My in-laws make legendary Thanksgiving appetizers. So legendary, in fact, that I practically fill up on the apps before the meal is served. But I’m a trooper, and I manage to find my second wind in time for turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes. If they served this appetizer, though, I’d probably polish off the entire thing and have to skip right to dessert.

WATERMELON CHECKERS

INGREDIENTS

• Seedless watermelon
• Your favorite cheese

DIRECTIONS

Cut equal size 1/2-inch-thick square shapes from watermelon and your favorite cheese. Arrange as a checkerboard on a serving tray. Cut small circles of the watermelon and cheese as the “checkers.” Enjoy, and try to resist the temptation to yell “King me!” every time you eat a piece from the last row.

The National Watermelon Promotion Board website describes this recipe as “an easy breakfast in 1-2-3,” which is good because my morning often allows only enough time for coffee.

WATERMELON BREAKFAST LASAGNA

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups cornflakes
• 2 cups minced watermelon
• 2 cups fresh blueberries or sliced strawberries
• 2 cups vanilla yogurt

DIRECTIONS

Place 1/3 of the cornflakes in an even layer in the bottom of an 8 X 8 serving dish. Mix together the watermelon, blueberries and yogurt and spoon half of it over the cornflake layer evenly. Sprinkle another layer of the cornflakes over the yogurt and then layer the remaining yogurt over that. Sprinkle the remaining cornflakes evenly over the top.

It’s really fun to see the different designs that are painted on the cows, but one thing I’ve noticed is that there have been several watermelon-themed cows created over the years.

Cow Parade – Tokyo, Japan (2006) – “Suica” (watermelon)

This is the only watermelon cow I could find of the “lying down” variety, but I like this one because of the incredible attention to detail, including the realistic stripes and stem spot on top.

Cow Parade – Atlanta (2003) – “Watermelon Helen and Crazy Crow Cousins”

This design includes a cowbell. The “Crazy Crow Cousins” can be seen perched on Watermelon Helen’s back.

Cow Parade – West Hartford, CT (2007) – “MelonCOWly”

I don’t know much about this cow, except that it’s one of the better watermelon-themed cows I’ve seen.

According to the folks at the NWPB, J. Slice was developed using feedback from focus groups made up of adults who have daily interaction with the youth market and elementary school-aged children. The response was very positive by both groups who felt the character represented the energy and vitality of a healthy lifestyle that includes eating lots of fruit and vegetables, especially watermelon.

As for the “J,” that part of his name is a little more of a mystery, but a friend at the NWPB speculates that it stands for “juicy” as in “Juicy Slice.” That makes way more sense than “Joe,” which was my first guess for the name behind Mr. Slice’s first initial.

Seedless watermelons are NOT genetically modified. They are hybrid watermelons that have been grown in the United States for more than 50 years and are safe and delicious in every way!

Allow me to explain. Actually, I’ll let the National Watermelon Promotion Board explain, because they do a good job of it on their website. Here’s what they have to say:

“A seedless watermelon is a sterile hybrid which is created by crossing male pollen for a watermelon, containing 22 chromosomes per cell, with a female watermelon flower with 44 chromosomes per cell. When this seeded fruit matures, the small, white seed coats inside contain 33 chromosomes, rendering it sterile and incapable of producing seeds. This is similar to the mule, produced by crossing a horse with a donkey. This process does not involve genetic modification.”

So there you have it. Seedless watermelons are just regular watermelons, albeit a relatively younger relative of the traditional seeded watermelon. Despite being the new kid on the block, the seedless watermelon actually outsells its seeded peers by a significant margin. According to the National Watermelon Promotion Board, only 16 percent of watermelon sold in grocery stores has seeds. In 2003, that number was 43 percent.

Oh sure, sometimes I miss those little black seeds, but it’s mainly for nostalgic reasons. Sort of the way I miss shopping for new clothes before the start of a new school year. Does it mean I want to spend an entire Saturday in the mall with my mother telling me I’ll “grow into” the five pairs of pants we just spent three hours trying on? Not a chance.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a wedge of watermelon in the fridge with my name on it. Seedless, of course… and my pants fit me just fine.

The guitar took about two hours to create and is modeled after a Fender Stratocaster, so Taylor named her creation “The Stratomelon.” Rock on, Taylor!

Check back here on What About Watermelon on Friday to vote!

Check back here on What About Watermelon on Friday to vote!