Before I bought my first house after a decade of renting, I used to think it would be fun to mow the lawn every week. That’s funny, because I hated mowing the lawn when I was in high school, so I’m not really sure why I expected to enjoy it now that I’m in my 30s.
Turns out, the 16-year-old me had the right impression all along. Mowing the lawn isn’t that much fun, especially when it’s 90 degrees outside and there are 20 other things I’d much rather be doing. On days like that, having a good beverage on hand is critical. Plenty of water and/or beer usually does the trick, but Chunky Watermelon Lemonade would be even better.
I discovered this recipe on the National Watermelon Promotion Board’s website and decided to put it to the test the next time I fired up the mower. The result? Mowing the lawn still wasn’t fun, but my frequent breaks to cool off definitely were!
CHUNKY WATERMELON LEMONADE
INGREDIENTS
2 cups water
1/3 cup raw sugar (or to taste)
2 cups seedless watermelon puree
1 fresh lemon, sliced thinly
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups chopped seedless watermelon flesh (optional to create the drink’s “chunky” texture)
INSTRUCTIONS
In a half-gallon pitcher with lid, mix 1 cup of the water with the sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in the rest of the water, watermelon puree, sliced lemon, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Stir to mix well and chill thoroughly. To add the “chunky” element to this recipe, stir in 2 cups of chopped watermelon prior to serving.