Beating the summer heat

We were all looking forward to another picnic yesterday but because of the humidity index being too high (predicted 105 deg. F), our organizer decided to have it in their house. No matter how much we like to play outdoors, sensibilities won over. The erratic and drastic weather changes has caused some ailments to some of us.

We appreciated the thought further when in the afternoon we received tornado and flash flood warnings and then it poured.

Downpour

It was a welcome sight though as it was scorching hot but prior to the storm it cooled down.

My youngest sister before the storm

Congregating in groups in different corners of the house, the young set in the family room, the men in the living room and the women in the dining room, talked progressed from summer travels, shopping in Paris and London – a family is traveling there next week, we all couldn’t afford such luxury, in between binges.

Elma’s spaghetti

Crayfish

Grilled mackerel

Filipino soup – chicken tinola

Grilled hamachi with caramelized onion and cilantro soy sauce

Homemade Filipino pastry – hopia

Grilled eggplant

Manang Zeny’s famed mamon

Missing from the food photos was the big tray of barbecued ribs. But no worries, what we don’t finish, we brown bag the left overs. Like human vacuum cleaners we take the food off from the hands of the host. Who wants to eat left overs for a month anyway? The extra food was really meant for sharing.

And how do you eat crayfish?

Last week was also Jamie’s tenth birthday and we celebrated it again. Such a sweet girl, they grow so fast they have a mind of their own by ten.