Planning a Picnic

With Memorial Day and Summer quickly approaching, I thought it would be fun to share some ideas with you on Planning a Picnic! There is {almost} nothing I enjoy more than to pack up a picnic and head to the park or beach.

We are blessed to have lots of beautiful parks and beaches in our area. We live about 15 minutes from Lake Michigan too. Last year I shared our trip to beach and the picnic we packed. This time around, I’m focusing more on the food and will share a recipe with you each day.

I love how picnics can be involved with lots of details, or as easy as picking up some chicken from the deli, chips and drinks. Remember when I shared the fun Mother’s Day ideas that I found at Walmart? Well…I just had to grab some of the fun plates they have to pack our picnic!

Picnic Packing Essentials

• Basket…I love how this collapsible basket can be used for lots of different things, car organizer, books, kids toys or even clothes
• Plates…Solid colors or patterned…At $1 for 4 solid colored plates, it’s a real bargain
• Napkins and Silverware…found these in the party section…love all the great colors
• Tablecloth…plastic on one side makes for easy clean up and soft fabric on the other makes it comfy to sit on or even lay on the table
• Wet-Ones…small package perfect for a Picnic from the beauty department where the travel accesories are
• Camera…don’t forget to grab some great pictures
• Plastic bag for trash {not shown}
• Red plastic baskets that the food is displayed in {not necessary, but fun…found at Walmart last year}

Update: I bought everything at Walmart, including the food.

Picnic Food

• Southwest Chicken Wraps
• Southwest Layered Dip and chips
• Fruit Kebabs
• Citrus Cookies
• Superman {Ice Cream} Cupcakes in a Jar
• Frozen Strawberry Lemonade

Update: I have added the links into this post for the recipes.

Starting tomorrow, and finishing up with Superman Cupcakes for Cupcake Tuesday {with the exception of Monday}, I will share a recipe with you each day, so be sure to check back everyday or if you are a subscriber, watch for your newsletters!

I found lots of great Picnic tips over at Delish…here are a few

• Reusable Utensils: Save money and the environment with utensils you won’t throw away. Try bamboo or hard plastic forks and knives, or pack old silverware from home.
• Themed Snacks: Heading to the beach? Pack goldfish crackers or fish shaped fruit snacks. {love this idea}
• Refreshments: Freeze bottles of water or lemonade to pack in your basket

Packing it up

• Drinks…Serving drinks in mason jars serves several purposes 1) Frozen drinks provide insulation in the basket 2) with the lid and ring, they seal up tightly 3) Add a straw or drink directly from the jar {it’s kinda fun and nostalgic}
• Silverware…wrap silverware in a napkin and tie up with a ribbon or string
• Pack dip in a jar with a tight closing lid…serve directly from the jar
• Wrap sandwiches in foil to them fresh and warm {if needed}
• Pack cookies and other treats in ziploc baggies or wrap in wax paper
• Bake cupcakes right in the jar, add your frosting and lid…makes for a fun presentation and easy to eat {recipe coming Tuesday}
• Pack the heaviest items on the bottom {Doug was shocked I was able to fit everything in the basket}

What is your favorite Picnic food?  My Facebook fans shared there ideas with me!

I’m linking to…Outdoor Party,Weekend Wrapup Party, Made By You Monday, Tutorials & Tips Tuesday, Home May’d Party, Works For Me Wednesday

Disclosure: This post is part of a campaign I am participating in with the Walmart Moms. Walmart has provided me with compensation  for this post. My participation is voluntary and opinions, as always are my own.