Christmas Candy Crush Cookies

"Christmas is coming"

Here I am yet again with another baked item despite the fact that I hate to bake. This cookie dough really did stress me out quite a bit, but it turned out great in the end.  I could never have done Christmas recipes without at least attempting a gingerbread cookie. These babies are actually a cross between a short bread and ginger bread cookie. Very high fat content makes it nice and crumbly, with the sweetness and ginger undertones. 

Oxtail stew

"Christmas is coming"

 What’s more delicious than the tail of a cow seasoned, browned and stewed?  Its truly a staple in Jamaica, not seasonal like sorrel and fruit cake, but consumed all year round, especially for Sunday and Christmas dinner.  Any good Jamaican restaurant (US or local) will serve oxtail as a lunch item, and if the restaurant cooks it especially well, please believe any lunch breaks falling after 1:30pm have a slim chance of getting any.  If you missed it during the week, and you have a loving cook at home, you can surely keep your hopes up for Sunday dinner. If your Sunday dinners consist of cereal or KFC then I’m sorry but you will have to wait till Christmas dinner to feast on the succulent bones.

Egg nog Ice-cream

"Christmas is coming"

 So I recently just learned that my mother is not superwoman. My mother, sister and I were casually talking about the recipes I would be making for November. I mentioned egg nog ice-cream, then my sister and I began to regale her about how much we loved her egg nog as kids, and asking what’s her recipe, come to find out she purchased canned egg nog! All these years I was here thinking my mom made the best egg-nog, turns out its, store bought Ha Ha! Well it was quite the revelation; I began to wonder what other tricks she had up her sleeve.

Smashed potato

"Christmas is coming"

I love instagram, you get so many ideas from this lovely app full of pictures posted by absolute strangers who you pretty much have accepted into your social media family. You see, I was all set to make my garlic roasted Irish potatoes, the same potatoes I make every Christmas and most sit down dinners. Its quick, easy and yummy. Then in scrolling the feeds I see hassleback potatoes and quickly the menu changed. This greedy girl was all set to make her own version of hasslebacks (another item on my cooking bucket list yet to be crossed off) Then in scrolling the feeds (again) I see smashed potatoes, here is where the internal struggle began, I’ve seen smashed potatoes done a few times on food network, but it never really grabbed me, and the hassleback thing I have been wanting to do for so long.  

Rum and raisin roll cake

"Christmas is coming".

In Jamaica rum is as synonymous with Christmas as that baby in a manger. Its in so many desserts and drinks that are consumed in the season; sorrel, black cake, egg-nog, and rum soaked raisins. The latter is a long standing Jamaican tradition. Households are always stocked with sealed containers full of raisins, prunes and currants soaking in rum from the previous year. There are two types of rum cake. The white rum cake (basically vanilla cake soaked in rum) and black cake or fruit cake, which is made with the addition of the blended rum soaked fruits (and then soaked in rum).

Simply Roasted

 Do you ever notice how pharmacies, department stores and the retail industry in general is always a month or two ahead of all holidays? In September you will see Halloween and thanksgiving costumes and decorations anticipating the holiday. From October and November Christmas decorations are already stocked on shelves.  January can barely breathe before pink roses, chocolates and everything love is splattered all around us constantly reminding us that Valentine ’s Day is fast approaching.

Well it is in this same fashion that my blog will overlook the current holiday and prepare the masses for the future holiday. So even though it’s currently thanksgiving time Greedy girl is here to remind everyone that "Christmas is coming".