Sad Romance

The day kissed its light goodbye

And so the melancholy begins

Evenings came darker with

Tragic Endings in Prologue

Ice have gone colder

Songs bring in pain

Every flicker of heat

Slowly whimpered to death

All your silhouette and matter

Eclipsed by nameless wreaths

Your once serenades of true love

Now a sonata of a Sad Romance

You were my perfection

The universe dictated

You caused my beginning

And promised me my heaven

Yet I am floating into oblivion

My gravity, come back!

And as this music fades into air

I breathe back a time

A moment when I lived in seconds

The seconds that were infinite

Those seconds I knew of bliss

The You I have before this….

ellamariegomez.05.31.14

Love-filled Mango Float by Yours Truly

One of the best perks of being a member of my family are the great tasting meals served at home courtesy of both parents who have perfected their own renditions of the different dishes known to our taste buds. I could have the whole day in telling you about those precious recipes of my parents and the why’s the go with those, but they’re going to be different set of posts. This, here, is entirely about my own take of the beloved dessert of many Filipinos. I proudly present to you…my very own “Heavenly” Mango Float.

It will be unfair to brag too much about my Mango Float because I, yours truly, have not tasted others’ than mine. And, I am pretty sure; others’ are just as sinfully good that’s why it has managed to conquer most, if not all, Pinoys’ best desserts list. But I love my own and it’s a rare phenomenon that I praise myself like this. As far as I can remember, I was in college when I got very curious of this dessert that was a word-of-mouth of the time. It was around 2003 when I made my first Mango Float. With the help of my sisters and cousins, I was able to get the basic recipe and list of ingredients then went my way. Everyone knows how seemingly “easy” it is to make a mango float and that was how I started to do it---the easy way. I, sometimes, make it hard to please myself. Even though my folks and friends loved it and demanded more of it, I knew I wasn’t happy with results. There, I began a long-term romantic relationship with “Perfecting-my-mango-float-project”. Every family celebration became a chance to top the former concoction. It wasn’t a smooth-sailing affair with the project as I have disappointed myself a lot of times. But the wide grins from those I shared them with, regardless of my thoughts on it, are priceless that makes me want to make them forever.

My ingredients are basically the same with a little twist that makes it my own, though I can say, and many can attest, that I am always generous with applying everything, traits I got from my parents and basically the principle I go by when preparing food. And the old tale that says making Mango Float is “No Sweat” at all will never be true with mine anymore.

Ella’s Heavenly Mango Float

(For Party Serving)

3 Kilos of Very Sweet Mangoes (Preferably Guimaras mangoes)

6 Packs of Graham Crackers (Preferably MY San Grahams)

10 packs of All Purpose Cream (Preferably Nestle)

2 cans of Condensed Milk (Preferably Carnation)

2 Packs of Roasted “Unsalted” Cashew Nuts (Preferably from Western Visayas)

A Big Mixing Bowl (Preferably Clear)

Containers: 2-3 pcs of 8”x12” Aluminum Pan Containers (or equivalent)

Aluminum Foil (if needed)

How I do it?


(With Love….)


- Wash and peel the mangoes


- Make thin (not too thin) slices from 2/3 of the total mangoes and set aside seed parts


- Grate or make puree out of the remaining 1/3 of the mangoes


- Grate or scrape off remaining juices from the seed parts


- Mix Well Mango Puree/juice with the All-purpose cream


- Add 1 can of condensed milk to the mixture. Add some more if needed. (Once frozen, sweetness of the creamy mixture lessens)


- Set aside/chill the mixture while preparing the Graham Crackers and Containers.


- Apply first layer of grahams into the pan/container, add, sprinkle crushed/powdered grahams to cover imperfections/holes for creamy mixture to stay above layer.


- Add generously creamy mixture on the graham layer.


- Generously lay mango slices on top of the creamy mixture


- Repeat last 3 procedures for the second layer


- As topping, sprinkle with roughly crushed grahams and crushed unsalted roasted cashew nuts


- Cover with aluminum foil and leave inside freezer for at least 12 hours


- Best served frozen

If done correctly, the mango float would taste like your favorite nutty mango and cream flavored ice cream. That was an understatement, if I have to be bold. I can proudly say that my Mango Float has evolved into this “heavenly treat” that it is now because of love. Like love, it has to be made and given generously with a lot of time, patience and heart. How about you, what has love made you perfect to make?

Goodnight

How do you say goodnight to this night?

When the prairie glistens with moonlight tears

How do you close your weary eyes?

When a blink just spells nameless wounds

What would you tell the stars?

What would make them listen?

What would I give for an ounce of their heat?

Arms reach away, lifetimes apart….

Why here? Why there?

‘til that day unknown, cease to care

Setting…it’s slowly setting now

Slow down Mr. Moon, cast light into the sea

Goodnight tonight, let monsoon winds dry the tears

Goodnight tonight, let the eyes close halfway now

Goodnight tonight, lighthouses and northern lights

Goodnight, goodnight…tomorrow and beyond….

My Reads: The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

My Reads: The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

         The time I realized that I do have this innate zeal for the written, as much as my love for writing, I swore to myself never to box in books written by specific novelists or writers and just focus on the contents, subjects and stories themselves. And I did read without getting to know the minds behind the titles. I praised some books, be disappointed by others and was indifferent to a few for the stories themselves.  I did not want to be awed by some specific names after reading their bests only to be drastically disappointed with their few badly written releases.  But then, I came to meet THE Mr. Sparks in the form of a 2nd hand (God knows how many hands it had passed through) paperback I picked up for Php 20.00, along with other few finds in a garage sale along Colon Street way back 1997 while killing off boring free hours during freshman college.  That book had a printed image of an old colonial house porch overlooking a vast plantation.  I read it overnight and I swore after I finished it that it’s going to haunt me for a long time.  I guiltily wished that someday, it’d be turned into a movie because I thought the love story I just read deserves to be told to a wider audience knowing only a few heaps would choose to read. I did not know back then that that book was the beginning of a man’s feat on a genre not many writers would choose to dwell on.  And yes, the novel was adapted into film many years after (2004) which ultimately became a classic to most women.  The Notebook became my first favorite novel by Nicholas Sparks and ended my thoughts, well just most of the time, that I can’t have favorite authors.

The least that I can do this Lent

I must admit, I am one of those people who, in spite of the many solitary hours everyday, still waits for that set of moments when I get to really reflect.  I have even failed to fill my cravings to write. You know those times when a lot of ideas and thoughts just pop in yet nothing comes out of your mouth. It's the same thing with my writing, I know I wanted to and the my pen's all ready...yet it's tip just wouldn't kiss the paper.  In this case, my fingertips just lose their gliding skills on the keyboard the moment my thoughts begin to dance.

And here comes Holy Week.

Little Wonder in a Plastic Blue Bottle

My Favorite Things

“The little things that renders my world”

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Michael Baby Cologne: Little Wonder in a Plastic Blue Bottle

      Sometimes, you just have to believe it when they say “great things can come from small packages”.

      Errr.., I can’t really be sure if I said it right.  It’s been years since I’ve painfully yearned for my favorite scent in the world.  I blogged about it around December last year and unfortunately, I still am wishing for it.  Along my search, I can see them posted on “Sulit” but I never took them seriously. I just want them back on the shop stands, period!  I’m sure that some of you know what I’m referring to but I choose not to mention that perfume here. Not here on this post for this is dedicated to a new-found infatuation with this “low-end, underrated, locally-made” cologne that’s been existing for many years now.

Little Star

Little Star

Little star, where are you tonight? 

Where are you now when the heaven’s at its brightest? 

Hiding behind Mr. Moon, could you be? 

Little star, don’t vanish from me now 

Not on this promised Sunday night. 

You always rose above sheer nights 

You, with the tiniest brilliance 

But could blind the darkness 

That envelops the space 

You are but just a single dot 

Far away in time and space 

Nameless, timeless, owning a piece of the sky 

Where are you now, glow for me tonight 

Little star, come home to your lair 

Up above the infinite blue 

Up there where I can always wish for you 

Somewhere so far so no one can hurt you… 

Little star, my star, the warmth I can never touch 

You belong way up where I can only stare 

Little star, let your radiance beam through 

Let it be this night, let you be mine tonight….