Sit back, lounge and eat! There’s nothing better than finding a secluded picnic spot with a fun-filled picnic basket full of all the best food! It’s most important to have all the right essentials for a successful picnic, too! As your adventure stylist, I have some great ideas to share with you.
It’s obvious you’ll need a blanket, plates, plastic utensils, cups, napkins, and a trash bag. And if you’re more inclined to barbecue, check out local guides for public grilling and bring extra charcoal! Besides the obvious, here are three essentials you may not of thought of…
1) Make sure your picnic essentials include some bright colored plastic cups.
Not only for all the water you’ll need on a hot day, but also for that sip of white wine, which will go great with my grilled chicken and fresh fruit salad. (see recipe below). But play it cool, because drinking in some public places can be illegal.
2) Pour your wine into a canteen called a Corkcicle.
It will keep your wine chilled and will help avoid any wine bottle breakages along the way.
3) A picnic is not a party without some tunes!
Create a “feel-good” playlist and crank it up on a portable bluetooth speaker.
And for a yummy picnic essential, here’s a recipe for my go-to picnic salad. Make sure you pack this in an airtight container.
Ingredients:
1 pound boneless breast of chicken (grilled and marinated)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. white champagne vinegar
3 cups seedless squares of watermelon
3 cups thinly sliced peaches or nectarines
3 cups baby arugula
1/2 cup basil leaves
1/4 cup pepitas
1/4 cup hazelnuts
4 oz. goat cheese (I use drunken goat Mitica)
For the marinade:
My secret chicken marinade is lime juice, mexican oregano, garlic salt and pepper. That’s it! Let it marinate for a few hours and then grill as usual.
For the dressing and salad:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and 1/4 tsp salt.
Add in both of the fruits, the arugula, the basil leaves and the nuts.
Top with chopped pieces of the goat cheese and sliced grilled chicken.
If you won’t be eating this salad for a while, keep the dressing in a separate shaker and add it to the green mixture when you’re ready to dive in.
Happy picnicking!
