UVic Season’s Eatings – our favourite holiday foods

There is nothing better than my mom’s sweet potato squash casserole during the holiday season! ~ Sarah A.

This recipe is always a winner with my family and friends. If you buy two cans of pumpkin you can make 3 rolls with the same recipe. COOKING TIP: Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick. Enjoy! Happy Holidays! ~ Rebecca

If you finished your exams recently or you are working, try setting up a potluck before everyone goes off on holidays. This dish is perfect! You can also make it days in advance, freeze them, and reheat them in the oven on the days that you are eating it. Happy Festive Holidays! ~ Leat (Alumna)

While my grandmother’s shortbread baking can be counted as my most valued and treasured Christmas recipe, that information is highly guarded and classified, which makes the classic Rice Crispies squares as my number one Christmas recipe nomination. Yes, it is taken directly off of the cereal box. Yes, it is more than likely to end up stuck to your fingers and/or hair than in your mouth. However, the sheer volume of these squares I have consumed at childhood Christmas bake sales has given them a soft spot in my heart, and nostalgia has always been one of my favorite Yuletide flavors. Enjoy! ~TALEN

My favourite recipe is Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos – it’s easy and perfect for potlucks, always a hit and bacon is my guilty pleasure! ~ RACHEL F.

This recipe reminds me of my late grandmother. It’s a Brazilian dessert that we call “bolinhos de chuva” (raindrop doughnuts). It is a classic grandmother recipe that she always made by memory – without a recipe. It is a doughnut dough that is fried and mixed with cinnamon and sugar. One time I tried adding banana and chocolate chips into it. Delicious! Enjoy! ~ JEAN

After Christmas exams, there is no better feeling than going home to family, friends, and of course, food! Similarly to bears, we pack on the food bag when the weather is cold, and oh boy does it ever get cold in my hometown of Calgary, AB. With this being said, what home cooked delicacy is my absolute favourite over the holidays? My Mom’s Freezer Cookies. These bad boys are simple to make, with a high flavour reward. Perfect for students. The perfect amount of crunch, chewiness, and sweetness has made this a staple in my house over the holidays. Give it a shot, freeze them, save em’, share em’, eat em’, the ball is in your court. ~ BEN

Here is my mom’s recipe for my favourite South African Christmas dish (or dish for any day of the year). ~ MOIRA

This recipe is special to me because it reminds me of childhood Christmases when my Aunty Maureen and Uncle Jack would send over their most delicious tasting Gingerbread Cookies. They were so good my dad would try and sneak them for himself, but of course that didn’t happen. My Aunty Maureen was such a soft hearted and beautiful woman inside and out. Although I don’t have her original recipe, I feel as if this recipe honours the great years I had with her. Happy Celebration Season! ~ DARLA

This is a recipe for Flan! My grandma makes it for special occasions like every time I go back to the Dominican Republic, my birthday or my dad’s birthday. Usually when my grandma makes Flan the whole family gets together (my two brothers, my parents, my other grandma, my niece, etc.) so it is a wonderful family gathering that starts with a really big lunch and ends with a delicious sweet dessert. The hardest part is making the caramel, it can be dangerous as you can burn yourself. It is a very sweet dessert, my favorite! Enjoy! ~ YAMILA

My favourite holiday recipe is Butter Tarts! Who can resist? Not me! ~ MICHAELA

This recipe (in my grandma’s own handwriting) is special to me because my grandma always makes it during the holidays, it is so delicious and reminds me of my childhood and memories of spending time with family. ~ JESS

This is my favourite holiday breakfast recipe. They’re soft and fluffy. Plus, I can’t make pancakes as good as my mom. I’m a terrible baker. And my mom says that pancakes are one of the most basic forms of baking, just cooked on a stove top instead of in the oven. She tries to explain the importance of acids and baking soda, the buttermilk, or the number of times that it’s stirred… but I’ve realized that part of me just doesn’t want to know. Because, like a magic show, sometimes you don’t want to know how it works, you just want to get lost in the enjoyment of it. ~ LEVI

My mom makes the meanest butter chicken lasagna, period. Hands down – it’s the best! ~ KEVIN