Watermelon Mimosa Recipe

I have a fellow foodie friend at work, who I absolutely adore "talking shop" with and sharing recipe ideas.  We tell each other about different restaurants, cocktails and recipes we try, as well as share tips on cooking, baking, etc.  It really is so much fun having someone in the office who shares the same interest and I can learn from while taking that much needed mental break from staring at my computer for hours on end!

Last week during one of our chats, she mentioned this most delicious mimosa she had enjoyed at this fabulous farm to table restaurant in Baltimore, Woodberry Kitchen.  Totally intrigued by the idea of making a watermelon mimosa, I decided to give it try over the weekend.  Let me just say, it is an absolutely delicious cocktail idea! Naturally I felt compelled to share it with you all today.  I know I have posted quite a few cocktail recipes lately and I promise that I will ease up on my cocktail posts for a while, but this mimosa recipe just had to be shared.   Worthy of any brunch or summer picnic, watermelon mimosas are beyond fab!

Ingredients

• 1 Seedless Sugar Watermelon (i.e. a small watermelon)
• 1 Bottle Sparkling Wine, Prosecco or Champagne (*I suggest using Chandon)
• 1 Large Lime (cut into wedges)
• 1-2 Key Limes (for garnish)
• Fresh Mint Leaves

Instructions

1. Cut up a seedless watermelon into 1 inch cubes (*Be sure to remove any remaining seeds from watermelon meat)
2. Place watermelon in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth
3. Fit a large sieve over a wide-mouthed bowl or pitcher (*I tried using a smaller sieve that fit straight on top of the pitcher and it took forever to strain, so I highly recommend straining the watermelon contents in a large sieve over a large bowl for efficiency)
4. Pour blended watermelon contents into the sieve and allow liquid to drip through strainer for at least 20 minutes
5. Add the juice of a fresh lime wedge and about a teaspoon of freshly muddled/chopped mint leaves
6. Then fill the flute 1/3-1/2 with the watermelon juice
7. Fill the remainder of the glass with either a prosecco, sparkling wine or champagne
8. Garnish with a slice of fresh key lime and serve

Host a Chic Pizza Party

This past weekend I hosted a casual-chic pizza party for a small group at our home.  We had a great time catching up with our friends while enjoying delicious wine, homemade pizza and of course cheering on our beloved Washington Capitals! 

I loved that this small party gave me the opportunity to play hostess and (of course more importantly) the perfect excuse to tablescape!  In order to achieve a balance of casual and chic, I my table setting needed to be a mix of formal and informal.  A centerpiece filled with sunflowers paired with my new favorite navy and white Williams-Sonoma napkins provided the casual spring elements that helped to balance out the more formal crystal and gold elements.  Below I have shared a breakdown of both the table and menu details to show you how I achieved a party that was the perfect balance of both casual and elegant. 

Table Details 

• DIY Herb Bouquet Place Cards
• Pier 1 Dark Brown Rattan Placemats
• Reed & Barton Soho Crystal Highball Glasses
• World Market White Wine Glasses
• Williams-Sonoma Buffalo Plaid Napkins
• Pillivuyt Basketweave Dinner Plates
• Chilewich Dahlia Coasters
• CB2 Bronn Taper Candle Holders
• Centerpiece Flowers: Sunflowers (Trader Joe's)

The Menu

• Hors D'oeuvres: Sprouted Kitchen's Curry Roasted Almonds
• Entree: DIY Homemade Pizza
• Salad: Kale Salad with Avocado Dressing, Roasted Almonds and a slice of Clothbound Aged Cheddar
• Dessert: Blueberry-Lemon Whoopie Pies 
• Wine: Napa Cellars Sauvignon Blanc (Pictured) and Napa Cellars Zinfandel

Every aspect of the party was super easy to create/execute, especially since I had taken the time to have everything done ahead of time (everything cooked/made/set with the exception of assembling and baking the pizzas).  Being super organized is really the key to hosting a successful gathering.  Regardless of size, if you are collected, organized and adequately prepped for your party, hosting will be an absolute breeze!