Last Saturday, May 9, the heat index hit 43°C. I set the fan to the highest speed setting, but it still wasn’t enough to keep the sticky, uncomfortable feeling away. I then considered showering, but upon turning on the faucet in my bathroom, I found only a few droplets coming out. There was another water interruption that day.

I felt like I was in an inescapable oven. I came so close to turning on my room’s air conditioner, until I remembered that my mom made frozen fruit salad that day.

I gobbled a whole bowl of it as soon I got to our kitchen and believe it or not, that’s what got me through another day of sweltering summer heat. Lesson learned: never underestimate the power of cooling yourself from within. You can, of course, have cold desserts or drinks delivered, or better yet, make your own using our recipes:

Ice cream

From three-ingredient homemade ice cream to non-dairy and even spiked coconut ice cream, here’s a wide selection of easy but upgraded recipes.

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Easy 3-ingredient ice cream for summer

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Five easy-to-do non-dairy ice cream for the weak

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Cool off with this coconut rum ice cream

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Fun facts about ice cream

Read all about this creamy dessert—from fun facts to comparisons to gelato, as well as some fun ideas on how you can elevate your ice cream experience.

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A new trick to get your face really clean

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Is gelato better than ice cream?

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Iced drinks

For drinks to keep you cool, we bring you Kelis’ infamous secret milkshake recipe, a protein-packed banana smoothie by SEA games gold-medalist Nikko Huelgas and a bunch of iced coffee options for your caffeine fix.

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Frozen desserts

Try out our very own classic ice candy recipes with a custard twist. But if you’re feeling a little extra, you could try the lavender lychee sorbet recipe below.

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