Fast and Easy Picnic

This post is dedicated to Eric’s wonderful parents Jeff and Patti. For Christmas they gave us a big picnic basket filled with goodies and everything you need for a great picnic (soft blanket, plastic wine glasses, lock & locks, reusable plastic utensils, and fun food items). We ate all the food stuff a while ago and were finally able to use the basket on our date day I mentioned in my last post.

We went to Flaming Geyser Park, but instead of going all the way into the park where the flaming geyser is (only a couple inches high now), we pulled off along the river and backed our station wagon in to sit in the back. Eric said I can let you in on our secret, this was a favorite make out spot when we were dating! It’s stunningly beautiful and the only people really are ones tubing or kayaking like this father and son. We were impressed with how patient the dad was as the son only paddled on one side so they often started turning in circles, they were really friendly.

Picnics are a really cheap date and there’s something so fun about eating outdoors. Some people I know say they don’t like picnics because they don’t like sandwiches, but your picnicking options really aren’t that limited. We love salads and they’re great for picnic dates. This one is simply romaine lettuce, chopped bell peppers, feta and croutons with a dijon balsamic dressing. Make sure to pack your dressing separately so your salad doesn’t get soggy. I just put an ice pack on top of the salad and it kept it cool for over an hour.

I don’t use prepackaged food very often but this really simple finger food to make if you have some pillsbury flaky biscuits on hand. Just split the biscuit in half and sprinkle some shredded cheese, sliced lunchmeat and more shredded cheese. Then put the top back on and press around the edges to seal. It kind of makes me think of an American manapua! These are great hot or cold.

Drinking out of glasses seems more romantic then out of a can, we just split a can of guava juice. Fruit is my favorite dessert, so we went with oranges!

Dijon Balsamic Vinagrette
serves 2

Ingredients

3 TBS olive oil
1 TBS balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

Instructions

Whisk together oil and vingegar, add dijon and and whisk until smooth. Add seasonings whisk again. Store in a small jar or tuppeware and shake well before pouring over salad.