Watermelon Smoothie

It't just the two of us and we can never manage to finish a whole watermelon when we buy one. My last watermelon was a small seedless and we still couldn't finish it. After I cut the watermelon for the first time I start by chopping 1/2 of the watermelon into chunks. I put those chunks into quart size freezer bags. I pack them loosely so the fruit can freeze flat and it's easier to divide the ingredients without a chainsaw.

(Yes, there is a huge difference between bags and their uses. We'll get into that later.)

The basil is a nice garnish but I did something else fun with it.

The other day I pulled a baggie from the fridge and blended up this very cool watermelon smoothie. It's non-fat and dairy free and it really hit the spot on a hot Atlanta afternoon. I also used some fresh basil to rim the glass. The basil added a fresh and green aroma while you were drinking it without actually being in the smoothie.


Watermelon Smoothie

1/2 cup of Sprite
2 Tbsp Honey
1 Quart Size Bag of Loosely Packed Frozen Watermelon (add 1/2 at a time)
1 Cup of Ice (added cube at a time)

3 basil leaves

Pour the Sprite and honey into the blender first. Then add in a few ice cubes and pulse a few times. Add in 1/4-1/2 of the watermelon and pulse a few more times. Add in the rest of the watermelon and ice in batches and pulse between each batch. Continue adding the rest of the ingredients until the ice and watermelon are completely blended but still frozen.

Take one basil leave and with a firm grip rub it around the rim of your glass. Make sure you gripping the basil firm enough to create some drag along the glass and get the flavor on to the glass. If you like the flavor of basil you can rub the leaf on the inside of the glass as well.

Pour your smoothie into each glass and garnish with a basil leaf.

Serves 2 Watermelon Smoothies and at least one case of brain freeze.