My son asked me the other day how geodes are formed--you know, those ugly rocks that you crack open to reveal a big hole with gorgeous crystals inside. I tried to remember back to my fossil loving days. "I think it's something to do with volcanoes and air bubbles or something," I said. "We'll look it up later on the internet." For some reason, it always makes my children leave me alone when I say we'll look it up on the internet. Someday they're going to realize that I have never once looked up anything of this nature for them. But it works for now.
When they get out the list of things I've got to track down for them though, geodes will be crossed off because one of my daughters actually made some today. I'm not sure what she did exactly, but it was close to this:
1. Tell Mom you're bored.
2. Get out the month old bag of flour, sugar and macadamia nuts all mixed up--the one that's supposed to be a cookie mix.
3. Get out recipe involving old cookie mix.
4. Sort of follow the recipe.
5. Whatever you do, don't use a whole egg. Geodes only work with maybe 2/3 of an egg.
6. Blend the cookie mix with the partial egg with the mixer for at least 10 minutes.
7. Wonder why it really doesn't look like cookie dough.
8. Take Mom's advice to just squish some together and bake it anyway. This especially works if cooking really isn't one of your mother's talents.
9. When Mom says golfball size, go for volleyball size. Bigger cookies, er, geodes are better.
10. Bake at 375 for 11 minutes.
11. Leave them in a few minutes more.
12. When they come out, don't disturb them. Although they look like ugly rocks, your geodes aren't quite complete. At this point, they are hard on the outside, but mushy on the inside. Your crystals still need to harden.
13. Three hours later, if you can crack open one of your "cookies" you will find a giant hole and beautiful crystals inside.
They look like geodes, feel like geodes and taste just like them, too. (It's been a long time since I licked a geode, I am guessing on this point.)
I am excited to use this for her science fair project later in the year.
For all those interested in more geological geode formation: http://www.mamasminerals.com/lmrhfrocksgeodes.html
When they get out the list of things I've got to track down for them though, geodes will be crossed off because one of my daughters actually made some today. I'm not sure what she did exactly, but it was close to this:
1. Tell Mom you're bored.
2. Get out the month old bag of flour, sugar and macadamia nuts all mixed up--the one that's supposed to be a cookie mix.
3. Get out recipe involving old cookie mix.
4. Sort of follow the recipe.
5. Whatever you do, don't use a whole egg. Geodes only work with maybe 2/3 of an egg.
6. Blend the cookie mix with the partial egg with the mixer for at least 10 minutes.
7. Wonder why it really doesn't look like cookie dough.
8. Take Mom's advice to just squish some together and bake it anyway. This especially works if cooking really isn't one of your mother's talents.
9. When Mom says golfball size, go for volleyball size. Bigger cookies, er, geodes are better.
10. Bake at 375 for 11 minutes.
11. Leave them in a few minutes more.
12. When they come out, don't disturb them. Although they look like ugly rocks, your geodes aren't quite complete. At this point, they are hard on the outside, but mushy on the inside. Your crystals still need to harden.
13. Three hours later, if you can crack open one of your "cookies" you will find a giant hole and beautiful crystals inside.
They look like geodes, feel like geodes and taste just like them, too. (It's been a long time since I licked a geode, I am guessing on this point.)
I am excited to use this for her science fair project later in the year.
For all those interested in more geological geode formation: http://www.mamasminerals.com/lmrhfrocksgeodes.html
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