I have always loved family picnicking since my childhood. I have always found beauty in the basic concept of being outdoors with family and friends, cooking for each other, laughing, and appreciating the beautiful world. In the not-so-distant past, I had organized a family picnic with my husband and our best-loved little munchkin–Aanas. And, indeed, the day was perfect, so I wanted to explain how we organized the celebration and share some of the recipes that made this day so special. If you are here planning for your own family visit or are simply ideas-hunting, I do hope the above experience could provide some ideas.
undefined The very first thing that needs to be decided when planning a picnic is the location for the picnic. Our need was a unique area for the family, where it was possible to play with Aanas, have a shaded area to avoid the scorching sun during the day, and get some rest. Based on a quick search, we selected a park which is famous for its tracks for walking and jogging, spacious lawns, and a lake close to the park. It’s a natural environment and the melodies of birds singing in the morning, and the sound of falling water – all this is very conducive to rest.
One advantage of selecting a park with a lake was the opportunity to take a small paddleboat ride, which Aanas, a true adventurer at heart, enthusiastically embraced. So I suggest choosing a place with child friendly area where kids can run around, space to sit on benches, and other activities like fishing or paddle boarding for the family.
Undefined The next step was to prepare for the journey, which meant packing the necessary supplies. But besides the essentials such as a picnic blanket, sun protection items, hats, and toys for the boys, I dedicated much time to thinking about the food. In fact, no picnic is considered fabulous without a spread of home prepared foods and refreshments. I just wanted to ensure that the meals were portable, satisfying, and appropriate for consumption outdoors.
Undefined – A large blanket:For us to be seated comfortably and for them to arrange food for us.
- Reusable plates, cutlery, and cups: Reducing waste and making the cleaning process easy.
- A small cooler: For cold beverages and to maintain the temperature of the several perishable products.
- Outdoor games: A constrain was in the form of toys which included a soccer ball and frisbee that Aanas enjoyed playing with for hours.
- Wet wipes and hand sanitizer: Correct, but essential for cleanliness, especially when children are present in the house.
Picnic Food: Easy and tasty meals Well, let me admit that sometimes, I am very selective when it comes to bringing food for a picnic. This time, I set my mind on preparing different dishes which included both sweet and savory to accommodate everyone’s preference including the little one.
1. Chicken Wraps with Yogurt Sauce Both my husband and Aanas enjoyed these wraps. They are simple to prepare, simple to consume and yet very much delicious.
Ingredients:
- A total of 2 of grilled chicken breasts marinated in salt, pepper as well as a pinch of paprika.
- 4 large tortillas
- 1 tossing cup shredded lettuce
- It suggested that for one small cucumber thinly sliced it would take approximately one and a half hours to dry.
- 1 small red onion which has been sliced thinly
- Half a cup of cherry tomatoes – halved
- 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt.
- 1 cloves garlic, minced
- The extra ingredients include 1 tbsp lemon juice.
- Salt and pepper to your desired level.
Instructions:
- Prepare the yogurt sauce by combining the greek yogurt with the garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl.
- Trim the fat off the grilled chicken breasts and cut the chicken into thin strips.
- Place a tortilla flat on a plate and take a large spoon and spread yogurt sauce over a large portion of the tortilla.
- On top of it add chicken strips, shredded lettuce, sliced cucumber, chopped onion and cherry tomatoes.
- Fold the tortilla and wrap it and cut it into two halves in order to make it easier to eat.
- Of each one, wrap to transport them easily in foil.
These wraps were quite light, but at the same time quite satisfying and I loved the little hint of spice combined with the sourness of the yogurt dressing.
2. Vegetable Roasted Quinoa Salad. To prepare the side dish which has lighter feel to it, I prepared quinoa salad. Not only is it packed with nutrition, it’s also possible to prepare it in advance and it is very convenient to do so. In addition, it remains fresh when wrapped for the purpose of picnicking.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa
- 20 %: 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1 small eggplant – cut into small pieces – ‘ ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled – ¼ cup of olive oil
- 2 tablespoon of lemon juice – Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- You will also need fresh parsley to sprinkle on the top of the servings.
Instructions:
- Take the quinoa and boil it depending on the instructions of the packet and let it cool down.
- Coat the diced vegetables with the olive oil, salt and pepper and place in the pre-heated oven at 400f for about 25 minutes until they are tender.
- In a big bowl mix the cooked quinoa, the roasted vegetables, and the crumbled feta cheese.
- Squeeze lemon juice over it and stream olive oil over it and toss the salad gently.
- A sprinkle of fresh parsley on top will be perfect before the dish is served.
It was a colourful fresh salad with an interesting taste – quite tasteful and a bit austere; still, it was healthy and ideal for a summer barbecue.
3. Fruit Skewers With Honey and Lime Cotton Cloth For dessert, I prepared fruit skewers to take the sourness of the meal a little bit down. They are a creative and effortless means of consuming fresh fruits especially when you are on a picnic.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of strawberries, the strawberries should be halved
- 5 strawberries; 1 cup pineapple chunks
- 100ml watermelon cubed
- 1 cup grapes – Wooden skewers
- 2 tbsp honey
- Everybody into lime juice so let’s add 1 tbsp of lime juice.
Instructions:
- Arrange the fruit in any manner on the wooden barbs of the skewers.
- For the drizzle, just put the honey and lime juice in a small bowl.
- After preparing the skewers to be eaten, drizzle it with honey-lime dressing.
These skewers were more of a dessert that was rather light for the little tummies which everyone enjoyed, especially Aanas who enjoyed helping me create them.
Fun and Games Pretty much as you realise that you have taken your last bite to your well-deserved dinner it was time to have some fun. Aanaas enjoyed kicking the soccer ball and just running up and down the park with his frisbee, On the other hand my husband and I had a wonderful opportunity to sit back and chat as we immersed ourselves in the natural environment. We also carried a small board game and after lunch the children waited to go and play under the trees.
Wrapping Up the Day In the afternoon we walked around the lake calmly and leisurely and observed the surrounding landscape and environment. To some extent, the day could be regarded as a perfect leisure day or a fun day with quality family time. All the concerted activity of running, tiring and panting, made Aanas quite weary and he dozed off in the car going back home, meaning that it had been a great day.
Final Thoughts Planning for a family picnic does not have to be a huge task, or one that you take a very long time to plan. By having proper planning and getting simple yet tasty food, it becomes possible to mark one day that will narrow the gap between people. To us, it was important that both Aanas and we could find something that would interest, and the food had to be simple to prepare, pack, and consume.
Well then, if you are considering entertaining the idea of having a family picnic, then you can very well do so since it will not cause… In detail, it is a good way to escape from busy agenda, get back to the roots and share a good time with the family members.
Happy picnicking!
