Saturday, July 18, 2009

a cake, a child and a story


There was a birthday in the house. My husband turned a year older and my daughter delighted in the anticipation of a cake and candles and celebration.

Both the husband and I were tired of the annual black forest cake ritual. As if on cue, my friend posted a picture of an apple cake on flickr and I rose to the challenge.

Challenging, because, I am just discovering the joys of smelling aromas wafting through the house. The recipe was everything but challenging, and healthy, too.

Four-year-old hands kept getting in my way and I am proud of the way I answered her queries while desperately trying to measure ingredients and follow instructions, though I did lose it twice, thrice, maybe.

"Hmmm," she said aloud, voicing my exact thought at the moment. We were staring at the cake that smelt deliciously of warm apple and cinnamon, but it didn't look very nice. Thinking just like a momma (we were made for crisis management), I set about mixing white sugar powder and the leftover cinnamon powder.

As she shook my steel seive and the white powder fell on the warm cake, the joy in her eye was what I lived for. It was her labour of love and oh, was she mighty pleased with herself!

She recited the entire recipe to her father as they cut the cake together. She gave due credit to me for teaching her, wow!

My touch, lol! I lighted a row of scented candles that I had been hoarding for special times when we might be able to linger on long after the meal was over. Today was special!

5 comments:

Shalini said...

How have I never visited your blog before?

Lovely reading this post. You described her joy so well.

Shilpa said...

I'm so glad you found me here! I usually publicise my posts written for the times web portal.
This one is for me and I want it to chart its own course. So, don't be surprised if the blog name changes all of a sudden, like it did twice before :)

... my daughter will wake up and do all that is asked of her without any nakhras for two things - airport days, for she loves going anywhere far away; and baking a cake, well, you know why :)

Hannah said...

You've recorded this proud and event so well. One day she will read it with a gleam in her eye. Lovely to keep in your memory treasury :)

Hannah said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Lakshmi -Celebrations said...

Glad and so happy that i found you.loved the way of writing.fan of ur writing...write more,post more...please..