Monday, November 10, 2008

Cake-in-a-mug

When I started the blog, I promised myself I'd put up atleast a once-a-week post on some of the activities/projects I do with Nino - only because there's a great deal of joy I get out of these times with him, and I wish to pass the joy around - sort of like a random act of kindness because I picked these ideas from other mommy blogs who put so much time and effort into raising their kids the creative way.

So far it's not been a commitment that has worked: we've damaged our camera - and I've never gotten down to borrowing one and get clicking when Nino gets hands-on. But there's always a start, and here's one for this week. Hopefully, I'll be able to make this an every monday affair after a weekend of projects!

Getting kids to cook often sounds so much better for mums abroad then it does for us in India. Our spices can be lethal (yes, there is a murphy's law about how hands get into eyes) and kitchens are not really a safe place for little children. But that said, most kids love to cook - and apart from the little dough-roti/shell the peas affair, there are some seriously good child-friendly recipes for some cooking delight for mum and baby both.

What better a way to start off a saturday than with a good chocolate cake, especially if there's a cousin around to share the goodies with! I got this recipe from a blog that I turn to often, one that chronicles ardent montessori mom and teacher, Laura, in her everyday efforts at her school and home. Needless to say, I'm a believer in montessori methods, and a system that I've come to respect every since we put Nino in a montessori playschool.

Cake-in-a-mug
Preparation time: 10 minutes - to as long as the little fingers want to take!
Cooking time: 3 minutes

You need:
A mug
4 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp flour (3 tbsp white flour + 1 tbsp wheat flour)
2 tbsp cocoa
3 tbsp milk
2 tbsp oil
An egg

How to:
Combine all the dry ingredients first.

(Nino and Karanbhai busy mixing the oil and the egg)


Now add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture. Mix well. Be prepared for plenty of finger-licking too!

Grease two mugs with either cooking spray or just a few drops of oil Pour mixture into mugs (should reach about half of each mug) and cook in the microwave for about three minutes. The cake batter will rise nearly to the top of/over the top of the mug, so it make for great viewing too!



Pat out cake, sprinkle some powdered sugar and enjoy. Also tastes great with vanilla ice-cream!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cake looks so yummy! And the look on Nino's face (the last pic) is even better. I can't wait for my son to grow up and do stuff with him. I'll have to save your post for use much later :)
Do keep up posted about stuff you do with him. Cheers.

Anonymous said...

oops! i meant 'us' in the last line.

Nino's Mum said...

Preeti - thanks so much! I can totally relate to what you said about Little V - I still can't wait for my son to grow up and do the stuff that I've already planned we'll do when he's a bit bigger!
Here's to the mommy syndrome :)

momstir said...

Love Nino's priceless expression. And isn't Karanbhai the cousin he want to be like? I second your idea of posting projects...have been thinking of doing that too. Did Mommy get any cake?

Nino's Mum said...

Momstir - Oh yeah, Karanbhai's THE one right now!
Nope, mommy got no cake - actually Nino fed one of the mounds to all our friends later that evening. :)i think it was because he likes fresh cake better.

Anonymous said...

That looks awesome...I should do this - my kids have started learning to cook, and this sounds right up their alley.

M

Anonymous said...

TG made this for me last night and we ate it with vanilla ice-cream. It tasted yummy, but the texture was more like a pudding than a cake.

mmmm...

Anonymous said...

We don't have any kids at home, but we make this too!

Anonymous said...

Such fun! Must try this sometime. Err, for my gluttonous self.

Nino's Mum said...

first things first - I've never received like nine comments on anything - even if two of those comments are mine - so permit me a little elation. Din't know food was the way to everybody's hearts :)

M - thank you.

broom - that's exctly what I said to myself about the cake's texture once it was done.

mumbaigirl - and now I can't wait to read up on your post on food this morning!

OJ - All the more fun!