Watermelon Strawberry Smoothies

Recipe: Watermelon Strawberry Smoothie

Source: Canadian Living

http://www.canadianliving.com/food/watermelon_strawberry_smoothie.php

Time: 50 minutes total (include 30 minute watermelon freezing time)

Ease: 2

Taste: 5

Leftover Value: 5

Down the Drain or Keep in the Strainer: Keep it in the Strainer, with substitutions

You might wonder, "A recipe from Canadian Living?  How did that happen?".  Then, you might think that perhaps I picked up a copy of said magazine during my recent trip to Niagara Falls, Canada, but you would be wrong.

Coincidentally, while I was over a friend's house I noticed the recent issue of Canadian Living sitting by itself, screaming out to me, "Read me, read me!".  

I love magazines.

And I love watermelon.

When I saw in the magazine this recipe for watermelon smoothies, I'm pretty sure I heard angels sing. 

I bought an incredibly sweet watermelon.  This made me very happy.  Watermelons can some time be a toss up, especially depending where you choose to purchase yours from.  I wish I could tell you I grabbed mine at my local farmer's market, but sadly, no.  I got it at Bottom Dollar Food.  I used probably only a quarter of the watermelon for the smoothies, so there was lots left over for me to snack on all day long.

The only real step aside from pureeing all the ingredients was to freeze the watermelon cubes for 30 minutes. Next time I think I would freeze them a little longer.

Something pretty cool about the Canadian Living website where this recipe can be found is that if you decide you want more servings of the recipe, you can plug the number of servings into this little calculator that will then change the measurements of each item you need.

It's the little things in life that make me happy.

Of course, I didn't need to use this function, but it's nice to know it is there.

Yogurt.  I have this strange relationship with yogurt.  I don't like it.  The only way I choose to eat it is if it is loaded with an equal fruit to yogurt or cookie to yogurt ratio.

Or if it is in a smoothie.  

Put the watermelon, strawberries, and plain yogurt in a blender.

Add 2 tsp of lime juice.

I felt a little creative so I added about 2 tsp of orange juice as well.

Puree it all together until it is smooth and pink.

This was a nontraditional smoothie.  It was very watery.  Hmm, perhaps that is because it has a lot of watermelon in it.

I only make that comment so that you don't make this thinking you are going to have a thick smoothie.  It's not exactly the type of smoothie you can drink as a meal substitute.  My suggestion, and thought for next time I make this, is to throw the watermelon and strawberries in the freezer overnight (just to make sure they are overly frozen).  Then, add an extra cup or so of yogurt.

I'm sure it will be awesome.

Watermelon and Vanilla Ice Cream

Recipe: Watermelon and Vanilla Ice Cream

Source: Inspired by the Fourth of July

Time: 5 minutes at most

Ease: 5 (cutting a watermelon is a lot more difficult than cutting a pineapple)

Taste: 10

Leftover Value: 10

Down the Drain or Keep it in the Strainer:  Keep it in the Strainer

I have found the most wonderful and beautiful combination of food today.  I never would have thought this combination to be even merely satisfying, yet it rocked my world in a variety of different ways.

And here is how I know it truly was delicious.  There are times when you eat something and you are so hungry that you think it's awesome and then you go back to have it again at a time when you aren't so hungry and realize that it really wasn't so awesome.

Sorry, that last sentence was really long.

Well, this was the reverse.  I was so full from barbecue that I wasn't sure I could manage to eat anymore.  Yet, I recognized this as an amazing discovery in dessert and knew I had to forge on, lest others discover it's worth and devour it all right in front of me.

It began with watermelon.

Whenever we have watermelon at my parents' house, my dad hacks away huge circle slices for everybody.  If you're neat like my dad when you eat your circle, you'll carefully use your fork to slice around the entire outside of the red ring and then neatly cut square bites of deliciousness.

I always start out like that, but then get impatient.

Watermelon is one of my favorite things in the whole wide world of fruit.

My mom had also bought ice cream.  Now, most of the family gave her the 'eyes'.  The 'eyes' said, "Watermelon and ice cream?  Are you kidding?"

Yet, my soon-to-be sister-in-law Mallory did not give the 'eyes'.  She gave the 'look' that said, "Let's try it".

And try it we did.

I'm not sure what it was about the combination.  I can't use the 'salty and sweet' reasoning, because this was 'sweet and sweet'.  But something about the duplicity of the two sweetness-ess was incredible.  As I ate, I would get a little taste of ice cream on my fork, then dig into a bit of watermelon.

It was sweetly satisfying.

Seriously, try this out right now.

P.S.  When you're picking out your watermelon, make sure you find one that has a yellow spot.  That means it wasn't picked prematurely or moved around a lot when it should have been growing.

I tell you, because I care.