Wordless Wednesday: Too Much Snow!

we piled up the snow taller than her // *personal photo*

Much love,
The Geeks

How to Bake Cookies with a Two Year Old

On Friday, at the beginning of the weekend blizzard, we decided it would be really fun to bake some chocolate chip cookies, and to let the toddler get involved.  She's been really interested in cooking lately- Santa brought her an awesome play kitchen, and shows like Chopped Junior and Kids Baking Championship have shown her that cooking is for more than just Mommy- seeing Murray and his little lamb go to cooking school on Sesame Street really solidified the idea for her that she can help cook, too.  So, since our little kitchen is lacking in counter space, we cleared off the dining room table, plugged in the stand mixer, and got to work on a simple recipe I found here.  I'll let the two-year-old herself share a look at the process:

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Normally, I'm not supposed to stand on chairs- I'm supposed to sit on my bottom.  But Mommy said I could stand on the chair while we made cookies.  First, she put one of her aprons on me.  She says she needs to make one in my size.  We'll see if she ever gets around to it.

When the two sticks of butter were mushy and room-temperature, I helped Mommy take the wax paper off of them and put them in the bowl of the mixer.  I got butter all over my fingers, and Daddy said that's why I was wearing an apron.  I mean, I could have wiped my fingers on my shirt, too, but sure, Dad, whatever you say.

Mommy measured brown sugar and white sugar into measuring cups and I helped her pour them into the mixing bowl.

She showed me how to turn the mixer on and told me that was my job now.

I took my job very seriously.

After the sugar and butter were creamed, Mommy showed me how to turn the mixer off.

Mommy scraped the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and then I did, too.

We added the eggs one at a time.  First, Mommy cracked the egg into a tiny bowl while I held it steady.

Then we turned the mixer back on...

...then I helped Mommy pour the egg from the little bowl into the big bowl.

After the eggs were completely incorporated, I turned the mixer off, because I had that part all figured out by now.

Mommy measured some vanilla into the tiny bowl again.  Using the bowl meant we were less likely to spill any vanilla as we poured it into the bowl.

The recipe said to dissolve the baking soda in some hot water first, so we used that little bowl again.

Then we poured in some salt.

Mommy had to keep checking the recipe on her tiny camera that's also a computer.  I didn't think it seemed so hard- just pour a bunch of stuff into the bowl and turn it on!

I didn't think the white stuff in this bag looked much like flowers, but that's what she kept calling it.

We poured some in the bowl.

I got some batter on my fingers, and found a new way to get it off.

Mommy put this weird little hat on the bowl, but it stopped the mixer from making a mess.  I guess sometimes she knows what she's doing.

The whole time we made cookies, it just kept snowing.

We took the bowl off the mixer and I stirred it up with the spatula again.

Mommy poured in some chocolate chips...

...and I stirred them in.

Then she poured in some walnuts...

...and I stirred those, too.

Then Mommy got a baking sheet.  She scooped some dough with a spoon and I helped her put the dough on the tray.

I made this one all by myself:

I thought Mommy's cookies looked more like lumps than cookies, so I squished some of them down flat for her.

She kept telling me not so squish them, but I don't think she was too upset.  They looked just fine with my finger prints in them.

All this talk of cookies made me want some milk.

Of course, Mommy had to take a picture, because she takes pictures of everything with that little camera that she sometimes uses to call people.

I didn't want to wear my apron anymore, so she took it off me.

Now everyone can see my puppy shirt!  (Daddy says I look like a fashion blogger in this picture.)

The dough looked really tasty.

So did the cookies- after I squished them into cookie-shape, of course.

Mommy said the Internet would judge her if I ate the dough before it went in the oven.

But it was so yummy!

She took the spoon away and cleaned me up.

Mom is so uncool sometimes.

Of course, I had another source...

How long does this take, anyway?

Ten minutes is a long time, so I asked for some water.

I let Mommy have some, too.

The cookies were finally done baking.  We let them cool a little bit, and then I got to eat one!  I'm a really good cook.

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Do you ever let your little ones help you bake?

Those of you on the east coast- how did you survive the blizzard?

Much love,
The Geeks

Best of 2015

lulz, it looks like the star is growing out of Mr Geek's head // *personal photo*

Merry Christmas!  (Because it still is Christmas, don't let social media fool you.)

As it's officially 2016 now, I figured it's a- time to break the accidental hiatus that always always always happens on this blog in December and b- time to look back at the past year!

So here, in no particular order, are my personal favorite Our Geeky Adventure posts from 2015:

That Time I Took My Sister's Engagement Photos

My sister is getting married in May and has apparently also lost her mind, because she asked me to shoot her engagement photos.  They actually turned out rather good!

Crafting Adventures: Treebeard

We went to the Maryland Renaissance Festival in costume this year!  I did a couple of posts explaining how I whipped up the outfits for two hobbits and Treebeard the Ent.

Fashion Adventures: I Made Her a Skirt!

I shared with you my first foray into making clothes for this little goober (shown here talking to Daddy on the phone and explaining that we were in the middle of a photo shoot).

Fashion Adventures: Sweater Skirt

I got better at making skirts, and she got more excited about photo shoots.

Bookish Adventures: The Ocean at the End of the Lane

I finally read Neil Gaiman, and now I want to read his grocery lists, no joke.

Bookish Adventures: The Martian

I also read The Martian and suggest you do, too, even (especially?) if you've already seen the movie.

Twenty Random Things About Mrs Geek

I shared 20 random things about myself, because, you know, I'm random like that.

Potter Talk: Tom's Worst Memory

Mr. Geek and I proved that even though it's been 8 years since the last book was released, it's still possible to come up with new Harry Potter theories.

Culinary Adventures: Pumpkin Pie Brownies

I made these brownies with a pumpkin pie layer in the middle and they were pretty gosh darn good, if I do say so myself.

Currently, Chief is... {2 years}

Our little goober turned two!  Our home is officially baby-less :(  But what an incredible two years it has been!

So those were my favorite posts this year!  Did you have a favorite post that I didn't mention?

Are you a blogger?  What were your favorite posts this year?  Share them over at Like Mother, Like Daughter, where I'm linking up!

Much love,
The Geeks