Summer at Carnforth
Home of Soul Food Cafe

The Art of Just Sittin'

Recently, while sitting contentedly on my verandah here at Carnforth, dogs by my side, I had felt true respite from the burden of ill health that we have been carrying. Lulled by the sounds of spring and the first bloom of spring warmth I sat with a cup of brewed coffee and thought drowsily of the frenetic pace of modern life. "Why can't people join me just sittin' and let all the fretting and fussing just slip away?" I wondered.

Note the old rocking horse sitting by the chair. I found the horse on the pathway into a derelict asylum building in a secluded part of Melbourne. My mother and I were driving around looking for a place to write and I almost stood the car on its head when I saw the old abandoned rocker. Needless to say the homeless horse came home with me and is happy to provide resting place for a cup of coffee and a slice of my boiled chocolate cake.

It is such a simple recipe that you might try it and spend some down time just sittin' watchin' what is happening in your private universe.

Boiled Chocolate Cake

1 cup of water
4 oz butter
2 tablespoons of cocoa
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of carb soda
2 well beaten eggs
half a teaspoon of vanilla
2 cups of self raising flour

Set the oven temperature at moderate. Grease 9" by 9" tin
Put water, butter, cocoa, carb soda and sugar in a saucepan. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring continuously until all the ingredients are dissolved.
Cool.
Pour into a mixing bowl and when the mixture is cold stir in well beaten eggs and vanilla. Sift flour and fold into mixture. Bake in moderate overn 35 - 40 minutes.
When cooled ice with rich chocolate icing. I add cream to the icing sugar.