Today is just an ordinary day here in our farm, but I want to share it because it made me smile. I was with my daughter, and she really loves to cook. She always says she wants to be a chef someday. Even at 3 years old, she already enjoys cooking, especially vegetables.
This morning, our neighbor gave us some lechon. Instead of just eating it as it is, I decided to cook Diningding. Diningdin is an ilocano version for pinakbet. We still cooked outside our farm house, like we always do. It’s easier because there are many firewoods around that we can use.
I prepared the ingredients first. The sweet potato and malunggay came from our own backyard. That’s what I like here if we need vegetables, we can just pick them outside. It is fresh and clean. We also added the lechon, lamas, and of course, bagoong to make it tasty.
While I was preparing, my daughter was already watching me. Then she said, “Mama, I will cook.” I just smiled because she always says that. But this time, I let her try. From the start of cooking, she was the one holding the Big spoon and bowl. Of course, I stayed beside her to guide her and make sure she is safe. Especially the fire and oil is so hot.
I
was just watching her and laughing a little. She looked so serious while cooking, like a real little chef. I feel happy and proud at the same time. Simple moment, but very special for me as a mother.
While we were cooking, I noticed again how peaceful our place is. The farm is surrounded by green rice fields and coconut trees. The air is fresh, and it is not too hot because of the trees around. Life here is simple, but it feels good.
When our Diningding was ready, we eat together. It was very delicious, maybe because it was cooked with love and because my little chef helped.
Thank you for reading my story, this is my owned picture, edited in Canva. This is just a simple day in our life, but for me, it is already enough. Have a nice day! 💛
