Honey and mint soaked Watermelon pops for Canada Day

By  Ratna

Honey,mint soaked watermelon pops-10We  left  England  on  a  rainy  day  in  January.  It  was  a  mixed  bag  of  emotions.  Leaving  the  known,  venturing  out  in  the  uncertain.  All  our  earthly  possessions    packed  in  ten  suitcases.  The  memories  attached  with  them,  the  emotions  tied  with  them  were  a  mere  function  of  weight  now.  What  was  the  accepted  baggage  allowance,  is  this  better  as  cabin  or  checked  baggage?

Canada  will  be  our  new  home.  Two  young  kids  in  tow  we  crossed  the  Atlantic.

Honey,mint soaked watermelon pops-9

As  we  stepped  outside  the  temperature  controlled  interior  of  the  airport,  an  icy  cold  wind  slapped  our  faces.  The  first  breath  in,  felt  like  a  knife  cut  through  my  lungs.  We   struggled  to  cover  every  inch  of  our  skin  behind  the  woollens.    ‘First  time  in  Canada  eh?’,  remarked  the  cabbie,  closing  the  trunk  of  the  cab.  As  he  drove  off  on  the  right  side  of  the  road,  we  had  our  faces  stuck  to  the  inside  of  the   windows.  There  was  knee  deep  snow  on  the  ground.  The  trees,  the  roof  tops of  the  houses  were  all  white.  Jet  lagged,  anxious,  cold  we  started  our  new  life.

It  didn’t  take  long  to  get  over  the  anxiety.  The  thirty  below  cold  temperatures  were  compensated  for,  by  the  warm  heart  of  the  people  around  us.  Children  switched  ‘Zed’  for  Zee.  They  discussed  ‘Canucks’,  ‘Flames’  and  ‘Oilers’  now,  in  place  of  Manchester  United.  We  carved  pumpkins  to  decorate  our  house  for  Halloween.  Guy  Fawkes  night  remained  a  distant  memory.

Years  of  living  in  this  country  has  changed  me  too.  I  now  know  that  a  puck  has  no  relationship  with  the  duck  family.  I  do  not  get  impatient  or  honk  the  horn  when  waiting   behind  a  truck  in  the  middle  of  the  road,  to  let  the  driver  chitchat  with  the  driver  on  the  opposite  side.  After all  it  is  only  traffic  being  held  behind  me.  Whenever  I  hear  the  expression  ‘size  of  a  loonie’,   I  do  not  look  for  my  tape  measure  to  run  behind  the  bird  to  measure  its  dimension  either.  It  is  the  dime  being  referred  to  not  the  bird.

Honey,mint soaked watermelon popsHoney,mint soaked watermelon pops-4

Proudly  decorating  the  Canadian  flag,  the  Maple  leaf  is  the  emblem  of  Canada.  Red  and  white  are  Canada’s  official  colours.

We  celebrated  ‘Canada  Day’  on  July  first.  I  found  this  recipe  in  the  People  magazine.  Their’s  was  the  adult  version,  I  have  modified  it  to  a  family  friendly  version.

Honey,mint soaked watermelon pops-5

With  watermelon  available  in  plenty  and  the  temperatures  at  high  twenties,  this  sure  was  a  party  pleaser.  I  didn’t  have  an  exact  size  lollipop  handle,  hence  used  my  forks  instead.  Not  only  did  it  work  well,  it  was  a  topic  of  hot  discussion too.

Honey,mint soaked watermelon pops-2

Recipe;

Ingredients;

Seedless  Watermelon                                      2  to  3  lbs.

Honey                                                              4  Tbsps

Water                                                              Half  cup

Dried  mint  leaves                                           1  tsp

Maple  leaf  shaped  cookie  cutter

Lollipop  sticks,  if  using                                  24

Method;

Slice  the  watermelon  into  1/3  inch  thick  slices.  Use  the  cookie  cutter  to  stamp  out  the  Maple  leaves.

Boil  the  water  and  honey  to make  a  syrup.  Let  it  cool.

Pour  this syrup  into  a  baking  dish,  and  soak  the  watermelon in  a  single  layer for     about  4  hours.

Insert  a  lollipop  stick  in  the  centre  of  each  maple  leaf,  and  sprinkle  the  dried  mint  leaves.  Serve  right  away  or  slightly  chilled  in  the  fridge.

Inside  Scoop;

If  using  forks  like   i  have  done,  I’d  be  careful  biting  into  it.

You  can  use  orange  or  any  other  juice  instead  of  honey.  If  you  are  looking  for  the  adult  version,  use  any  liquor  of  your  choice.

I  used  dried  mint  leaves,  as  that’s  what  I  had  at  home.  Feel  free  to  substitute  it  with  fresh  ones.

 

 

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