Santa's identity revealed! (Gift Exchange 2009)

[haleoalau]

oh good!! It made it. Most of the cookies are based of this one recipe with it's variations - the changes I made: turned the sandwich cookies into the petals, the swirls into the pressed & glazed with added pecans, and combo'd the jumbles with the thumbprints. The citrus cornmeal cookies are variations on a recipe that okbye posted a few months ago ("lime cornmeal") and the double chocolate espresso is Ghenne's recipe. Time? lots of late nights after kiddo went to bed. Packing? I've sent a lot of care packages recently! Ziploc freezer bags, wax paper and heavy duty foil are your friends!

I owe Whisk an apology. Her gift is still sitting unopened at my house - Christmas morning was over-ridden by what seems to be the usual fantabulous luck The Hub and I have had this past year, so kiddo got her gifts, but I was going to open mine when I got home that evening - only to get snowed in at Mom's. Stayed here Saturday too as The Hub called with more "the only constant is change" type of news and I...ummm...purged all day and the snow continued to fall and drift. So...assuming I go home tonight, I'll post later.

I'm really thrilled you're enjoying everything. If you find the box of chocolates to be past its prime - let me know and I'll happily get you some more. By the time I got it in the mail and the postage time, I hope it's not past its shelf life.

Happy New Year,
Maria

[whiskMEaway]

I owe Whisk an apology. Her gift is still sitting unopened at my house - Christmas morning was over-ridden by what seems to be the usual fantabulous luck The Hub and I have had this past year, so kiddo got her gifts, but I was going to open mine when I got home that evening - only to get snowed in at Mom's. Stayed here Saturday too as The Hub called with more "the only constant is change" type of news and I...ummm...purged all day and the snow continued to fall and drift. So...assuming I go home tonight, I'll post later.

No apology needed! I am sorry your Xmas has been so stressful. Take it easy and when you get to it, you get to it.

[Madalive]

We have received the wonderful Christmas package of local goodies from nlkdavid

We received mill ground corn meal, two salsas (red and green Vidalia)

A bunch of stuff that will was used on Christmas morning at breakfast time

Black Berry syrup
Buck wheat pancake/waffle mix
Honey
And Cow and Pig pancake molds/cookie cutters

And best of all homemade gingerbread (better then my wife’s grandmother) and fudge that the only reason we have any left is that the large pieces are individually wrapped.

We’ll try the popcorn Friday next when we all sit down and watch a movie as a family.






for review we'll start and end with "the best pancake I've ever eaten" as reported by our five year old, as she bit the head off her cow shaped buckwheat pancke, This was quickly followed by her sister eating her pig shape pancake headfirst.

[Kathy]

As I stated earlier, Charlene was my gifter. She did an awesome job this year! I did open her box on Christmas day, but because of the blizzard we were hit with, did not spend any time on the computer...I was shoveling 3-4 feet of snow-go figure!



Charlene and I have pm'd but she requested I respond here as well...

Since she lives in the beautiful state of Florida, all her gifts were local treasures. I got key lime juice, which I can hardly wait to use. Some dressings and marinades which are anxiously waiting for the grill to be dug out. Some orange cookie mix, orange bubble gum, candied orange sticks(some in chocolate!) and an alligator stick. The alligator stick was the first to go and my 10 year old son loved it, but it was too spicy for the 6 year old daughter. Hubby and I of course wish there was more for it was gone too quickly. The homemade cookies were delish!

The non foodie items were a box of wooden matches (I collect wooden matches) and Charlene had NO idea I collect them. I told her it was a sign from somewhere to send those in the box. She also sent a collectable iron "shot" from a sunken ship. It's really cool because you can tell it's spent a lot of time at the bottom of the ocean. My son thought it was "pretty neat". In 10 year old speak-that rocks!

Charlene was a fantastic gifter and made my 4th exchange wonderful. I look forward to it again next year!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Kathy

[bnsdad]

Do to our recent inclimate weather here in the midwest, I received my wonderful package from Vickatina yesterday...What wonderful gifts that she had thought of and planned. From the tender and flaky pen (she knows) to sweet and heat chocolates, and some plain old heat (WOW) which has a name I cannot repeat.....some wonderfull bamboo utensils to some great apple butter...I will enjoy them all and was one of the best gifts I received this year.. thank you Vickatina...

[KittyFixer]

Maria-
Thanks for sharing. I'll send the cookie recipes along to my family so they can try them too.
The chocolates were definitely not past prime! In fact, the one I sampled last night tasted as if it was made that day. All I can say is WOW! That was one of the best chocs I've ever had- including the very chi-chi Vosges truffle store in Las Vegas (we treat ourselves when out on the town). Smooth, incredible flavor, not overly sweet, and good distinction between the chocolate and the coconut. I highly recommend them to everyone, and am plotting a stop in the store in case we ever make it to KC!
Thanks again, and Happy New Year (hope the hub is ok! you didn't say)
--Hillary, aka KittyFixer

[vickatina]

Do to our recent inclimate weather here in the midwest, I received my wonderful package from Vickatina yesterday...What wonderful gifts that she had thought of and planned. From the tender and flaky pen (she knows) to sweet and heat chocolates, and some plain old heat (WOW) which has a name I cannot repeat.....some wonderfull bamboo utensils to some great apple butter...I will enjoy them all and was one of the best gifts I received this year.. thank you Vickatina...

You're very welcome! It was fun picking out gifts!

And, as promised in my previous post..pics of my new utensils (complete with bellybuttons and buttcracks!)

[missimessi]

I finally broke down and opened my goodies from the second box from BonBon. I had planned to do it with the little one, since he has a present as well, but he's not going to be home for awhile. I needed a distraction!

I got a boatload of loot! My kitchen is done in cows, so I recieved cow cocoa, cow brownie mix, an awesome mooing cow pen, cow socks, and a lovely cow picture frame. That's all I can remember, but I may be overlooking something. I'll post a pic when Robby opens his gift.

[haleoalau]

Better late than never - pics to follow since I'm on a borrowed laptop.

I mentioned in an earlier thread that I received some of the toffee that Whisk fixed. I'm slowly working my way through it - both savoring and to not throw my sugar readings for a loop.

I am now the very grateful owner of a few kitchen implements that I sorely needed, but kept putting off purchasing for myself: salad spinner, new set of spatulas (including a spoonula, YAY!!), and silicon mat. There was also the cutest little whisk - a chicken egg in a santa hat and red barn/cowbell Christmas ornament (both of which may remain out the whole year - if only to remind me that not ALL of 2009 sucked).

oh! and the card not only contained a loverly and humorous Christmas poem detailing my gifts, but a very yummy looking marshmallow recipe - straight into the recipe binder that little gem went, let me assure you.

Thank you again,
Maria

[haleoalau]

Maria-
Thanks for sharing. I'll send the cookie recipes along to my family so they can try them too.
The chocolates were definitely not past prime! In fact, the one I sampled last night tasted as if it was made that day. All I can say is WOW! That was one of the best chocs I've ever had- including the very chi-chi Vosges truffle store in Las Vegas (we treat ourselves when out on the town). Smooth, incredible flavor, not overly sweet, and good distinction between the chocolate and the coconut. I highly recommend them to everyone, and am plotting a stop in the store in case we ever make it to KC!
Thanks again, and Happy New Year (hope the hub is ok! you didn't say)
--Hillary, aka KittyFixer

Wow! That's awesome. If they were still that good almost 2 weeks later, I can only imagine how good they must have been the day I purchased them. I'm already planning on going back when Mike gets home to treat him and pick up some of the coffee for him to take to wherever we move next.

They do ship - and they sell out of a shop there in DC, probably their pre-packaged collections. http://www.elbowchocolates.com/

The Hub is fine - just frustrated and tired. There was a change of command and even though his R&R was canceled and he hasn't taken any leave (and won't be) he's not sure his request for early departure based on no leave (and his staffs and medics support of my high risk pregnancy) will be approved. Thus - we have spent the last week purging ourselves of the hope he'll be home in time and finally wrapping our heads around the fact that he'll probably miss Tiny's arrival. *shrug* Life of a military spouse, or so I'm being reminded....

[indybear]

I've survived our Christmas, my family's Christmas, his family's Christmas and a killer upper respiratory infection each, I'm finally here to report on my WONDERFUL gift package from Sockpuppet!

It was a datil pepper Christmas! Datils are primarily grown in the St. Augustine, FL, area, which is Sockpuppet's hometown. They're as hot as a jalapeno but a little sweeter. My package has a tub of datil peanuts, Dat'l Do-It Hot Sauce and Datil Dew bread and butter pickles.

She also sent Jalapeno Tangerine Jam from Stewart's Market and Apricot-Pepper Jam from the Gilded Gourmet, both of which I can't wait to try with some cream cheese and crackers. There's also a jar of Pumpkin-Pecan Butter that should be awesome on toast!

There's also a bottle of barbecue sauce from "The Pig", which has been serving barbecue in St. Augustine for more than 50 years! Dave is talking about doing some pulled pork (as soon as some of the snow melts) and I really look forward to trying the sauce - Sockpuppet says it's very unique (and even good on Fritos )

She also sent Beyond Grits and Gravy: The South's All-Time Favorite Recipes, and I've already picked out the first recipe I want to try - Shrimp Stew. There's a Chicken and Dumplings recipe that looks awesome, too!

Thanks for all the local goodies, Michelle! Your package will ensure that I have a hot and tasty New Year!

[sockpuppet]

I'm glad you survived the holidays. Yikes upper resp infections are no fun! I hope you enjoy everything. Happy New Year!

Sock

[Rockford 10]

I've finally found some time to post a picture off my lovely gift from ajkdvm. I would have loved to post a picture of everything, but most everything else is gone from the gift! But, this is the most impressive and exciting, and it's still available for my use.



I can't wait to start making something with my new fantastic vanilla! Thanks so much - this is great!!!

[okbye]

Is everyone accounted for? It's been almost 2 weeks since there was a post.

[TessB]

Norm was my giftee, Thanks Norm, He sent me a new cookbook, there's some recipes that I'm interested in trying already and one of AB's good eats videos which will come in handy especially since Cablevision and Scripps still haven't come to terms yet Thanks again Norm and Sam!!!!!!!!!!