last summer we made the most delicious watermelon mojitos. and ever since then i haven't been able to get watermelon out of my head, especially when the weather heats up and the sun starts to peek out. rather than making a cocktail with liquor, i wanted to create something that was a bit lighter. i kept the main ingredients, watermelon and mint, but threw in some lemonade, then topped of with a healthy serving of champagne! here's how to make your own.

we just planted a tiny garden in some pots. the mint went bonkers while we were away on vacay, so i used some that was freshly picked for this batch. and this tiny watermelon was a great size if you aren't planning on eating any, you could get 8-10 cocktails out of it.

chop the watermelon and add about 1/8 to a shaker.

top with a few sprigs of mint that have been torn or chopped into large chunks, then top the two ingredients with a little lemonade. fill up to about half way of where the watermelon is. now muddle everything together until the watermelon has turned to juice.

strain the mixture into your glass and top with some champs.

garnish with a little sprig of mint and enjoy! what do you like to mix up in the summer? are there any go to ingredients you like to use in most.. or all of your recipes?

[some images shot by

sharon garofalow

for a fabulous fete]