Power of Fresh, Raw Fruit & Vegetable Juice - Part VI

Fall Blessings! Hurricane Tomas blew in last night - I should say "backed in" from the Gulf of Maine - and boy did the wind kick up! Now it really looks like winter around here! All of my oak trees finally shed their leaves and dumped them onto my freshly mown lawn! C'est la vie!

I hope you are all preparing yourselves for a healthy, vibrant winter season and are enjoying the fresh, nutrient-packed juice recipes I've been sharing. I've got about 5 more to share with you over the next two months - then I'll change subjects. Todays juice recipe happens to be a summer favorite, but if you can find watermelon in winter, it makes a fabulous, colorful and nutritious drink for entertaining or occasional immune-boosting sipping. Give it a try, especially if you have kids - they love it!

Watermelon Cooler (a.k.a. Virgin Pink Mojito)
Watermelon juice, naturally high in pick-me-up sugars, is the perfect choice to refresh, refuel, and rehydrate following a hard, sweaty workout or an afternoon spent mowing the lawn or gardening. This sensational, celebration-in-pink juice blend is also an excellent beverage to serve for alcohol-free summer entertaining. Sweet-tart and cooling to the palate, it looks especially enticing served in prechilled fancy glassware garnished with sprigs of fresh mint. For a festive option, add party appeal with colorful straws and tiny decorative umbrellas. Here's to summer!
For an adult winter (or anytime) holiday drink option, add a splash of your favorite high-quality vodka. I'm not much of a "drinker", but when I do have a bit of alcohol, I like to use Maine-produced, Cold River Vodka. It is made from Maine-grown potatoes and is gluten-free. Other good vodkas I like are Grey Goose and Belvedere. Adding a splash of good sparkling wine, sake, or rum are tasty options as well. Happy Holidays!

Ingredients:
- 4 cups cold, seedless watermelon, roughly cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon raw honey or agave nectar
- Juice of 1 medium lime (about 1/4 cup)
- 5-10 fresh mint leaves
- 2 mint sprigs for garnish (optional)

Method:
1. Place the watermelon, lime juice, honey, and the 5-10 mint leaves in a blender. Liquefy until smooth and the mint leaves appear as tiny specks, about 30 seconds.
2. Pour into two beautiful glasses with or without crushed ice. Garnish glasses with fresh mint sprigs, if desired.

Yield: 2 generous servings

A Good Source Of: potassium, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and the cancer-fighting carotenoid lycopene

NOTE: This blog article was written by Stephanie L. Tourles and adapted from her most recent book, "Raw Energy: 124 Raw Food Recipes for Energy Bars, Smoothies, and Other Snacks to Supercharge Your Body", Storey Publishing, 2009. The information given is true and complete to the best of Ms. Tourles' knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of Ms. Tourles. She disclaims any liability in connection with the use of this information. It is for educational purposes only.