The Peasant and the Cucumbers

A peasant once went to the gardener's, to steal cucumbers.

He crept up to the cucumbers, and thought, "I will carry off a bag of cucumbers, which I will sell; with the money I will buy a hen.

The hen will lay eggs, hatch them, and raise a lot of chicks.
I will feed the chicks and sell them; then I will buy me a young sow, and she will bear a lot of pigs.

I will sell the pigs, and buy me a mare; the mare will foal me some colts. I will raise the colts, and sell them.

I will buy me a house, and start a garden. In the garden I will sow cucumbers, and will not let them be stolen, but will keep a sharp watch on them.

I will hire watchmen, and put them in the cucumber patch, while I myself will come on them, unawares, and shout, 'Oh, there, keep a sharp lookout!'"

And this he shouted as loud as he could.

The watchmen heard it, and they rushed out and beat the peasant.


story source: Fables for Children; Stories for Children; Natural Science Stories written by Leo Tolstoy translated by Leo Wiener published 1904 

I have two cool and yummy recipes for you. Both are
great ways to get kids to eat their veggies!

Cucumber Slushie

Ingredients:
1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into pieces
2 cups of water
1 cup of ice
3 tablespoons of sugar (or to taste)
the juice of 1/4 lemon or 1/2 lime

Directions:
Place all of your ingredients in blender, and puree until completely smooth
Serve immediately.

Cool Mint Cucumber Soup

Ingredients:
1 cup of plain yogurt
2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
Juice of 1/2 a lemon (add to taste)
1 to 2 teaspoons of chopped garlic (to taste)
1 to 2 tablespoons of honey (to taste)
Chopped fresh mint (to taste)
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:
Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
The items that are listed as _to taste_ can be added slowly and you should taste as you go.
Chill soup, well (approximately 2 hours).
Served garnished with a few fresh mint leaves and/or with pieces of very finely chopped cucumber.