Cooking with Sara.

This is the longest I have been away from the blog. Ofcourse there was tons going on in my life and I had been away from purplehomes for a while as well. But five months! 

The thing is I really didn't know what to write here at orangekitchens. What direction did I want orangekitchens to take. What did I want you guys to take away from here. Food is something I am really really passionate about and I love talking about it but for once I had no words.

But all the time that I have been away gave me much to think about. And it feels good to come back to this space. It feels good that I think I know what I'd like to talk about here at orangekitchens.

During the time that I have been away ofcourse I have spent a lot of that time in my kitchen. But more importantly, Sara and I spent that time together in our kitchen. Sara has always loved being in the kitchen. I remember as an infant I would put her in the pram and take the pram to the kitchen. There, talking to her (Read: Mum blabbering and baby smiling) many a cake were baked. Curries too.

Later when she turned one we would pull a warm rug and her kitchen toys all the way to our kitchen. And she loved throwing a bowl here and a plate there and would be very happy copying me.

This changed a little when she turned two. Like her mum she loved "reading" cookbooks at night. She would take my copy of Cupcakes and muffins by Ann Nicol and tell me which one she'd like to eat the next day. 

At three, she spent most of her time in her play kitchen, would only and only ask for cooking toys. Her favorite game being chopping wooden vegetables and fruits and making a wooden roast chicken for her dad and me. At times she would ask for her favorite star anise and cinnamon ( which till date she pronounces as cinnabon) and add to that to her play food. 

A new issue of Good Food gets her as excited as me and we together bookmark recipes to try. And before it seems like cookbooks are all she reads and playing cook is all she does let me clarify she does read books that children of her age should and paints and runs and does her puzzles and basically creates chaos at home too :) 

She turned four a couple of days back.

Many of her interests have changed over the last four years. At two, she wanted to be "cheft" (Read : Chef). At three, she wanted to both an artist and a gardener. Last I checked with her she wanted to be a ballet dancer, princess and a fairy. I tried explaining her that being a princess is not really a profession and being a fairy is a tad difficult but then I let it because she does look really cute with her wings and tiara. At times she even sleeps with her wings on.

Having said that, there is one thing that has not changed in the last four years. Her love for food is what has remained the same. And at at four now, I am having such a beautiful time being by her side in the kitchen. We are baking everyday. We are cooking our dinner together. We are sharing our meals. And after much thinking and checking with my heart I think that's what I want to talk about here at orangekitchens.

Cooking for and with Sara.

My little chef making her favorite Oreo milkshake

I want to share with you what we do in the kitchen, what cooking games we play and cookbooks we read together.Our love for food which I really really hope she doesn't fall out of. Ever. And more.

Oh and I will be still talking about my experiences with food in general but this New Year it will be primarily about my little chef and me.

Image : Personal Album
While you enjoy reading this post with visuals.Please do not use them without asking. 
They belong to Orange Kitchens unless otherwise stated.