Seventh Annual Secret Santa!

[surferguy]

Doug Fir has a message for Nyah

Rumor has it as that Sunday night you should expect a delivery!

[csnarpy]

Originally Posted by surferguy

Doug Fir has a message for Csnarpy

“Could you please confirm if csnarpy will be available on Thursday or Friday to check their doorstep?”

FYI. We looked and have not seen anything show up. Want to make sure you didn’t get the wrong house…

[surferguy]

I’ll wait and see if I hear anything backstage

[surferguy]

Doug Fir has a message for Bonded

“Reminder to Bonded to expect a delivery tomorrow afternoon. If they have a time preference, please post here. Otherwise Santa's sleigh will be there around 2-3ish.”

[surferguy]

Doug Fir has a message for YouNeedAThneed

Sounds like Santa should be swooping in Sunday morning for a door drop!

[surferguy]

I returned home today after an afternoon screening of Christmas Vacation (possibly the best film ever made) to find this tucked away in my mailbox!

Sorry I missed you today Santa, would have been nice to say hello.

This will now be under my tree until Christmas morning!

Thanks Santa!

[surferguy]

Doug Fir has a message for YouNeedAThneed

I’m being told Santa has made good on his contract. Check your front door!

[surferguy]

Doug Fir has a message for Csnarpy

Elves had a work disruption earlier this week, things have been resolved allowing Santa to make his drop. Check your front door!

[activeStick]

I couldn't wait until Christmas because I had to pick up one of my 3 gifts last weekend and needed to use it soon after I picked it up. My Secret Santa contacted me as they realized that we had a similar passion in cooking and wine, so asked me a few more questions that lead to their very generous gifts!

Part 1 - asked me the kind of wine I enjoy and shortly after told me to pick up 3 bottles of red at an LCBO near me. Very clear instructions - don't drink it yet, wait for part 2 and 3! This was harder than you'd imagine!

Part 2 - asked me to go pick up some lamb merguez sausage from my regular butcher here in Toronto in Kensington Market. Picked it up last weekend but knew I'd have to use them soon-ish.

Part 3 - grabbed all of the ingredients in the recipe that was typed out and sent to me by Secret Santa, which also came with a gift card from my neighborhood Loblaws.

Had a date over, she brought over some oysters which we (I) shucked. There was too much of the sausage for the pizza, so I used the rest for a fusilli pasta salad (with some of the olives from Secret Santa, basil, chives, parsley, yellow and orange peppers, sun dried tomatoes, olive oil).

Star of the night though was making pizza myself for the first time. Very fun to make and came out AMAZING. Eggplant, kale, olives, lamb merguez sausage meat balls, fresh mozzarella, manchego cheese shavings on top after. Paired amazingly with the recommended wine, the Carmenere from Chile. Was so good, me and my date finished the bottle and opened and had some of the Pasqua Passimento, which was also great!

Thank you, Lumby Lager! I had so much fun on this adventure and I have saved these wines now to my list to buy regularly!! Thanks to you I also successfully made pizza on my first try! Only thing I would do differently next time is use less of the mozzarella cheese lol. I did not follow your instructions which said I wouldn't need that much of the fresh mozzarella because I love cheese and ended up putting too much LOL. Was still awesome, just very filling hahhaa.

Thanks again Lumby Lager! So amazingly generous of you. Merry Christmas! Photos in spoilers below!

Spoiler!

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by activeStick

I couldn't wait until Christmas because I had to pick up one of my 3 gifts last weekend and needed to use it soon after I picked it up. My Secret Santa contacted me as they realized that we had a similar passion in cooking and wine, so asked me a few more questions that lead to their very generous gifts!

Part 1 - asked me the kind of wine I enjoy and shortly after told me to pick up 3 bottles of red at an LCBO near me. Very clear instructions - don't drink it yet, wait for part 2 and 3! This was harder than you'd imagine!

Part 2 - asked me to go pick up some lamb merguez sausage from my regular butcher here in Toronto in Kensington Market. Picked it up last weekend but knew I'd have to use them soon-ish.

Part 3 - grabbed all of the ingredients in the recipe that was typed out and sent to me by Secret Santa, which also came with a gift card from my neighborhood Loblaws.

Had a date over, she brought over some oysters which we (I) shucked. There was too much of the sausage for the pizza, so I used the rest for a fusilli pasta salad (with some of the olives from Secret Santa, basil, chives, parsley, yellow and orange peppers, sun dried tomatoes, olive oil).

Star of the night though was making pizza myself for the first time. Very fun to make and came out AMAZING. Eggplant, kale, olives, lamb merguez sausage meat balls, fresh mozzarella, manchego cheese shavings on top after. Paired amazingly with the recommended wine, the Carmenere from Chile. Was so good, me and my date finished the bottle and opened and had some of the Pasqua Passimento, which was also great!

Thank you, Lumby Lager! I had so much fun on this adventure and I have saved these wines now to my list to buy regularly!! Thanks to you I also successfully made pizza on my first try! Only thing I would do differently next time is use less of the mozzarella cheese lol. I did not follow your instructions which said I wouldn't need that much of the fresh mozzarella because I love cheese and ended up putting too much LOL. Was still awesome, just very filling hahhaa.

Thanks again Lumby Lager! So amazingly generous of you. Merry Christmas! Photos in spoilers below!

Spoiler!

Looks amazing! That Petite Petite is my wife’s all-time favourite.

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by edslunch

Looks amazing! That Petite Petite is my wife’s all-time favourite.

Oh yeah, eh? I haven't opened that yet! Saving that for a prime rib roast I'll be making for Christmas!

Sent from my SM-S916W using Tapatalk

[jayswin]

As a fellow cheese guy I would argue that you should change "too much mozzarella" to "not enough" . But other than that it looks amazing!

edit: I know what you mean though, when preparing it just feels right to keep adding more. Actually the best advice I got from a video on making homemade pizza and adding your favorite tasting toppings of the bunch was "when adding something you love like cheese or sauce keep going until it feels like there's almost enough and stop there!". What we think is almost enough tends to actually be the right amount.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by activeStick

I couldn't wait until Christmas because I had to pick up one of my 3 gifts last weekend and needed to use it soon after I picked it up. My Secret Santa contacted me as they realized that we had a similar passion in cooking and wine, so asked me a few more questions that lead to their very generous gifts!

Part 1 - asked me the kind of wine I enjoy and shortly after told me to pick up 3 bottles of red at an LCBO near me. Very clear instructions - don't drink it yet, wait for part 2 and 3! This was harder than you'd imagine!

Part 2 - asked me to go pick up some lamb merguez sausage from my regular butcher here in Toronto in Kensington Market. Picked it up last weekend but knew I'd have to use them soon-ish.

Part 3 - grabbed all of the ingredients in the recipe that was typed out and sent to me by Secret Santa, which also came with a gift card from my neighborhood Loblaws.

Had a date over, she brought over some oysters which we (I) shucked. There was too much of the sausage for the pizza, so I used the rest for a fusilli pasta salad (with some of the olives from Secret Santa, basil, chives, parsley, yellow and orange peppers, sun dried tomatoes, olive oil).

Star of the night though was making pizza myself for the first time. Very fun to make and came out AMAZING. Eggplant, kale, olives, lamb merguez sausage meat balls, fresh mozzarella, manchego cheese shavings on top after. Paired amazingly with the recommended wine, the Carmenere from Chile. Was so good, me and my date finished the bottle and opened and had some of the Pasqua Passimento, which was also great!

Thank you, Lumby Lager! I had so much fun on this adventure and I have saved these wines now to my list to buy regularly!! Thanks to you I also successfully made pizza on my first try! Only thing I would do differently next time is use less of the mozzarella cheese lol. I did not follow your instructions which said I wouldn't need that much of the fresh mozzarella because I love cheese and ended up putting too much LOL. Was still awesome, just very filling hahhaa.

Thanks again Lumby Lager! So amazingly generous of you. Merry Christmas! Photos in spoilers below!

Spoiler!

Ohhh....wine, pasta and oysters...when is dinner and may I attend? Turkey gets tedious...

[Bonded]

Ah, too bad I missed my secret Santa. I got hung up at the mall. Amazing gift, I would have had them in for a beer. As someone who also travels a lot for work I love trying the local beer and whiskeys. I’ll compile a review list of the beers.

Thanks!!!

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by jayswin

As a fellow cheese guy I would argue that you should change "too much mozzarella" to "not enough" . But other than that it looks amazing!



edit: I know what you mean though, when preparing it just feels right to keep adding more. Actually the best advice I got from a video on making homemade pizza and adding your favorite tasting toppings of the bunch was "when adding something you love like cheese or sauce keep going until it feels like there's almost enough and stop there!". What we think is almost enough tends to actually be the right amount.

And just in case people are confused from the photo of the pizza before I put it in the oven, there's actually a lot more fresh mozzarella under the toppings lol. What you see on top isn't all of it LOLOL.

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by Locke

Ohhh....wine, pasta and oysters...when is dinner and may I attend? Turkey gets tedious...

If you come to Toronto....

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by surferguy

Doug Fir has a message for YouNeedAThneed

I’m being told Santa has made good on his contract. Check your front door!

Received!

[Nyah]

Originally Posted by surferguy

Doug Fir has a message for Nyah

Rumor has it as that Sunday night you should expect a delivery!

Received, and it's under the tree! Thanks Secret Santa

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by surferguy

Doug Fir has a message for TheScorpion

“Any blocks of days that work/do not work around Christmas for delivery?”

Your Santa has also asked for a bit more information in the likes section of the questionnaire.

.

Sorry, totally missed this, been so busy at work. Tomorrow would not work but any day, any time after that is probably fine.

As far as requests go ... I like tech stuff, I like going to movies (passes?), I like the Flames a lot, I love to travel ... don't know if this helps? I'm really open to anything

Edit: The movie passes they sell at Costco are pretty sweet. Especially the Landmark ones. Great for date nights. Just an idea for a card stuffer type thing. Or maybe a Flames hoodie/jacket or something? Idk

[jayswin]

Oooooh letting him know what you like with 1.5 insanely busy shopping days left. I feel The Scorpion joined this year to troll someone.