Family Fun

Watermelon Two Ways- Perfect Summer Gathering Recipes

I love getting a watermelon, it is almost as exciting as picking out a pumpkin! Everyone has their special technique for selecting the perfect watermelon, but the best part is cutting into it and watching the juice dribble down the kids chins! In my house we can easily devour half a watermelon, but then we are pretty melon-ed out. There are the go to options like fruit salad, but even that gets old after a few rounds. I needed some options that would be crowd pleasers and also work for both the adults and kids. After testing a couple variations, I was excited when these came together. The husband loved them and if you can’t tell by the photos, they were a huge success with the kids. Hope that your family loves them too!

Our easy Watermelon Peach Salsa.

Our easy Watermelon Peach Salsa.

The first recipe is for my Watermelon Peach Salsa, it is delicious and so easy to make! These fresh ingredients and the mild heat of the hot pepper jelly make this an easy appetizer for any bar-b-que. Serve alongside any pork or chicken for an easy accompaniment.

Ingredients:

2 cups of diced seedless watermelon

1 cup diced fresh peaches

1/2 cup hot pepper jelly

1/2 cup minced red onion

1/2 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)

1/4 cup fresh basil (chopped)

1 garlic clove (minced)

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 TBSP lime zest

1/4 cup pineapple juice

1 tsp of Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning

All the delicious ingredients for our salsa.

All the delicious ingredients for our salsa.

Add these ingredients to the bowl together, combine and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Serve with your favorite tortilla chip or for a fun twist use cinnamon tortilla chips.  (After I took the picture my husband devoured the entire bowl without any remorse.) I suggest tripling this recipe if you want to bring it to a social gathering!

Easy & healthy fresh fruit yogurt pops!

Easy & healthy fresh fruit yogurt pops!

The second watermelon recipe is sure to be a favorite for the kids!

Strawberry-Watermelon Yogurt Pops

2 cups seedless watermelon

1 cup fresh strawberries

1 cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt

(For the foodies: You could add mint or basil for a more sophisticated flavor)

Combine in blender and blend for 1 min. Should be very smooth liquid. Let set for 5-10 mins to let any bubbles rise out of the mix. Too many bubbles makes for more ice crystals when they freeze. Next, pour mix into your popsicle molds and freeze for 4 hours. To release the popsicles run under warm water for 10 seconds and they should slide right out. Finally, eat and enjoy! In my molds this recipe made 12 popsicles.

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I hope that your family and friends enjoy these delicious treats!