Oaky, I'm at work, things are slow- and needless to say, I'm bored out of my SKULL!

So...

Let's let our minds wander and pretend a wee-bit, shall wee?

Let make believe we all live in the same neck o' the woods. Tomorrow is gonna be a lovely Spring Sunday with sprouting trees, blooming flowers, singing robins and fresh, tender meadow grasses for us to spread our picnic blanket on and lounge in.

Food? Well, it's Pot-Luck! There are a couple of saw-horses nearby in the shade of a sprawling oak and across them are spread a sheet of plywood with a red & white checked cloth dressing it.

All across the gingham cloth are picnic baskets, casseroles, tupperware and pyrex heaped full of the very best our kitchens have to offer.

Which dish is yours? What did you make to bring to our first ever Annual Spice Place Spring Pot-Luck?

I would bring a couple of my roasted chickens. They are stuffed with garlic and onion. Compound butter with garlic, parsley, rosemary and thyme placed between the skin and breasts. I brush the outside with olive oil and coat with McCormick Rotisserie chicken seasoning. I would bring a batch of my baby roasted new potatoes. They are halved and tossed with herbs de provence, minced garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted til crispy golden brown.

MMMM...IChef and janie! It can't get no better than ramps, buttermilk fried chicken, roasted hens and roasted baby red spuds- all loaded w/ tons of garlic and herbs! (Oh- and of course Almond Joys!)

I think my contribution will be a nice chilled Alaska-inspired pasta salad made w/ Ziti, chunks of kippered/smoked salmon, split grape tomaotes, ripe olives, feta, and lotsa olive oil, garlic, lemon juice & basil. Might even throw in some zonfandel-poached bay-scallops and spot-shrimp.

Then of course I hafta bring the retro cheese-ball that everyone always 'spects me to have made... think maybe I'll do a ham & pineapple one served w/ some rye-krisps.

And since one can't have a pot-luck without a jello mold, I'll bring a rich peach & cream cheese mold with pecans. And dessert? Hmmm... Let's see- Spring... Okay- I'll bring an unadorned naked tart lemon pound cake along with a dish of lime curd to top it with & some whipped cream.

I'll bring the Italian pasta salads, a decandent chocolate cake, apple pie squares, a seeded slaw, plenty of fresh fruit, corn muffins to go with the chicken and an olive salad.
And plenty of fresh homemade lemonade!