Since one of my New Year’s resolutions is to grow a watermelon, and that process usually starts in March, I’ve decided to give away a watermelon growing kit as this month’s prize. It’s everything you need to get your little watermelon plant up-and-running – at least until it’s time to transplant it to a larger area outside.

The kit is actually an all-in-one product called the Sprout n Grow Greenhouse (above) that allows you to grow your very own Sugar Baby watermelons. It includes watermelon seeds, a windowsill greenhouse, planting mixture, instructions and an information sheet. The green thumb is sold separately (can you buy those?) but as a What About Watermelon reader, you will have access to our panel of experts, including watermelon farmer Josh Bailey, who would be more than happy to give you some pointers if you need them.

One comment chosen at random from all the comments received here on What About Watermelon in February will win this prize. Good luck!

It’s odd that our shortest month was chosen as the one to raise awareness for our biggest health issue, but 28 days is better than nothing, I guess. Could it have something to do with Valentine’s Day being observed in February? I doubt it, but it’s a good theory.

There are all sorts of facts and statistic about heart health and why it’s important for everyone to learn more about their ticker (for themselves and their loved ones), but the statistic that drives the point home for me is that heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States among men and women.

There are a lot of things you can do to create a healthier heart – eat right, exercise, educate yourself about your heart – and I won’t get into all of them here (I’ll let the American Heart Association website do that), but I would like to remind everyone about the heart healthy benefits of fruit and vegetables including watermelon. Actually, I’ll let the National Watermelon Promotion Board do that, too. The National Watermelon Promotion Board (the owner of this blog, of course) has a page on their website about watermelon and heart health that lists the following facts:

1. Watermelon consumption increases free arginine, which can help to maintain cardiovascular function.
2. Eating watermelon can help to maintain cardiovascular health.
3. Watermelon has amino acids, which can help maintain blood flow and heart health.

So how will you observe National Heart Health Month? Might I suggest starting with a trip to your local grocery store’s produce aisle?

Here it is, the last recipe in our five-week series of game day goodies, and this one brings the football theme to life in a very literal way. It’s the football cake. Actually, it’s not really a cake (good news for those who don’t want to bake). It’s more of a watermelon sculpture. A very simple, yet very cool sculpture.

FOOTBALL CAKE

INGREDIENTS

Large seedless oblong shaped watermelon
2 cups cream cheese frosting
Licorice strips

DIRECTIONS

Slice two of the sides lengthwise down the watermelon to expose a large watermelon surface on both sides. Cut a football shaped marquis out of the watermelon. Place the watermelon cut into a football shape on a platter. Slice into thin slices but leave assembled as a football. Decorate with the frosting and licorice ties to look like a football with stitches. Serves 18 to 24.

I recently traded in my old phone for a new one, like any new phone owner, I can’t seem to put the darn thing down. I blame it on the fact that there are so many cool programs (aka “apps”) that you can download for it.

There are apps that tell you where the police are hiding to help you avoid getting a ticket, apps that help you find a good restaurant in your area, and even a “fake phone call” app that will call you at a time of your choosing to help you get out of a sticky situation. (I haven’t used it yet, but I’m sure I will.)  

And then there are the games. The many, many, many games. Some are free and some a buck or two, but nearly all of them are more addictive than a watermelon milk shake. Speaking of watermelon, there are a few games featuring my favorite fruit that I recently downloaded and have taken a liking to.

One is appropriately titled “Watermelon!” and it was released only a few days ago. For 99 cents you can download the game, which pits you against evil robots. Your only ammunition is watermelon rinds, which you create by eating watermelon and then throw the rinds at the robots to make them slip and eventually return them to the moon. It’s not a complicated game (most of the games aren’t), which is part of what makes it so fun.

I’m not sure if watermelon rinds would make a good weapon in a real life robot war (a high-powered seed shooter seems like a better choice), but they do the trick in this game. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some robots to fight.

Yes, it’s a watermelon bus stop. No, I don’t know why someone designed a watermelon bus stop, but I think it’s pretty cool nonetheless, don’t you?

So you’re snacking on chips and fire and ice salsa, chowing down on a few dozen watermelon glazed mini barbeque meatballs and you’ve just polished off your second pulled pork and watermelon barbeque sandwich. Chances are, you’re getting thirsty. That’s where this recipe
comes in.

It should be noted that this recipe is very flexible. You can add lots of things to it to give it some extra “punch”… if you know what I mean.

WATERMELON PUNCH

INGREDIENTS

1 large watermelon
6 cups watermelon juice (see directions)
2 cups pineapple juice
1 can (12 ounces) frozen raspberry juice blend
1 small can (6 ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 lemon (sliced) (optional)

DIRECTIONS

First, cut a hole in the top of your watermelon, similar to the photo above. Scoop out all the watermelon (you’ll use it to make the juice) and set the watermelon aside to be used as the punch bowl. If you can’t find a whole watermelon, don’t worry. You can use sliced watermelon to make the juice and put the punch in regular (i.e. boring) punch bowl.

To make watermelon juice, process small chunks of watermelon, with seeds removed, in a blender or food processor until they turn to liquid. Make more than you need for this punch, freeze the extra in ice-cube trays, and use the watermelon cubes to chill the punch. Combine all ingredients in a large jar or pitcher and chill. Add watermelon ice cubes immediately prior to serving. Yields 12 to 14 servings.

JANICE K. ASKS: What does a watermelon farmer like yourself do during the watermelon offseason? You work pretty hard, so hopefully you can take some time off!

Thanks for your question, Janice. I would like to say that I rest and do nothing, but that’s not the case. The life of a farmer is busy pretty much year round and the actual “off season” is very short.

I grow watermelons from South Florida to Michigan, so it seems like there is always something going on. When there is some downtime, most of my time is spent reviewing the previous year and making plans for the next season. Still, the off season does give me more time off than the growing season, and when I have some time off I spend it with my family!

Fans of the Saskatchewan Roughriders – a professional football team in the Canadian Football League – have found another use for watermelons… as helmets. It seems “Rider Nation,” as the team’s fan base is called, has started a tradition in which true Roughrider fans show up to games wearing a hollowed out watermelon as headgear.

Apparently the trend has even caused a shortage of watermelons at supermarkets in the days preceding a game. Before the football league’s Grey Cup tournament in November 2009, thousands of watermelons had to be special ordered by Calgary grocery stores to keep up with the demands of Roughrider fans.

If you’re interested in making your own watermelon helmet – even if you just want to wear it around the house – here’s a video that teaches you how. I just hope all those fans found an equally good use for the watermelon they scooped out of the rinds before they put them on their heads.

Here’s another four ingredient recipe that would make a good addition to a football party buffet line. Did I mention this recipe includes two cans of beer? I don’t think I need to say any more.

PULLED PORK AND WATERMELON BARBEQUE SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

1 4-to-5 pound pork butt
24 ounces dark beer
2 cups BBQ sauce
2 cups minced seedless watermelon

DIRECTIONS

Pressure cook or slow cook the pork butt in the beer until the meat is pull-apart tender (in a covered roaster all night in a 275 degree oven, or under pressure about 45-50 minutes or according to manufacturer’s directions). Cool, trim and discard the fat from the meat. Chop the meat and re-heat. Warm the barbecue sauce and, just before serving, stir in the watermelon. Serves 8 to 12.

Whenever I’m out shopping, I’m always on the lookout for watermelon-related things. Gum, hats, T-shirts, wallpaper, serving dishes… once you start looking for it, you see watermelon things everywhere. That’s why I’ve created a new monthly entry here on What About Watermelon aptly titled “Things That Taste Like Watermelon.”

For my first Things That Taste Like Watermelon column, here are some drug store items you might find that have been given the taste of one of America’s favorite fruits. I’m not saying these items taste good or that I’ve even tasted them myself, I’m just saying the package makes the claim that it tastes like watermelon. Enjoy!

WATERMELON TOOTHPASTE

Thanks to the good folks at Colgate, the world now has watermelon-flavored toothpaste. Or at least kids do. This is, after all, a children’s toothpaste. We know that because it says so on the package and it tastes like a delicious fruit. Why can’t adult toothpaste taste like delicious fruit? For that matter, why can’t I, as an adult, buy this toothpaste and use it for myself? Other than having to hide when company visited, I don’t see any reason why I can’t!

WATERMELON LIP STUFF

I call this “lip stuff” because I’m not really sure what it is, but I know you’re supposed to put it on your lips. It’s called Lip Smackers and it comes in many flavors, including watermelon. Admittedly, I’m not much a lip stuff kind of guy. I’ll use it from time to time, but it’s only because I found a two-year-old lint-covered tube of it in the pocket of an old winter coat. If I had watermelon-flavored stuff, though, I might use it more often.

WATERMELON PEPTO BISMOL

Here’s another watermelon-flavored medicine cabinet staple made exclusively for children, but instead of liquid form that this is usually in, this product comes in tablets. Seriously, why can’t they make this for adults? Do they think we like the taste of stuff as it already is? I’m going on a serious letter-writing campaign as soon as I post this entry.

Coming up in next month’s edition of Things That Taste Like Watermelon – drinks!