It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas

From my younger years into adulthood, Christmas decorating has been tradition.  I think the drive, excitement, and need of decorating spawned early on in Elementary school when I experienced Christmas at its best: as a kid supplied with free Christmas food, Singing Christmas songs, and making Christmas crafts, with no worries in the world. 

I normally make trips to Walmart and Dollar Tree for decorations, but since there are none nowhere in sight here in Grenada (decorations are expensive here), I decided to collaborate with the child in me to make some Christmas decorating ideas come to life.

I  listened to my favorite Christmas songs over and over throughout the whole process all the while thinking about fond memories of past Christmases.  Though I'll be far apart from family during the Holidays, I'll always have fond memories of our past Christmases to keep me connected to them.  They will definitely be missed during Christmas, but on the same token, I'm super excited to spend Christmas in a different country.  How often do you get to do that?

The decorating component of Christmas is now complete. Check!

I provided links to some tutorials I used in making my decorations down below.  Enjoy!!

Koy Jermz, I decorated in honor of our tradition.  Miss you and the rest of the Family!

Materials Used:
Scissors
Clear Tape (Bryden and Minors Spiceland Mall)
Stapler
Colored Pencils (8EC Byrden and Minors)
Glue Stick (4EC Byrden and Minors)
Construction paper (15EC Byrden and Minors)
Popsicle Sticks (Starz located at Le Marquis)
paper rolls from hand paper towels or toilet paper
gift wrapping paper (6EC/1 roll) (IGA)
ribbons enough for two wreaths (~5EC) (Starz located at Le Marquis)
Christmas Lights (16EC for 150 Count) (hardware store Spiceland mall)
Coffee Filters (4EC for 100) (IGA)

Links to Tutorials

*Christmas Candle
*Snowman On A Stick
*North Pole Sign
*Christmas Crew Figures (Santa, Elf, Reindeer, Angel, Snowman, Nutcracker)
*Origami Christmas
*Paper Crane (dove)- Video tutorial. Online picture step by step Tutorial.
*Paper Wreath- (Instead of using a glue gun to assemble flowers, I used a stapler (faster and easier). Pinch the middle of all three pieces and staple.  After all of the flowers have been assembled, Sew them on the wreath with a needle and thread or you can use a glue gun.

My Friend Myra Made a Beer Bottle Turkey for our Thanksgiving centerpiece dinner table.  I liked it so much that I invited him to stay for Christma and made him a Santa suit.  As a matter of fact, I decided that I will dress him up accordingly for every Holiday from now until the day I die hahahaha. Thank you Myra!!

Friendship Snowflakes. Made By Rachel (green), Grace (red), and Angela (yellow).

7 Sisters Waterfalls - I Came, I Saw, I Conquered.

 7 Sisters Falls is simply beautiful.  It's one of those places that makes one toss their arms out and shout out loud: "I love life."  I love this place so much that I even suggested for my family back in America to fly in and see it for themselves.

For thrill seekers (try jumping a series of Waterfalls), nature lovers (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Setting), swimmers (under the falls in a nice and serene environment), hikers (scenic short and sweet moderate hike), kids (even if they can't swim they would surely enjoy the scenery), and photographers (beauty 360 degrees) alike... I without a doubt know you'd enjoy this spot (and yes, I'm speaking on behalf of all groups hahah).

*Photos are ordered in sequence from start to finish.

Meet the gang.

At the beginning of the hike, you pass through a private plantation. You guide will point out to you native flowers and plants.

Beautiful Bamboo

Custom Made Bamboo Steps.

Before the Falls, you will cross a line of rocks embedded in a stream. Be sure to store your cameras away in a dry and safe place as the rocks can sometimes be slippery.

The first Jump. Behind the Scenes.

Utopia behind the first two falls.

The Last Jump.

Trekking through our amazing waterfall adventure.

We were cheesin it the whole time since we were so hyped.

Scott and the Best guide ever, Cliffon! Don't forget to tip him if you hire him to guide you through the jumps.

Rapids you have to cross if you decide to hike all the way up the falls.

The main Jump.

Me and My Buddy Myra Being Savage

DETAILS:
*Location: 5min past Grand Etang House . ~30min ride up a long and winding road from Grand Anse Beach (For those who get motion sickness easily, I highly suggest taking something before the ride up).
*Getting there: by Public Transportation: Take the grand anse bus from SGU. Get off at Texaco.  Walk up around the corner to the local bus stop and catch the #1 bus St. George's (2.50EC) and take it all the way to the last stop.  Transfer to the #6 bus (5EC) to 7 Sisters; by Taxi- My group was taken by Hector (he charged 20EC per person). Friendly, relaxed, and trustworthy.  He gave us a little tour on our way to the falls.  Here is his phone number (473) 418-3444.
*If you're visiting during rainy season, the trail will more than likely be muddy.  Wear shoes you don't mind getting dirty. 
*$5EC entrance Fee. Walking stick provided.
*Person at entrance is very unyielding when it comes to jumping off the falls (for liability reasons).  Despite the fact, Me and my friend Scott jumped them (with the help of an expert jumper named Cliffon.  He's a frequent jumper there and will be more than happy to guide you down the falls for $20EC a person).
*Bring a plastic bag for your muddy shoes and your wet clothes (if you decide to swim).. and maybe some flip flops to switch into.
*Don't forget your camera! I brought my underwater camera and had it with me the whole time throughout my waterfall jumping adventure.
*Hike is approximately 25-40min to the bottom two falls, depending on how muddy and how fast you're moving.  There are a few declines on the way to the falls embedded with helpful bamboo steps and stones.  An additional ~15min for those who want to hike all the way up the falls (warning: there's only way way down: to jump)
*Hike difficulty- easy-moderate; Exposure- half shade, half sun.
*Don't forget to wear sunscreen. Bring a swimsuit and change of clothes if you decide to swim.  Also, don't forget to bring a snack to eat when at the falls.
*Waterfalls (I can only remember crossing 5 of them) range from 10-35feet tall.  First few are easy and the last two are the tallest.  You also go down a short tunnel of rapids (the guide will show you where to step).  Scary but fun.  If you step somewhere wrong, you can get sucked in, pushed down, and hurt.  If you're planning on jumping, you first have to hike up the side of the falls ~15min.  The guide will advise for you to be barefoot as you will have more grip this way.  It was easy hiking up but scary because the hill was so steep.  My foot was completely submersed in 2 ft. of mud a couple of times... and it felt good!  Warning:  If you hike up and jump the first few falls, there will only be one way down, and that's down a really high waterfall!  Otherwise, it will be almost impossible to go back up the first few falls and back down the hill from where you came (very very steep). So make sure you're not afraid of heights.  Also, if you've never jumped a waterfall before (like me)  there's a big possibility of you landing the wrong way.  If you land the wrong way (flat) you can seriously get hurt.  It's easier said than done to land like a pencil with all the adrenaline pumping through your body.  When you fall from such great heights and land flat, you're not giving the water particles enough time to move and therefore it will feel as if you hit a wall.  I landed wrong and got a very very big bruise on my thighs. Regardless I have no regrets. It's one of the most exciting things I've ever done in my life!
*Reviews on Trip Advisor

Rosemary Focaccia with Caramelized Onions and Olives

Focaccia to me, is the best alternative to pizza.  It's practically the same as its pizza counterpart except for the fact that its base is more bread like (similar to Pizza Hut's deep crust) than the average more "compact" pizza crust. The best thing about this bread is it takes a lot less time to prepare than pizza and the chances of screwing it up is slim to none.  Did I mention that it's dirt to cheap to make (once you've invested in a Costco sized Extra Virgin Olive Oil Bottle)? The topping possibilities are endless so it will be easy to tweak this recipe to your liking.  I hope you go nuts with this recipe. I sure did!

*the majority of flavor is derived from Olive Oil
*try splashing or dipping your cooked Focaccia in extra oil or tomato sauce. Or dunk them in ranch dressing or honey mustard.
*alternative topping ideas:  meat bits- cooked sausage, bacon, ham, beef, chicken. Veggies- bell pepper, mushrooms, pineapple, tomato, olives, onions, spinach. Herbs- basil, thyme, rosemary, cilantro. Sauce- Ranch, tomato, BBQ. Cheese- cream cheese, feta, goat, cheddar, fresh mozzarella (cook veggies that take a longer time to cook before placing in oven and add veggies that cook fast halfway through the cooking process to prevent them from burning.  Meat should be cooked before placing in oven as time to cook Focaccia is not long enough to cook meats through.)
*for those living in Grenada, my oven only reaches 300 degrees. This bread is not too sensitive to low uneven heat.

Your know your dough is ready when it holds your finger indentations. If it's not holding, wait a little longer, then try again.

2 1/2 hrs; ~9 servings
Ingredients:

Dough
1 cup warm water (100 degrees)
2 tsp yeast
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
3 1/2 cup pre-sifted flour (I used Purity)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
cornmeal for dusting

Sauce
8 oz tomato sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tbsp olive oil
dash ground black pepper

Topping
tomato sauce (above)
chopped pitted olives
caramelized onions- 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, 2 garlic cloves, 2 medium onions sliced, salt to taste

Directions
1. In a bowl, mix water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for 10-15min. This process of "proofing" is done to make sure your yeast is "active, alive," and ready for baking. When the mixture is creamy and foamy, you're ready for step 2.   
2. mix in salt and olive oil
3. add flour and mix to make a uniformed ball of dough (knead for ~5min). be careful not to overwork dough as it will toughen. coat with olive oil.  Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm area (such as a preheated oven turned on for 5 min and then turned off) and let rise for 45min. Dough should double in size.
4.  In a pot, toss in all ingredients for tomato sauce. Stir frequently on medium high heat until sauce thickens (thicker sauce prevents dough from becoming soggy) ~7 min.
5. In a heated fry pan medium high heat, add oil and rosemary.  Swish around for 2 min to infuse oil with flavor.  Add in garlic, onions, and salt.  toss to coat.  add a splash of water and cover with lid. occasionally toss around onions to prevent them from burning. Cook until caramelized. Discard rosemary halfway through.
6.  Lightly grease baking pan.  Dust bottom of pan with a thin layer of corn meal (for a crispy crust).  Take dough ball and flatten in an even layer (note: if you want a thin crust, half dough into 2 and place in two separate pans).  Make many indents in dough with finger. Let sit and rise for another 15min.
7. add toppings and bake for ~45-55min. or until sides have browned a bit. (tip: spread caramelized onions on sides to make crust on sides crispy and golden).

Natalie