In the kitchen - Butter Cake

"Cooking is Love made visible"

A and I had some one on one time. This is a rare treat and came about by pure chance. A, woke up early from her nap and G slept for another 45 minutes. Enough time for A and I to spend some time in the kitchen together.

I like baking but I try not to bake to often, because then I have to eat it as well. The recipe of the day, butter cake. I decided this is the cake recipe I will be using for their birthday cakes, which is a month away, so a test batch needed to be made.

When I bake with the girls around I place them in their highchairs. If I don't they will be under my feet. They are like kittens at the moment, sneaking up quietly when I'm not looking (or one distracts) and pouncing on my feet.

I place their highchairs on the other side of the bench across from me so they can have a clear view and can see what I'm doing. I talk to them the whole time I bake. I read out the recipe, discuss the ingredients, collect the ingredients, explain what equipment we need, tell them why I select one baking dish over another and I talk to them about the different ways to measure ingredients (scales, measuring cups and spoons.) As I make the mix I walk around to their side of the bench and show them how the mix changes as I add, mix, beat and fold new ingredients into the mix. I placed a small drop of the mix on A finger yesterday for her to taste and let her have the mixing spoons when I was finished.

A (and G) are too young to understand what I'm saying or doing, but it does keep them riveted and quiet for the time we are in the kitchen. I can't wait until they can be active participants in the baking process. A had the hugest big brown eyes yesterday watching me mix together the cake. A few times she tried to lift herself up from her seat to get a better look. I wonder what it looks like to her? Did it look as magical to her as it felt to me? I think it must have. There was so much love in the kitchen yesterday. Love it the special ingredient we add to all our recipes, it takes food to a whole different level. After eating we often say, "that was lovely, it must be all the love that's been added whilst the meal/cake/snack as been prepared."