Octopus and Squid

[Baby Beluga]

There is an international supermarket near me that sells whole (small) octopus and squid for those who like to eat octopus and squid. The animals are not sold alive.

During the month of August we are doing an ocean/beach/sea life theme and I was thinking of getting an octopus and squid for the children to look at and touch...how often will they get that chance? Then I second guessed myself and wondered if families would be offended by this?

I would really like to give the children this opportunity, but I also don't want to offend anyone. What do you think? Am I over thinking this?

[Thriftylady]

Maybe you could ask the parents?

[Baby Beluga]

Maybe you could ask the parents?

That would be too easy

I don't think anyone would be offended but you never know...

Then there is the question of how do I dispose of the animals.

[Blackcat31]

Then there is the question of how do I dispose of the animals.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
• 28 fluid ounces water
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• crushed red pepper to taste
• 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked linguine pasta
• 3 pounds squid, cleaned and sliced into rings

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook until lightly brown. Stir in tomato puree, water, red wine, salt, sugar and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

3. Stir calamari into the tomato puree mixture. Continue to simmer approximately 15 minutes, until squid is opaque. Check frequently to avoid overcooking squid. Serve squid and sauce over cooked linguine.



...sorry, I couldn't resist.

[Baby Beluga]

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
• 28 fluid ounces water
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• crushed red pepper to taste
• 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked linguine pasta
• 3 pounds squid, cleaned and sliced into rings

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook until lightly brown. Stir in tomato puree, water, red wine, salt, sugar and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

3. Stir calamari into the tomato puree mixture. Continue to simmer approximately 15 minutes, until squid is opaque. Check frequently to avoid overcooking squid. Serve squid and sauce over cooked linguine.


...sorry, I couldn't resist.

:: I've had calamari before....so gross! Although in my defense I have never had seafood that I liked

[midaycare]

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
• 28 fluid ounces water
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• crushed red pepper to taste
• 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked linguine pasta
• 3 pounds squid, cleaned and sliced into rings

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook until lightly brown. Stir in tomato puree, water, red wine, salt, sugar and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

3. Stir calamari into the tomato puree mixture. Continue to simmer approximately 15 minutes, until squid is opaque. Check frequently to avoid overcooking squid. Serve squid and sauce over cooked linguine.



...sorry, I couldn't resist.

Tee hee ::::::

[bklsmum]

I would ask the parents and then just throw them out after like you would any unused food. I would suggest doing it as close to trash day as possible because they will stink as the day goes on, especially in the heat of summer.

[Unregistered]

If you were doing a unit on farm animals, would you bring in a steak for them to touch?

I don't know, I'm a little bothered by playing with food. There are actually a lot of conflicting veiws on this.

I think that cooking it and letting them try it would be great.

[bklsmum]

If you were doing a unit on farm animals, would you bring in a steak for them to touch?

I don't know, I'm a little bothered by playing with food. There are actually a lot of conflicting veiws on this.

I think that cooking it and letting them try it would be great.

I think there's a difference between the whole animal and a piece of it's insides.

[Blackcat31]

If you were doing a unit on farm animals, would you bring in a steak for them to touch?

I don't know, I'm a little bothered by playing with food. There are actually a lot of conflicting veiws on this.

I think that cooking it and letting them try it would be great.

I wouldn't bring a steak in but I would certainly take advantage of being able to have a real cow for them to feel/touch if possible.

I don't think this would be any different than those who use dried rice/beans in their sensory bins.

[AuntTami]

If you were doing a unit on farm animals, would you bring in a steak for them to touch?

I don't know, I'm a little bothered by playing with food. There are actually a lot of conflicting veiws on this.

I think that cooking it and letting them try it would be great.

She's not bringing a PIECE of the octopus, she's bringing the whole thing. Steaks and whole octopus are apples and oranges, you can't compare them.

I wouldn't bring a steak to play with, but I would jump at the opportunity to let them touch and pet cows, pigs, horses, chickens, ducks, sheep etc. Just because it becomes food doesn't make it not an animal and not worthy of exploring and enjoying!

That said, I PROBABLY wouldn't fry it up and eat it afterwards, but that's because I don't like calamari and it's very difficult to cook correctly .

[racemom]

I would cook it afterwards and serve it for lunch just to show how gross it is to eat! j/k. I don't eat sea food at all! I think it would be appropriate to buy them to show what a real one looks like. I think it is no different than bringing in any animal, the only difference is that it is dead and not alive. But what a great learning experience, being able to look at the tentacles and mouth and explore while learning. I think it is like in science class when you dissect a frog or whatever except you are not looking at the insides (I hope!!)

[BabyMonkeys]

I would definitely check with the parents first. I know that most people would probably be ok with it, but me personally, I would be livid if my daycare were to show my children a dead animal. We are vegetarians. I'm pretty sure I am definitely in the minority though

[Controlled Chaos]

I would definitely check with the parents first. I know that most people would probably be ok with it, but me personally, I would be livid if my daycare were to show my children a dead animal. We are vegetarians. I'm pretty sure I am definitely in the minority though

Livid? hmmm I would assume your child would only attend a vegetarian daycare so they didn't see hot dogs in the fridge or lunch meat. Nothing against vegetarians, we eat meat, but believe in having respect for your food ie. if you wouldn't kill it yourself (hunting, buying an animal we have met from a 4h friend, fishing etc) you don't get to eat it.

I do so much cooking with my kiddos, I would think of it as an ingredient. I would let them pass it around, I would do the cutting, they could take turn throwing pinches of salt or whatever onto it and then they would eat it for snack.

We do a mystery snack of the week though. In the summer it is fun produce (Dinosaur Egg Plums, Dragon Fruit, Korean Melons etc) The kids experience the item using their 5 senses, then I/we prepare it and eat it.

[Rockgirl]

I think it would be a little weird, just because the squid or octopus is dead. I'd rather take the kids to an aquarium to see live creatures, if possible.