Death by chocolate

I must have finally, finally lost it. As I type, muffled barking noises are creeping out from the corners of my mouth. No, that is not drool...

So, I have had a recent bout of culinary disasters, and as a result of aging-brain syndrome, I simply cannot recall which I have listed and which I haven't. To swiftly recap - supper found in stone cold over, having switched on the wrong one, pan full of flapjack crumbs - tasty, but crumbs none the less - and a sponge cake that although delicious was very crumbly around the edges.

We have friends coming to dinner tonight. Instead of doing the sensible thing, and either not doing it, or going out, or doing the one million times tried and tested...oh, no, I got out the recipe books, didn't I. And found two whole new ones to try out. Am I completely lacking in any brain cells now? WTF did I do that for?!?

OK, so me-'n-you (sorry). The soup is a t&t, roasted sweet potato and red pepper, which is a to-die-for soup in dank weather. But then my eye lit on a Delia, caramelised red onions and goats cheese tartlets (yes, this is Hebden Bridge). So far, so good, with that one - I made the two elements yesterday, and just have to marry all the bits together without dropping or burning anything. Should be ok. Now, pudding. Not something I normally do. Neither am I a chocoholic. So why, just answer me that, did I select chocolate mousse cake??? Involving lots of melting,separating and beating; and instructions on when it is cooked that read something like "it is done when you see a gentle tremble on the Richter scale. If it is more like a a wave, then pop it back into the oven for a few minutes".

Per-leeze!

However, 400 grammes of Green and Blacks gently baking in the oven has permeated the entire house with the most marvellous full-on scent of chocolate, and the gently trembling, seemingly light as air confection is cooling in its tin downstairs under the watchful eye of the two siamese. It looks and smells wonderful - it may kill us ultimately, but, so far, so good here, too. I'll report back.

By the way, G&B are now part of the Cadbury empire. Being a total cynic, I can only feel that to be a bad thing. Certainly, there is a lot more advertising for it around, which could suggest that sales have fallen a but. Ah, well, I did say I wasn't a chocoholic.....

Right, I can allow myself an hour with the beads before I put on clothing that isn't food stained. I think I need to return to the days of wearing a pinnie.

(Oooh - Cadbury comes up as cadaver on the spell check!)