Cantaloupe Coconut Lassi Recipe: Refreshing Summer Smoothie

There are days when I wish you could be in the kitchen with me.

And then there are other days when I’m grateful no one can see me.

Yesterday was a bit of both.

My kitchen produced a lot of tasty things. It also produced a very loud, off-key version of Lisa Loeb’s “Stay” on Pandora after I accidentally overflowed a mason jar with beer and then ate about sixteen maraschino cherries straight from the jar. The foam looked so pretty that I deliberately overflowed it again just to try to take a picture — which, unsurprisingly, I didn’t end up getting. Sigh.

On top of all the food experiments, the house felt like an oven, so I surrendered to the heat. I wanted something cold — ideally a whole carton of ice cream, but that wasn’t very practical while juggling other tasks. The only thing I could add to my to-do list was using a straw.

So I did.

It turned out to be surprisingly healthy, tasty, and reasonably filling — and oddly, it didn’t even involve chocolate. Strange, but delightful.

I think this might be my new favorite snack. It was also a fun new way to enjoy cantaloupe, which I’ve been devouring all week. Not kidding: I’m already on my fourth melon.

Also, in case you were wondering, I just wasted an hour and a half watching Wanderlust. No regrets.

Cantaloupe Coconut Lassi

Serves 1 generously or 2 appropriately

1 cup coconut water

1/2 cup light canned coconut milk

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 cups frozen cantaloupe cubes

2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes

2 teaspoons honey

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cardamom

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch of salt

Toasted coconut for garnish

Combine all ingredients, except the toasted coconut, in a blender and process until smooth. Pour into a glass and garnish with toasted coconut. Enjoy.

That said, maybe I should have made a Phish Food milkshake after all. Duh.