Celebrate with Watermelon — Healthy, Sweet, Delish

Watermelon Flip-Flop Carving

Ingredients/Materials:

• 1 oblong to round seedless watermelon
• Vanilla cake frosting or thick yogurt
• Cupcake icing tubes in various colors
• Small cookie cutters of your choosing
• Paper and pencil for outline
• Scissors
• Knife
• Spreader or small knife
• Toothpicks
• Optional: Brown sugar or “Sugar in the Raw” for garnish

Instructions:

1. Rinse the watermelon under cool running water, pat dry and have clean cutting services and utensils.
2. On a piece of paper, draw out the shape of a flip-flop. Use the scissors to cut the outline and set it aside. You may want more than one cutout, as the juicy watermelon will dampen your template.
3. Cut the watermelon in half lengthwise. Using the knife, carefully remove the rind from each half. From the rind pieces, cut thin green strips for the thong of the flip-flop.
4. Take the flip-flop outline and set it on top of the watermelon flesh. Carefully trace the outline with the your knife. Do this to both halves of the watermelon. Then trim each flip-flop for an even 4″ “cake.”
5. Use the small cookie cutters for shapes to decorate the flip-flop using the excess watermelon flesh. We used little flowers.
6. You should now be looking at 2 flip-flop cutouts. Spread the cake frosting over top of each flip-flop. Use the cupcake frosting to add stripes or designs of your choosing over the cake frosting.
7. Put the thin strips of rind on top to make the thong and secure with toothpicks. Add the cookie cutter cutout in between the strips of rind and attach with a toothpick broken in half.
8. Optional: Place flip flops on serving tray or large plate and spread brown sugar around the base to complete your beach look.

Watermelon Push Pops

Ingredients/Materials:

• Push pop molds, sold at most restaurant supply stores
• Granola
• Watermelon chunks, diced
• Yogurt of choice

Instructions:

Layer the watermelon, yogurt and granola and top with yogurt and watermelon chunks. Freeze push pop molds and enjoy them when you are on the go!

Watermelon Raspberry Lemonade

Ingredients:

• 6 cups watermelon cubes (seeds removed)
• 1/4 cup raspberries
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup lemon juice

Instructions:

Place watermelon, raspberries and water in container of electric blender. Cover and blend until smooth. Strain through fine mesh strainer into pitcher. Stir in sugar and lemon juice until sugar dissolves. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

How to Choose a Watermelon

1. Look the watermelon over. Choose a firm, symmetrical watermelon that is free of bruises or soft spots. Some surface scarring is normal.
2. Lift it up. The watermelon should be heavy for its size. Watermelon is 92% water, which accounts for most of its weight.
3. Turn it over. On the underside of the watermelon, there should be a creamy, yellow spot. This is where it sat on the ground and ripened in the sun. Watermelon stops ripening as soon as it’s picked from the field.
4. Top quality watermelon is available 12 months out of the year in today’s global market, and is especially plentiful during the peak season from April through October.