Sweet & Juicy

Watermelon!!! Nothing like it. And everybody likes it! But it’s especially fun to watch kids eat it, especially if it’s their first time. Even the first of the summer is fun, too. I think that sweet, juicy watermelon just brings out the kid in all of us. Gotta get me some—NOW!!!!!

 

With the mercury hovering around 90 degrees these days, there’s one favorite snack and dessert of mine I just can’t get enough of when it’s crazy hot – watermelon.  Like you, I have great childhood memories of Mom taking out the big knife, slicing off big pieces, handing it out to all us kids and then running around the backyard eating away and spitting seeds into the air. Now doesn’t that sound really nice and Hallmark like!  In reality, I really didn’t spit the seeds in the air – well they did come out of my mouth go through the air first, then it was onto someone’s shirt, into their hair, on plates across the table the list goes on…… Why would you spit the seeds in the air when there so many other options (yes, my brothers)!  Things certainly didn’t change with my girls either. They simply had more difficulty with getting the seeds to stick in my hair!  Honestly, I never knew just how healthy watermelon really is – especially as a recovery fruit after my runs.  Special thanks to Live Science, Guinness Book of Records, Facebook for the recipe along with YouTube for the fun videos/songs.  Enjoy!

– Watermelons are mostly water (about 92 percent) but this refreshing fruit is soaked with nutrients. Each juicy bite has significant levels of vitamins A, B6 and C, lots of lycopene, antioxidants and amino acids. There’s even a modest amount of potassium. Plus, this quintessential summer snack is fat-free, very low in sodium and has only 40 calories per cup.

– The watermelon probably originated in the Kalahari Desert in Africa.

– Scientists have taken notice of watermelon’s high lycopene levels — about 15 to 20 milligrams per 2-cup serving, according to the National Watermelon Promotion Board — some of the highest levels of any type of fresh produce. Lycopene is a phytonutrient, which is a naturally occurring compound in fruits and vegetables that reacts with the human body to trigger healthy reactions. It is also the red pigment that gives watermelons, tomatoes, red grapefruits and guavas their color. Lycopene has been linked with heart health, bone health and prostate cancer prevention. It’s also a powerful antioxidant thought to have anti-inflammatory properties.

– The watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is related to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash.
– By weight, watermelon is the most consumed melon in the United States, followed by cantaloupe and honeydew.

– Egyptians placed watermelons in the burial tombs of kings to nourish them in the afterlife. The first recorded watermelon harvest is depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphics from about 5,000 years ago.

– Merchants spread the use of watermelons along the Mediterranean Sea. By the 10th century, watermelons had found their way to China, which is now the world’s top producer of watermelons.

– All parts of the watermelon are good and can be eaten, even the rind. There are a lot of nutrients throughout including the white flesh nearest the rind, which contains more of the amino acid citrulline than the flesh.

– The Moors in the 13th century brought watermelons to Europe and early explorers used watermelons as canteens.

– Watermelon may be especially important for older women. A study published in Menopause found that postmenopausal women, a group known to have increased aortic stiffness, who took watermelon extract for six weeks saw decreased blood pressure and arterial stiffness compared to those who did not take watermelon extract.

– The first cookbook published in the United States in 1776 contained a recipe for watermelon rind pickles.  GET THE RECIPE HERE 

– A cup of watermelon contains nearly one-quarter of the daily intake of Vitamin A.  Vitamin A helps keep skin and hair moisturized, and it also encourages healthy growth of new collagen and elastin cells. This is why I am so youthful looking!

– About 200 to 300 varieties are grown in the United States and Mexico, but only about 50 varieties are very popular.

– Watermelon-loving athletes are in luck: drinking watermelon juice before an intense workout helps reduce next-day muscle soreness and heart rate, according to a 2013 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. This can be attributed to watermelon’s amino acids citrulline and arginine, which help improve circulation.

– The watermelon is the official state vegetable of Oklahoma.

– The United States ranks fifth in the worldwide production of watermelons. Forty-four states grow watermelons, with Florida, Texas, California, Georgia and Arizona leading the country in production.

– The heaviest watermelon weighs 159 kg (350.5 lb) and was grown by Chris Kent (USA) of Sevierville, Tennessee, as verified by the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth on October 4, 2013.

– A seedless watermelon is a sterile hybrid, which is created by crossing male pollen for a watermelon, containing 22 chromosomes per cell, with a female watermelon flower with 44 chromosomes per cell. When this seeded fruit matures, the small, white seed coats inside contain 33 chromosomes, rendering it sterile and incapable of producing seeds.  Why would anyone want to eat a watermelon without seeds???

Fun Watermelon tunes:  HERE  &  HERE

 

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DO YOU LIKE CONTESTS?
Me, too.

As you may know the Kowalski Heat Treating logo finds its way
into the visuals of my Friday posts.
I.  Love.  My.  Logo.
One week there could be three logos.
The next week there could be 15 logos.
And sometimes the logo is very small or just a partial logo showing.
But there are always logos in some of the pictures.
So, I challenge you, my beloved readers, to count them and send me a
quick email with the total number of logos in the Friday post.
On the following Tuesday I’ll pick a winner from the correct answers
and send that lucky person some great KHT swag.
So, start counting and good luck!  
Oh, and the logos at the very top header don’t count.
Got it? Good.  :-))))
Have fun!!

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