Day 3: My Adventures in Mexican Cuisine

Hola mi amigos! It is Mexican Dessert time!! So my mom and I have fallen in love with this junky little Mexican snack shop and taco shop in a strip mall located near the "dollar theater" in Cathedral City. The taco shop presents an experience of its own. I'm often nominated to run in and make my family's order. So there I sit for a good ten to fifteen minutes staring at the assorted hot sauce bottles. (Did you know most hot sauces contain virtually no calories!! And to my surprise there's even a seafood specific sauce!) The grease and heat of the fryer fills the air making a pleasant smell but rather uncomfortably humid and stifling atmosphere. Because of this, we often opt to sitting in the snack shop next door. It is absolutely bursting with Mexican candy and iced treats. I haven't tried many of the candies, basically the Bubu Lubu and De La Rosa. While it's composed of a very artificial chocolate (most likely mockolate, the BL's chocolate coating gives way to a pleasant marshmallow and jelly center. My favorite thing about the bar is its interesting shape, like a bunch of bubbles connected together. The De La Rosa Mazapans on the other hand are far from pleasant! I'm a big fan of peanut butter and thus peanut butter flavored candies (as is noted in the Mocklate vs. Chocolate post). These candies have a not too overwhelmingly flavor of peanut butter and little peanut chunks all wrapped inside a small disc-shaped candy with a texture similar to that of powdered sugar. The down side...if given the opportunity I could eat five of these things in a row! but at 140 calories a pop that's probably not a great idea. Also, these things are very crumbly and do require your palm to eat. (In other words you eat it over your hand and then pick up the crumbs from your palm) Another thing mom and I love are the raspados or the Mexican snow cones. Mom prefers the vanilla (most likely a combination of sweetened condesnsed milk, sugar, and vanilla), I prefer the coconut syrup-based one topped with shredded coconut. I attempted making my own homemade syrup.
Homemade Vanilla Syrup
-2 c water
-2 1/2 c sugar
-1/2 c evaportated milk
-1 tbl vanilla
Stir over medium heat until boiling. Allow to boil five minutes or until syrup begins thickening.

I then decided to add shredded coconut...
..I didn't have any coconut...correction..I didn't have any pre-shredded coconut...so guess what bright idea I got...

Hey! Why don't I just scrape off the skin and shred the coconut I have with a cheese-grater!! One hour, a bowlful of coconut, a cut thumb, and a few raw fingers later I realized that I had been a complete idiot. I should NOT have done that...Now I got stir in he syrup and let it dry out a bit...Wooo! Mom better be happy with me....

Peanut, Peanut Butter!!
....and Jelly!