As she sat on the olive green mould of plush
With sunburnt lips and salted, glassy eyes
Licking off remnants of caked-on chocolate dusting
lacing her over-priced snobby cappucino
Sighing, she curled up her feet
Despite resting in a public place
Watching the haughty woman
Pass by with their red lips and white hair
As though posed and ready to do the Charleston
She counts her blessing on the rivets
On her serviette
One, two, three
For all the joy that comes from He
Four, five, six
For cowboy hats and country hicks
Seven, eight, nine
For the privelege to wine and dine
Nine, ten
For tenderness and Barbie’s Ken
Eleven, Twelve
For personal achievements and her sense of self
With content, but not quite satisfation
She wonders what lies next
Reaching for a new napkin
She stares at the blessings unknown
And to herself, she smiles.
Preparation: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Yield: 6
Ingredients
200g Nestlé Plaistowe 63% Cocoa Couverture
300mL carton thickened cream
4 eggs, separated
1 Tbsp Liquer, if desired.
Method
1. Melt Nestlé Plaistowe 63% Cocoa Couverture, cool.
2. Beat cream until thick, fold into chocolate. Add egg yolks and liquer, fold until combined.
3. Beat egg whites until firm peaks form, Fold into chocolate mixture. Spoon into individual serving dishes, refrigerate until firm.
Out in the garden, bags sat amongst the lilacs
Brown and leathered, ready and weathered
Only small, filtered rays of sunshine
Graced this empty place
Memories of steady, quiet rain poured down
Upon her shoulders
Her hair fell down, it hit her heart
And swept the floors white again.
Not a watch had ever graced her wrist
Not one diamond was ever held to her name
But this place -
Oh, this place she owned
With a crown of daisies she crowned herself queen
And knew, like in all things
Only she would attend the coronation.
Every inch of the land
She had at least scraped with her finger
With intention she created memories
To inject like a syringe into this life
This was hers
She belonged here, because it was her created place.
And now the bags were ready
Old, stubborn defiant bags about to embark
On this lonely trip
In search of a safe home of the natural kind.
Able bodied, fresh faced you soared into the parlour
No nuances about you, no sword, no armour
Dark and dreary nights were filled with cloudless, soundless days
Reveries did I dance into, my eyes forget their glaze
Evening came and there you stayed, gentle and still
Without you then the gap appeared, begging to be filled
“Gentlemen!”, I cried, without a doubt I scared them
Elegantly poised the words ran out; I flashed my gems
“Never will you grace this room, this hall, this empty parlour,”
“Torn-up threads of targeted terror, by you, the cunning chamer.”
Lucky then it was, that my lying spirit broke
“Evermore, I promise to fill this vacant space with hope.”
My new site is up 
The address is http://beauty.melita.andrewgentle.com
Feel free to email me your own tried-and-tested beauty tips at melita@andrewgentle.com!
“Starting a quarrel is like a leak in a dam, so stop it before a fight breaks out.”
So much to think through
So little time
So much is wrong
So much is crime
The burdens are mounding
The enemy is regrouping
My heart is pounding
How is it sounding?
When it comes down to it
When all falls away
It is only people I see
And the way that they stray
My weapon is love
As pure as a dove
I have one sword
I call him Lord.
I have another site coming that is currently under construction and not yet on the web, but I’ll keep you posted. It’s a website about beauty tips, where anybody can email me tips and I’ll post them, and of course write a whole bunch myself. There will be reviews, top 10s, and all things like that, so stay tuned!
Yield: 12 Servings
Ingredients
11/4 cup (170g) flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup (200g) sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
1/2 cup milk or water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
Ingredients for Icing
2/3 cup heavy cream or whipping cream
200g (90oz) semisweet chocolate (40-50% cocoa)
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C (350 deg F)
2. Grease a 23cm tin (9 inch)
3. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, sugar and vanilla essence in a bowl.
4. Add milk/water, vegetable oil and eggs.
5. Mix everything together until smooth, either by hand or by using an electric mixer at slow speed.
6. Transfer to bake tin and bake at 180 degrees until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean, approximately 35-45 minutes.
7. After the cake has cooled, slice the cake through the middle to make two layers (easier if the cake has been in the fridge).
Icing
1. Heat 2/3 cup of heavy cream of whipping cream in a sauce pan.
2. Remove from heat, add finely chopped dark semisweet chocolate, stir until smooth, and let it cool until it thickens, if needed in the fridge.
3. Use 1/3 of the icing between the two layers, 1/3 on top, and the rest around the cake, Put the cake into the fridge for one hour or more to harden the icing.
Tips: Although it says either milk or water, try to use milk if you can because it’s the real difference maker in this cake.
Also, refrigerating the icing for as long as possible, before and after you’ve iced the cake will make it easier to serve, and taste better. Cooked properly, this is a really, beautiful cake.
“Evil people run even though no one is chasing them, but good people are as brave as a lion.”