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Fall Picnic @ Belle Haven Park


hillvalley

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The fall picnic, organized by participants on Donrockwell.com, will be held on Sunday, October 2nd at Belle Haven park in Alexandria. Time is still to be determined.

Our Spring picnic was a raging success with over 40 members in attendance. Since then our members have more than trippled in number. We hope all our new members will join us.

This time around we are going to be a bit more organized and I have enlisted help from Jacques Gastreaux, mktye and crackers. We have been working behind the scenes and have a few surprises/ideas up our sleeves.

Among the changes you can look forward to are an eCookbook of our dishes that are brought to the picnic and a tasting of some sort. More details to follow.

As the date gets closer we will be ask for volunteers to help with site sitting, set up and clean up, etc.

We also thought of having a t-shirt made to commemorate the day. If anyone has any experience printing t-shirts or wants to take on this challenge please let me know.

For now let's start finding out who is joining us and what you would like to bring. I don't think we are going to have a theme this time, although anyone who can incorporate ventworm nuts into their dish wins bonus points :P

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All right, put me down for my standard 2 smoked pork shoulders (butt). I'll bring sauce but admonish once again that I come from a part of the country that finds the practice of putting slaw on barbecue abhorrent. So, I won't be bringing any slaw.

edited to add: And I'll also bring a bowl of roasted potato salad.

further edited to add: And a couple of cigars, and perhaps a thermos of "martian pig slop from hell."

Edited by Jacques Gastreaux
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...well, I'm just a newbie here, but if I can talk the girlfriend into it, I can make a couple or three racks of dry-rubbed ribs. And I'll whip up a chipotle bbq sauce, but only to serve on the side.

They take about six hours to make. Would I make 'em at home and bring them or do it onsite?

And no, I will never tell you the ingredients of my dry-rub.

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...well, I'm just a newbie here, but if I can talk the girlfriend into it, I can make a couple or three racks of dry-rubbed ribs. And I'll whip up a chipotle bbq sauce, but only to serve on the side.

    They take about six hours to make. Would I make 'em at home and bring them or do it onsite?

    And no, I will never tell you the ingredients of my dry-rub.

O-O-O-O-H-H- PORKITUDE!!!!!

I suppose the question is: Will there be a grill up and going? (To finish the ribs, that is, and maybe cook whatever sausages we can cajole Busboy into bringing :lol: )

Newbies who can cook are ALWAYS encouraged. Bear in mind, though, that bringing one's can't-miss dishes are more perilous than you imagine. At the last outing I brought the never-fail potato salad and brownies and guacamole. Maybe it was the pressure of presenting something to eat to people who are discerning, but NONE of these turned out as expected or as good as usual.

Oh, and let us not forget, that both Babka and Nadya brought an otherwise obscure Ukranian egglant with walnut sauce concoction, thinking that they were each bringing something unique and unexpected. :P:wub::P Only in this crowd, folks.

The bottom line is this: Do come and bring what you think other people will like. The chances are that overwhelmingly we will. Even if you think your food doesn't turn out exactly like you'd hoped. The company will be well worth your time ( and THAT I can guarantee) and far more forgiving than you ever imagined. This isn't a restaurant picking your pocket, afterall.

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The bottom line is this:  Do come and bring what you think other people will like.  The chances are that overwhelmingly we will.

Unless it's a salad. Like a pasta salad, or any salad made with Miracle Whip. Don't bring a salad. No Jell-o, either. Salads and Jell-o went into the Potomac last time. Bring a ventworm nut cake. Or a smoked pork butt. Nuts and butts are good. Salads and Jell-o are bad.

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Newbies who can cook are ALWAYS encouraged. 

I know Barbara is joking but I want to make it clear that everyone is welcome, regardless of your cooking skills.

We will need people to bring drinks and there are always other options besides cooking. Bringing a prepared dish is not a requirement.

Although we are a group of food loving fools, this is not a contest to show off your fanciest dish or show what you can do in the kitchen. We just want to put real names and faces to handles, get to know one another and eat some good food.

bubbaque, chances are that you will need to cook the ribs before hand unless you have a grill you can bring. Even if Waitman (aka Busboy or the Master of Sausages) can bring his grill it is camping size and won't be big enough for ribs.

If anyone out there has a grill they would like to bring please let me know.

Crescentfresh and I are working on the tasting idea and will announce it as soon as we can.

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Unless it's a salad.  Like a pasta salad, or any salad made with Miracle Whip.  Don't bring a salad.  No Jell-o, either.  Salads and Jell-o went into the Potomac last time.  Bring a ventworm nut cake.  Or a smoked pork butt.  Nuts and butts are good.  Salads and Jell-o are bad.

dang, there goes my plan to bring a molded jello salad made with Miracle Whip. Edited by crackers
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Unless it's a salad.  Like a pasta salad, or any salad made with Miracle Whip.  Don't bring a salad.  No Jell-o, either.  Salads and Jell-o went into the Potomac last time.  Bring a ventworm nut cake.  Or a smoked pork butt.  Nuts and butts are good.  Salads and Jell-o are bad.

Wow, thanks for the idea Don! Pasta salad with miracle whip...mmmmm. Maybe I'll throw in some canned madarin oranges too.

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Notice to all newbies from a fellow newbie: Come on out to the picnic!!! Don Rocks (international man of mystery whom i have never met) and the entire rockwell crew are very welcoming! Really. I attended my first DR HH a couple of months ago with much trepidation. I am happy to report that I had a great time (I knew no one!), was warmly welcomed, and was encouraged to jump right in and make myself at home. I encourage you to do the same. Hope to see you on October 2!

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Notice to all newbies from a fellow newbie:  Come on out to the picnic!!!  Don Rocks (international man of mystery whom i have never met) and the entire rockwell crew are very welcoming!  Really.  I attended my first DR HH a couple of months ago with much trepidation.  I am happy to report that I had a great time (I knew no one!), was warmly welcomed, and was encouraged to jump right in and make myself at home.  I encourage you to do the same.  Hope to see you on October 2!

We will now send you that $100. :P

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Unless it's a salad.  Like a pasta salad, or any salad made with Miracle Whip.  Don't bring a salad.  No Jell-o, either.  Salads and Jell-o went into the Potomac last time.  Bring a ventworm nut cake.  Or a smoked pork butt.  Nuts and butts are good.  Salads and Jell-o are bad.

Does this mean you're going? :P

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Count me in.

I have my kids that weekend (3 & 6). My girls had a great time at the Spring picnic.

I need to hear from the peanut gallery who is bringing kids.

I am thinking desserts of some type. Probably some kid junk too, for both big and little kids.

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I plan on being there, with wife and kids (ages 5 and 8).

No idea what we're going to bring food-wise, but I will bring soccer balls, cones, nets, etc. for the kids, and a nice bottle of single-malt that I just brought back from Scotland for the adults.

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Notice to all newbies from a fellow newbie:  Come on out to the picnic!!!  Don Rocks (international man of mystery whom i have never met) and the entire rockwell crew are very welcoming!  Really.  I attended my first DR HH a couple of months ago with much trepidation.  I am happy to report that I had a great time (I knew no one!), was warmly welcomed, and was encouraged to jump right in and make myself at home.  I encourage you to do the same.  Hope to see you on October 2!

LOL, glad to hear this! I am going to do my best to make it (and with a pie or pies if I can help it) but there's a rumor my boyfriend's parents will be in town and I must have that "meet the parents" experience, oh joy.

I am looking forward to meeing some of the DR crew at HH now that I'm back in DC for school. :P

On a food related question, does anyone know of an orchard that has Cortland apples? They're all over the place up in Massachusetts, but it doesn't seem to be a popular apple down here. In the event apple picking season is in swing at that time, I'd travel a good distance to get fresh Corts!

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On a food related question, does anyone know of an orchard that has Cortland apples? They're all over the place up in Massachusetts, but it doesn't seem to be a popular apple down here. In the event apple picking season is in swing at that time, I'd travel a good distance to get fresh Corts!

My favorite place is Larriland Farms, but they don't list Cortland.

Ginger Gold - mid August

Gala - late August - mid September

Red Delicious - mid September

Magnolia Gold - mid September - mid October

Jonagold - mid September

Empire - late September - early October

Golden Delicious - late September

Cameo - early October

Fortune - early October

IdaRed - early October

Stayman - early October

Mutsu - mid October

Suncrisp - mid - late October

Braeburn - mid - late October

Fuji - late October

Enterprise - late October

Granny Smith - late October

Pink Lady - early November

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My favorite place is Larriland Farms, but they don't list Cortland.

Hmmm, thanks for the link, I may have to visit Larriland sometime!

The 2 apples we used to pick the most of up in Mass, Cortland (for pie) and McIntosh (for sauce), don't seem terribly popular down here. O'Keefe Farms in Silver Spring does both, but I'm not sure if they're pick your own. Corts hit in Sept/October so I may get lucky with O'Keefe.

Can't wait for apple season regardless

:P

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I plan on being there, with wife and kids (ages 5 and 8).

No idea what we're going to bring food-wise, but I will bring soccer balls, cones, nets, etc. for the kids, and a nice bottle of single-malt that I just brought back from Scotland for the adults.

Just ONE bottle? :P

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Unless it's a salad.  Like a pasta salad, or any salad made with Miracle Whip.  Don't bring a salad.  No Jell-o, either.  Salads and Jell-o went into the Potomac last time.  Bring a ventworm nut cake.  Or a smoked pork butt.  Nuts and butts are good.  Salads and Jell-o are bad.

Since Mr. Rocks declined to grace us with his presence at the last picnic, he is unaware that there were several kinds of salads (including pasta salads) which were happily consumed and greatly appreciated by the attendees. I am almost tempted to bring a tomato aspic which in no way can be compared to "jello." Silly man.

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Hey folks, to keep my lawyer happy can we change the subject from alcohol back to the food and who is coming?

Thanks,

mom

I'll be there, with She Whow Must Be Obeyed riding shotgun and The Enemy of All Sleep supervising from the back seat...don't know wat we'll bring yet, kinda depends uponthe weather, but it'll be yummy.

Rob

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Oh, and let us not forget, that both Babka and Nadya brought an otherwise obscure Ukranian egglant with walnut sauce concoction, thinking that they were each bringing something unique and unexpected.  :P   :wub:   :P    Only in this crowd, folks.

For the sake of accuracy, it was an Armenian eggplant dish. Armenians are very different from Ukranians; we hold our liquor much better and do not adore pork lard like they do.

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For the sake of accuracy, it was an Armenian eggplant dish.  Armenians are very different from Ukranians; we hold our liquor much better and do not adore pork lard like they do.

Armenian not Georgian?

Now I know why yours is so different from Babka's.

Yours had more garlic..

p.s.Babka holds her liquour better than I do I admire pork lard in an almost unnatural way..for whatever that's worth I guess maybe that makes me Ukraninan.

The whole idea of creating a Venn diagram for this Armenians V. Ukranians food discussion is best left in the hands of someone that can click and drag ovals and circles not to mention tossing in the occasional arrow...

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Someone offered to design a graphic for our T-shirt and I can't remember who. Would you please email me? Or if you have graphic design skills and want to help out please let me know. Below are a few slogans (cough cough) that were submitted by a member who shall remain nameless unless :lol:

Eating out is my specialty. Read about it on DonRockwell.com

I always eat and tell. DonRockwell.com

I have an oral fixation. Read about it on DonRockwell.com

It's not just for breakfast anymore. DonRockwell.com

You gonna eat that? DonRockwell.com

Get your tater tots. DonRockwell.com

Food. Whatever. DonRockwell.com

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Someone offered to design a graphic for our T-shirt and I can't remember who.  Would you please email me?  Or if you have graphic design skills and want to help out please let me know.  Below are a few slogans (cough cough) that were submitted by a member who shall remain nameless unless :lol:

You forgot the best one!

Didn't he/she have one that read something like...

I swallow!  To find out more go to www.donrockwell.com
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It's not exactly family friendly but then again sometimes we aren't exactly family friendly :P   (although the picnic will be)

Au contraire. I have an 8-month-old who will proudly model said garment. Er, we will need it in an 2T size, though. :lol:

PS: I wish to lodge a formal complaint that this function is not being held in New England. This is seriously disadvantaging a very important segment of the DR.com membership, i.e. me.

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Au contraire. I have an 8-month-old who will proudly model said garment. Er, we will need it in an 2T size, though. :lol:

2T already!?! :P Good God man! Is that a human child you are raising or a baby elephant?

PS: I wish to lodge a formal complaint that this function is not being held in New England. This is seriously disadvantaging a very important segment of the DR.com membership, i.e. me.

Maybe next time. You got 50 couches that we could crash on?

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The t-shirt design is almost finished.  Does anyone have strong feelings toward or against a slogan.  Right now the leading slogan is "We Suck Ventworm Nut".

It's not exactly family friendly but then again sometimes we aren't exactly family friendly :lol:   (although the picnic will be)

Perfect! And so educational too! I had my kid look up Ventworm Nut in the dictionary, and was shocked when she told me she'd found it. :P
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