Farmhouse Diner: Epic Pork BBQ

I have a treat in store for you.


I've been busy in the kitchen the last couple days.


It's epic.


It's something I've been meaning to share with you for a long time now, and I finally getting around to it.


It's worth waiting for, you just never knew you were waiting for it.


Did you?

All I am sayin' is that you should avail yourself of the opportunity to buy a pork shoulder roast (or two) and prepare to be creatin' some pork BBQ that rivals Bubba's, or Piggy's or Famous Dave's, or...well, anybody's.

I thought long and hard about sharing this recipe.  I mean, I treasure it.  And, if I ever open my restaurant (someday) it's going to be a specialty.  

And this recipe fits right in to my red and white gingham dream of happy chatter, the smell of freshly-brewed coffee, a bell on the front door, and clanging plates and people saying: 

"Is.  That.  Ever.  Good."

But then, I remembered that someone was kind enough to share it with me.  So, freely I shall give.

But that's next week.

I just wanted you to get a gander at what it is you haven't known you were missing all of your life.

Is your mouth watering yet?

Royal Wedding: Blabbity, Blabbity

This is the best I can do... I know, so irreverent.

((Whispering behind our hands))


((You know, we are related to the Royal Family through the gardener:  illegitimately, of course.  We know this little secret, and I am quite sure that they do not.  Otherwise, the Royal Family would be all over us and would have been scrambling to invite us to the wedding.  After all, we look just as about as good in our hats as they do.))

Creative Uses for Vintage Finds: Counter Top Compost Pail

In the category of Creative Uses for Vintage Finds, I bring you a solution. It's a problem I have solved that was an ugly annoying one for me.  You might have the same problem ... where to keep your peelings, coffee grinds, and other items useful in the compost bin or pile, until it's time to go dump them.  (I usually dump the pail each evening.)

I have and use this cute little porcelain pail.  It is perfect for the counter top--but ONLY until you walk up to it and can see inside...then it's just plain gross.


YUCK.


I didn't want to look at that all day.

I used a (very flat) saucer that just fit the opening, but alas, I needed a handle for the "lid".  There are rounded off saucers that will not work, so make sure the one you choose is as flat as can be.


I bought a little plain white porcelain knob to use as a handle.  They're priced most places between one and two dollars.  

Have you ever used Gorilla Glue?  I have, it's AWESOME!  


("Have you ever cleaned up after alpacas?  I have, it's AWESOME!" 
-- LOVE that Stanley Steemer commercial.)


Gorilla Glue is super strong and works on almost any material, and works well.  


I dabbed some on the center of the plate, and also onto the knob and bonded them together, then let it sit for several hours, before actually using the lid on the pail.


Works swell!

Two minutes, start to finish.

Now my little compost pail looks pretty put together and it hides all the eggshells, coffee grounds, and potato peelings that are so unsightly and no one wants to see.


It looks right at home in the farmhouse kitchen.  If you can find and put a pail and a small plate or a saucer together, this is as easy as pie!


What, you ask, are we using our compost for?  For our potato patch, we need lots of dirt to cover the root areas of our potatoes for a good crop.  


We recently bought one of those compost bins that sit up on legs.  It's round like a barrel that lays on its side, and when you add anything to it, you turn the barrel.  I will let you know if this works out well or not.  We haven't had it long enough to know yet what happens.  


But that's the reason for my little bucket!


**Jamie and her family are fine, but there is destruction all around them in Alabama.  Prayers--and help, are needed for the people in the south, over a hundred tornadoes just yesterday.  


Samaritan's Purse is accepting donations for the storm victims in the south today...go here if you'd like to help.  The damage is huge.

Atop a Mountain...

We took Levi to the top of Round Top Mountain in Huntsville, Alabama for an afternoon while we were there the first week of April.


Spring is a beautiful time to go, any season up there, really is beautiful.

This was the perfect outing for him, not too long, a beautiful day, and enough for him to see to keep his interest--of course, he loves being outside, so it was a delight.

Look around with me, and enjoy this tiny turn of the century village, and living museum...Burritt on the Mountain.

Of course, Levi loved the farm animals.  And we enjoyed showing him!  For a ten-month-old, he is very aware, alert, and curious.

Something about this place is so quiet, peaceful, and relaxing. 


Beautiful views, old buildings all around us, and animals and farm buildings to lend it all the feel of actually being in an old town.

(Check out those adorable little elbow dimples!)

Such a joy to walk around on a beautiful sunny spring day, and enjoy the mountain top views.  This mountain view allows us to look for miles:  Huntsville and beyond.

Out there in the haze we could see the Space and Rocket Center.

My beautiful daughter, her son....and the unborn baby, too!

(This tender moment stole my heart.)

The best part of going places with family....being TOGETHER!

A Bright Easter...

This was my first Easter at home with the new color scheme in the main area of our farmhouse.  Before, Easter was always a pastel table.

It was a challenge to set the table with these colors, but thanks to some bright daffodils, we brought spring inside and had a bright and very beautiful setting...


...and although more casual than what I once would have done, I enjoyed the ease and simplicity.

Who knew daffodils were so aromatic?  I'd never cut any of my own to bring in for the table before--I will do more cutting, they are wonderful.  (And, I thought they looked right at home with the little chicken.)

Our dinner after church was the traditional one of ham (a wonderful one from the neighbor's hog!) and all the fixin's....the best part?  

Leftovers.  

:0)

Bright skies and sunshine and warm temps were here for Saturday, which was absolutely wonderful.  For Sunday, we had mild temps and clouds, which I'll take--anything is better than dark, damp and cold like's it's been for two weeks!

How was your Easter?