Picnic Fun - Tips and Recipes

Picnic Meal Planning Tips for Simple, Delicious Al Fresco Dining

Naturally, every picnic revolves around food by its very definition.  The food you bring along can make or break the experience – but you needn’t be a whiz in the kitchen to get it right.  When planning your picnic menu, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure that you have a lovely time and enjoy every last bite.

Nix foods that will require a lot of last minute preparation.  Once you arrive at your picnic destination, you won’t want to fiddle around with various bowls, platters and utensils.  Keep it simple.

Avoid sauces that will solidify as they cool down.  You’ll end up with some bits that are devoid of flavor and others with way too much, and the dish won’t look too pretty.

Unless you don’t mind wearing a bib, skip meals with drippy sauces that are likely to end up all over your face and clothes.  This is particularly true for greasy or sauce-covered finger foods, unless you're prepared with tons of napkins and/or pre-moistened wipes.  Attempting to be romantic with dried barbecue sauce on your nose isn’t going to impress your date.

Finger foods that aren’t covered in goo, however, are a great idea.  Vegetable sticks, cheese cubes, sliced fruit, pre-baked hors d’oeuvres, crackers and sliced bread are easy and elegant.

Don’t pre-assemble sandwiches with wet ingredients or condiments like mayonnaise – the bread will likely get soggy.  Place meats, cheeses, veggies and other sandwich ingredients in separate baggies or reusable containers and slap them together when you’re ready to eat.

Vinegar-based dishes are always a fantastic choice for picnics because not only do they stay fresh longer, the flavor intensifies throughout the day, so it’s a sure bet you won’t end up with a bland, tasteless meal.

Tailor your beverages to the meal.  Cola doesn’t go with everything.  Some ideas include sparkling water, iced tea (black, green, herbal or other varieties), juice, wine and champagne.

Use watertight containers if you’re filling your cooler with ice, or choose reusable ice packs as an alternative to loose ice. 

Bring a small cutting board and knife if you’ll need to cut food items like bread, cheese or veggies before eating – they’re included in many picnic sets.

Don’t want cold food?  Bring along a portable grill, which makes it easy to whip up nearly anything you want no matter where you are.  You can also preheat your meal and use a well-insulated cooler to keep food hot until you’re ready to eat.

Get ideas for picnic meals from our Recipes section – chock full of great ideas including seasonal picnic recipes, vegetarian picnic recipes, cookout recipes and much more.  You can find additional recipes at the Picnic Planning Center on PicnicFun.com.

What to Pack for a Romantic Picnic Date

What could be more romantic than relaxing under the stars, cuddled up on a soft, warm picnic blanket, raising a glass of champagne in a toast with someone special?  Whether you want to celebrate your love with a longtime partner or impress your date in a budding relationship, sharing an intimate picnic meal enhances bonding and creates happy memories.  We’ve told you in the past how to plan your romantic picnic date with menu ideas for even the most amateur of cooks, creative locations to wow your date and featured products with style and plenty of potential for romance.  Now, we’ll break down exactly what you should pack to ensure that you have everything you need for a special evening.

Gear:

Picnic blanket large enough for two – Get one with a waterproof backing for extra protection if you plan on laying it down in grass.  You want it to be approximately 55”x55” square to fit two people comfortably.
Fully loaded picnic basket – Select a stylish, high quality picnic basket that contains real plates, glasses, utensils, cloth napkins and accessories like spill-proof salt and pepper shakers and wine bottle openers.  All of the little details will show your date that you put a lot of time and effort into this romantic picnic!
Wine glass holders – Keep your wine or champagne glasses upright and spill-proof with some handy wine glass holders, which have one end that sticks in the grass while the other end cradles your glass.  You can also get a matching wine bottle holder.

Other necessities:

Ice or frozen cold packs
Paper towels or moist towelettes for cleanup
Small garbage bags or plastic grocery bags for trash and to put dirty tableware in after the meal
Condiments

Romantic Extras:

Candles – Bonus points for citronella in mosquito season.  Put them in glass jars to make them wind-proof and safe for use outdoors.
Music – Bring along a small stereo and some romantic tunes to help set the mood; you can also park nearby and play it from your car.
Fruit or chocolate – or combine them both with chocolate-covered strawberries
Breath mints – Won’t hurt after a meal containing garlic and other potentially offensive odor-causing foods!

Click here to see other Romantic Picnic topics, and check back with us in the spring for even more romantic picnic ideas!

Delicious Low-Fat Picnic Recipes

Picnic food doesn’t have to be laden with full-fat mayonnaise, cheese, butter and oil to be tasty.  When you put together your picnic menu, you can keep all the flavor and fun of easy finger foods, sandwiches, side dishes and desserts without adding to your waistline.  Here are some of our favorite low-fat healthy picnic recipes, perfect for all seasons.

Easy and Tasty Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches in the Crockpot

Ingredients:

1-2  lb   boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 (18 ounce) jar of your favorite barbecue sauce
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
4-6 hamburger buns

Instructions:

Remove all visible fat from the chicken and toss it in the crock pot.
Place the onion slices on top of the chicken.
Pour the barbecue sauce over top. You may not need the entire jar, just enough to cover the chicken.
Cook it on low for 8 hours or until the chicken is nice and tender.
Shred the chicken with a fork and knife; scoop the mixture onto the bottom buns and top it with the top buns.

Healthy Cucumber-Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

1 large   cucumber, cubed
1-2 medium tomato, cubed
1/2 small onion, chopped
fresh basil, chopped
garlic salt
pepper

Instructions:

Add cucumber, tomato and onion to a bowl with a cover.
Add garlic salt, pepper and basil to taste.
Seal bowl and shake.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Margarita Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

Tequila Orange Liqueur Dressing:
3 T tequila
3 T orange-flavored liqueur (Triple Sec, Cointreau or Grand Marnier)
3 T orange marmalade
juice of 1 lime, approximately 2 T

Fruit Salad:
4 C fresh strawberries, sliced
4 oranges, peeled, sectioned, and cut in small pieces
1 small honeydew melon, rind and seeds removed, and cut in small pieces
1 small cantaloupe melon, rind and seeds removed and cut in small pieces

Instructions:

In a large bowl, mix together tequila, orange-flavored liqueur, orange marmalade and lime juice.
Add strawberries, oranges, honeydew and cantaloupe.
Stir to combine and refrigerate for several hours or overnight to allow the flavors to blend.

More Recipes:

Low Fat Picnic Potato Salad
Easy Turkey Chili
Cajun Style Oven Fries
Grilled Greek Style Chicken Pitas
Fat-Free Chewy Chocolate Cookies 

In addition to these recipes, get some tips from Better Homes and Gardens on how to cut the fat from your favorite picnic meals.

Spring Preview: Bright and Beautiful Picnic Baskets

We know the first day of spring isn’t until March 20th, but we still can’t help but get excited about the days getting warmer and longer and those first peeks of green poking their way up though the soil.  February’s a great time to start thinking about how you want to spend your spring, and we hope it involves lots of fresh air, exercise and meals in the sunshine!  While we all wait through the rest of winter daydreaming about frolicking on the beach or throwing frisbees at the park, we can browse colorful picnic baskets that serve as a perfect emblem for what is to come.  Here are some of our favorite spring picnic baskets that will inspire you to start your own spring picnic gear wish list.

Dotty Spotty Willow Picnic Basket for 2 – This fresh, modern basket is playful and fun.  Light blue cotton fabric and polka dots in shades of blue, green, purple, red and yellow give the Dotty Spotty a youthful feel that might just put a little skip in your step next season.  The vintage-style hand woven willow basket contains an insulated food container, insulated wine container, wine key, cotton tablecloth, cotton napkins, plates, tumblers and flatware.

Carnival Fern Willow Picnic Basket for 2 – Similar in style and contents to the Dotty Spotty, the Carnival Fern basket features a soothing, natural fern print in shades of blue and green.  Spring green leather straps, silver colored metallic accents and a neutral khaki insulated food compartment make this basket a contemporary classic.

Bakers Cottage Garden Picnic Basket for 4 – Take the family out for a breezy, sun-soaked day at the park or enjoy a bayside brunch with friends with this lovely picnic set.  Woven willow in a classic picnic basket shape complements a fresh-from-the-garden leaf green and ripe raspberry color scheme.  The plates are hand-painted with roses, and the linens are made of hand-stitched striped cotton.  Quality and craftsmanship are evident in every detail of this basket, which comes complete with plates, tumblers, cutlery, napkins, a wine key, cruet set and insulated food cooler.

Catalina Riviera Picnic Basket – A longtime best seller on PicnicFun.com, this picnic basket will make you feel like you’ve stumbled into a romantic classic movie.  The classic oval shape, hardwood lid, bamboo and leather accents and brightly colored linens give it a sophisticated yet fun look ideal for any outing.  It comes packed with deluxe service for 2 including plates, wine goblets, cutlery, plastic food containers, corkscrew, cheese knife, cutting board, salt & pepper shakers, cotton napkins and a cotton tablecloth.

For more elegant, romantic picnic baskets for couples, families or just for you, see the full selection at PicnicFun.com.