Love You To the Moon and Back

 I'm sure many of you read the book "I Love You to The Moon and Back" to your kids when they were little.  Or said "I love you THIS big."  I used to say "I love you more than....(fill in the blank)- all the ice cream, all the Popsicles, all the chocolate kisses, all the snowmen.....in the world."  When Tanner was little, he and Brandi were the only kiddos upstairs.  Tanner was just 5 when Brandi was in high school and they formed a special bond.  At nighttime, Tanner would call out to Brandi, "I love you the mostest!"  And, of course, Brandi would insist she loved him the mostest.  And Tanner, now a young dad to his own, still ends phone calls to me with that tender phrase.

But speaking of moons.... many years ago I had a salad at a deli that had the cutest little cucumbers in it.  They were called cucumber moons.  For some reason (you know me and food), they sent me over the moon.  Today when I was making neighborhood meals, and scooping out my moons, I thought I needed to share them with you.  First of all, peel your cucumber, then slice lengthwise.  With a melon baller (or as I used, a small 1/2 tsp. spoon)...carefully scoop out the seeds in the middle.  Slice your cucumber into moons.

Voila!  What can I say.  Food just makes me happy.  And when I see something prepared in a special way, it makes me feel special.  Besides, who likes those slippery cucumber seeds anyway?

If you're feeling particularly silly, you could do this instead....

Frankly my hubby or sons wouldn't notice if the cucumbers were moons or smilie faces.  The sight of food art doesn't cause them to jump up and down.  But ever since I saw cucumber moons many, many years ago, I thought they looked like love to me.  So that is what I do.