Our Weekend and a Chocolate Chip Muffin in a Mug!

Happy Monday!

Chocolate Chip Muffin - see recipe below :)

This weekend, Bryan and I stayed on Hong Kong Island and explored the food scene more, and had a more low-key weekend. We have yet to eat at the same restaurant twice, and we've been here a month - so there are a lot of options here.

On Saturday morning, we tried a free-flow brunch (which is free-flow alcohol with a buffet), and it was delicious! We went to Watermark, which is right on the water, and even though it was a more hazy day, the view was still beautiful. There was a good amount of food and drink options, and it was just nice to go to a leisurely brunch with my husband :)

On Sunday, we tried a new lunch place (new for us) called Santorini. As the name suggests, it is a Greek restaurant, and the owners are both from Santorini - so it was really good. We tried the eggplant dip with pita bread, stuffed grape leaves, and a sausage dish. We devoured everything, but I managed to get a photo of the sausage dish, which was the most unique. It was in a tomato sauce, but it was in a caldron-like dish that was literally boiling when it came to the table - so yummy!

On our way home, we stopped by a 7-Eleven (which I just found out is spelled that way, not 7-11), and came across these chips: numb and spicy hot spot. Definitely not something you'd see anywhere else! We didn't try them, but we might have to. Also, a side note about 7-Eleven, they are WAY more common here than back at home. I usually think of them as more run down, and only associate them with gas stations. Here, they are definitely the go-to convenience store, and a place where many people get cheap alcohol on the weekends (or not the weekends). According to Wikipedia, as of 2009, Hong Kong has 950 7-Eleven stores and has the second-highest density of 7-Eleven stores after Macau, with one outlet per 1.16 square kilometres (0.72 sq mi). With only 25.9 square kilometers, Macau has 45 stores, making it the single market with the highest density of 7-Eleven stores, containing one store per 0.65 square kilometers (0.4 sq mi). Maybe too much information about 7-Eleven, but that's a lot of stores!

Now, on to the good stuff - the Chocolate Chip Muffin in a mug!

This is a great recipe to make if you want a single serving of a muffin, without the time associated with baking a batch of muffins. This is definitely best eaten right away, as the sides pull away from the mug, and the air will cause the muffin to become stale faster than a normal muffin. But with that said, it's meant to be eaten right away, and it's yummy! (The batter is delicious too - I think it tastes like cookie dough batter, which is the best).

Here are the ingredients:

• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/3 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/3 egg, beaten (or 2 teaspoons of egg beaters)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• handful of chocolate chips (add more or less depending on how chocolate you want it - but don't overdo it and take up the whole muffin)

Instructions:

1. Stir together flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, stir milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla until combined
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add the milk mixture in. Stir until just combined.
4. Stir in chocolate chips
5. Prepare a mug by lightly greasing it with vegetable oil. 
6. Pour the batter into the mug, add a few more chocolate chips on top.
7. Bake in the microwave for 3 minutes (I recommend putting it on a plate in case it starts to overflow).
8. Remove from microwave, and enjoy!

Pour wet into center of dry ingredients (#3)

Put batter in the mug

Fresh from the Microwave!