(Discussion) Secret Santa 2013 is coming soon!

[SOSRedAlertSOS]

Sure, Sure! First off, my way is certainly not the end all/be all! Emeril Lagasse's wife, Alden was one of my esthetic clients when I lived in New Orleans, so I I got a lot of good tips from her! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> I always cook my dried red beans in the crock pot..usually for 14-16 hours...the trick is to let the flavor from the sausage meld into the beans...mmm. I usually start my base in a cast iron skillet sautéing diced white onion, bell pepper and garlic in a heart-attack inducing amount of butter. Once translucent, I transfer them into the base of the crock pot, then add my sausage (which I'll cut into medallions and brown first in the same cast iron skillet), the dried beans, a dash (or 4) of Tabasco, TONY CHACERE'S seasoning-lots of it...and extra slices of fresh white onion..then just pop the lid on your crock pot and enjoy the heavenly aroma that will inevitably fill your entire house! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> Oh! And be sure to make a pawn of fresh sweet cornbread to serve with them! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

My god, I'm seriously over here drooling! There is literally nothing I love more than cornbread. I would eat it for every meal, always and forever!

 

[kawaiiwoofs]

Quote: Originally Posted by meaganola /img/forum/go_quote.gif

After Santa season is over, can we have an Endless Summer Camp thread? This one is going to max out one of these days (I think the maximum post count is 5000, and we're past 4500 in here already!), and we clearly need a thread like this!
I know!! I never want this thread to end /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[heath67013]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tiffany27la /img/forum/go_quote.gif



Sure, Sure! First off, my way is certainly not the end all/be all! Emeril Lagasse's wife, Alden was one of my esthetic clients when I lived in New Orleans, so I I got a lot of good tips from her!

I always cook my dried red beans in the crock pot..usually for 14-16 hours...the trick is to let the flavor from the sausage meld into the beans...mmm. I usually start my base in a cast iron skillet sautéing diced white onion, bell pepper and garlic in a heart-attack inducing amount of butter. Once translucent, I transfer them into the base of the crock pot, then add my sausage (which I'll cut into medallions and brown first in the same cast iron skillet), the dried beans, a dash (or 4) of Tabasco, TONY CHACERE'S seasoning-lots of it...and extra slices of fresh white onion..then just pop the lid on your crock pot and enjoy the heavenly aroma that will inevitably fill your entire house!

Oh! And be sure to make a pawn of fresh sweet cornbread to serve with them!

Yum!!!!! I wish I could fast forward the 14-16 hours!!!

Do you ever use ham in yours? I was looking at different recipes and a lot of them had ham.

 

[lioness90]

I mailed off my SS gift! It should be there Friday!

I'm trying to decide if I want to send her the tracking # through an elf...are people still doing that?

Sorry I fell way behind in this thread..

 

[heath67013]

Quote: Originally Posted by KellyKaye /img/forum/go_quote.gif


I want you to teach me your ways too! I love Cajun food! My dad had family who lived in New Orleans and they taught him how to make gumbo and all types of creole delights. Man, I miss living at home.

Gumbo sounds good too!! I need to find a good recipe for that too. I love cooking. It relaxes me. I think I read cookbooks like people read magazines.

 

[kawaiiwoofs]

Quote: Originally Posted by lioness90 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  I mailed off my SS gift! It should be there Friday!

I'm trying to decide if I want to send her the tracking # through an elf...are people still doing that?

Sorry I fell way behind in this thread..
yup! people are! I got a couple tracking elf requests today /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Dear SS:

I'm kinda weird and paranoid about my mail being stolen. Please use a tracking elf or keep a sharp eye on it.

xoxo

Jess

 

[missemiee]

Getting so antsy to mail- but I can't as I'm still waiting on goodies. And can I just vent a little? I was born and raised in tx and literally never dealt with snow- not real snow (one time it sorta...powdered and stuck for like, ten minutes!). I'm in Utah now- and there is easily a foot of snow that happened in like, 4 hours. My minivan of doom can't get up my driveway! I'm pretty sure I can't get my daughter from her bus stop (beginning of our "community"- so a little bit of a drive from the house) so I'm hoping my husband can drive all the way up here in the 4-wheel-drive and get her ...and then go back to work. Lame. Also- and I get it and don't blame them at all- but FedEx and ups can't come up here because of the stupid snow so they are leaving my stuff (and my santees stuff!) somewhere down the mountain. I certainly hope I find it/it's ok/I can dig my van out of the snow to actually go get it soon. Ugh. In summary, kcuf snow!

I'm in Colorado. We got a ton of snow last night and into today, it all came so fast! It was like 50 something degrees all day yesterday and then the temp dropped like 40 degrees within a matter of hours. Craziness. Getting to work today wasn't fun. Apparently snow plows didn't make it out, because nothing was plowed at all.

 

[tulosai]

Quote: Originally Posted by usofjessamerica /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  I know!! I never want this thread to end /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />
Also agree!!! I really do hope we actually do a spring break exchange too... I already have ideas for that muhahahaha.

 

[bluelion]

I got a PM from acting elf tulosai and I just wanted to let my Santa know that I did receive your package. I believe it arrived either Friday or Saturday, but I didn't get my hands on it till this past Sunday. I am planning to wait until Christmas before opening it, so I hope that's okay. Other than your state and last name, I'm still not sure who you are yet, but I will DEFINITELY be posting in the Reveal thread and reaching out to you after I open it. My sincere apologies if I made you worry by not posting sooner! This thread has sped up so quickly that I haven't been able to catch up with all the posts yet. But be assured that I got it, and I am so excited!

 

[missemiee]

Yesssss! Let's sooooo do that!

 

[FormosaHoney]

Quote: Originally Posted by utgal2004 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  So my car dealership just told me that the flat tire I had over thanksgiving weekend doesn't just require a new tire.  I also bent the wheel so badly I need a new one of those too.  With labor, the estimate was $887.  

 Guy told me to go to a discount place and just buy 4 new wheels that aren't from the manufacturer to save money.  My first instinct was to cry.  Then I was cursing the streets of Houston for so many potholes, one of which I hit.  But then, I decided to go to Walgreens where I knew they were having beauty clearance and instead bought my Santees more presents.  Somehow that made it feel a little better...
That sound really fishy.  One tire and wheel for $887?  Can you get a second opinion?  What kind of car is it?

I did the same but I have a VW Beetle and it was't cheap but holy cow.  It was time for new tires so I got 4 from Costco for ~$700 and researched and learned that a new wheel runs $250, so I had that knowledge to renegotiate my bill.  I think they took 1.5 hour labor for around $100.  This was at a dealership in NY!

Can you bring a male friend with you?

 

[FormosaHoney]

Quote: Originally Posted by tulosai /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Also agree!!! I really do hope we actually do a spring break exchange too... I already have ideas for that muhahahaha.
Oh yes yes yes.  I second that!!

 

[lioness90]

Quote: Originally Posted by usofjessamerica /img/forum/go_quote.gif  
yup! people are! I got a couple tracking elf requests today /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Dear SS:

I'm kinda weird and paranoid about my mail being stolen. Please use a tracking elf or keep a sharp eye on it.

xoxo

Jess


Mind if I send you a tracking elf request?

 

[kawaiiwoofs]

Quote: Originally Posted by lioness90 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Mind if I send you a tracking elf request?
yeah! everyone should!

 

[slinka]

After Santa season is over, can we have an Endless Summer Camp thread? This one is going to max out one of these days (I think the maximum post count is 5000, and we're past 4500 in here already!), and we clearly need a thread like this!

There's a max? Only ask since The sephora thread is gonna be at 7000 sooner than later =p

 

[utgal2004]

That sound really fishy.  One tire and wheel for $887?  Can you get a second opinion?  What kind of car is it? I did the same but I have a VW Beetle and it was't cheap but holy cow.  It was time for new tires so I got 4 from Costco for ~$700 and researched and learned that a new wheel runs $250, so I had that knowledge to renegotiate my bill.  I think they took 1.5 hour labor for around $100.  This was at a dealership in NY! Can you bring a male friend with you?

Yea seemed excessive to me too. It's a VW Jetta so not that different than your beetle. Going to take boyfriend to some of the discount places with me. I don't really care if I have "Volkswagen" wheels. Thanks for the input!

 

[chelsealady]

Also agree!!! I really do hope we actually do a spring break exchange too... I already have ideas for that muhahahaha.

Spring, then a summer holiday, back to school. According to my DH I have enough stuff to do at least three or four more.

 

[missemiee]

Yea seemed excessive to me too. It's a VW Jetta so not that different than your beetle. Going to take boyfriend to some of the discount places with me. I don't really care if I have "Volkswagen" wheels. Thanks for the input!

I have a Jetta too and I need a whole new set of tires, mine are so bad. Today, driving in the snow to work was very not fun, was sliding everywhere like an idiot. I had the VW dealership give me a quote for a new set back when I got my 40,000 mile service back in August and I feel like it was close to $700 for the very cheapest set. So yeah what they want for one tire and wheel is INSANE!!

 

[utgal2004]

I have a Jetta too and I need a whole new set of tires, mine are so bad. Today, driving in the snow to work was very not fun, was sliding everywhere like an idiot. I had the VW dealership give me a quote for a new set back when I got my 40,000 mile service back in August and I feel like it was close to $700 for the very cheapest set. So yeah what they want for one tire and wheel is INSANE!!

I'm so glad I posted about this instead of just sucking it up and paying them! Thanks ladies! I vaguely remember when I got the car that I had special wheels and tires as part of the special package for diesel Jettas and I forgot that.

 

[ttanner2005]

Santee, Your package is ready to go out tomorrow. If I can finish the letter to you.