Monday, February 22, 2010

Daily Report: Strawberries!

I've been spending my mornings in bed, browsing the internet on the laptop instead of going up to my office and doing it there. I don't know why that is news... even the leading story. I just thought I'd mention it.

Strawberries have come to Cagayan De Oro. And not the little grape-sized crabapple flavored things, but (halfway close to) real strawberries.

It's amazing that in this bountiful land with mango trees in every yard, and pineapple bushes fronting every fence; with fields of corn and rice, beans and eggplant, it is easier for me to get dill pickles from Cleveland than it is to get strawberries. Everybody here enjoys strawberry-flavored stuff too, so it isn't like there is no market for fresh strawberries. It isn't a matter of location or climate either: Even fruit and vegetables that don't grow here are always available, such as apples, pears, broccoli, and lettuce. Hell, there was even a guy walking around the jungle pool resort here in Jasaan last weekend with a styrofoam cooler full of rather luscious-looking bunches of white grapes, a million miles away from the nearest vinyard.

Epril bought as many cartons of strawberries as she could carry, and the freezer is now filled with them. Why strawberries? For my world-famous strawberry margaritas, of course.

Directions: First, put a large shot glass of lime juice in a blender, along with a large shot glass of sugar. Then add in two shot glasses of triple sec and two shot glasses of tequila. Then drop in 8 (American sized) to 16 (Philippine sized) frozen strawberries and about a large coffee mug of crushed ice. Blend on high for 2 or 3 minutes. (The strawberries here are still a little bitter compared to what one would find in America, so I also put in one shot of the sweetened lime syrup.)

After two pitchers of a rather good rendition of strawberry margarita, I was ready for bed.

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