Refreshing

Are you hot? It was hotter than Hades around here this past week - i mean it wasn't Florida or Texas hot, but then again there is a reason i don't live there. In Maryland we get heat plus humidity, which after several days with no rain makes the very air you breath oppressive. I was having my friend Justin over for dinner [shrimp cocktail (i'm trying to teach myself to like seafood) and Phad Thai with chicken] and in an apartment with no air-conditioning i knew that i was going to need something really cold and refreshing to combat the heat. Enter watermelon margaritas. I had them once years ago at Franci's wedding shower and figured i could make up a recipe. Firstly, the night before i cubed up some watermelon and stuck it in the freezer: (i'm not sure what the contents of this side of my freezer - 3 bags of spinach and a bottle of Vox - say about me; sounds like a research project - Mel?) Normally to make Nikiritas i use 1 part tequila, 3 parts mixer and .5 part of the Secret Ingredient (which most people know by now but i insist on calling a secret ingredient cause i'm like that) vigorously shaken (of course since i broke my shaker 2 years ago i don't drink them much at home any more) and served over ice with an orange wedge. Building from that base i put one cup of tequila, 2 cups of mixer and a BUNCH of frozen watermelon chunks in a blender and got spinning. Depending on the watermelon and your texture preference you may not need any ice, which means you don't water down the taste. I added a handful of chunks and blended three times, adding 1 handful of ice, a healthy pinch of sugar (cause i'm more of a sweet than a sour) and a shake of salt (to bring out the fruit's natural sweetness) on the last blend. It should look like this: YUM! I made the pitcher about 30 minutes before Justin was coming over so that i could put it in the freezer along with the glasses i was using to serve - lovely Indiana Blue Harvest Carnival goblets, in case you were wondering (which, btw, were introduced into the market in 1971 which is the same year yours truly was introduced to the market) The great thing about watermelon is that depending on your taste you can either salt or sugar the rims of the glasses, or serve it the way i like it naked rim with a tiny coordinating umbrella. If you don't like tequila, you can always go with rum for a daiquiri instead or skip the alcohol altogether - just remember that without the alcohol it will freeze rather solid if you put it back in the freezer. OOOOOHHHHHH.... i bet that means you could then scoop it and serve it as SORBET - i'm trying that next time. If you still want refreshing, but you can't be bothered with the work or the mess or you're allergic to tiny umbrellas, buy the watermelon already cut up, freeze it and just eat the frozen chunks. They're cold and delicious.