Summer decided to come on the 4^th of July, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.  I looked at the 10 day forecast, and we are supposed to have the nicest stretch of weather we have since seen last fall.  You can hear the people cheering in the streets, so much so that they kept my husband awake last night.  So, what did I make to celebrate the fact that summer is finally here?  I think you can see by the picture…I definitely had some fun with this one.

The other day my husband was talking about watermelon – and how reminiscent it was of summertime when he was growing up.  We don’t usually have watermelon in the house – mostly because there are only 4 of us, and I am not a huge fan – and really, there is only so much watermelon you can eat.  It is not like these, where there really is no limit.  So, instead of playing the watermelon game, and trying to make sure my family eats it all before it goes bad, I choose smaller quantity of fruits to keep in the house.  Last year, I remember seeing these – and I went nuts.  I have been waiting for the perfect time to make these all year – and the day finally arrived.  They were fantastic – such a big hit.  Of course everyone was afraid to have more than 1 or 2, but really, you need to have 10 to equate to one drink.  They were a perfect little treat.  Next time I will make them for the kids without alcohol – because they were all looking at them longingly.   The chocolate chips really make them look adorable, but I was also going with taste – and the thought of chocolate chips, cherry and vodka, just didn’t sound that appealing – but that is another option.

So – go have some fun with summer, and try these little cuties – with or without alcohol they are sure to give everyone a smile – and the bonus?  They won’t last long enough to worry about them going bad…

Ingredients

• 10 limes, pulp removed
• 1 small box red Jello (I used cherry – does watermelon jello exist?)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup cold vodka (or if you are going non-alcoholic, just plain water)
• Mini chocolate chips (optional)

Preparation

Cut the limes in half, then squeeze out the juice (which will make getting the rest of the pulp out easier).  I then used my fingers to scrape out the rest of the pulp.  This is not an easy task, and will take time, but the cleaner your limes are, the better they will look.  I was actually able to get all the lime pulp out, like I was peeling an organge.

Take a mini-muffin tin, and place a couple of damp paper towels over the wholes, with slack.  This will give the limes a way to sit in the tins without rolling around.  Set lime halves empty side up on top of the towels, one in each muffin mold.

Add 1 cup of boiling water to the Jello powder, and stir for 2 minutes until fully dissolved.  Stir in cup of cold vodka (or water, if non-alcoholic).  Pour mixture into lime halves, filling all the way to the top.

Chill the jello-limes in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

One at a time, turn the jello-limes over on a cutting board, and using a sharp knife, carefully cut each lime half in half again, making wedges.

Stick in chocolate chips, if desired.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Watermelon Lime Jello Shots