After making summer fruit salad, we were left with the halves of 3 different melons. So, we cut them up and put them in the fridge to munch on throughout the week, but still, that’s a lot of melon. Always trying to come up with exciting uses for any leftovers, I decided to make….melon juice.

Cantaloupe, watermelon and honeydew all have huge water contents which contribute to their bulk in size, so they’re a good source of fluids and perfect for making juices. A friend of ours gave us a Magic Bullet blender, so Kenya decided he needed to try it out and do the cooking! First he had to make a juice for himself, then one for me and then, of course, he needed to drink both of them!

And that, is the benefit to a lot of leftovers: at least I still had enough melon to make another one just for me!

Melon Juice (Serves 2)

3 Cups Honeydew, Cantaloupe, and/or Watermelon
A handful of Ice

1. Place ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.
2. Serve.

Juicing is one of those activities for kids that’s just plain old fun. There’s nothing better then going to the farmer’s market, buying tons of organic carrots, beets, oranges and so on, and then going home with your little one(s) and coming up with all kinds of unique juice creations. Sometimes I’m a little perplexed by Kenya’s choice of ingredients when he points to the ones he wants in his, but he always seems to love the end product. It only goes to prove my theory that when kids are involved in making what they eat and drink, they have pride of ownership and are more likely to try new things. Kenya enjoys the juices so much that he tends to sucks them down faster than we can make them.

I’m not opposed to canned and bottled juices, but most of the ones you’ll find in the supermarket are packed with unnecessary sugars and preservatives that your kids don’t need. There are so many other choices like herbal teas, blender smoothies and of course these juice recipes. They’re actually not even recipes. It’s really up to you and your kids what vitamin rich, nutritious creations you want to drink.

Juicing

We love to make the 3 listed below, but you can be the chef and pick any fruits or veggies you crave.

Carrot, Beet and Ginger
Apple, Celery, Kale and Beet Greens
Beets, Blood Orange and Ginger

*You do need a juice machine for this recipe

1. Turn juicer on.
2. Place a mix of fruits and vegetables in juicer shoot creating the desired amount of juice you want.

*Make sure to wash the produce well. If using carrots make sure to peel them to remove bitter flavor. Remove the outer peel from oranges and grapefruits, but retain the white pith. With most other fruits and vegetables you can leave the skins on and just put them through the juicer.
3. Once all the juice is in the container, stir to combine.
4. Drink and enjoy.