A Cool Summer Treat: Lemony Watermelon Pops

Nothing is as refreshing on a hot summer day as Popsicles.  I  remember as a kid making my own Popsicles.  I would use juice, Kool Aid, or pudding for my pops.   My favorite place for devouring my cool treat was outside under a shade tree.

My Popsicle making skills have advanced since those days.  In an earlier blog - August 2010, I gave you my recipe for  " Peach Pops."   In this blog, it is the super easy "Lemony Watermelon Pops."  You just need two ingredients - watermelon and lemonade concentrate.  They are soo delicious and refreshing.     Just what you need on a hot summer day.

                     Lemony Watermelon Pops

Ingredients:

4 cup cubed watermelon seeded

¾ lemonade concentrate thawed

Directions:

1 In a blender, puree the watermelon cubes in batches.

2. Add the lemonade concentrate to the pureed watermelon and blend on high for 30 seconds.

3.  Pour the watermelon mixture into Popsicle molds.

4.  Freeze and enjoy.

Makes approximately 12 pops  (4-ounce mold size)

A Culinary Education on the High Seas

I just got back from my  Mediterranean Cruise aboard the Disney Magic.  I  had a wonderful time.  Not only did I visit beautiful, historic places, and eat delicious food, I also learned about food and attended several cooking demonstrations.

Disney has and Adult cruise series  entitled, "The Art of Entertaining."  Guest chefs and staff chefs do cooking demonstrations and have mini food seminars.  I learned about cheeses, oils, tea, and coffee at these seminars.

The cooking demonstrations covered the appetizer, main entree, and dessert.  I liked that the recipes presented were ones a novice or an experienced cook could prepare and ingredients used in the recipes were available at most grocery stores.  Of course, the best part of the demonstrations was tasting the food.

I learned many useful tips at these demonstrations, but the one which hit home the most was the presentation of the food.  The chef explained that presentation was as equally important as smell and taste.  After all, the food can smell delicious and taste fantastic, but if it looks "bad" are you really going to want to try it?  Below are some photos where I thought he presentation of the food was outstanding.  And yes, the food smelled great and tasted wonderful.