Watermelon Popsicles

Makes about 8 popsicles

4 cups cubed watermelon flesh (about 1 pound, rind removed)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon honey, optional

Blend the watermelon, lime juice and optional honey in a blender (or process the melon through a juicer then stir in the lime juice and honey). Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing the fibrous melon with the back of a spoon to extract the maximum amount of juice. Carefully pour or spoon the juice into popsicle molds and freeze until solid. If using popsicle sticks, insert the sticks when the popsicles are partially frozen.

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Watermelon Salad with Feta or Cotija

The amounts given here are truly just guidelines. Feel free to stretch or diminish depending on your taste and the ingredients you are working with.

INGREDIENTS

Watermelon Mint Feta Salad

• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup lime juice (4-6 limes, depending on how big and juicy the limes are)
• A quarter of a medium sized watermelon, rind removed, black seeds removed (if there are any), chopped into 1-inch cube-ish pieces, about 8 cups
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Watermelon Jicama Cilantro Cotija Salad

• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup lime juice (4-6 limes, depending on how big and juicy the limes are)
• A quarter of a medium sized watermelon, rind removed, black seeds removed (if not seedless), chopped into 1-inch cube-ish pieces, about 8 cups
• 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese
• 1-2 cups chopped peeled jicama
• 1 serrano chili pepper, stem removed, seeded, minced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• Pinch of cumin, to taste

METHOD

1 Soak the chopped red onion in the lime juice while you are prepping the other ingredients, about 15 minutes.

2 Gently combine all ingredients into a large serving bowl.

Serve immediately. Salad will get soggy if kept overnight.

Yield: Serves 6-8.

Source: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/watermelon_salad_with_feta_or_cotija/

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Layered Ice Cubes

Aren't these pretty?  They're just ordinary ice cubes, made with layers of fruit juices.  And they're not just pretty, they actually have a purpose--- as they melt they flavor whatever you've plopped them into.  The drink below started out as just plain sparkling water.  Now it's a rhubarb/sour cherry/pineapple/lime all natural soda.  

Pinterest is pretty awesome.  If you're willing to scroll through a few hundred  thousand or so pins you might just find a gem.  Like these ice cubes.  Sometimes little projects like this work out, and sometimes they don't.  This one was easy and straightforward, and I'm happy to report they came out looking  just like I'd hoped.  Better still, they actually made my drink taste good.  It's a win win for this pin.

It works best if you have an ice cube mold that makes large square cubes.  That way you have room to layer the different colored juices, and they look good when they're frozen.  I used these silicone molds.  The silicone makes the ice easy to remove, and they're sturdy so they hold their shape as you put them in the freezer.

There are so many ways to do this, but keep in mind the relationship between the flavor of your ice cubes and the liquid you're going to put them into.  Use a combination of flavors that sounds good to you.  I think mixed citrus cubes in rum or vodka would be fantastic. You can used canned, bottled, or fresh juice.  The more colorful, the better.

For these cubes I used an assortment of bottled, (sour cherry and pomegranate) canned. (pineapple) and fresh (orange and lime) juices.  I added water to my rhubarb simple syrup and used that too.  Then I just layered the juices in different combinations.  I wouldn't use smoothies for these because they will become muddy as they melt and make your drink unappealing.

Layered Ice Cubes         ~~~Pinned from Martha Stewart and Oh Joy!

at least 3 different fruit juices; you can use tonal colors, or contrasting shades

• Spoon or pour a little juice on the bottom layer of your cubes.  Freeze the tray until the layer is frozen, this might take 30 minutes or so, depending on how much you pour, the size of your tray, and the temperature of your freezer.  
• Once frozen, spoon a different layer over the top, and freeze again.  Repeat with the third juice.  
• When the cubes are frozen, remove and add to your drink of choice.  It will help preserve your pretty ice if the drink itself is already cold.

Notes:  I found that the more pronounced flavors worked well, like lemon, lime or sour cherry.  They really added a nice punch to the water.  If you want to make these ahead of time and store them, I would arrange them on a flat surface and separate each layer of cubes with waxed paper because they tend to be stickier than regular ice.

I'm not done playing with ice cubes.  I love the idea of flavoring hot weather drinks this way.
How about:

• coffee cubes in iced coffee, or in Bailey's Irish Cream
• lemonade cubes in iced tea 
• coconut milk cubes in Thai iced tea
• lime and mint cubes in a mojito
• chocolate cubes in cold milk
• blood orange cubes in a rose spritzer

What will you put in your glass?

Source: http://theviewfromthegreatisland.blogspot.com.br/2013/05/minimal-monday-layered-ice-cubes.html

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