Cooling Frozen Watermelon Smoothies

The key to the  fabulous taste of these gluten free frozen watermelon smoothies is using the frozen watermelon. All you need to do is cut up some watermelon, pop it in the freezer and use it whenever and  for whatever. Truthfully, it is refreshing just to take some from the freezer and eat it, but in a smoothie, it is amazing! Let me tell you why I started making these smoothies!

When I woke up yesterday morning, it was finally warm outside after weeks of rain and chilly weather. I felt like summer had arrived.  Initially, I was so excited that I opened all our upstairs windows, and sat down at my computer to enjoy the beautiful May breeze. About an hour later, my mood began to change. The warm May breeze that I was enjoying became warmer and warmer, and I found myself hot, sticky, very overheated and uncomfortable.

While online I opened up the blog Healthy, Happy, Life.  Kathy, the author, had posted a recipe for a Watermelon Frosty!

Do you know how good her Watermelon Frosty looked to me at that moment? Kathy's pictures of that Frosty was amazing, and I felt like I could have drank a pitcherfull.

I wanted to make some right then and there, but I didn't have any frozen watermelon! 

However, I did have a watermelon!

Who would have ever thought to freeze watermelon? Well,  I got out a few baggies and proceeded to cut up watermelon, place it baggies, and freeze. Yes, it was that simple. ( See freezing suggestions at the end of this post )

Today,  I am prepared. It is still oppressively hot, but I have a few baggies full of frozen watermelon in my freezer. I made a pitcher full of those fabulous Watermelon Frosties, the windows are closed, and the air conditioning is on!

Normally, you can't freeze watermelon if you plan on defrosting it. However, this frozen watermelon will only be used for smoothies. Freezing the watermelon seems to bring out its natural sweetness . I ate a few frozen pieces from the baggy and it was like eating sherbet.

Watermelon is also good for you. It has virtually no fat, a cup has only 48 calories, and it is a rich source of vitamins. In addition, watermelon contains lycopene, an antioxidant that fights free radicals in the body. Watermelon contains more lycopene than any other fruit or vegetable including tomatoes.

So, next time you have watermelon left over, cut it up and freeze it. Then use it to :

• Eat it plain right from the freezer - yum! It's like frozen ices
• Use it as ice cubes in a pitcher of water to flavor the water and keep water cold
• Mix in any  type of smoothie

Here is the version that I made

Ingredients:
3 cups of frozen watermelon
1 cup cold watermelon juice ( or water)
Maple syrup or any sweetener of your choice to taste
Juice of 1/2  large lime
1 large banana

Blend all ingredients in Vitamix or in a strong blender.
Serve immediately with a wedge of lime.

Suggestions:
1. Cut the watermelon in small chunks and freeze on a cookie sheet so it doesn't all stick together. Then throw it into baggies when frozen. ( about 8 hours) . Otherwise it may freeze in one large clump and that could be very hard on your blender. Melon balls are cute too.

2. When cutting the watermelon, reserve the watermelon juice in a jar and keep it in the refrigerator overnight. ( you can also just use water)
3. Don't skip the banana. The first time I made the smoothie, I did ( skip the banana)  and then I added it back in. The banana really adds something to the drink.

4. Add some rum if you desire. This makes one refreshing and delicious coctail for a party!

This recipe is vegan, dairy free, and gluten free.

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 This recipe has been linked to the following blog carnivals where you can find lots of great recipes.
 Mouth Watering Monday, My Meatless Monday,Yellow Mellow Monday,  Just another Meatless Monday, Midnight Maniac Meatless Monday   Motivate Me Mondays, Just Something I Whipped Up,Monday Mania, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Delicious Dishes, Tuesday's Tasty Tidbits, Tuesday Night Supper Club,
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Grain Free Tuesday,    Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday,
Made From Scratch Tuesday, Recipes I can't wait to try.Totally Tasty Tuesday, Midweek Mingle Blog Hop,
Traditional Tuesdays, What's on the Menu Wednesdays,  Recipe of the Week, What's Cooking Wednesday, No Whine Wednesdays ,What's For Dinner?, Friendly Wednesday ,Frugal Food Thursday,
Gold Star Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Cooking Wednesday, 
 Works for me ,  Thursday Ultimate Recipe,  Lisa's Gluten-Free Advice and Healthy Living, Recipes I can't wait to try,  Full Plate Thursday,  Pennywise Platter Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Cooking Thursday, Tip Day Thursday,Recipe Swap Thursday, Cheap Thrills Thursday, This Chick Cooks, Friday Potluck, Fresh and Pure Friday,  Thank Goodness It's Friday ,Funky Fresh Friday,  Nifty Thrifty Friday, Fight Back Friday, Food on Fridays, Get Healthy Cheap,  Kahakai Kitchen