happy memorial day weekend friends. nothing says summer kick off like memorial day.

and my favorite summer fruit is watermelon. it has basically been baby’s number one craving since the beginning of my second trimester. for a while there i was eating one fourth of a watermelon A DAY. i suffered a few months of bad watermelon season but we have official turned that corner towards summer and the watermelon pickings are GOOOOOOD.

fresh, crisp, sweet watermelon is a special experience. but once your watermelon goes a little bit past its freshest or if the watermelon texture is mealy, blending it up for the juice is the PERFECT solution. with baby on board, i have been drinking watermelon juice straight. but for wesley, i’ve been whipping up this delicious vodka + watermelon cocktail for him to enjoy.

watermelon + rosemary cooler

serves: 1 cocktail

prep time: 3 minutes

active time: 1 minute

total time: 4 minutes

ingredients: 5 oz watermelon juice (i blended 1 cup watermelon and strained the juice from the pulp). 2 oz vodka. 1 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice. 3-5 oz club soda. 1 rosemary sprig. 2 cups ice. tall serving glass. shaker/strainer. optional: borage flowers or other blue edible flowers for garnish.

start by combining the watermelon juice, vodka and lemon juice in the base of your shaker with half the ice. remove the bottom two thirds of leaves from the rosemary sprig. smash and tear up the rosemary leaves and add them to the shaker.

shake vigorously for 30 seconds to combine everything and to release the oils from the rosemary. fill your serving glass with the remaining ice. strain the contents of your shaker over ice.

top the cocktail off with club soda.

stir well and garnish with the rosemary sprig and edible flowers. serve and enjoy.

xo, a

watermelon + rosemary cooler

serves: 1 cocktail

prep time: 3 minutes

active time: 1 minute

total time: 4 minutes

ingredients: 5 oz watermelon juice (i blended 1 cup watermelon and strained the juice from the pulp). 2 oz vodka. 1 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice. 3-5 oz club soda. 1 rosemary sprig. 2 cups ice. tall serving glass. shaker/strainer. optional: borage flowers or other blue edible flowers for garnish.

start by combining the watermelon juice, vodka and lemon juice in the base of your shaker with half the ice. remove the bottom two thirds of leaves from the rosemary sprig. smash and tear up the rosemary leaves and add them to the shaker. shake vigorously for 30 seconds to combine everything and to release the oils from the rosemary. fill your serving glass with the remaining ice. strain the contents of your shaker over ice. top the cocktail off with club soda. stir well and garnish with the rosemary sprig and edible flowers. serve and enjoy.

wow. last week at this time, i was CONVINCED that i had just come through one of the harder weeks in my catering and baking career thus far. and then i went and followed it up with another week of insanity. 

this is good. it means everything is growing. growth is uncomfortable. but man oh man, i could use a break from the uncomfortable. 

and a nice, stiff drink.

decent watermelon are starting to hit the produce stores, and i LOVE watermelon. last year, i started blending up slightly mealy melons and straining them to make watermelon juice. it has quickly become one of my favorite cocktail mixers.

a regular old margarita gets a whole new look and taste with the small additional of watermelon juice. now, if only i could find an ingredient to add to my life to spruce it up in the same manner! 

watermelon margarita

serves: 1 cocktail

prep time: 2 minutes

active time: 1 minute

total time: 3 minutes

ingredients: 2 oz tequila. 3 oz watermelon juice. .5 oz triple sec. .5 oz fresh lime juice. lime wheel for garnish. shaker. 1 cup of ice. 

in the shaker, combine the ice, tequila, watermelon and lemon juices and the triple sec.

shake well to combine.

garnish your glass with a lime wheel.

pour the contents foe shaker into the glass.

serve and enjoy. 

xo, a

watermelon margarita

serves: 1 cocktail

prep time: 2 minutes

active time: 1 minute

total time: 3 minutes

ingredients: 2 oz tequila. 3 oz watermelon juice. .5 oz triple sec. .5 oz fresh lime juice. lime wheel for garnish. shaker. 1 cup of ice. 

in the shaker, combine the ice, tequila, watermelon and lemon juices and the triple sec. shake well to combine. garnish your glass with a lime wheel. pour the contents foe shaker into the glass. serve and enjoy.