That’s really delicious.
While everyone else is talking about cozy sweaters, pumpkin spice and cooler weather, I’m still determined to savor every bit of summer produce. Fresh fruit is my focus — all the fruit, all the time.
I did cave and buy one fall-colored nail polish. I didn’t need it, but I bought it anyway. It’s a dark blue with gold flecks that, somehow, is entirely unique among my collection. Don’t judge — variety is life.
Honestly, I’m surprised we had enough heat this year to really crave watermelon, but I’ve happily devoured my share.
One of the stranger things about this pregnancy has been my sudden desire for flavored drinks. I’m not talking about cocktails — although some margaritas or an ice-cold pinot grigio sound amazing — I mean any beverage that isn’t plain water. I’ve always been a water person and historically avoided carbonation because it irritates my mouth and throat. Water tasted perfect to me.
Now I want every flavored drink I can imagine.
So I made this refreshing mocktail.
The base is a simple vanilla bean and ginger syrup combined with fresh watermelon juice. A splash of club soda adds sparkle, lots of crushed ice keeps it perfectly cold, and sliced cucumber adds a fresh, pretty touch. Bonus: it feels a little virtuous because there’s a vegetable in there, so you can pretend you’re drinking a salad.
Go ahead — enjoy a donut too. It’s Friday.
Watermelon Ginger Sparklers
4
15 mins
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Ingredients
- 4 cups watermelon cubes
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 knob fresh ginger
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
- 1 seedless cucumber, sliced
- 1 cup club soda
- candied ginger for serving
Instructions
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Place the watermelon in a blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a large pitcher, reserving the juice.
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In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, sliced ginger, vanilla seeds and the empty vanilla pod. Heat over medium, whisking until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for a minute or two until slightly syrupy. Remove from heat and cool.
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To assemble, fill a glass with crushed ice. Add a few ounces of the vanilla-ginger syrup, then about 4 ounces of watermelon juice. Add cucumber slices and a splash (about 2 ounces) of club soda. Adjust the balance of syrup, juice or soda to taste, stir well and serve with candied ginger if desired.
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It’s really fun in my brain.