NaNoWriMo Countdown: One Week. Fiendish Fancies.

With only seven days to go (yes, you read that correctly), it’s time to make sure you are all set for the month of novelling ahead of you. In my three week countdown blog I talked about making sure you were fully prepared for November. One particular mention was that of snacks and drinks and easy food. With Halloween just around the corner (and a stolen title from Mr. Kipling’s Halloween themed French Fancies), I thought I would cover some of my favourite quick foods for this November.

1) Chocolate Mug Cake

Ingredients:

– 4 tablespoons of self raising flour
– 4 tablespoons of hot chocolate powder
– 1 large egg
– 3 tablespoons of cooking oil
– 3 tablespoons of milk

Equipment:

– Large mug
– Fork/whisk

Add all ingredients to a large mug and stir thoroughly. You’re looking for a smooth, thick mixture. One mixed, place mug in microwave for 2 ½ – 3 minutes (time depends on power of microwave). To test if cooked through, slide a clean knife half way into the cake and remove. If it’s clean, it’s cooked! If it comes out with batter stuck to it, pop the mug back into the microwave for another 30 seconds.

2) Pizza cupcakes

Ingredients:

– Pizza base mix
– Pasta tomato sauce
– Grated cheese
Equipment:
– Cupcake tray

Pre-heat oven to 180C.

Add water to the pizza base mix to create a ball of dough. Add water carefully, kneading the dough as you do. If you add too much, have some plain flour handy to mix in. Once you have your dough ball, roll it out on a flat surface. Cut out circles of dough and place in the cupcake tray. (If you have cookie cutters handy, these would be ideal. We used the lid of a blender to mark out the circles.) Make sure you have enough dough for both the base of the cupcake, and the lid. Don’t be afraid to re-ball up the dough, then roll it out again for ease.

Add 1 ½ – 2 tablespoons of pasta sauce to each cupcake. Sprinkle a generous amount of cheese on top of the sauce. Place the dough lids on each cupcake, pressing slightly along the edges to seal (use a dab of water around the edge of the cupcake to help seal the lid). Please cupcake tray in oven for 12 – 15 minutes.

Note: pizza cupcakes are HOT when they come out of the oven. Leave to cool for a few minutes before consuming.

3) Cereal

Ingredients:

– Your favourite cereal
– Milk

Equipment:

– Bowl
– Spoon

This is one of the most obvious but under-rated quick meals. A large bowl of cereal is perfect for when you’ve come in from work, have 1,667 words to write, and you realise that yet again you forgot to go shopping. I half lived off cereal last November. Stock up on a variety and don’t be afraid to heat up the milk first for that glorious warm feeling inside.

And as it’s NaNo, you’re allowed your favourite every time. Coco Pops is my choice.

So there you have it! Some say November is not the month to be experimenting with new things in the kitchen. I say – take a break from one creativity for another. Your brain needs food, too!