i said what what...WATERMELON!

I got the pleasure of attending one of my best friend's daughter's birthday parties. (ya get that) I thought I had seen just about everything there was to see when it came to a child's birthday party. BOY WAS I WRONG! I knew that they were going to have a water slide at this party, but holy cow! The thing was as wide as my living room and almost 20 feet tall! It was insane!!

But to get to one of my fave parts of the party...the watermelon. One of my fave fruits growing up and still on the top of my list as an adult. It is so light and refreshing. Great for summer time birthday parties or just for a sweet and healthy snack anytime really! Watching them cut up the watermelon ,so precisely, into child hand held size, brought back so many memories from my own childhood. And my daughter did exactly what I did when I was her age...just about ate a whole melon by herself! LOL

While I was there I had my friends hubby delightfully suggest that I should write about watermelon on my next blog. After thinking about it, I thought, HOW PERFECT! One: I get to buy a bunch of watermelon to test some recipes. Two: I get to eat the watermelon! haha it was a win win situ. So, Todd, I took your advice and came up with some pretty successful outcomes. I hope you enjoy:)

On a not so bright note...my Air conditioner went ka-poot, so some refreshing watermelon was the greatest idea ever! I decided to make some watermelon salads.

My first salad that I am sharing with you is a little sweet and a little salty. Great combo.

2 c. chopped watermelon
1 c. chopped jicama
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
2 to 3 peaches, chopped
5 oz. crumbled feta cheese
3 tbs mint leaves, finely chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 T honey
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

FYI: A Jicama (pronounced ˈhɪkəmə,) Is similar to a turnip but is creamy white on the inside with a crisp texture that resembles raw potatoes or a pear. The flavor is sweet and starchy, reminiscent of some apples. It is usually eaten raw.

This next salad i made is one of my fave fruit salads.

It is a mixture of watermelon, fresh mozzarella, mint, a drizzle of EVOO and a dash of red chili flakes. The flavor combo is out of this world. You have sweet from the melon, salty and savory from the cheese, and that little kick of pepper flakes really helps the flavors to POP!


Also something that you could do that is VERY simple, is to make a lime or mint vinaigrette to toss your melon, or any other fruit, in. I usually do this, but i wanted to try a few new things so passed this time. But this is how you do it:

Take the zest from one lime and add it to a saucepan with 1/4 C of water and 1/4 C of sugar. Trim away the rest of the white membrane, and chop the lime. Add the chopped pieces along with the juice to the pan. Cook on High heat until it starts to boil and the sugar is melted. Then remove from heat and let cool.

You can substitute lemon instead of lime and add a bunch or mint (finely chopped) and cook as above. Either way, you get a great vinaigrette. You simply toss it with whatever fruit combo you like. Some of my favorites are...
1. Watermelon, Cantelope
2. Watermelon, strawberries, and blueberries
2. Watermelon, cucumber, and mozzarella

...just to name a few. Your possibilities are endless!!!


Until next time!