Traditional holidays tend to cause a huge amount of stress. The pressure of gift giving, turkey baking, card sending and the likes can turn a celebration into a chore. The best thing about National Watermelon Day is that there’s no wrong way to celebrate the summery fruit. The consumption of watermelon is scientifically proven to promote cardiovascular health. Phenolic antioxidants, flavonoids, lycopene and vitamin C are some of the many nutrients housed inside this summer delicacy. What better way to promote a healthy lifestyle than by sharing a slice of watermelon with loved ones and treasured friends and calling it a holiday?

 

Image: Flickr

 

Residents of the Live, Work, Play community can find a wide variety of inexpensive ingredients for watermelon food and drink recipes within close vicinity of their luxury abodes. Acme, Save-a-Lot, Caribbean Foods and other local grocers are just a hop, skip and jump away, making prepping for National Watermelon Day a breeze. Below you will find a few tasty recipes to get you started, along with a few watermelon games you can play at leisure this August 3^rd.

 

Watermelon Recipes

Watermelon Slushy

Image: Flickr

What You Will Need

• A Blender
• 4 Cups of Cubed, Seedless Watermelon
• 10 Ice Cubes
• 1/3 Cup of Lime Juice
• ¼ Cup of Sugar
• 1/8 of a Teaspoon of Salt

Preparation

Place all ingredients into your blender and blend for approximately 10 minutes. For a less G rated version of this summer treat, add 1 cup of vodka and 2 fluid ounces of melon liquer. For parties of more than four, simply multiply the recipe as needed. Serves four.

 

 

Watermelon Salad Your Way

Image: Flickr

 

Watermelon adds a deliciously sweet element to just about any salad you could imagine. Toss all of your favorite salad ingredients together and add approximately 4 cups of cubed watermelon into the mix. Watermelon salads blend nicely with light lemon dressings and vinaigrettes. For a delightful combination of salty and sweet, try tossing in some pine nuts, feta cheese, ricotta cheese or all of the above.

 

 

Watermelon Popsicles

Image: Flickr

Cook time for this dessert is only five minutes but you will need approximately 6 hours to freeze the popsicles, making this dish best when prepared overnight. To begin, simply stir 3 cups of seedless watermelon, 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar in a saucepan and heat until the mixture takes the form of a sugary syrup. Blend the mixture to ensure it sticks together and then pour it into your popsicle mold of choice, letting it freeze overnight or for approximately 6 hours.

 

 

Watermelon Games

For an even more interactive watermelon experience, you can add a few fruit inspired games to your National Watermelon Day celebration. Some of the most common watermelon games include:

• Watermelon Carving Competitions – Think Halloween with watermelons in lieu of pumpkins.
• Watermelon Relay – Divide guests into teams and see which team can get their watermelon from the starting point to the finish line first. This game can be played indoors, outdoors or even in a swimming pool.
• Watermelon Video Games – Games like Watermelon Bomb are available on the Internet for free.

National Watermelon Day is just one of the many local summer festivities that are good for the heart and soul. Live, Work, Play residents can also look forward to celebrating peaches, Bob Marley and more. To find a home in the city where life is a celebration, contact us at The Residences today.

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