Dinosaur Train: Ginger Marmalade

Having a toddler means being introduced to all sorts of new television.  A lot of it is terrible.  With repetitive, annoying songs, complete lack of plots, or characters with no redeeming qualities.  One show which Thatkid loves which we have completely encouraged in Dinosaur Train.  It's Jim Henson (so harkens to my childhood of Sesame Street, Muppets, and Fraggles).  The plotline revolves around 3 pteranadon kids and their tyrannosaurus rex brother.  Each episode has them boarding the "Dinosaur Train" - a train which can travel between the Cretaceous, Jurassic, and Triassic period - to meet a different species of dinosaur.  It has introduced us to so many types of dinosaurs we've never even heard of and also covers concepts of nature like earthquakes, droughts, snow, and rain.  And covers topics like not waiting to pee, being afraid of strangers, or jealousy.

When I saw the "Live" version of the show was coming to town, Thatboy and I thought it would be a good first theater experience for Thatkid.  So we got tickets and on Saturday headed to see the show.

I had prepped him that it was going to be a little different than the show, the characters were going to be more like puppets than cartoon characters, but we'd be sitting far enough away where they wouldn't see him (he still flips out when costumed characters look at him or try to interact).

He was pretty excited about the entire thing and kept asking when the dinosaurs were going to come out.  He was a little annoyed by the whole intro where PEOPLE came out to warm up the audience and assign them roles as Therapods, Sauropods, or Hadrosaurs. 

But eventually, the dinosaurs DID come out! 

Just like the television show, the Live show featured a trip on the Dinosaur Train in order for Buddy, the adopted T-Rex to ask a question about what it was like to grow into a giant carnivore. 

And who was Buddy looking for to ask this questions?  Why King Cryolophasaurus obviously.  Thatkid's favorite character.  He was so excited to find out he was going to be in the show.

Luckily the kids found King, who was having his own problems with being shy.  And the kids helped him overcome his fears.

Just in time for a rock concert!  Which had Thatkid out of his seat, dancing and singing along.

Overall I think it was a great introduction to theater for him.  He was able to sit in his seat and enjoy the entire thing without being distracted.  He loved the experience.  And it was nice for me to be able to see him having such a good time.

 

One of the things covered in the show is what the dinosaurs eat.  There are Carnivores, like Buddy and King, Herbivores (there's even a song about hungry, hungry herbivores - "if it's green it's gooood"), and Omnivores.  Because of this, Thatkid knows he's an omnivore.  He eats everything.  And breakfast is a great time to showcase this when we eat meat, grains, and fruit! 

Marmalade seems especially fitting for a dino-themed day, because it uses all the parts of the orange. There's something very primitive about eating orange peels, don't you agree?  

Ginger Marmalade

3 oranges

1 lemon

sugar

1 Tbsp chopped preserved ginger

 

1. Peel the oranges and cut the peel into very thin slices.  Cut the orange pulp.
2. Slice the lemons very tbin and combine all the fruits in a large pot.
3. Add 3 cups of water.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, then let stand overnight in a cool place.
4. Bring to a boil again and cool rapidly until the peel is tender.  Measure the fruit and liquid.
5. For each cup of undrained fruit, measure 3/4 cup sugar and add to the fruit, along with the ginger.
6. Heat until sugar is dissolved and then cook for about 20 minutes or until thick.  Pour into sterilized jars and seal.