Getting Ready for School, Chips and More Chips, and Groovy Green Books

I know several people that have children starting school this month, which is what made me start searching the internet for tips to help prepare children (and possibly parents too) for this momentous step. No surprise there are many sites offering helpful advice for the weeks before and for the first day, but what struck me the most was this letter I found that was written by a mother to her son starting Kindergarten. It is very cute, and not a bad idea to help your soon-to-be Kindergartener make the leap into the classroom.

Recipe:

Homemade Chips -- Kale and Sweet Potato

These are soooo easy, and absolutely delicious. All you need is the vegetable, some olive oil, and a bit of salt, and voila you'll soon have crispy, addictive snacks for you and the kids to devour.

Kale Chips Ingredients
1 head kale, washed and thoroughly dried
2 Tbs. olive oil
Sea salt

1) Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Remove the ribs from the kale and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Lay on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil and salt. Bake until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through, about 20 minutes.

Sweet Potato Chips Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed (or peeled) and sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt, preferably sea salt

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in center and lower positions. Divide sweet potatoes between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle with oil, toss, and spread them in a single layer on sheets.

2)Bake, flipping once, until centers are soft and edges are crisp, 22 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with salt.

Product:

Green Start Books

If you're in the market for more books to keep your little one excited and learning, check these out before you buy. They are colorful books with topics that help connect kids to the natural world around them, while lessening the load on the environment by using 95% recycled materials and eco-friendly inks to make them. Check out the title In the Garden, which does a wonderful job of introducing the concept of food that grows.


"You know your children are growing up when they stop asking you where they came from and refuse to tell you where they're going." -P. J. O'Rourke