Sunday, February 19, 2012

Cucumber Pickles for Lunch

Well, the Little Hands garden has been in a bit of a slumber over the winter.

BUT, we have been dreaming BIG.

I've already scoured the seed catalogs and decided to go with Seed Savers Exchange. I love what they stand for, and I love what they are doing. I stuck to budget (25 dollars including shipping) and sent off my order today.

Over lunch on Friday, I sliced up cucumbers for the kids, and it led into a great discussion. We eat cucumbers quite often around here, but I never thought to make the connection between pickles and cucumbers. Pickles are another HUGE hit around here, but I don't know that I've ever served the two together in the same meal. I had a jar of sliced pickles in the fridge (naturally), so I popped them out and held a slice up.

"What is this?"
"A PICKLE!"
"What is it made up, though?"
"ummm...a pickle?"

I had them hold up a cucumber slice and then put a pickle slice next to it. Each kid immediately saw how similar the two looked. I explained that that sour, delicious pickle was, at one time, a slice of cucumber. The lightbulbs lighting up at that kitchen table could have provided energy for the rest of the day.


Simple concept, but they had never thought of it! I decided, while they were eating their lunches, to talk a little bit about our garden. I found that they missed checking on it every day. They were eager to give me ideas about this spring's garden. I grabbed a piece of paper and taped it to the window to collect their ideas. PICKLES. PIZZA. RAISINS. CARROTS. PUMPKINS. These are the ideas I knew I could expand on...I didn't write down ICE CREAM or CHOCOLATE MILK.


After each idea that I wrote down for them, I showed how we could make those dreams come true. Pickles? Sure, let's find room for cucumbers this spring. Pizza? I think we could draw up plans for a pizza patch and grow tomatoes, basil, oregano, and green peppers. Raisins? After discussing that raisins come from grapes and we don't really have the room for a grapevine right now, we let that idea go into the 'future dream pile". Carrots? SURE! Pumpkins? Well, yeah...we already know we can do that!

Here's Brady, enjoying a pickle cumumber 'sandwich'!

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