Watermelon Mojito Jello Shots in Lime Wedges

Watermelon Mojito Jello Shots in Lime Wedges

Yesterday was the busiest day ever. My gawd. I was preparing from morning until night for a celebration of one of my best friend's 21st birthday fiesta!! Tomorrow I'll post some pictures and my ideas for her Mexican themed bash... including a liquor shot filled pinata. YES IT'S A REAL THING. There was a bunch of confetti, lots of booze, and a gourmet taco bar with 12 different homemade toppings!! So check back for the deets, y'all. But today, I'm sharing my Watermelon Mojito Jello Shots in Lime Wedges. I have seen ideas floating around the internet for classic mojito jello shots in limes and I have been dying to try them. However, I could not get it out of my mind how I wanted to make watermelon flavored shots. Wouldn't that be adorbz?! UM, well it was. The filling includes watermelon puree, lime juice, steeped fresh mint, and rum (along with gelatin). You pour the jello mix into the lime halves, let them set until hard, cut them into wedges, and finally garnish them. I finished them off with more fresh minced mint & dyed black raw sugar for the perfect watermelon effect. And they were a HIT. They were gobbled up in minutes. Now there is a forewarning here, these are not for the faint of heart. It is a process, a very tedious process. Especially hulling out and peeling the lime rinds of its' pulp. So, if you aren't willing to slave away to prep these guys, you could just pour the jello into plastic shot glasses. Although, they certainly are not as cute. The choice is yours however. I know for sure that these will be a Summer classic and a party favorite from now on!! Enjoy :)

hollowed out lime shells.

fresh mint steeping in the jello mixture 

look at those colors... it screams summer doesn't it?? 

wittle baby watermelons.

For the Watermelon Mojito Wedge Jello Shots:

1 ½C Fresh Watermelon Puree (strained of pulp into a juice)

1C Sugar

4 Envelopes of Unflavored Gelatin

½C Fresh Lime Juice

Pink Dye, Optional (to make them a little brighter)

4 Stems of Fresh Mint Leaves

1C White Rum

Fresh Minced Mint, For Garnishing

Homemade Black Raw Sugar or Watermelon Pop Rocks, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. Preparing the Watermelon Mojito Jello: In a pot, combine the watermelon juice and sugar over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in the gelatin. Add the lime juice and 4 mint stems (with leaves). Allow that to steep for 10-15 minutes. Remove the mint stems and stir in the rum if using.

2. Prepping the Limes: In the meantime hollow out your lime shells (we used roughly a large bag of limes for all the jello filling). This is probably the hardest part of making these. I used a small sharp knife to carve around the inside of the limes and then a melon baller to scoop out the centers. If the insides don't look perfect don't worry! Mine looked far from perfect. Be sure to leave the limes cut in halves until after the jello has set, then you can slice them into wedges.

3. Finishing the Shots: Fill each lime shell with the jello mixture and sprinkle in some chopped fresh mint (from the remaining leaves on that 3rd stem). Place in the refrigerator and allow them to set for at least 3 hours. Cut into wedges and finish by garnishing with fresh chopped mint and a sprinkle some black raw sugar (or watermelon pop rocks if you are feeling crazy) for the “watermelon” look.

source: mojito jello shots.

Summer Staples : Mosaic Melon Salad with Mixed Melon Cubes, Heirloom Tomatoes, Red Chili Flake Finishing Salt, Basil-Mint Pesto, + Balsamic Reduction, Topped with Homemade Feta Burrata

Mosaic Melon Salad with Mixed Melon Cubes, Heirloom Tomatoes, Red Chili Flake Finishing Salt,
Basil-Mint Pesto, + Balsamic Reduction, Topped with Homemade Feta Burrata

Summer is quickly approaching and I don't think I can simply wait another day. My summer vacation usually means long days at the beach, going on picnics at Forsyth, baseball games, and cooking out in the garden. Can we just go ahead and all agree that besides all of those fun activities I just listed, Summer food is something I count down for all year long. Our favorites range from peaches and sweet berries to heirloom tomatoes and corn. This is the time that every fruit and vegetable raise the stakes and get in their A-game state of mind (yes, apparently Summer produce is like a superhero in my book, so lamezies). During the course of my blogging experiences, I like to set up seasonal themes to my weekly posting. I have Soup Sunday's in the Fall + Winter, Tailgatin' Saturday during the oh-so-amazingness that is college football, and Sunday Brunch during the Spring. So, this is my new latest installment... Summer Staples. These recipes will focus on everything that makes us happy during the unbearably awful heat. They will feature a lot of perfectly ripened produce, hand crafted specialty drinks, grilling marinated proteins, and delightful desserts (all of which will probably include homemade ice cream). It is all about light + fresh dishes that use the best of the best produce from your local farmer's market. Can you tell that I am just itchin' for some summer lovin'? I mean, it's pretty obvious. Okay enough about that, let's get to the recipe. First of all, this is vegetarian-friendly... what the what what? I know, I don't even know if I have a recipe that doesn't include some sort of protein, or to be more specific, bacon. I slaved away in the kitchen for this salad, but it's honestly because I wanted this artsy, over the top plating presentation. You could easily roughly cut them up into pieces or use a melon baller for a faster approach. The three types of melons bring so much color and a lot of sweetness, and then when it's paired with overly ripe + juicy heirloom tomatoes and creamy avocado... well, it simply makes takes this dish to "over-the-top" status. It's sprinkled with my Homemade Red Chili Flake Finishing Salt, which adds a savory depth of flavor, and our favorite, a spicy kick! The salad is drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, fresh citrus juice, and a syrupy balsamic reduction. But what's the main star of the dish, you ask? Oh no big deal or anything, I just made homemade Burrata cheese (patting myself on my back over here). For those of you that haven't heard of Burrata or even tasted it, then it's time to change that, right now. Why? Well, from the outside, it just looks like a plain 'ole ball of fresh mozzarella cheese, but oh boy, it sure isn't. Inside this ball, there is a shredded mozzarella + heavy cream gooey center, that once you cut it open, the luscious filling begins the flow out all of the plate. IT'S DIVINE. Now here comes my twist... Homemade Feta Burrata. Instead of the traditional or classic filling, I mixed crumbled feta cheese with cream, and quickly packed it into a thinly stretched mozzarella shell. It's a daunting task, but it's so goshdarn worth it. I will be posting a recipe tomorrow (hopefully) with a step-by-step pictorial recipe for my Feta Burrata, so y'all can make it too. But hey, I wont get mad if you'd rather just buy it from the grocery store, it will still taste as delicious. The freshly made Burrata is covered in a homemade Basil-Minto Pesto, as well as some julienned herbs and pickled red onions (if you dare). Oh and side note, we loved this Feta Burrata so much that I know I just have to make a Goat Cheese Burrata, so that will be coming around the bend soon enough!! Enjoy :)

the. perfect. summer. salad. EVER. 

For the Red Chili Flake Finishing Salt:

2T High Quality Salt (such as Maldon, Pink Himalayan, Fleur de Sel, or Gray Sea Salt)

1T Red Pepper Flakes (if you don’t like a lot of heat, then you can cut back on the flakes)

¼t Cayenne or Paprika

For the Homemade Basil-Mint Pesto:

1C Fresh Basil Leaves, Lightly Packed

2C Fresh Mint Leaves, Lightly Packed

2 Garlic Cloves, Roughly Chopped

¼C Toasted Pine Nuts, Roughly Chopped

Squeeze of Fresh Lemon (plus a little bit of freshly grated lemon zest)

½C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½C Parmesan Cheese, Grated

Salt & Pepper, To Taste (and a pinch of sugar for some balance)

For the Mosaic Melon Salad:

Fresh Watermelon, Honeydew, & Cantaloupe, Cut into 1 or 2-inch Cubes

1 Red + 1 Yellow Heirloom Tomato, Cut into 1 or 2-inch Cubes

1 Avocado, Cut into 1 or 2-inch Cubes (this is optional, but I love the creaminess it lends)

Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice, To Your Liking (lime can also be substituted)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, For Drizzling

Prepared Red Chili Flake Finishing Salt, For Sprinkling

1 Ball of Homemade Feta Burrata (some substitutes are classic Burrata or crumbled feta)

Prepared Homemade Basil-Mint Pesto, For Topping

Fresh Basil + Fresh Mint, Julienned (for garnishing)

Syrupy Balsamic Reduction, For Drizzling

Shaved Raw Red Onions or Pickled Red Onions (we liked the acidity of the pickled onions)

Directions:

1. For the Red Chili Flake Finishing Salt: Combine the salt of your choice, along with the red pepper flakes, and cayenne/paprika. Whisk and mash slightly for a more cohesive salt.

2. For the Homemade Basil-Mint Pesto: Put the basil, mint, garlic, pine nuts, about ½t of salt, lemon juice, & lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to chop the ingredients, scraping down the bowl when necessary. Remove this pureed mixture into a bowl and whisk in the olive oil and grated Parmesan cheese until they are completely incorporated throughout. Season with salt, pepper, and some sugar to taste.

3. For the Mosaic Melon Salad: When cutting the melons, tomato, and avocado, try to make them into the same sized cubes, so that they will fit together perfectly together, like a puzzle or mosaic. I organized my fruit & vegetable squares by a pattern of color (just try to mix it up a little bit, so that there aren’t any of the same colors next to one another. Once you have an entire plate of rainbow cubes, evenly squeeze a little bit of lemon juice all over the plate, and then drizzle on some olive oil. Next, sprinkle the Red Chili Flake Finishing Salt all over the salad (this part really gives the salad a deep flavor and perfectly balances the dish between sweet, salty, and spicy, so don’t skip it).

4. Serving the Salad: Place the ball of Homemade (or store bought) Feta Burrata in the middle of the salad and spoon the Basil-Mint Pesto all over the top of the Burrata (and a little around the plate). Garnish the pesto covered Burrata with julienned fresh basil + mint, as well as a generous drizzling of syrup balsamic reduction all over the plate (we love balsamic reduction, so we use a lot). Finish the plate by placing a small pile of pickled red onions (or thinly shaved raw red onion) on the center of the Burrata ball. Season with a little salt & pepper if it needs it.

5. Enjoy it immediately with a glass of wine!

Watermelon-Feta-Arugula Salad with Serrano Chile Vinaigrette

Here's another recipe that I love from my beloved Hugh Acheson. While reading about it in his cookbook, he said this was the perfect combination of sweet-salty-spicy-bitter that he had ever tried. He also liked mango, chile, and country ham, which I'm definitely going to try next. I sure do like my stuff spicy, so I doubled the amount of Serrano chiles in the salad recipe. Feel free to just use a total of two when making it for yourself. At first, we were both weary of this great combination, but eventually, it somehow all worked together. I did add some thinly sliced red onions, just for a little bite. We marinated the salad with some of the vinaigrette, added in some arugula right at the end so it wouldn't wilt, and packed them into containers for our picnic to go along side some yummy Tarragon-Lobster Rolls. We dug right into the salad first, and bam, so much flavor in such a small salad. And we loved it!! The salad was summery-fresh and the perfect side in the hot weather of Savannah. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who's looking for a unique combination of flavors!! Enjoy :)

Watermelon-Feta-Arugula Salad with Serrano Chile Vinaigrette 

the view from the top

For the Serrano Chile Vinaigrette:

½C Olive Oil

1 Lime, Zested & Juiced

2T Champagne Vinegar

3T Honey

1 Shallot, Minced

1 Large Garlic Clove, Minced

1-2 Serrano Chiles, Thinly Sliced

½t Fresh Rosemary, Minced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Salad:

Prepared Serrano Chile Vinaigrette

1 Medium Seedless Watermelon, Skin & Rind Removed & Cut into Squares

1-2 Serrano Chiles, Thinly Sliced

Baby Arugula Leaves

Red Onion, Thinly Sliced (optional)

½lb Feta, Cut into Cubes

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. For the Serrano Chile Vinaigrette: Combine the olive, limejuice, vinegar, shallot, chile, rosemary, and seasonings in a mason jar, tighten the lid, and shake vigorously. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.
2. For the Salad: Place the watermelon squares, feta cubes, Serrano slices, red onion, and arugula in large bowl, and dress with half of the vinaigrette. Season lightly with salt & pepper. Add a small amount of dressed arugula on each plate, then the watermelon-feta mixture on top. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Garnish with the dressed Serrano slices and then drizzle with a touch of the vinaigrette around each plate. Serve immediately.

Homemade Watermelon Lemonade

It was a gorgeous day in Savannah today (about 80 outside)! 

So we decided to go to the beach, yay!! 

It was a blast :)

Me and the boyfriend :)

The Pier at Tybee Island

JYS + CDF

Anyways, while we were there I had a real craving for some lemonade, and my friend mentioned to me how she wanted some watermelon. So then I just had to make some freshly-squeezed, homemade watermelon lemonade. I mean how beachy/summery is that?! Well it turned out delicious... we've actually almost finished it all. I need to seriously like quadruple this recipe so it will last me all week! And maybe so I can spike it with some watermelon vodka later, yes? I think so! Well, I hope you enjoy!!

Homemade Watermelon Lemonade 

For the Lemonade:

2C Watermelon Puree, Sifted & Strained

1C Lemon Juice, Sifted & Strained

1 Batch of Simple Syrup, Cooled

3C Water

Ice, For Serving

For the Simple Syrup:

1C Sugar

1C Water

Directions:

1. First, start off by making the simple syrup. In a pot, bring the sugar and water to a boil on high heat. After it has come to a boil, reduce the heat down to medium-low and simmer the syrup for about 5 minutes. Set this mixture aside and let it cool down. 

2. Next, make the watermelon puree. Cut the watermelon into cubes and place into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Sift & strain the mixture into a measuring glass. I used about a quarter of a large watermelon and it was exactly 2 cups. But it will really depend on the watermelon you buy. Pour this watermelon puree into a serving pitcher. 

3. Squeeze about 5-6 lemons until you get 1 cup of lemon juice. I think that it's really important that you use freshly squeezed lemon juice, not that crappy store bought kind, it just tastes so much fresher! Make sure to sift and strain this juice as well because you don't want any pulp or seeds in your lemonade. Pour this mixture into the pitcher.

4. Add the simple syrup and water to that same pitcher, and stir until combined. If you can stand it, put the lemonade in the refrigerator to let it become cool. But of course we couldn't wait, so we just served ours over ice. 

5. Serve immediately and enjoy!

source: watermelon lemonade