Hello Summer 2012! Create Happy Memories of Good Times Once Again!

Summertime! It's one of my more favored season and we only have two, rainy and sunshiny! Here are a few reasons why:

1. My favorite fruits are in season during Summer! They're delicious, abundant and cheap... and some are even free from my parents' trees!

Mangga (Mangoes) - This fruit comes in different varieties and could be eaten ripe (yellow)  or unripe (green). My dad's mango trees are Manggang Kalabaw (Carabao Manggo). It's called such because it's big and round like our national animal's belly. The Department of Agriculture also named this mango variety as the Manila Super Mango. Succulent, juicy and fleshy when ripe, the Philippine Carabao Mango is boasted as the sweetest of its kind in the world! The green or unripe Philippine Carabao Mango especially the manibalang (almost ripe but not quite) is also popular because of its sourness that blends in with its sweetness but I prefer the hilaw at berde (unripe and green) because it is malutong (crunchy) and really sour. Perfect when dipped in the ginuisang alamang (sweet and spicy sauteed shrimp paste)!   

Kaimito (Star Apple) - It's called a Star Apple because it becomes shiny as it ripens and glistens from afar. The round, green and purple fruits look like glittering Christmas balls hanging abundantly on its tree. When you cut it open crosswise from the calyx you will see a star like pattern! The flesh of the ripe Kaimito is milky white, juicy and sweet! Most importantly, it's also free from my mom's backyard!

Pakwan (Water Melon) - A cold slice of this sweet and juicy fruit will surely quench the searing Summer thirst! The fruit looks beautiful to me, the native variety is big (could weigh from 15-20 kilos!), round and  has a very dark green rind. The color of its flesh is bloody red and it tastes super sweet! The numerous small seeds of the fruit however are quite annoying. Good thing we now have the seedless variety. The Pakwan's texture is pleasing but hard to describe. It's soft but a little crunchy and coarse as you bite it, then the sweet juice burst in the mouth as you chew its flesh!

2. Summer time means cold dessert treats!

Halo-halo (caramelized fruits & beans in shaved iced with milk topped with choices of  caramel custard, purple yam or ice cream) -  Heavenly delicious and it's uniquely Filipino! You will see it being sold during summer not only in popular restaurants but in almost every street corner! The root word Halo means to mix or stir. Thus, it comes with many ingredients that you all mix together by stirring... the more ingredients, the merrier! Usual mixes are caramelized saba banana, camote (sweet potato), langka (jack fruit), macapuno (coconut palm variety), sago (tapioca pearls), gulaman (jello), kaong (sugar palm), nata de coco (jellied coconut water), pinipig (pounded young rice crispies), garbanzos beans, black beans & kidney beans. All the ingredients are put in a tall glass or bowl before adding some sugar and ice shavings, then pour a generous amount of evaporated milk and top it with choices or combination of  caramel custard, purple yam or ice cream then the final touch, garnish it with some of the ingredients like the nata de coco, macapuno and sago to make it more colorful then sprinkle it with pinipig! That's it! You may now halo-halo (Mix! Mix!).

Fruit shakes - Since, tropical fruits abound during summer, one can delight in indulging in fruit shakes! Green and ripe mangoes, buko (coconut), guyabano, pakwan (watermelon), melon, avocado ... name it, you can shake it! By the way, some weeks back the Guyabano fruit became a hot topic on social networking sites regarding its supposed curative properties to treat the Big C more effectively than chemotherapy! Whether medically proven or not, the guyabano is a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B1 and Vitamin B2 and best of all it tastes really good!

Mais Con Hielo and Saba Con Hielo (Sweet Corn or Saba Banana with milk in shaved ice) - Simple dessert yet truly refreshing! The Saba banana is first cooked in brown sugar and water. Then let it cool in a bowl before you top it with ice shavings and pour in the evaporated milk. Voila! For Mais Con Hielo, I use Jolly Whole Kernel Corn in can because it's easier to prepare and it's cheaper than the leading brand but the quality is as good.  Fresh sweet corn is also cheap during summer, so it's a good alternative but the process is of course longer because it must first be boiled and flaked then simmer in brown sugar, before you can serve with crushed ice and milk. So, just use the canned corn and enjoy!




3. Time to hit the beach and sport the nicest gears! It's always fun to shop for new accessories and swim wear during Summer but I suggest you do it in January when the prices are still low.You however risk not buying the latest fashion designs which will be out early March, but it's not at all that important because it's really how you carry yourself. If you don't have plans yet where to spend your summer vacation, check out the nicest summer destinations in the Philippines HERE. 




4. Summer is the perfect time for family bonding and reuniting with friends! The month of March marks  the end of the school year. The long school break therefore allows the kids to join the Summer fun! The observance of the Lenten Season on the other hand, allows the adults to have a long break too because Maundy Thursday, April 5, 2012 to Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012 are official non-working holidays that will extend until Monday, April 9, 2012 for the observance of the Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor). That's a total of 5-day long vacation!

Summer 2012 like all past seasons, would surely be a blast but I'll make sure to allot some time also for prayer and penance for the observance of the Holy Week.

 Summer... never fails.
It always creates happy memories of good times!