INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Large globe eggplants (with a deep purple color) are the most common variety, and are what you will find in most supermarkets. You should select an eggplant that is firm and glossy and which also has a nice heft to it.  You should also examine the stem of an eggplant before selecting it: choose those which have bright green, fresh looking stems and caps.  In the past, eggplants had a bit of bad reputation as being a bitter vegetable, but most varieties available now have been bred to be much more mild. Even so, many chefs recommend that you select smaller, younger eggplants to ensure that your final dish will not be bitter. Other varieties you might want to experiment with include Italian eggplants, which are quite similar to the large purple globes, but which tend to be smaller and slimmer.  You can also find Japanese eggplants (a small purple variety) or Chinese eggplants (also small, but which are a paler violet color) at specialty markets or farmer's markets.  If you can find them, try the very small Thai eggplants, which are green, round, and well-suited to being cooked whole. Eggplants perish fairly quickly. Thus, it's not a great idea to purchase large quantities at once while shopping. Once you bring them home, you should store them whole in the refrigerator and use within two days.Eggplant will become more bitter the longer you wait between picking/selecting it and cooking it. You can choose to preserve some of your garden bounty by freezing it, but plan on using that for soups, stews, sauces and even for frying. Grilled eggplant is an easy, quick, and delicious way to use up fresh eggplant. Some recipes do call for you to peel the eggplant, and this may be a good idea if your eggplant is older or very large—the skin may be tough or bitter.  Peel with a paring knife or a sharp vegetable peeler, and be prepared to cook the eggplant fairly soon after (the flesh will quickly discolor once peeled).  If you've chosen a smaller, younger eggplant, then toughness and bitterness should not be a problem. The skin lends a heartiness to the dish as well as a pleasing color contrast. While the eggplant as a whole is a very nutritious vegetable, there is a higher concentration of the beneficial antioxidant nasunin in the skin. Similarly, the skin contains the phytochemical chlorogenic acid, which recent studies have indicated may help promote glucose tolerance. You should give your eggplant a good scrub, particularly if you do not plan on removing the skin. Trim the ends of the eggplant, and then slice it with a very sharp knife. Your slices should be between ½-1inch thick. Experiment with different slicing techniques: the easiest preparation is to cut the eggplant into rounds. You can also cut the eggplant in half length-wise and grill the two halves (or planks). This will work best on eggplants that are not too large and thick. Once halved, you should make shallow cuts with your knife on the flesh side of the eggplant. This will help ensure that the eggplant halves cook evenly throughout. The oil will add flavor to your eggplant (the eggplant's interior acts like a sponge) and will also help keep it from sticking to the grill. Sprinkle your slices with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. This is the basic, foundation recipe for grilling eggplant, and you'll end up with a surprisingly tasty result using only olive oil, salt and pepper. Once you've masted the basic technique, you may want to begin experimenting with different herb, spice, and flavor combinations.  We offer some tempting suggestions later in this article. For a charcoal grill, place your eggplant on the rack over medium hot coals. Leave the grill uncovered, and cook for about 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally until the center is soft and the skin is crisp.  For a gas grill, preheat the grill and once hot, reduce the heat to medium. Place the eggplant slices directly on the grill, cover, and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally until the center is soft and the skin is crisp.  Remove the eggplant from the grill, taste a piece, and if necessary add more salt and/or pepper. It's ready to serve!

SUMMARY: Choose your eggplant. Scope out other kinds of eggplant. Use your eggplant quickly. Avoid using frozen eggplant for grilling.You can freeze eggplant, but once thawed, it won't be well-suited for grilling. Decide if you will peel the eggplant. Grill with the skin on for added nutrition. Wash your eggplant. Trim and cut the eggplant. Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil. Season your eggplant. Grill your eggplant slices.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Instead of having your child’s hand in a bowl of paint or plaster, apply the material with a brush. Spread paint or plaster evenly over the child's hand for full coverage. Gently press down on his or her hand to make sure you leave an actual handprint. Tell your child to hold his or her hand still (if he or she understands) and then gently lift the hand. If you're working with plaster, you may not be able to wait for the material to dry in order to decorate. Follow the kit’s directions for best results. If you waited for the handprint to dry, tap into your imagination and create art from your child’s handprint. Ideas for what to do are listed next:  Using a marker, draw in faces, wings, fins, arms and legs, etc., to create creatures from the handprints. Add scenery. Draw a background pattern around the hands. Use interesting patterns, neon colors, bright lines, etc. Make modern art. Turn the handprints into imitations of famous modern art pieces. Check online for images of such artworks. Ask your child to decorate the handprints. He or she will be bound to come up with fun ideas. Draw around the handprints several times, so that it looks like the lines are radiating out from the original handprints. Use the colors of the rainbow to do this. If it's holiday time, use holiday themes to inspire the artwork touch-ups.

SUMMARY:
Brush your child’s hand with the paint or plaster to create the print. Guide your child’s hand to the paper, canvas or board. Allow the paint/plaster to dry, depending upon your project. Decorate the handprint using your design.