No-Sugar-Added Summer Treat

As usual, I have a ton of other things that I should be doing - laundry, dishes, putting toys away - but those don't sound like any fun, do they? Instead I've decided to participate in this week's Works For Me Wednesday and share something that is sure to sweeten up your summer!

My kids love juice and sweet treats. Of course, because most of these drinks are loaded down with sugar, we try to limit them as much as possible, but hey, it's not summer without the occasional trip to Rita's, right?

Recently while I was catering a brunch, I realized that we were serving some sort of fruit smoothie concoction. When I asked about it I found out that one was simply pureed watermelon and the other was pureed honeydew. They were both chilled and then served as a drinks. It was a really fancy brunch and people were passing up the Bloody Mary's and Mimosa's in favor of the fruit drinks.
I'm sure everyone knows this, but watermelon is incredibly good for you. It almost doesn't seem right that something so sweet and good would be so healthy - God definitely deserves a big shout out for creating the watermelon. It is packed with antioxidants (specifically lycopene), vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin B.

I made some for my kids using a few weeks ago and it worked great. I used a watermelon, but I'd love to try it with honeydew as well. I pureed it in a food processor, which resulted in some spillage, but that wasn't a big deal. I put it in the freezer for a while to thicken it up, but I didn't want it to be frozen. My daughters loved it and were excited to have a special treat. I served it in tiny paper cups, so it was just enough to "wet their whistles" (Ella's favorite saying).

Just a heads up - it doesn't taste like a smoothie. Most smoothies have a lot of added sugar and other stuff (which makes them quite yummy, not dissing the smoothie), but this is all fruit, and only fruit. If you want it a little sweeter, just stir a packet or two of splenda into it and that should do the trick.

Why go to all this trouble (not really trouble though) when you could just hand your kids a slice of watermelon? First - it seems like something special and different, which is always a hit with my girls. Two - All I have to do is clean up the mess on the floor from the watermelon drips the girls made tonight and I realize how much less mess it is to have them drinking it! Finally - I never have room in my fridge to store a watermelon once I've opened it. This takes care of it!

Healthy, sweet and a summery treat works for me! Head over to Rocks in my Dryer for more helpful tips. Also, click HERE to check out our recent adventures in dumpster diving!