Oh, I love me some springtime. The weather, the flowers, the barbecues! Makes me wanna take a big piece of animal and roast it whole in a park with a bunch of friends.

Hey, that gives me an idea...

DAEC member Jorge has offered his Caja China (www.lacajachina.com), one of the most fun pieces of cooking equipment to play with, for a DAEC event. Thanks, Man!

You know, our last event, Praise the Lard, was a huge success (did you check out the pictures from it? Click the photos link on the left side of the page). Such a success that we're putting pig on hold for this one and doing something a little different than most lakeside hog roasts in the good ol' U.S. of A...

We'll be roasting a whole goat Caja China style, Saturday May 10 at Sloan's Lake Park (weather permitting-- we'll keep an eye on the forecast and postpone if necessary), in the grove near the 26th and Tennyson entrance. Bring your appetite-- and a side dish, if you want (it can be something traditional-- or not). We'll be shooting for noon for our little friend to be ready for carving.

Here's some additional info to keep in mind for the event:

There will be a $10.00 per person charge to cover the costs of food and supplies. Any extra money collected will be donated to Project Angel Heart (www.projectangelheart.org).

The event is BYOB, and the only alcohol allowed in the park is cans (no glass bottles) of the lower-in-alcohol (3.2%) beer sold in supermarkets.

I've reserved the spot through a city permit. I'll be there early to start cookin', so feel free to stop by early if you'd like. Your help and company would be appreciated!

Please don't forget to read the DAEC guidelines for RSVPing under the "About Us" link on the left side of the page.

I realize our events are sometimes few and far between; but I believe more in quality than quantity. This will be a quality event! I'm looking forward to seeing you there!

Jon