*I Cook Barefooted!* ~ Summer Pork BBQ

Barefoot Love!

April Showers Bring Summer Barbeque!

I saw my first firefly of the season tonight.
They lit out over the yard; pint-sized orbs of light just out of reach.
It's early. April, ya know.
I'm not ready.
We're still busy gearing up for baseball season,
cleaning out gutters, tilling the garden, making way for Spring... 
singing, "Adios, Winter! It was nice knowing ya! Don't be so shy next year!"


But, Summer is practically on our doorstep.
Ready or not, Here it comes!
Cool green grass and kids running with jars across the lawn.
It makes my mouth water just thinking about what's cooking in the kitchen!


Fresh Squeezed Lemonade
Homemade Potato Salad
(with the skins on!)
Devilish Eggs
Roasted Ears of Corn and Asparagus
Fresh Fruit Salad
Sweet Cornbread 
(with honey butter)
 Homemade Salsa
Fruit Pies and Cobblers
Marshmallows on a stick
and
Sweet and Spicy Summer Barbeque!

Well maybe, 
just maybe...
I am ready.
***
 
 
☮

Summer Pork BBQ

2 boneless pork loin roasts

1 cup of water

2 tsp. salt

2 cups ketchup

1/3 cup steak sauce

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup vinegar

2 tsp. lemon juice

Cook roasts in crock pot on medium low heat,

till tender and falling apart.

Sprinkle roasts with salt.

Add water.

Shred with fork and set aside.

Skim fat and drain all but 1 cup of broth.

Add meat back to pot, along with

ketchup, steak sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and lemon juice.

Cover and cook again over medium low heat for 1 to 2 hours.

Serve on kaiser rolls.

You want reviews?

How 'bout...

"That'll do. That'll do."

How 'bout You?
Have a recipe you want to share on 
*I Cook Barefooted!*?
Show some Barefoot Love and...
Send it here:  scarlettcolleen@yahoo.com 
Want to include a photo? Fun!


What's on your table?

“Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions.

All life is an experiment.”

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

 *Barefoot Love*Airbrush By, Colleen 
2012

*Life is in the journey!* ~ The Wings of Life

♥

Life's Inspirational Valiant Endeavors

~ The Wings of Life ~

 

 

 

 

"A Love Story That Feeds The Earth"

We, in our attempts to keep our children safe, 

our own bodies relatively free of painful venom and mad dashes to the ER, 

our lawns immaculate,

and our homes, literally, from falling in around us,

have become accustomed to guilt-free, justifiable extermination.

 

I will be the first to admit,

 my number one priority on my Spring Cleaning list is 

to stock up on Wasp, Hornet and Ant spray!

There is no love lost there, nor really, blink of an eye. 

I'll step over an ant hill in my front yard...

"Live and Let Live", I preach to my kids,

taking a knee for further investigation and awe.

I'll shoo a wasp out the back rather than swat them into oblivion

as they stumble indoors, effectively dazed from the Spring thaw.

I'll even show the appropriate amount of respect for the tenacity of a yellow jacket,

having arrived at the watering can first, waiting patiently for him to move on.

But...

(and Behold the Underlying Truth)

 by the time the dog days of Summer arrive

and the little tiny ant army has set up camp on my kitchen counters,

and those confused little wasps have begun an all out attack

on any human body part waving about the water's edge of our pool...

and that lone, thirsty, insignificant little yellow jacket

has laid claim to that hole in the ground beneath the Redbud tree,

all jacked up on hummingbird nectar 

and hanging out on the corner with his no good warrior-ing friends...

Well then, the kid gloves come off!

 

Even those pesky little honey bees are obnoxious

with their cute little fuzzy butt stingers,

 and their super sweet golden honey,

and their unnaturally industrious work habits.

 

I mean, whichever one of those little over-achievers

 came up with the genius marketing ploy 

to Save The Earth One Flower At a Time...

well, maybe they should rethink their strategy of World Domination.

  

Who needs flowers anyway?

And all-natural sugar in a cute little plastic bear... who needs that?

And pollination, 

And protecting 1/3 of our world community's food resources...

Yeah. Who needs that? 

 

Why should I have to wear shoes in my own backyard?

I'm hopscotching my way, barefooted, around the clover

to get to the clothes line and the garden and the mailbox!

It's a wee bit ridiculous, don't ya think, 

worrying over mowing twice a week,

and all to save the cute little bees and the cute little environment?

Who needs the environment?

Ummmm... yeah.

 

I'm having to think twice about spraying my roses and my lawn with pesticides.

And now, 

in addition to feeding the hummingbirds and songbirds, 

and keeping the squirrels busy with ears of corn on a stick,

I have to be picky about the plants I choose to plant in my flower garden.

Why should I care about planting 

to conserve our water resources or feeding the starving bees? 

It's just not right.

Right?

 

Now... C'mon.

( I remind my bad habits, my melodramatic tendencies, my inborn traditions...)

Where's the love for our planet, for our future?

Seriously, how hard can it be 

(pun intended)

to pour a little milk on your roses to cure black rot and other mildew,

or soapy dish water on aphids and Japanese beetles and slugs and spider mites,

or to simply ask to see the *Native* flowers section in your local nursery

to cut down on the need for watering, 

while also providing the most beneficial flowers for your bees?

Where's the hard in that?

 

We can all stand to take a closer look this year at how we're harming... or helping.

The simple truth is... 

We *Need* Bees

and

Bees *Need* We... The People!

So, look into your heart and your garden sprays

and see what you can do about saving the little Bees knees!

 

Want to Build a Bee House?

 

Want to Plant for Pollinators?

 

Want to join your world community in doing your share?

Well then, take a look at:

 

The White House

'Do It Yourself Pest Control'

 

Louie Schwartzberg,

the award-winning, cinematographer, director and producer of 

"Wings of Life"

and see what he has to say about "rediscovering your sense of wonder".

     

And when you've found it...

Don't stop there. Please. 

What's "Easy", isn't always what's Right.

*YOU* 

Can make a difference!

Wisdom, Honor & Passion 

My Friends!


"The best way out is always through."
~ Robert Frost ~

 

 

*I Cook Barefooted!* ~ White Chocolate Fruit Tart

Barefoot Love!

 Can you feel it?

*Give me an... H*

Kids gettin' restless.

*Give me an... E*

All hopped up on sunshine and daisy chains.

*Give me an... L*

That look in their eyes,

spring in their step,

your money in their back pocket.

Visions of...

summer camp, roller coasters, and swimmin' holes.

*Give me a... P*

*What does that spell?*

SUMMER VACATION!

Yep.

It's right around the corner.

Are YOU ready?
***

The days of hectic class field trips to the zoo, 
followed by picnics in the park
and mom caravans trailing behind school buses 
filled with noisy kids smelling of goat,
have passed for our family.

Our school year's end
is no longer filled with last minute 
homemade Teacher gifts, 
Teacher appreciation snack days
and Teacher hugs.


Once our kids were unleashed 
onto Junior High
children's laughter gaily filtering through the halls
turned a corner somehow, to a raucous 
Game of Thrones;
complete with feuding 'clicks' in the pursuit of power,
tales of frayed loyalties
and general teen-angst carnage.


So, teary-eyed, I find myself this year
bearing no offerings of
White Chocolate Fruit Tarts
for our grade school teachers; 
no glowing faces to greet me in the doorway 
of my child's *other* life; 
no opportunity to simply say, Thank You,
to those people who have helped raise our children.


It's sad leaving their childhood behind. I know.
But standing here now on the other side of that fence...
that cute little play-yard fence...
I can honestly say, watching them as they
learn from their mistakes and grow in their triumphs
 can be just as rewarding now,
in these rascally years
(yep, I said rascally), 
if not more so.



The way I see it,
it's a good thing I shared some Tart Love.

Happy Teachers
make 
Happy Students
make
Happy Parents
make 
Happier Children.


***

Barefoot Love!

☮

White Chocolate Fruit Tart

 

¾ cup butter, softened

½ cup confectioner’s sugar

1 ½  cups flour

1 10 oz. pkg. vanilla baking chips, melted

¼ cup whipping cream

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks, undrained

1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced

1 11 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained

2 kiwi, peeled and sliced

3 Tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. cornstarch

½ tsp. lemon juice

Reserved pineapple juice


***

Cream butter and sugar.

Gradually add flour; mix well.

Press into ungreased 11 inch tart pan or a 12 inch cookie sheet with sides.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or till lightly browned.

Cool. 

Beat chips and whipping cream.,

Add cream cheese and beat till smooth.

Spread over entire crust.

Chill 30 minutes.

Arrange fruit over filling (reserving pineapple juice).

In saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon and pineapple juice.

Boil over medium heat for two minutes or till thickened.

Stir constantly.

Cool.

Brush over top of fruit.

Chill 1 hour.

Store in fridge till ready to eat!

You want reviews?
How 'bout...

“And YOU my dear, get an A!”

 

How 'bout You?
Have a recipe you want to share on 
*I Cook Barefooted!*?
Show some Barefoot Love and...
Send it here:  scarlettcolleen@yahoo.com 
Want to include a photo? Fun!


What's on your table?

“Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions.

All life is an experiment.”

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

 *Barefoot Love*Airbrush By, Colleen 
2012

*I Cook Barefooted!* ~ Devilish Eggs

Barefoot Love!

You know Spring is here when...

that red-checkered vinyl table cloth 

you paid fifty-cents for at that garage sale five summers ago

comes out of the closet again,

along with that fancy wicker picnic basket you always wanted

'cause you were gonna "drive into the city 

to see that FREE Shakespeare in The Park festival 

every weekend in June if it kills us..."  

And then it happens.

What happens you say?

Life. 

Life happens.

And you get all...

"Remember that one time we went to that festival in the park?"

And he gets all...

"Yeah. We suck."

And you get all... 

"Well, that drive-thru is NOT gonna be our home away from home this season!"

And he gets all...

"What's for supper hon?" 

And you get all...

*Sigh*

"I don't know. What do you want?"

And he gets all...

*Sigh*

"I'll pick something up."

And you get all...

"K"

Happy Spring, Life! 

 My lovely friend, IK 
Sharing some Barefoot Love!

 ~ My Blog & Role Fantasy ~

Devilish Eggs ~ Barefoot Love!

☮

Devilish Eggs

*Eggs, a dozen or so, boiled the way your gran'ma taught ya!

*Miracle Whip, approximately 2 Tbsp.

Mustard, approximately 1 Tbsp.

*Sugar, to taste ~ 1 or 2 Tbsp.

Paprika, a shake or two

Boil eggs; peel.

With a sharp knife, cut eggs lengthwise.

Remove the yolk with a small spoon; carefully place in small mixing bowl.

Mix all ingredients, 
EXCEPT the Paprika,
 with a fork into the yolks till smooth.

 Using the small spoon, 
put a nice dollop of your yolk mixture into each egg half.

Sprinkle with Paprika.

Chill till you eat 'em!

*So, here's the thing...

We see A LOT of fresh eggs here at Barefoot Acres!

On a good day, this time of year, we collect 'bout ten a day.

But... if you want your Devilish Eggs 

to turn out pretty (this means intact),

and you don't want to find yourself standing at the kitchen sink cussin' up a storm,

you'd best get yourself some store bought eggs for this dish.

(Check out these egg peeling tips on Jules Clancy's blog, Stone Soup... Awesome!)

*Miracle Whip is a wonderful drug.

 It is NOT mayonnaise!

In my humble opinion, it will always trump Mayo in Devilish Eggs.

*Sugar. 

Go slow on adding this key ingredient!

Too little... and they just won't have that Zing.

Too much... and you'll think you're eating oysters on the half shell!

(Translation: The yolk mixture turns runny and makes a mess.)

You want reviews?
How 'bout...
"Yum! Everybody says so! 
And they ain't lyin'."

Feeling Creative?  
*Check out these Awesome Deviled Eggs recipes!* 

How 'bout You?
Have a recipe you want to share on 
*I Cook Barefooted!*?
Show some Barefoot Love and...
Send it here:  scarlettcolleen@yahoo.com 
Want to include a photo? Fun!

What's on your table?

“Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions.

All life is an experiment.”

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

 *Barefoot Love*Airbrush By, Colleen 
2012

*I Cook Barefooted!* ~ Lil' Cheddar Meatloaf

Barefoot Love!

"MeatLoaf? 
Ew..."

This used to be the reaction my meatloaf, and I, could expect 
when we both plopped down at the supper table, exhausted.
Well, I was exhausted.
My meatloaf recipe was just plain borrr-ing!

My hands,
buried wrist deep in eggs, crackers and cold meat
saw more action with that tired old recipe
than my kid's mouths.

 As a matter of fact,
I am pretty certain it was my old meatloaf recipe
that ushered in our infamous
Green Bean Races! 

Who knew adding a little sugar and oats and cheese

would turn out to be the dinner make-over of the century
in our house!

Meat...
stuffed with cheese
and topped with goodness!
That's what I crave this time of year.
It reminds me of home.

*Home*
with a little sugar on top!


***


☮

Lil' Cheddar Meatloaf

1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. ground beef
2/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. mustard
1/2 cup quick oats

Beat egg and milk. 
Stir in cheese, oats, onion and salt.
Add beef and mix well.
Shape into miniature loaves.
Place on greased 13x9 baking dish.

Combine ketchup, brown sugar and mustard.
Spoon over top of loaves.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

 ***

You want reviews?
This one's for my little girl who turns 16 today!
"Help! I'm being held prisoner by my heredity and environment."

~ Dennis Allen

Happy Birthday, Baby!



How 'bout You?
Have a recipe you want to share on 
*I Cook Barefooted!*?
Show some Barefoot Love and...

Send it here:  scarlettcolleen@yahoo.com 
Want to include a photo? Fun!

What's on your table?

“Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions.

All life is an experiment.”

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

 *Barefoot Love*Airbrush By, Colleen 
2012

*I Cook Barefooted!* ~ Sopapilla Cheesecake

Barefoot Love!

Sopapilla, literally means, 'bread soaked in oil'.

 

Gluttony Meet Heart.

Heart Meet Gluttony.

Enjoy it while it lasts!

I know it's not good for you.

But, that's just not the point here!

*looks over shoulder for any cardiologists in the room* 

Sometimes... and I do mean, SOME times, a little gluttony is good for the soul.

Everything in moderation, I always say...

 except Brussels sprouts and Lima beans, 

but that's just me.

My son introduced us to this sweet and creamy confection a while back.
I love it when my kids LOVE to cook!

When we showed up with this Heavenly dish at a gathering of friends,

grown men wept in anticipation (not really).

Well, they did set the beer aside, 

if only long enough to grab a big spoon with which to shovel it in!

Look, I don't have all the answers!

Sometimes we eat bad things, because we're just built that way.

But what's a ball game without a hot dog and nachos?

Where's the fun if you can't drink a beer at a BBQ?

And, why the hell CAN'T we indulge in a little sugary treat once in a while?

My advice: 

Eat it! Because it tastes SO good.

Walk a little further...
to your mailbox, parking spot or to the second floor
 ...every chance you get.

And for cripes sake people, 

Take your vitamins like your mother told you.

Life is short.

Eat cheesecake!

It's all good.

☮

Sopapilla Cheesecake

 

16 oz. cream cheese

2 cans crescent rolls

1 cup white sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup butter, melted

½ cup cinnamon sugar

Line bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with one can of crescent rolls.

Mix together cream cheese, white sugar and vanilla extract.

Spread over top of the crescent rolls.

Unroll the other can of crescents and place on top of cream cheese mixture.

Pour melted butter over top and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mix.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

*Cut into pieces and drizzle with honey, if you like.*

***

 You want reviews?
    How 'bout, 
~ Oh, My God! ~ ヅ

(In the voice of Chandler Bing on 'Friends')

How 'bout You?
Have a recipe you want to share on 
*I Cook Barefooted!*?
Show some Barefoot Love and...

Send it here:  scarlettcolleen@yahoo.com 
Want to include a photo? Fun!

What's on your table?

“Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions.

All life is an experiment.”

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson


 *Barefoot Love*Airbrush By, Colleen 
2012