Ready, Set, Weekend with Simply Beautiful Eating
Let's talk about watermelons. First of all, I don't mind if it's seedless chuck full of seeds. It just has to be ripe, red, sweet and beautifully refreshing. When I think of summer I automatically think of watermelon. The difference between buying these melons in the summer or the winter is simply this: Off season you will pay upwards of 15 bucks for a watermelon. STUPID. In the summer, it's a free for all. They are anywhere from 2 to 5 bucks which is more like it.
A perfect example of a watermelon bargain was at my local Walmart last week. I was walking towards the produce section and there were giant bins of watermelons set up near the front of the store. All I could see was butts. Yes, butts.
Shoppers were literally diving into these bins head first. That being said, there upper bodies were swimming amongst the watermelons while their butts were sticking up and OUT of the bins.
Reminiscent of a bridal shower game I once got myself sucked into, I thought why not? As I approached the bin, I noticed that this wasn't the kind of challenge I was comfortable playing in the middle of a Walmart store. Mostly because these "watermelon" divers had their game faces ON.
They bobbed in and out of the bins coming up with different sizes of melons. Once they grabbed a melon they didn't stop there. They cradled, thumped, shook and measured their melons up against other divers finds. I started stepping away quickly when one diver decided to throw his melon back in the bin while someone's butt was still sticking out. That meant, his head was clearly a target in the melon toss.
NO
THANK
YOU
BOB
I opted for a baby sugar watermelon instead. It was twice the price of the melons that were on sale in the bin. I weighed the risks of getting a watermelon thrown on my head and was satisfied with my decision.
Now. How to choose a watermelon. There are tricks ya know. Mine usually involves asking the produce guy at my regular market to pick a perfect one for me. It works every time. The other trick is to let Steve pick one. He's a watermelon aficionado. He knows how to shake, thump, rattle and roll his melons.
I held my baby watermelon gently in my arms. Gave it a little thump. Heard nothing and proceeded to do the rest of my shopping without giving it another thought.
When I arrived home I unpacked my melon and placed it on the table. Steve looked at it with a raised eyebrow.
"You picked a watermelon by yourself"? He asked.
"Yes, I know how". I answered.
Then I got that Skeptical Steve look. You know the one. It's when he looks at you and THINKS to himself that there is no way on earth I could possibly pick a perfect melon without all the tricks.
Well Steve?
Well?
I did.
And then, I put these watermelon wedges on pops and called it a day.
Watermelon Pops with Yogurt, Feta and Pistachios
-10 - 12 watermelon slices cut into triangles -Plain Yogourt -Honey -3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese -1/2 cup crushed pistachio nuts -Popsicle sticks
1) Cut a small slit in the watermelon rind and insert a Popsicle stick in. 2) Drizzle with your choice of Yogourt, honey and sprinkle with pistachio nuts. 3) Could this be any easier? I don't think so.
See ya next week!