There is something rather romantic about a picnic. At least in theory. The reality may include the proverbial ants or other challenges of combining food and the great outdoors but somehow the charm of dining al fresco remains.
Let’s take a look at some resources for planning your next picnic.
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Plan a Picnic!
When the weather begins to turn warm I begin to look for ways to get outdoors and enjoy the sunshine. Whether it’s a simple sandwich, a barbecue or a fancy meal with wine and cheese, it’s fun to share a meal with one or more out in the fresh air.
Here are some helps for planning your next meal al fresco:
Books:
Picnic: 125 Recipes with 29 Seasonal Menus
The Picnic: Recipes and Inspiration From Basket to Blanket
200 Picnic and Tailgate Recipes
Blog Posts and Articles:
Perfect French Picnic by Janine Marsh
Our Love Affair With Picnics – The Moveable Feast
23 French-Inspired Recipes You Can Pack For a Picnic
How to Plan a Picnic by Martha Stewart
75+ Summer Picnic Recipes to Enjoy Outside
How to Pack a Picnic Basket for the Perfect Outdoor Feast
97 Of The Best Picnic Date Ideas
Equipment:
You don’t really need to have an honest-to-goodness picnic basket in order to go on a nice picnic but take a look at this:
Isn’t that adorable? I have a small wicker picnic basket but it’s really not big enough for a full-fledged meal. Nor does it have matching accessories. I think this is going on my wish list.
But you could also just bring a small ice chest and a nice blanket like this one:
Movie:
For a bit of inspiration, here are some films featuring picnics…
And finally, who can forget how excited Anne was to attend her very first picnic:
“Oh, Marilla,” she exclaimed breathlessly, “there’s going to be a Sunday-school picnic next week–in Mr. Harmon Andrews’s field, right near the lake of Shining Waters. And Mrs. Superintendent Bell and Mrs. Rachel Lynde are going to make ice cream–think of it, Marilla–ice cream! And, oh, Marilla, can I go to it?”
Anne of Green Gables (boxed book set)
Anne of Green Gables DVD box set (I have this and it is wonderful!)
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Hubby and I eat different things, so we tend to take lunchboxes if we have a picnic where we take food from home. We got new ones last year. I think they’re called “Bento Boxes” or something like that. They’re a bunch of tubs of different sizes that fit inside one another. In our case the larger tub then fits inside an insulated bag, though some just come inside another larger tub. You can get them big enough for more than one person to share, but we prefer to have the small ones. The two insulated bags and our pair of matching flasks then fit nicely in a backpack, along with a blanket, if needed.
We don’t use them much. But it’s nice to know we have them to use whenever we want to.
I’ve seen pictures of Bento Boxes. They look really cool!
They are. A bit pricy to get the good quality ones, but worth it, I think.