Saturday, May 28, 2011

Watermelon Punch ~ A Perfect Summer Beverage

On Friday, my 3 nieces had off from school for the holiday weekend, so they came over to play with Grace.  My Mom stopped by for a visit later in the day, too.  So, I saw this as an opportunity to have our first picnic lunch on my new-to-me, vintage patio set.  I served up some mac and cheese, hot dogs, and watermelon punch! 



Isn't that tray the cutest?  I found it in the Dollar Spot at Target!
I have a feeling you'll be seeing it a lot this summer! 

I also saw it as an opportunity to try a new recipe that I found online earlier in the week.  The recipe is for a smoothie made with Xigua Melon (you know, those really cute, little watermelons). 

I didn't have a Xigua Melon, but I did have a normal-sized, seedless watermelon cut into chunks in my fridge that I wanted to use up.  Perfect! 

Here's what you need:
  • ice
  • watermelon
  • water
  • sugar or sugar substitute
Loosely, following the recipe linked above, I
  • crushed some ice and added to my blender. 
  • added the watermelon and water.
  • blended until combined.
  • add sugar or sweetener to taste. 
  • stir.   
The original recipe calls this a smoothie.  I thought since it wasn't creamy, it would be more like a slushie.  But, I guess I didn't add enough ice to make it a slushie.  It turned out more like a punch.  It was really tasty!  Served over some ice, this punch is perfect for sipping on a hot summer day.  Mom and I both thought that a couple of drops of coconut extract would be a perfect addition to the punch, giving it a more tropical feel.  Or, some coconut rum if you wanted to make it a cocktail.  (I like to keep it kid-friendly, so I would use the extract instead!)

Now, this uses a lot of watermelon.  Be careful not to munch on too many chunks of watermelon while drinking this punch, while also snacking on cheese curls.  That combination causes a really bad belly ache....just sayin'! 


I'll be linking this recipe to the following blog carnivals and linky parties: 

Watermelon


hugs,

6 comments:

Naturally Me Creations said...

This sounds yum too. I usually just blend up watermelon and drink it as is...delicious on a hot day! :)

The extra coconut flavour sounds like an interesting idea... :D

Michelle said...

oh wow....this looks yummy! Thanks for sharing :) found you and following you from I heart naptime! Have a great weekend!

--Michelle

Christy said...

Ohhh, I just had the best sweetest watermelon this would be perfect for! I'll have to try it! Thanks for sharing. :)

www.christyscuties.blogspot.com

Ann Jones said...

Yummy looking drink! Im your newest follower from MBC, look forward to your future posts! You can find me at

http://wvfrugal-wvsaver.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Love the tray and the glasses!I make a lot of these slushies/smoothies especially during summer.I found you from the foodie blog roll and I'd love to guide Foodista readers to your site. I hope you could add this watermelon widget at the end of this post so we could add you in our list of food bloggers who blogged about watermelon,Thanks!

Stephanie Lynn @Under the Table and Dreaming said...

Allison, I can;t wait to make some punch for my little guy - great idea! Love your serving set too - adorable! Thanks so much for linking to the Sunday Showcase - I greatly appreciate it. I have featured this on Sunday - I am a little behind getting to the comments though. Have a wonderful week ~ Stephanie Lynn

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