Partyphiles Confess: Ways to Beat the Heat

I asked: What is the best way to beat the heat?

Here are your answers: 

1. Panky: Go to a higher place like Marilog or Buda
2. Paige: Air-conditioner, TV, and Beer
3. Raymund Libre: Wear the skimpiest beach outfit ad soak in the sea, sun, and sand.\
4. Nicos Figueroa: Full blast AC
5. Hyku Desesto: Drink Ice Cold Beer
6. Blessa Bianca: Hit the beach and swim
7. Jumer Adalain: Hit the beach and enjoy some Iced Coffee or any other cold beverage. Surfing indahican is also an exciting way to beat the heat.
8. Ling Paradero: Be hotter than Summer
9. Ferdy Salvador: Fly to a country that has winter now like Brazil so you can shake your bonbon in cool weather. Of course, you can always buy a colder aircon
10. Yvonne Berzabal: Mais Con Yelo, Milk Tea, or Ice Cream
11. MikkiTeves: Mojitos with crushed ice
12. Dino Danao: The best way to beat the summer heat is to stay home, turn the aircon on, and enjoy some Halo-halo
13. Maya Padillo: Halo-halo nga tag singko sa among silingan
14. Jay Bolo: Strip your clothes off
15. Aissa Way: Sunblock, Shades, Swimwear, a dip in the beach, plus ice cold beer.
16. Amy Te: Bikini Carwash!
17. Red: Take a swim in your favorite bikini and enjoy a tall glass of Pina Colada

Drink of the Week Virgin Cosmo

The VIRGIN COSMO is one of the best drinks you could enjoy to ward off the heat of summer. It is easy-to-make, refreshing, and citrusy; perfect to enjoy while lazing by the sea or pool. Here's how you make it:

In a shaker with ice, combine two shots of Cranberry Juice, One shot of Orange Juice, and one ounce of Lime Juice and five shots of club soda. Shake to combine and pour over cocktail glasses. 

News Flash: March 21 2012

Manila Bulletin: Eugene Domingo, Shamaine Buencamino triumph at 6th Asian Film Awards Eugene Domingo of "The Woman in The Septic Tank" and Shamaine Buencamino of "Nino" brought honors to their country by being named the People's Choice Award for Favourite Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively, at the 6th Asian Film Awards held at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center on Mar. 19.  

ABS CBN NEWS:Azkals Make History, Finish 3rd in Challenge Cup The Philippine Azkals made history once again after defeating Palestine, 4-3, in a  thrilling game to wind up in third place in the AFC Challenge Cup Monday afternoon in Nepal.  

Philippine Star :Jeepney fares up 50¢ as oil firms hike prices anew Consumers will again bear the brunt of higher oil prices as five petroleum firms jacked up pump prices yesterday and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) approved an increase of 50 centavos in jeepney fares for the first four kilometers in Metro Manila and Regions 2, 3, 4 and 5, raising the minimum fare to P8.50.

Healthy Road Trip Snacks

Summer is the perfect time for a road trip with the family or a close group of friends. It gives you time to bond with people who are close to you and has the potential to become a celebration all in itself. So this summer, plan a road trip to some exciting destination, play your favorite party music, wear something extra festive (but comfortable), and pack gorgeous eats to create a party atmosphere on the road!

I know, I know. It will hurt your figure. The thing with travelling by land is that everybody seems to end up bloated by the time the destination is reached. One of the reasons for that are probably the unhealthy food ad drink options that you take with you whenever you go on a road trip. To give you some easy solutions, here are some easy recipes that you could whip up for your next road trip:

1.)    The best snacks for road trips are those that you can easily munch on because it keeps your mouth occupied ad your brain interested. People munch on a lot of things during road trips because there isn’t anything else to do. So your choice of munchies is very important. For your next road trip why not make your own easy granola? Here’s how:

a.       Preheat your oven to 150 degrees C

b.      In a bowl, stir together 4 cups of oats, 1 cup dried cranberries or raisins, and two cups of roasted nuts. I like equal parts of walnuts and almonds but you can replace them with any other nut you fancy.

c.       In another bowl combine 13 cup vegetable oil, 1 ¼ cups of honey or 1 cup of maple syrup, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder. Drizzle this liquid mixture all over your dry ingredients and mix until everything is coated with this glaze.

d.      Spread the mixture evenly on a baking sheet and bake it for 30 to 40 minutes. It gets crunchy when it cools down.

2.)    Sometimes you just crave for some sweet dessert during a road trip. Instead of stopping at a convenience store to binge on chocolates, why not make your own healthy dessert? This easy-as-pie chocolate pudding gives you a sweet taste in your mouth without being too heavy on your tummy. Here’s how you make it:

a.       In a saucepan, heat two cups of Chocolate Milk until bubbles form at the edges.

b.      Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract and slowly add in three tablespoons of corn starch while mixing well. (If you do not mix well the starch will form lumps)

c.       Continue stirring until the mixture thickens.

d.      Place in single serve cups that come with lids and pop in the refrigerator overnight.

e.       Take these dessert cups with you during your road trip and keep them chilled in a cooler with your beverages.

3.)    One of the biggest health mistakes people commit when travelling is taking some sugar-filled beverage with them. Sodas and bottled iced teas are not the way to go when it comes to travelling healthily. Instead, whip up this easy (and arguably most refreshing) beverage, the Cucumber Calamansi-ade:

a.       Grab a cucumber, slice it in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and then run it through a juicer. Reserve the liquid. If you do not own a juicer, run the cucumber in the food processor until you get a watery liquid. Run it through a strainer or sieve and reserve the liquid.

b.      Make some calamansi-ade by combining some calamansi concentrate and water. The proportions depend on your taste.

c.       Combine the cucumber juice and calamansi-ade and freeze.

d.      On the day of your trip, remove the Cucumber-Calamansi-ade mixture and store in a cooler to enjoy for the rest of your trip.

4.)    One of the things we always crave for during road trips is a little something that’s full of carbs. Instead of stopping for a burger or purchasing some sweet cake, why not create your own snack and take it with you? Waffles are probably the easiest snacks to prepare and are easy to eat in a car. Here’s how you make it:

a.       Simply make waffles with instant pancake mix.

b.      Add in chocolate chips, raisins, dried fruit, or bacon and ham bits in the middle.

c.       Slice your waffles in fours to make it easier to munch on inside the car.

Catch Confessions of a Partyphile (the radio show) every Wednesdays from 6PM to 9PM on 105.9 Mix FM. For comments, suggestions, and more confessions from this partyphile, log on to http://party.i.ph or twitter.com/zhaun

Do You Give Away Your Number in a Club/Bar?

Should You Give Out Your Number?

Hey partyphile readers! I’m glad to be receiving more queries from you. I hope you could send me some more by tweeting me at twitter.com/zhaun or by sending me a message on my facebook account, facebook.com/partyphile. You may also add me up on BBM (pin: 22A74B9A).Here’s another question I’m sure a lot of women can relate to. Here goes:

Dear Partyphile,

I love your column! I find it very interesting and informative. I have a question for you: What do I do when a guy asks for my number inside a club? Should I give it out? Should I not? What if I like the guy?

Thanks in advance for the help!

Carla S.

Hey Carla! I’ve had to think about this question long and hard before I got a solution that I think can actually work. Now here is the thing, when a guy asks for your number inside a bar, do not assume that he likes you. Some guys just ask for numbers as a dare, a game, or just to check if they haven’t lost their swag yet. Now, whatever happens to the offer relies on you.

Here is the thing, whether the guy likes you or not is irrelevant. What matters is whether you like the guy. Most girls would automatically shun off guys who ask for their numbers because they find it creepy. But take a look at the situation form the man’s point of view and realize that it takes a lot of guts to actually come up to a girl and ask for her number. So please, if you can, be gentle when you let them down and refuse to give your number away. So what do you do? Should you give your number? No.

Giving your number away just tells the guy that you are interested. That is the worse thing you could do, even if you really are (interested). You see, dating is a chase; a chase that guys enjoy. So whether you like him or not, when he asks for your number, do not give it. So do you ask for his? You can, but what will you do with it?

Again, if you ask for his number the responsibility now lies on you. You could also throw it away, end of story (unless you like him). If you do like then what would you do?  If you text or call him, that would tell him without a sliver of doubt, that you’re into him. Again, that’s not very smart because you have to be mysterious; you have to be worth the chase. So here are the things you can do:

1.)    If you don’t like him, just tell him that you’d rather keep your number private.

2.)    If you like him, don’t give away your number or ask for his. Again, that will make you seem easy. What you can do is dare him to do something fun like drinking a bottle of beer in less than two minutes. You could even dare him to go head to head in a drinking contest with your friend. If he agrees, then at least he made the effort and that’s commendable. It also gives you the opportunity to give your number without seeming “easy” if he accomplishes the dare. If he disagrees, then he probably wasn’t that into you anyway.

So the next time a guy approaches you and asks for you number, dare him to do something crazy and know whether he’s willing to put in some effort just to get to know you; or whether he’s just asking for your number for the cheap thrill.

I hope that answered your question and I hope you write us again!

Catch Confessions of a Partyphile (the radio show) on 105.9 Mix FM every Wednesdays from 6PM to 9PM. For questions, comments, suggestions, and more confessions from this partyphile, log on to http://party.i.ph or follow the columnist at twitter.com/zhaun

Summer Party Menu

Throwing a summer party may not seem like a challenge at first, as most people assume that grilled fare is enough to keep guests satisfied. However, after your third summer soiree (in the same year) you start to get tired of the usual pork and chicken barbecue and start craving for some culinary excitement. Remember, summer food is all about being simple, fresh, and easy. That does not necessarily mean “grilled”. To help you get out of that summer party menu rut, here are some food suggestions for your next summer party:

1.)    Mushroom-Garbanzo Salad: This salad is easy to make and easy to eat. Unlike most salads made of greens, this one is made with mushrooms and chick peas; two readily available canned ingredients. This makes the salad a breeze to prepare.

All you have to do is heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and add three cloves of minced garlic. Once the garlic becomes fragrant, add in one bell pepper, diced. Once the pepper is cooked, add in the canned (remember to drain off the liquid it comes in) mushrooms and canned garbanzo beans. I prefer using pre-sliced button mushrooms to save time. Then, season with salt and pepper. You may also add any herb of your choice. I prefer adding some basil to give the warm salad a kick of freshness. Serve this it alone or with slices of toasted baguette as an appetizer.

2.)    Summer Wings: Two of the most popular flavours linked to the Season of Sun are Pineapple and Coconut. This interesting appetizer combines both flavours to create the ultimate summer finger food that is perfect for ay summer party.

To make Summer Wings simply purchase chicken wings at the grocery then dredge it in flour. Dip the dredged wings in some beaten eggs. Afterwards, dredge the wings again in a mixture of (equal parts) ready-made breading mix and desiccated coconut. Don’t worry; this will not give the wings an overly coconutty taste. Desiccated coconut has a muted coconut flavour that works well even for savoury dishes. After dredging the wings, simply fry them until they are golden brown. Let the wings cool a little then put all the wings inside a plastic container with an air-tight lid. Add your pineapple glaze (recipe will follow below), cover the container and shake like there’s no tomorrow. This will give you perfectly glazed wings that are ready to serve.

To make the pineapple glaze simply heat a small can of unsweetened pineapple juice in a sauce pan. Add three tablespoons of sugar, some sesame oil, half a teaspoon of grated ginger, and two tablespoons of soy sauce. Once the sauce thickens, make a slurry by combining two teaspoons of corn starch and enough cold water to dissolve the starch. Mix the slurry in to the boiling sauce and stir until it thickens. This glaze is then ready to use with the wings.

3.)    Shrimp Pasta: This seafood pasta is perfect for a summer party because of its fresh flavour and easy process. All you have to do is sauté a whole garlic bulb in half a cup of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter. When the garlic becomes fragrant, add one and a half pounds of peeled and de-veined shrimps, season with salt, pepper, one-fourth cup of minced parsley, and half a teaspoon of dried basil. Saute for two minutes or until the shrimp is just cooked through. Add in your pasta and heat for another thirty seconds. Serve.

4.)    Chicken Pineapple Burger: This is the perfect main dish for any summer party. All you have to do is purchase some chicken breasts that have already been marinated in Teriyaki Sauce, or any other Asian Marinade. If you can’t find chicken breasts that have already been marinated, then simply marinate the breasts with some soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger, and black pepper. Grill your chicken breasts along with some pineapple slices. Then, prepare your Chicken burger by layering some lettuce, tomatoes, grilled pineapples, and grilled chicken breasts on the bottom part of the bun. Spread some mayonnaise on the top part of the bun and cover it like a regular burger. Serve ad enjoy.

5.)    Kalamansi Granita: This easy dessert is probably the most refreshing thing you could serve in a summer party. All you have to do is boil a cup of water with a third of a cup of granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Then, add in half a cup of fresh Kalamansi Juice. Otherwise, combine half a cup of Kalamansi Concentrate with a cup of water. After you get your sweet Kalamansi creation, pop it in the freezer. Check on it after the first hour and then scrape the sides (with a fork) to get rid of any ice crystals that might have formed. Pop it back in the freezer. Repeat this process every thirty minutes for the next four hours. This gives you a slushy mixture that is perfect for summer. Serve in cocktail glasses.

Catch Confessions of a Partyphile (the radio show) every Wednesday evenings from 6 to 9 on 105.9 Mix FM. For comments, suggestions, and more confessions from this partyphile check out http://party.i.ph or follow the columnist on twitter.com/zhaun

Summer Songs/Playlist

Whether you are throwing a summer party, going on a road trip, or simply want to imbibe the season, a summer song play list is a perfect way to get you in the mood. Summer songs are catchy, relaxed, and give off a carefree vibe that paints a perfect picture of a warm, sunny day by the beach. Here is a list of songs I love listening to during summer.

1.)    One Look by Kjwan is probably the most summery OPM track ever made! It feels summery from the first beats of their gorgeously layered percussions that give us a sound that is somewhat reminiscent of reggae and traditional Hawaiian music melded with modern alternative. The simple melody and catchy hook makes this track the perfect sing-along song wherever you might be spending your summer.

2.)    Amber by 311 starts with an LSS-worthy guitar intro that extends for three bars until hard-hitting percussions come in with the vocals. The textured voice of 311’s vocalist makes the song seem relaxed and gives off a carefree vibe that makes the song perfect to listen to by the sea or while driving top down to someplace far. It’s one of those songs you listen to with your friends to make your summer vacation extra-memorable. Truly, if there was a perfect summer anthem, this would be it.

3.)    Island in the Sun by Weezer is a song that grows on you. After a couple of listens you get the intro (a repetitive “hip hip” cheer) stuck in your head as you realize that you’ve listened to the track too many times. Although Weezer’s vocals now sound like that of every other alternative band’s; the fact that his vocals are a wee bit generic makes it all the more relatable. The simple melody is easy to sing along with and the beat has enough edge to make it crossover to post-summer listening. The track is about moving away to some island where there is no stress or pressure. Consider this your summer ode.

4.)    Soak Up the Sun by Sheryl Crow starts off oddly like an 80s track, with bits and pieces that do not sound organic. Thankfully that is masked by the gorgeous guitar riff that acts as the perfect backdrop to frame Crow’s voice that sings of enjoying what you have, staying positive, and wearing a carefree demeanour. Sheryl’s voice is not on-point, but as the song suggests, this is a piece of work based on the premise of not sweating the small stuff. Does it make for a great summer song? Hell yes. In fact, it still makes me feel nostalgic for no apparent reason or related experience. Why? Because it reminds you of the perfect summers in your past.

5.)    Pure Shores by All Saints is unlike most of the songs in this list because it does not remind you of the beach, it does not sound organic, as the instruments used in the production of this track were all electronic (I assume). However, it puts you in the mood to grab a cocktail, sit back, and lounge in some windy place. The electronic sounds gives off a dreamy vibe that takes you to a place where time stops and you are allowed to let your hair down and enjoy clouds pass by.

6.)    Summer Sunshine by The Corrs is the perfect soundtrack for a flirty summer. The track is pure genius. It has a late 80s- early 90s pop-rock vibe that is guitar driven and jolly. Oddly, the vocals are run through an auto-tune machine that is so popular these days which gives the track some much needed edge. The production is interesting, as the track provides a sensory overload of beats on beats with strings and electronic elements. The result? A memorable summer track that keeps you lusting for a summer fling.

7.)    Just Go by Lionel Richie and Akon marked the comeback of Mr. Richie into the music scene some years ago. True to his brand of silky vocals and catchy hooks, Just Go, is a throwback tune that reminds us of Lionel’s past works. The good news is that it has been updated with more modern beats and Akon’s distinctive bellowing. With the vocalist’s staccato intonation, the web of back-up vocals, and island inspired percussions, the track reminds one of a vacation in the Bahamas where the sand is white, the water is clear, and the island isn’t overpopulated.

8.)    Put Your Records On by Corrine Bailey Rae doesn’t take you to the beach, or the pool, or the lounge, or the car for a road trip. This summer song is a little more laid back. It conjures up thoughts of a picnic in a park while watching kids play at a distance. It reminds you of that hilltop vacation when everything went well and drama was far away. With Ms Rae’s honey-dipped, throaty vocals the track sounds warm and familiar. The easy strumming of the guitar sets the perfect frame for the simple melody and half-spoken verses.

9.)    Over the Rainbow by Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole is a cover of the Broadway classic Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Judy Garland. The track only features IZ’s smooth vocals over the sound of his tiny ukulele, but sometimes, that is all it takes to make you lust for the ocean breeze against your skin.

10.)                        Breathe by Telepopmusic is a heady, electronica track that somehow made it mainstream. Unlike most songs the songs in the list that gives off a beachy island vibe, this one takes you to a posh lounge in central Europe where things are expensive and music is more sophisticated. The gorgeous vocals of Angela McCluskey, a long time collaborator if this French trio, makes this song memorable with her repetitive auto tuned whispers that command the listener to “just breathe” while enjoying the fast-paced mish-mash of beats and percussions that take you to a whole different world.