Reading to Nathan’s class on Monday afternoon went really well. Lucie interrupted a few times until a classmate of Nathan’s took her to the water fountain. Otherwise it went without a hitch. I was amazed how captivated the kids were. There were a couple of girls whose eyes were bugging out and mouths were wide open. Either I’m a terrific storyteller, or kids just love stories about devils and big bad wolves.

After explaining about how they would be learning about Colonial America and tall tales this year, I read Sparks Fly High: The Legend of Dancing Point. Then we talked about why people make up stories to explain natural phenomenonlike a patch of ground where something never grows (as in Sparks Fly High) or the Aztecs creating stories about how the sun rises everyday.

Then I read Little Red Riding Hood. In the Usborne Book version, the woodsman uses scissors to cut open the sleeping wolf’s tummy to help grandma and Red escape:

Quick as a flash, Little Red Riding Hood ran outside and picked up lots of stones. The woodcutter put them in the wolf’s tummy and the granmother sewed the tummy up.

Then the wolf woke up. He tried to sneak out the door, but the stones rattled inside him. "Now everyone can hear you coming," said the woodcutter, laughing.

"But I’ll never catch anyone," cried the wolf.

"You’ll just have to eat vegetables instead," said Little Red Riding Hood.

Sounds like the Big Bad Wolf could use a good vegetable recipe.

Roasted Veggies
Use a variety of vegetables – carrots, potatoes, yams, turnips, parsnips, beats, brussel sprouts, squash, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic and eggplant. Pick them for taste as well as looks. If you can get a mix of colors, all the better.

Directions:

1. Wash a variety of vegetables and chop into bit-sized pieces to fill glass baking dishes or two to the top. (The vegetables will "cook down" and shrink.)
2. Drizzle vegetables with a good-quality olive oil.
3. Season to taste with kosher salt, pepper and herbs de provence.
4. Toss to coat.
5. Place in a 375 degree oven.
6. Toss vegetables every 20-30 minutes.
7. Cook until vegetables are tender, but not mushy. (Potatoes should be somewhat brown at the edges and onions should have begun to carmelize.) This could be 40 minutes to an hour depending on the amount you’re making.

Tip: this dish is great reheated or eaten as a cold side salad.

Technorati tags: children’s books, recipes, vegetables, Little Red Riding Hood

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