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When we moved into our "new" neighborhood over two years ago, I have to say a was a little disappointed to realize that the only non-sit-down restaurant within walking distance was a Sonic Drive-In. From our old house, I could stroll the kids to four or five fast food places, an Einstein Brother's Bagels, a post office, and two grocery stores (including Trader Joe's--heaven!) So our newly limited nearby choices came as a bit of a bummer…until I remembered Sonic's drink happy hour. From 2-4pm, those dear roller-skated souls will mix you up the sugariest drink creations on earth for only half price. I probably couldn't count the number of times I have strapped the kids in the car or stroller for a jaunt over to Sonic during that seemingly endless stretch between nap time and dinnertime. And while these little trips fill up some time for pocket change, the only problem is, well, the drinks themselves. I'm afraid to even look at the Sonic website to find out how much sugar is in a watermelon slush, the treat of choice for my kiddos. I guarantee you there ain't no watermelon in a Sonic watermelon slush.
Sooooo since it's now summertime and giant watermelons seem to be rolling off the shelves everywhere I go, I figured we would try our hand at making our own actual fruit version of Sonic's slush. It was relatively simple and turned out great! Adapting a recipe from Epicurious for a watermelon granita, I was able to make a concoction similar enough to Sonic's that my kids (and I) have been enjoying it the last several days. Now we'll just have to figure out somewhere else to go during those long summer afternoons…
Here is the recipe:
Homemade Watermelon Slush
8 cups seedless watermelon, cut into chunks
1 scant cup sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about the juice of one lime)
Filtered water, for diluting
Puree the watermelon, sugar, and lime juice in a blender until smooth. (You may need to do two half batches if your blender is smallish like mine.) Pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Cover and freeze for at least 1 hour. Stir, mashing any frozen parts with the back of a fork. Cover again and freeze until firm, about 2 hours. Using a fork, scrape the surface to form icy flakes. Place in individual cups. Add water in small amounts to dilute and stir until slush consistency is reached.
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| Enjoy! |
