Summer Fun on the Cheap

A temporary cash flow problem in the family budget became evident around mid-May.  A second problem was based on the first- How could we enjoy ourselves in El Paso this summer on a limited budget?  We began hunting for any activities with the word “free” attached to them, 

 “Alfresco! Fridays” in downtown El Paso fit the parameters we had set.  We dressed for the heat because the program started at 5:30 p.m., about three hours before sundown.  I stashed two bottles of water in my purse.  No reason to pay those concession stand prices!  The parking in downtown El Paso was limited, but an underground parking garage advertised space for $4.00.  Certainly not!  We parked several blocks away on a back street and debated whether or not to put 50 cents in the parking meter, since there was no charge after 6:00 p.m.  Surely no meter maids would be out in this heat!  A large sign at the entrance to the outdoor venue announced that outside food or drinks were not allowed.  The portly female security guard surveying the crowd looked ready to confront any perpetrators.

We positioned ourselves in the front row to watch the dancers.  At about 6:30 p.m., when the band took a break, we were longing for a cold drink but didn’t feel brave enough to take out the contraband water in my

Alfresco! Friday Dancers by Wayne Calk

purse.  “Do you want me to get us something at the concession stand?” I offered reluctantly.  “No, but if you have seen enough, why don’t we leave?”  suggested my husband, Wayne.  After all, the evening’s entertainment had been free, so we felt no obligation to get our money’s worth!


The next opportunity for fun with minimal cost was on Sunday night, “Music Under the Stars,” at the Chamizal National Memorial Park.  We located foldout lawn chairs and packed drinks, sandwiches and fruit in an ice chest.   A sign at the entrance announced “Parking Lot Full.”  It was a crowd of 10,000 spectators, we later learned, the largest on record for an opening night.  We made our own parking space in the dusty parking lot and hurried with our heavy ice chest and chairs to find a spot in front of the stage.  The spot we settled for was a small space on the side, with only the left side of the stage obscured by giant speakers.

Music Under the Stars by Wayne Calk

The salsa music was great, but our snacks ran out even before the break.  The spectators who were eating corn on the cob, ingeniously fitted with a paper cone at the bottom to catch the dripping butter and powered red chile, caught our attention.  We resisted, however, not wanting to waste money at the food stands.  We arrived home fairly late and made a midnight snack.  Next time, I'm going to prepare this Mango Guacamole before we go out so that it can chill in the fridge while we are gone. 

Mash three medium avocados. Add one-fourth cup diced red onion, one diced mango, one tablespoon fresh lime juice, one-half tablespoon salt, and one minced clove garlic. I didn’t have the three tablespoons of fresh chopped cilantro that the recipe calls for, so I added three tablespoons of cilantro paste that I found in the refrigerator. Chill for one hour and serve.

The recipe calls for serving the dish with tortilla chips, but since my husband and I are on a health/diet kick, I heated some corn tortillas in a tortilla warmer for two minutes in the microwave instead. My husband pronounced the dish as tasty, but he wanted more flavor, so we added red chile powder until the dish had a slight kick.  Mangoes and avocados are inexpensive in the summer, so this is a great treat for those of us on a limited budget.

106 Degrees in the Shade--But It's a Dry Heat

Now this is really hot!

The state of Texas is so huge that we Texans have choices in life.  We can drive pickup trucks or BMW’s, eat barbecue or chile, wear boots or Birkenstocks, and take our hot summers either dry or humid.  But is 90 degrees with 90 percent humidity (think Houston), or scorching sun above 100 degrees with ten percent humidity (think El Paso) more life-altering?

 

“A high of 106 in El Paso today,” announced the TV meteorologist, pleased, it seemed, to finally have some kind of weather to report.  “Restrict all outdoor activity between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.”  I pondered how to heed that warning while leading a normal life, but being a native El Pasoan, I was determined not to let a little hot weather keep me from my errands.  

As I went from grocery store to filling station to dry cleaners, I observed that El Pasoans now had something new to discuss.  “Going to be a hot one, huh?” “Is it hot enough for you today?” “The temperature gauge in my truck read 108 before lunch!”  “Can you believe this heat?” and the futile command “Stay cool.”  There were discussions about breaking heat records in June.  Did it really matter if it was 106 or 107 or 108?  It was darn hot!

 

What does one do with the sun blazing down at 106 degrees? Well, for a start, I made an almost instant jar of sun tea.  The tea steeped in about 15 minutes.  And speaking of tea, I believe that I could have made an acceptable cup of Earl Grey tea with the boiling water that came out of the garden hose that I used to try to resuscitate some dying squash plants.  But then who would want a cup of hot tea on a day like today? Certainly not Texans!

 

It was much too hot to turn on the stove or oven to fix lunch.  “Do you suppose that I could really fry an egg on the sidewalk?” I asked my husband, Wayne.  He said that he didn't know about the sidewalk, but he was almost sure the hood of his black pickup truck would do the trick. 

 Maybe a dip in the swimming pool would cool me off, I thought optimistically.  But the water felt like bath water when I tested it with my toe, ruining my expectations for a refreshing swim.  As I fled back to the air-conditioned house, I happened to glance at the galvanized metal container that holds the dogs’ drinking water.  It was full of green algae.  I was heartened to see that at least something living was actually thriving in this heat. 

Under the grape arbor in the patio, the hummingbirds were gulping their sugar water with record speed.  They dive-bombed me accusingly as I rushed out to refill their feeder.  The plants in the courtyard were in shock, their leaves turning a crispy brown.  I guess the nursery tag marked “Full Sun” didn’t mean 106 degrees.

             

Later that evening, we decided to escape the heat by attending an outdoor music festival in downtown El Paso, Alfresco! Friday.  The seating was much like a traditional Mexican plaza de toros, with seating on both the sunny side and the shady side.  The audience was huddled together on the shady side, many using parasols   As the perspiration ran freely on both performers and audience, we prayed for sundown.

 

Then as the sun descended behind the mountains and the moon rose over the horizon, we felt a blanket of heat lift from our shoulders.  A slight breeze sprang up.  Later that evening we sipped iced tea on a restaurant patio with crickets chirping in the distance.  Ah, life was good.  How hot was it today, anyway?  I’ll take the dry heat anytime.

It may be a good day to try this Citrus Tea Slush recipe that I found recently on a box of Lipton Cold Brew Family Size Tea Bags.  Pour one cup of water over the family size tea bag and brew for three minutes. Remove the tea bag and squeeze.  In a blender, combine the tea, one cup of orange segments, one cup of grapefruit segments, three cups of ice cubes and process.  It makes a great, healthy cool drink.  Some additions I can think of would be fresh lime juice  ( I hope you own an authentic Mexican lime squeezer), maraschino cherry juice, or grenadine.  I froze the leftover drink, took it out of the freezer the next day, softened it up for a few seconds in the microwave oven, broke it into chunks, and ate it with a spoon. Does anyone have other suggestions for additions to this recipe?

Enjoying Early Summer in El Paso, Texas

El Paso, Texas, my home town,  has an extended summer season, which is why I decided to divide this season into Early Summer  (late April to early June) and Late Summer (mid-June to late September).  Early Summer is a euphoric time.  Daylight Savings Time provides an opportunity to wander around the house in early morning with coffee cup in hand to find a sun-filled location to greet the day.  The much reviled Spring Winds make only an occasional appearance.  And El Paso is green again, well, at least as green as the high desert ever becomes.

Early Summer holds such promise.  We can now live a good portion of our days and evenings outdoors. Family schedules are relaxed, outings are discussed, and alfresco meals are planned.  We anticipate long, lazy days to daydream and create a better life.

The entertainment section of the local newspaper lists more free summer activities than one person could ever attend.  I do believe you can find a music venue every night of the week. Showing vintage movies on a large, inflatable screen is a favorite city activity.   And then there are the sporting events, the art galleries, the new restaurants with outdoor patio seating, the church bazaars.  Do I want to fill up my time with activities, or just watch the hummingbirds zoom in for a sip of nectar from the feeder outside the kitchen window?

I feel the urge to prepare cool beverages and picnic foods.  Here is a  recipe that I just dug out of the recipe box, or to be honest, the messy folder with recipe clippings.  Maybe I’ll get around to organizing recipes this summer.  After all, Early Summer brings the anticipation of unlimited time available for whatever we might want to do.

Jamaica (Hibiscus Flower Water)

Summertime presents lots of excuses to sit in the shade with a cool drink.  Our favorite summer beverage is a beautiful, ruby red non-alcoholic drink called Jamaica.  It is a type of agua fresca, a drink beloved of El Pasoans when the city starts to sizzle with summer heat.  Aguas frescas, concocted with fruit, water and sweeteners, are displayed in large glass jars and served at outdoor fairs, church bazaars, and authentic Mexican food restaurants.  The drinks are available in different flavors, but our choice is Jamaica, made from dried hibiscus flowers.  We make an outing to a Hispanic specialty grocery store to stock up each year.

Ingredients

One cup of dried hibiscus flowers

Eight cups of water

One cup sugar (or equivalent sweetener)

Procedure

Bring water to boil.  Add dried hibiscus flowers and allow to steep approximately thirty minutes.  Strain liquid into a large pitcher.  Add sweetener to taste.  Chill before serving and serve over ice.  I like to add lemon or lime juice to my glass.  Sometimes I add  seltzer water also to give the drink a fizz.

You will feel like you are drinking a very special beverage.  Jamaica is a good substitute drinks for non-drinkers or children.  Caution:  Don’t spill this drink on your white summer outfit.  The drink will cause a stain similar to grape juice!