Watermelonade turned Sky juice turned Watermelonade

Cookout and BBQ Season!

Initially I had the idea to make a refreshing summer drink, by combining  watermelon and limeade.  However I decided to go even more refreshing and make a sky juice.

There are just some things you remember as a child that will never leave you. Back in the day at ‘little Belair’ before mom had a car; she would pick me up after teachers college and we would walk to the taxi stand and take a taxi home. Right in the middle of the park there was a little blue and white wooden stall where a man would sell sky juice, red and blue ones in  little plastic bags with a straw. He didn't have any fancy ice crushers, all he had was a huge block of ice and a little metal thing in his hand, he shaved some off  put it in the little bag and put whatever color syrup you wanted. My mother is not and has never been a fan of street side food, however once in a while she would get me a sky juice.

  So I wake up bright and early, got out my watermelon and limes in an attempt to recreate one of my favorite street foods. I did make lovely watermelon syrup; even though it was a little too thick (semi-fail). The real dilemma came with the ice. Shaved ice is not the easiest thing to make. The blender, ice-cream maker, magic bullet; all EPIC fails. As soon as it blended some ice it would immediately harden and not be this mushy snowy shaved ice we know.

Back to the drink; apparently I can cook, but I can’t make shaved ice. I had no choice but to revert back to my original summer drink idea. Never the less this drink is quite refreshing, limeade with a hint of watermelon flavor. It’s a unique way to have watermelon in summer. And if you really want to jazz it up for adults, substitute the plain water for seltzer water, mix in some white wine and you'v got a nice sweet melon spritzer. 

Too bad, my sky juice was a bust.

  

Ingredients (Printable Recipe) 

3 to 4 cups chopped Watermelon

4 limes

2 cups water ( For spritzer: 1 cup seltzer water 1 cup wine Bartenura Moscato recommended)

¾ cup sugar (1/4 cup sugar for spritzer) 

Instructions

> Remove seeds and chop up melon
> Blend the chopped lemons in a blender and strain into a jug or dish
> Add lime juice, sugar and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved
> Strain again for the last time to get rid of excess pulp.
> Chill and Enjoy

Straining is optional. If you like a smoothie consistency you can leave the pulp, or even blend it with ice

                           
                           

Don’t you hate it when you think you created something new, and then you Google it; turns out you’re not as cool as you thought ….sigh…  Watermelonade  ;{               

P.S.  For all you Northerners, Sky Juice and Snow Cones are the same thing.

Xoxo Greedygirl