Cuke-asaurus (really, that’s what it’s called)

This was a total experiment, but I just had to pick it up because I had a hunch my kids would go for a fruit that looked like (and is named after) a dinosaur.  It was so spiky that even after digging around online, I still have no idea how you’re supposed to eat it.  If you go to the Cuke-asaurus website, most of the pictures show it hollowed out as a vehicle for alcoholic drinks and vegetable dips.  Seems like a potential gold mine for the farmers – a $4 vegetable that has very few practical applications.  Or maybe it was a stroke of genius to create something that looks like a dinosaur.  Because the kids are still hounding me to get another one.

ME: Apparently this is called a Cuke-asaurus. Maybe because it looks like a dinosaur cucumber.

SAM: (Gasp)

ME: What do you think it looks like?

LAUREN: A blow up fish and a spiky dinosaur’s body.

ME: Yes. Great description.  What do you think Sam?

SAM: Uh, the dinosaur’s fire.

ME: That’s a really good one too.

ME: What do you think it feels like?

LAUREN: It’s pretty sharp, and it feels like kind of knife-ish.

ME: Ok, now give it to Sam. Sam’s turn.  OK, Sam’s starting to breath fire because you won’t let him touch it. He’s like a real dinosaur.

(Lauren finally passes)

SAM: It feels like, uh, prickly fire.

ME: What do you think it looks like on the inside?

LAUREN: A smooth plate-ish. A smooth circlish thing.

ME: When you shake it does it make a sound?

EMMA: (grabs it) Waaaaah (crying), hurt the finger!!

ME: I know, it has spikes, it hurts when you touch it. 

ME: OK, let me cut it open.  What does it look like?

LAUREN: It looks like a yellow cucumber inside.

ME: Now how on earth do you eat this thing?

LAUREN: Let me smell it.  It smells like dazzling roses.

SAM: It smells like peanuts.

ME: Maybe we should eat it with a spoon- I don’t know how you eat it with that spiky outside.

EMMA: Uh, peanuts.

ME: What do you think Lauren, do you like it?

LAUREN: I like it!

SAM: This smells like goo.

ME: What do you think?

LAUREN: Pretty good.

SAM: When are you going to eat the nuts? (I’m finally figuring out that the nuts are the seeds).

Postscript: Sam ended up eating this thing over the course of three days, taking a few bites ever so often with a spoon.  If you want your kids to eat cucumbers, try starting them on one that looks like a dinosaur.  Strangely enough it worked wonders.