Blizzard Beach Party

 

            Today's Snack: A big slice of "Watermelon Ice Cream Surprise." See below!

 

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Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! If it snows all day and into the night, fight back by calling your neighbors and inviting them over for "a blizzard party." Or if it's a snow day - or you're just plain sick and tired of winter weather - it's time to put on a party.

 

But there's a catch: your guests should bundle up and walk over at party time. But underneath all that wintry bulk, they have to be wearing swimsuits, cover-ups, Hawaiian shirts, shorts and flipflops. They should bring beach towels, sunglasses, beach balls and other summertime accessories.

 

Greet them at the door in the same kind of summer garb.

 

You only have one thing to do in advance: buy the ingredients for a special dessert. You'll need a gallon of raspberry sherbet and a gallon of lime sherbet, and have a 12-ounce package of chocolate chips on hand. You can fix the dessert (see below) in advance, wrap it in foil, and keep it in your freezer until it's time to have your Blizzard Beach Party. Or you might want to buy these items well in advance and just have the sherbets in your freezer and the chocolate chips in your cupboard, and set up the party on an impromptu basis. That means - at the spur of the moment!

 

On the blizzard party day, turn your thermostat 'way up so that it gets really hot in the room. Don't worry, it won't break the bank for just one day. To cut your costs, shut all the doors into the room so that the warmth can build up 'til it feels like summertime, or at least, close enough. By the time your guests arrive, the house should be as hot as it is on the beach in July.

 

Push the furniture to the sides and put beach towels on the floor. Before dinner, you could even play "sand volleyball" without the sand, using a lightweight beach ball and a long couch as your "net," and make sure to remove lamps and breakables from out of the way of the play.

 

Serve hot dogs, chips, beans and other picnic fare on paper plates. Have ice-cold beverages and don't forget the little umbrellas on cherries and other summery garnishes.

 

Now for the piece de resistance: dessert. Make it early on the day of the party, or days or weeks  in advance, and keep it in the freezer tightly wrapped in foil. First, scrape the gallon of raspberry sherbet into a big bowl and let it soften on the counter for a while, say, 15 minutes. Don't let it get too "melt-y," though. Stir the chocolate chips into the sherbet. Now shape this pink blob into the shape of a long watermelon, cut in half. You can "scrape" it with the blunt edge of a knife across the top so that it'll look like a flat watermelon half. Freeze 'til solid. Now put the watermelon "rind" on by "frosting the bottom with the lime sherbet, softened for a few minutes in advance the way you did the raspberry sherbet. Now return it to the freezer. When frozen, wrap in foil. When it's time to serve, let it soften slightly and cut slices with a sharp knife dipped in hot water.

 

These colorful, refreshing "watermelon slices" will make a memorable ending to the hottest party of the long, cold winter.

 

(If it never snows where you live, just adapt this idea for a spontaneous party the night of a horrible thunderstorm or any other weird weather.)