Cheers!

I love a new year.  It is all bright and shiny still, nothing horrible has happened yet, it has no baggage.  I love the idea of getting a fresh start.  2011 wasn't particularly bad to me, but still, I am looking very forward to greeting the new times that lay ahead. There is something about taking down the old, marked up calender, and replacing it with a clean new one. It feels fresh and open, like anything can happen.
 Resolutions are fun, even if they only last a few days. Hopefully mine will stick around a little longer, I have resolved to take myself less seriously, and remember to enjoy the journey. I need to be better about learning to say no sometimes, and also allowing myself to say yes to the things that matter most to me. I want to be healthy and happy and be my very best self. I have nothing with a particular goal or number, so I am guessing that my odds are already higher than most.
 A good friend proclaimed to me that this was the year she was going to reclaim herself. What a fantastic idea. I think I shall try my best to do the same.  I'm not sure exactly what that entails at the moment, but I like the idea of it very much, and am anxious to see if the person I think I am, even faintly resembles the real me at all.  A year of giving, a year of thanks, a year of learning and growing, a year of joy! Here's to two thousand and twelve, may it be full of magic, and may every day be even a tiny bit more wonderful than the one before it.

and in this scenario, where magic = mini chocolate chips, I give you what makes today even better than yesterday:

Cake for one
get a custard cup or mug
put in
2 Tbsp flour
3/4-1 Tbsp sugar (to taste)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp vanilla (I like the vanilla powder, apparently the extract is flammable, which I think sounds pretty fancy, but keep an eye on it when you cook it. FLAMBE!)
3/4 Tbsp oil (coconut is awesome, butter, whatever you like)
2 Tbsp milk
optional stir ins: nuts/mini chips/sprinkles/1 tbsp cocoa powder
stir it up real good
nuke it for a minute. frost it if you want. Eat it all. Don't share.

This is really amazing, especially with mini chocolate chips. It is around 150 calories with no stir ins (same as a twinkie!)  and is literally ready in less than 3 minutes.  Late night snacking has just been resolutionized. TAADAA! Welcome to the new year.