Scramble (Filipino milkshake) and a childhood memory

A few days ago I got to visit my old High School (Canossa School). Amazing how fond memories would pop up and remind me that both grade school and high school were few of the best years of life (no matter what anyone would say otherwise)... lots of fun times running around school grounds and quite a number of my early food adventures!

I remember indulging in treats as early as the 1st grade when after school, my childhood BFF/s and I would buy Banana Cue, Fishball, Popcorn, Chocolates!, Chocolate Cake, Mocha Chiffon Cupcakes, Cheese Corn etc ... all the way through High School and adding to a list of favorites  include Mang Bok's Dirty Ice Cream, Soda, Chips, Ice Drops from Aling Flor, Fruit Juice from Sexy, even Black Forest cake from Alvarez and Double Chocolate donuts from Mister Donut!

My 6 year-old self used to stand behind these school gates, waiting for it to open, then I'd clumsily run across the street towards the food carts... that is, if I don't stumble and hit the soiled grounds face first!

Hm... I was quite the die-hard foodie at a tender age, wasn't I?

Unfortunately, my old HS has since closed down and  moved to a new building but the old place still retained some of its original structures. Upon seeing the place again, I couldn't help but feel nostalgic and crave for the food that I loved eating there.

at the end of the hall is where my early food adventures began, at what used to be the Home Economics Lab

While most treats like the green mangos, choc-nut, chips, ice cream and popcorn I can still get today, the very items I've been craving for the longest time are Scramble and Fishballs. What a pair.

Since our mom was very strict with us when it comes to street foods, I only got to sample the scramble a few times when I was 8. But still, decades later, I can vividly recall the cart selling the icey beverage, with the styrofoam bucket  and how the vendor would mix up the smoothie-like concoction using a hand powered mixer.  Then each 4-6 oz. serving was placed in a plastic cup, topped with a teaspoon of powdered milk and confectioner's sugar. Sometimes they often put sago, but I don't want mine with it.

Photo taken from www.pinterest.com

These days,  my thirst (and sugar cravings) are often assuaged by milk shakes and  fruit smoothies but sometimes I still find myself craving for that one time childhood treat.

And thanks to technology, the recipe for Scramble/Iskrambol is just a Google away. Hehehehe...

So I gathered the necessary ingredients, trying to come as close to the authentic flavor as possible by scouring the public market for the much alluded "Banana Essence", the secret ingredient.

A typical recipe for Scramble would include the following:

Ice, Evaporated Milk, Sugar, Banana Flavor, Pink Food Color

After a few experiments, I came up with my own recipe:

Ingredients:
3 cups roughly crushed ice
1/4 cup Alpine Evaporated milk (next time I'll try 1/3 cup fresh milk or soy/almond milk, vegan version)
1/3 cup White Sugar
1/8 tsp Banana Essence (2-3 drops)
Gel Food Color

And just like making a smoothie, I dumped the ingredients in the pitcher, set my blender to frappe and let it roll ...

I let the machine do its job for 30 seconds (to a minute), afterwhich the mixture would have a sorbet-like consistency, it'd be so thick I had to scoop them out from the pitcher and into the sugar laced glasses.

To top off my beverage, I spooned some powdered milk and a number of mini marshmallows but other treats like spirnkles, cocoa powder, chocolate drizzle, rice crispies would be awesome.

Now chill!

Here's an orange version, hehehe.

By the time I get to writing this post, I'm experiencing the effects of brain freeze. Ouch.  I consumed all 3 servings of my Scramble. Ofcourse,   I had 1 for each color. hehehehe ....

P.S.
As for the fish balls, I can now have it anytime I want, for the frozen balls can be purchased from the neighborhood market and fried at home. The sweet/spicy sauce just needs a few ingredients and can be prepared in a jiffy. But that's for another post. :-)

Bon Appetit!