Don't Taste This at Home

I found this fun, easy recipe online yesterday and thought it was something we could do together as a family. After dinner we put the kids back up to the kitchen table to bake a cake. I decided to make two cakes and figured Dylan and I could do one, and Todd and Isaac could make the other.

The fun thing about these cakes??? They're mixed and cooked in a regular mug...in the microwave.

Dylan and I made ours first and Dylan did a great job measuring the amounts of flour, sugar and cocoa, and of course, stirring it all together. We put her mug in the microwave as Todd and Isaac started working on theirs. I was surprised with how attentive Isaac was throughout the entire process. He helped Todd pour the ingredients into the mug, helped crack the egg, and never got upset that he couldn't hold the measuring spoons all by himself. I think he just thoroughly enjoyed finally being a part of the process.

After the first mug came out of the microwave, I put the cake into two bowls and let the kids eat their homemade cakes. I made sure they had large cups of milk to wash it down because the cake was a little spongy. And I don't mean that in a good way. All in all, the cake wasn't worth eating (in my opinion) but the kids each ate a few bites (they're less picky when it comes to sweets and chocolate) and we had a good time making them and capturing the moments on film.

To me, that's a successful family activity.