Picnic Idea

There's nothing better on a warm Summer's day than to go for a picnic. I love to go on picnics at every opportunity, on the beach and in the countryside. It's nice to keep coming up with a good picnic idea and to try new things. Whatever you eat, food never tastes better than when it's eaten outside. There's probably a scientific explanation for that but I don't know what it is.

When our kids were little, we used to have themed picnics. Once, we all dressed up as pirates and we ate seafood. Another time, we dyed all the food blue. Then we played games. The only problem was trying to stop our pet dog from eating everything! It's an advisable picnic idea to feed the dog up before you go. The other problem is the unwanted attention of wasps. We bought some mesh covers to go over the food and the wasps eventually used to give up and go away.

My favorite location for a picnic is by the river. You can keep cool by going for a paddle and you can wash the dishes in the river afterwards. We have a large, old fashioned wicker picnic basket with sections for crockery and cups and glasses. We bring the food in a cool box. My preference for a picnic idea is to choose things which are easy to eat outdoors, such as sandwiches or finger food.

Chicken wings and legs and burgers in mini sesame buns are an appetizing picnic idea. Stick to what you know you like. Picnics are not a time to experiment with the family's likes and dislikes. Throw a bit of salad in, some crusty bread and a big bag of chips with some dips. Another picnic idea is lots of Mayo, Relish and Ketchup so that the food isn't too dry. Don't forget some soft drinks for the kids. My husband and I used to pack a thermos of coffee. You could take wine or beer of course, but alcohol during the day just makes me sleepy.

Desert could be some fruit, perhaps a pre-prepared bowl of fresh fruit salad. Muffins, doughnuts or cookies are a welcome picnic idea. We were very fond of taking Carrot Cake or Banana Cake. Sometimes we'd pack those individual tubs of chocolate mousse. You don't want anything too heavy.

Don't forget the napkins and the bags to take your garbage home in. Leave the beach or the countryside as you found them. If you need them, remember the can opener and the corkscrew.