It's Jackie Smiles

Hello! It’s been quite a while. Life has been hectic these last four years. I’m gonna try to be better about posting, hopefully I’ll find a happy medium within my social and work calendar to fit in some blogging time 🙂 for now, let me tell you about my mango consumed summer.

The days are growing hotter and the sun shines brighter this beautiful summer 2024.

That’s something I truly love about the summertime, the sun, the heat, being able to throw on a tiny bikini and drive to the beach and just lounge on the sand for hours and hours just getting nice and golden. It’s truly the peak of bliss.

Imagine living down here in the sunshine state where the sun shines 70 percent of the time (the other 30 percent is reserved for thunderstorms and hurricanes) I can guarantee it’s worth it if by chance you have a fruit tree in your own backyard (or a neighbor/family member who does)

Just be careful the blazing sun doesn’t give you heatstroke. That is absolutely no joke, I once passed out walking across the street to get to the beach from my parked car.

One way I’m staying cool this summer is by making homemade ice cream with my Ninja Creami. Thanks to the mangos gifted by my auntie and scavenged from my neighbor.

Ice cream is probably the guiltiest of my pleasures. If I’m lazy and want to pop into Publix for a quick sec, I’ll definitely get Ben & Jerry’s The Tonight Dough (which is my absolute favorite, I’ve had about four so far)

If not ice cream I’m definitely turning them into smoothies or milkshakes. There’s no going wrong when it comes to mangos, you can literally eat them any type of way.

I also enjoy them in sticky rice. My grandfather used to make me mango sticky rice when I was young. Mostly when I was upset over something, he believed young girls should never cry and instead eat sweet things to remain sweet. I miss him whenever I eat food he used to prepare. They never taste quite right so it’s an even more bittersweet feeling.

Lastly, and probably the best thing about mangos is when you have too many, you have an excuse to share the love and deliver some to other mango lovers. It’s a very special kind of fruit that brings people together as well as being extremely delicious.

Every day is a new day to just remind myself of how thankful I am. I live in a beautiful city where my family and friends are within arms reach and we share things we love. So god willing if the day is sunny, and if it’s within your power, grab a mango, grab a friend, and enjoy the day to the fullest.

That’s all for now, stay hopeful, and keep smiling.