A Juicy, Fun Way To Take Your Vitamins

Summer is on the way - June 21st - and Watermelon is a fun way to start off the season. This is the time it is the freshest and sweetest. And...it is always a nutritious treat. Eat it nice and cold right out of the refrigerator or directly from your garden.

We all want great taste, especially our children. Do you want a good way to give your family the vitamins, minerals and fiber they need. Serve watermelon and you can all be happy and healthy.

Watermelon along with grapes were my saving grace as I made changes for a healthier lifestyle. Luckily, there are a lot of great reasons to eat watermelon. They are included below:

• Watermelon is a fun, nutritious way to make sure active kids don't get dehydrated; it's 92 percent water.

• A two-cup serving of watermelon is an excellent source of vitamins A, B6 and C, and it provides 7 percent of the recommended daily value of potassium, with only 80 calories.

• Watermelon is fat-free and also contains fiber. Its beautiful red color comes from all-natural lycopene, an antioxidant that can help keep kids' bodies healthy.

Watermelon can be eaten at any meal, breakfast, lunch or dinner, and it's a wonderful snack for the whole family. Delicious on its own, watermelon is a fantastic ingredient in recipes, too. Previously just a summertime treat, tasty watermelon is now available year-round.

Make Watermelon Even More Fun!

A watermelon carving makes a great addition to a kids' party or a family buffet. The fun part is that this can be a fun family project. The salad inside can be as simple as a mixture of blueberries, seedless green grapes and balls of watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew melon. It's colorful and kids love it.

Carving Instructions for Watermelon Fish

Slice 1/4 inch off the bottom lengthwise to provide a stable base.

With a melon baller, cut half circles over half the top of the watermelon in a rectangular shape, remove and set aside. This piece will be used for the top fin and tail.

Scoop out the flesh.

Cut out the tail shape and the melon balled fin-piece from the rectangular piece set aside earlier. Attach the fin and tail with sturdy, round toothpicks.

Cut out eyes using a melon baller. Trim around the outside of the eye socket, then place it back in, rind side out.

For the mouth, point a paring knife at a downward angle above the stem and slice through 3 inches on either side of the stem, cutting through the rind. Push out the mouth from the inside. For the side fin, cut 3 cuts into the side using the melon baller to make the curves on the back of the fin. Then slice straight cuts to form the top and bottom of the fin.

Enjoy! Wishing you health & happiness