There’s nothing wrong with keeping a TO-DO list.

Something strange happens to me when I spend a day without my…list.

Whassamatter?

Do you think I mean a grocery list?

Oh, no.  I’m talking about THE list.  You know, the one and only…” What-You-Have-To-Do-Today,” list.

Let me run you through a short lesson on list assembly.

Okay, let’s take today for instance. Today is Wednesday, Wednesday would be written in large, bold, block print (all capitals) at the top of the paper.

Then below that write “1.” followed by the most important thing you need to do that day.  Continue adding items, with each being a little less important than the previous one.

Well, there you go. OK. So the list is essential because without it I’am lost all day.  I have no direction.

My friend, Margo, finds it ridiculous that I use a To-Do list.

“For crying out loud, that’s why you have a brain,” she’ll holler.  “Just remember what you got to do.”

This from a friend, as she begs me to help her find her car keys, over the phone.

What can I tell you? Lists to me are like pet peeves to others.

You know how they collect them and then share them with you over and over like my friend, Margo. I’m sure she has broken the world’s record for the longest sustained continuous sentence of pet-peeve gripes.

Here let me go get my list and read it off to you. Margo’s biggest pet peeves: Hot jean zippers grabbed right out of the dryer, lipstick on your teeth, the grocery cart with wobbly wheels…I mean the list goes on and on.

Ah, but I digress.

I am awestruck by this sheer power of those folks who never write a list.  Margo can call it a hokey ritual but without my list I could not remind her to try this recipe.

It is as yummy as a box of chocolates, but it is also a low-calorie treat.

Enjoy.

LOW-CAL PEPPERMINT CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM CAKE ROLL

Spray a large glass (like you would use to bake lasagna) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Line bottom with waxed paper and spray again.

Prepare one boxed package of light devil’s food cake mix.  Prepare cake mix batter according to package directions using 1 1/3 cup of water and three eggs.

Spread the batter in the glass baking dish. Microwave at medium (50 percent) for nine minutes, rotating dish at half-turn after four minutes; Microwave at High (100 percent) for 1 ½ minutes.

Let stand for five minutes. Meanwhile prepare a clean kitchen towel laid out flat and sprinkle generously with confectioner sugar. 

Loosen edges on the cooled cake pan and invert cake onto the towel.  Carefully remove waxed paper from the cake and sprinkle cake with confectioner sugar.

Start with the shorter end of the cake and roll it up slowly and gently in the kitchen towel to make a cake roll.

Place cake roll on a plate. Sprinkle cake roll with crushed peppermint candy on top of the confectioner sugar.

Serve slices with a scoop of low-fat ice cream and top with low-fat hot fudge.