California is experiencing a typical Indian Summer with hot and dry temperatures, little fog and no rain. Yesterday I did a hike with my dog and came back so thirsty, water didn’t help. I have been trying to eliminate soft drinks and bottled ‘juice type’ drinks from my diet and go with more natural beverages. I am still a big fan of my Lemon Cucumber and Mint Water but sometimes I want something a bit more substantial than water but still refreshing. This recipe for Watermelon Breeze from Backonpointe.tumblr.com seemed promising, and had no added sugar, so I gave it a try. It turned out to be the perfect drink for when you are really thirsty. The ingredients are watermelon, coconut water, fresh mint and lime juice, all blended together for a refreshing and quite pretty beverage.
I was surprised at how much I liked this drink. It’s delicious but also surprisingly thirst quenching. Of course once I did the research it’s not a surprise why. Coconut water is a natural source of calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus, many of which you lose when you sweat. And watermelon it turns out is a natural wonder. I always thought of it as yummy water but, in reality, it has the distinction of having the most nutrition per calorie of common foods. Another benefit of watermelon is that it is among the Clean 15 of non-organic fruits and vegetables (meaning it bears little or no traces of pesticides even if they have been used), so, unlike some fruits and veggies, it’s okay if you can’t find it organic.
Since it’s Friday, what the heck, you can add an ounce of vodka for a nice, delicious TGIF cocktail. Happy weekend!
Watermelon Breeze
3 cups cubed watermelon
1 cup coconut water
5 or 6 fresh mint leaves (or more to taste), plus garnish
1-2 Tbsn fresh lime juice
- Blend watermelon, coconut water, lime juice and mint leaves in a blender until smooth. Add ice if you like a ‘frozen’ drink.
- Pour over ice, if desired, and garnish with melon and mint.
- As an adult alternative, pour about 5 ounces into a shaker with an ounce of vodka and a handful of ice. Shake and strain into a fancy glass. Garnish with lime, mint and a small melon slice.
goodmotherdiet 
Sorry girl, you don’t got no Indian Summer, that requires a frost, temp below 32 F . We have it in late October or early November .
Do you get it before December ?
We grow watermelon, I hope to try this this week during ours first harvest of grapes.
Unle
Regards, Paul
Barbara Sherman – Paul Vandenberg Paradisos del Sol Winery – The Farmery paradisosdelsol.com – 509.829.9000 Come Taste Paradise!
LikeLike
I guess I’m a bit premature calling our gorgeous, hot weather an Indian Summer since the Fall Equinox isn’t for another week or so. I don’t think it has to freeze first to be an Indian Summer, but our first freeze usually happens in December or January although last year it was in October and I had to rush outside and pick the rest of my tomatoes and peppers. If you make the Watermelon Breeze, take a photo of your beautiful wife with a glass and post to my FB page or email it to me. I’m going to start a You Made it page.
LikeLike