Playful Creations: "Brobee" Chips or the Vegetable Formally Known as Kale

Since my oldest was only a few months old I started her on TV. Some may call me a bad parent but others will call me brilliant. Whichever way your beliefs go TV has given me hours of time to sit back, relax, and read a magazine. Yeah right! Rather it has provided me chances to cook dinner, clean, type this blog, take a shower.

We dove head first into Nick Jr. For a long time the only music I heard was from The Fresh Beat Band or Yo Gabba Gabba. I would (and still do) sing these songs all the time and even got excited when certain episodes came on (I still have my favorites. "Baby" from YGG for one.) We even dressed up as the Gabba gang for Halloween a few years ago. Isn't baby Muno adorable?!

Baby Muno

Sometimes it doesn't matter what you give your child to eat as long as you give it the right spin. And nothing needs a spin more than leafy greens! Telling your kid to try some tasty kale might not get you very far. But asking them if they want "Brobee" chips to go to the 'party in their tummy' might get positive results.

If you have no idea what I am talking about then:

1) you do not have a toddler;
2) you are a super parent and don't let your wee one watch tv;
3) you have an older child and have spent years trying to forget about the Yo Gabba Gabba gang.

In the cases of #1 and #2 I highly suggest getting online right now and watching some Yo Gabba Gabba videos. The first few episodes will seem pretty trippy to you but the music is fun and the characters will give you lots of fodder to discuss at your next play/real date. In the case of #3 just turn away now and run!

In honor of the little green man on 'Yo Gabba Gabba' I have renamed the infamous kale chip as 'Brobee' chips. My kids eat these by the handful.

(For us 'Brobee' chips make sense. You might need to think up your own name for this tasty (and very healthy) snack. Maybe "Mermaid' Kelp, Tinkerbell's Pixie Chips, Peter Pan Treats, or Tic Toc Croc-o-Bites.)

What you Need:
Kale Leaves (if you are foreign to kale it can be found in most supermarkets. It is green and not that scary.)
Olive Oil
Salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

After washing your kale leaves take a sharp knife and cut out the thick vein down the middle.

Cut the kale leaves in half (I used to cut them up in little pieces but they are easier to bake when they are big.) Toss them with a little bit of olive oil. Don't use so much oil that they are dripping and covered; just enough to lightly coat them. Spread them out in a single layer on a baking dish and sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 10 minutes. If the pieces are big enough flip them over after 5-6 minutes. You want them nice and crispy. If after 10 minutes they are still limp bake them for 1 minute increments. But be careful, if they turn brown they are burnt and will taste very bitter.

There have been a handful of times when I wasn't paying attention (ie crying kiddo, complete brain fart, too wrapped up in my role as Jake while playing pirates, etc...) and ruined my Brobee chips.

Enjoy!

FOOD PLAY!

In the spirit of St. Patricks' Day why not make some 4 leaf clovers and have fun with another green veggie (technically it is a fruit but who cares?!)

All you need is a green bell pepper, green paint and some paper.

Cut the bell pepper in half and take out the seeds. Dip the halved peeper in some paint and get your shamrock groove on.