing the soufflè.
Pour into the prepared soufflè dish.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes (do not check until the 20 minutes has passed. The top should be floating a bit, and look neither soggy nor over-done).
Serve immediately...with whipped cream, cold, heavy cream, or on its own!

Serves 6 to 8 adoring fans

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Mint Chocolate Pudding Cake

6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons peppermint extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously butter six 3/4-cup (6 ounce) ramekins. Stir chocolate and butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

2 Using electric mixer, beat eggs, egg yolks, and 1/3 cup sugar until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add all purpose flour and beat until blended. Add chocolate mixture, peppermint extract, and salt; beat just until incorporated. Divide chocolate mixture among prepared ramekins. Place ramekins on baking sheet.

3 Bake cakes until edges are set but centers look shiny and still move slightly when ramekins are gently shaken, 10-11 minutes. (Start checking at 9 minutes.) Remove cakes from oven; let cool for 5-10 minutes.

4 Either serve as is, in the ramekins, or run a knife around the edges of the cakes and invert on to individual dessert plates.

Serve with raspberries, mint leaves, vanilla or mint ice cream, or whipped cream.

Serves 6.

Just because

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Any excuse to see the 300 again, this time to music!

New Book

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I've just ordered a new book for my father. It's a little different than usual books, I've put together a selection of photos from his life and family and sent them to Bob, where they will be printed and bound all in time for his birthday next month. All rather clever really isn't it!