Time for a Picnic! - Guest post from Hefty.com

I'm excited to be sharing a guest post today....Welcome to Katie, from Hefty.com. She's sharing some great ideas to help us enjoy fun times this summer, as we share meals outside.

Please be sure and stop by the website, Hefty.com..They have added a "Kitchen Pitch-In" section that covers a wide variety of helpful home organization ideas that you're sure to enjoy, from storage and cooking to cleaning and decorating. 

Take it away Katie...



Time for a Picnic!

© micromonkey - Fotolia.com

With spring well underway, you might be thinking about reaching for the picnic basket and heading out on a family spring outing, depending on the weather in your neck of the woods.  At any rate, it will soon be warm enough for everyone to go on picnics.  It is a great time to plan family get-togethers, especially with Memorial Day weekend coming up!  When going on a picnic, one question that is bound to come up is, “What do we bring?”  Of course, a blanket, picnic basket, and disposable tableware are all important, but the food is most likely what’s at the top of everyone’s minds!  If you’re struggling with planning the menu for your picnic, take a look at the picnic ideas below:

Sandwiches

This is an old standby, but it doesn’t mean you can’t mix it up.  Try bringing grilled chicken breast and avocado sandwiches on croissants with mayonnaise and Swiss cheese.  Lemon-pepper mayo is really delicious with this sandwich.  On the other hand, goat cheese and grilled bell peppers on French bread is a perfect choice for the vegetarian in your life.  A breaded pork chop or deviled ham sandwich would be another way to try out something a little bit different.  Just put your sandwiches in some plastic sandwich bags, and you’re good to go!

Chicken

You could also bring a rotisserie chicken with you and eat it cold.  This option is super easy, but make sure to bring forks and knives!

Salads

There are so many different types of cold salads to choose from for a picnic.  Caprese salads are always perfect for summer.  Slice a number of large tomatoes and intersperse the tomato slices with slices of mozzarella cheese.  Drizzle olive oil over the cheese and tomato and finish with some fresh basil leaves.  Put this salad in a sealed container and refrigerate until you leave on your outing.  There are a variety of potato salads and macaroni salads that you could try out, or you could cut up slices of zucchini and add vinegar for a healthy, easy salad.

© JJAVA - Fotolia.com

Fruit

Watermelon is always a fun choice for a picnic, though strawberries and other summer fruit would fit in perfectly, too.  Cut the watermelon before you head out, though, because it won’t be easy to cut it into slices outside.

Dessert

You can’t forget dessert!  Large cakes do not travel well, but a snack cake could be a lot easier to bring along.  Cookies and brownies are also quite simple to pack.  A pie could even make the cut.  Nothing beats a summer pie made with fresh, seasonal ingredients!

© etti photofun - Fotolia.com

Hot summer weather will be here before you know it, so take advantage of the in-between weather and enjoy the outdoors!

Author Bio: This is a guest post by Katie F. on behalf of Hefty®. Visit www.hefty.com to find products like trash bags and more that can help you out with your busy life.


Thanks so much Katie for inspiring us with these great ideas!

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