It took us for a while to conclude the parent cook-off in Bunso's school due to the constant cancellation of classes. On July 25 we were able to push it through. Honestly, I was very excited. For the very first time, I would do something fun with my co-parents--- to cook something healthy for our kids in school and see whether they would like to eat the finished product or not. 

It was announced during the 2nd Parent Support Conference that we would be having this activity per grade level. Before the meeting was adjourned, we were asked to group ourselves and our group decided that we would bake something healthy for our kids. Since most were reluctant bakers, first we decided to use cake mixes and add fruits and vegetables as sweeteners instead of sugar. But we were so blessed to learn a few days after that we have a home baker group mate, Mem. She suggested that we should push-through with it but making the cakes healthier by using natural ingredients and everything would be prepared from scratch. To cut the story short, we agreed to bake Mem's version of two recipes that she learned from a world-renowned journalist and health and fitness guru, Candice Kumai: Banana-Raisin Cupcakes and Pumpkin Mochi Tea Cake.

Here are the ingredients and procedure for the Banana-Raisin Cupcakes:

1 cup All-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix these dry ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 large or 3 medium fully-riped bananas
raisins
cupcake liners

In a separate bowl, mix coconut oil and brown sugar until fully incorporated. Add in the egg and beat until fully mixed. Fold in mashed bananas. Stir in the dry ingredients and raisins. Scoop the mixture using ice cream scooper in lined cupcake tins until 3/4 full. Bake the cupcakes in a preheated oven (350 ̊F) until the toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.

The Banana-Raisin Cupcake was not too sweet. Its chewy texture was just right. Raisins balanced the flavors of banana and flour, making it perfectly delicious!


Moreover, here are the ingredients and procedure for the Pumpkin Mochi Tea Cake:

It was my very first time to see and taste a Pumpkin Mochi Tea Cake. Winner na winner ito sa akin! It tasted close to Yema Cake! It was moist, soft, and creamy! Super yummy! It didn't taste like pumpkin at all. By the way, instead of a canned pumpkin purée, we used the one that Mem processed the night before. Akalain mo 'yon? Sasarap pala talaga ang cake kapag may pumpkin purée!

If you want it to cook really fast, it can be baked as a cupcake too.

Musings and Healthy Recipes from a Parent Cook-Off (Photo Credit: Pixabay)

Most of the kids loved what we baked for them. Why most and not all of them? Because some kids, like Bunso, are picky eaters and have Sensory Perception Disorder. Those kids adjust longer when new things, environment, and food are being introduced to them.

In my case, I failed my mission of encouraging Bunso to eat what I prepared for him. Well, there is always the next time. I never lose hope. I know that someday he can surpass the stage of being too choosy in his food preferences.

We were very busy baking, washing, chatting, and making our kids eat what we baked that's why I forgot to take photos of our finished products. This "Parent Cook-Off" left me so much to ponder upon. It was really tiring and wasn't easy to pull off but for just a short time, I learned so much from my group mates about how they raise their own kids that might work for Bunso. I was able to do something productive with them while having fun. The mixing and measuring of ingredients were therapeutic for me. Most of all, the beauty of doing this activity was its intention to show our kids how much we love them--- to bake something healthy not just to nourish their delicate tummies but their hearts as well. I believe that my group mates and other groups who joined felt the same.