Celebrate National Picnic Day!
Cuisine: Picnics
“Summer is fully upon us, and, as the sun begins to shine, nothing can quite compare to unfurling a blanket and lolling around in some dappled shade, fork in hand, enjoying the lush countryside, or sitting on golden sands hearing the waves lap against the shore.” Georgina Ingham
Appropriately enough, the day after Earth Day is National Picnic Day and the Southern C gals have picnics on our minds! With the gorgeous weather (hopefully here to stay), it’s hard not to look out the window longingly and picture a lovely spread of food and friends…
An interesting history…
People have been eating their meals outside in the beauty of nature for centuries. The first picnics evolved from Medieval hunting feasts and Victorian garden parties and were quite sophisticated affairs which involved multiple courses and elaborate preparations. During the early 19th century a group of wealthy London citizens formed “The Picnic Society” to promote picnics as social gatherings. These picnics were potlucks, and each participant also had to provide a share of the entertainment. The society members drank from crystal goblets and listened to a live string quartet while eating their meal.
Today’s picnics, although quite different, still serve as a social gathering and also a reminder to slow down and enjoy the outdoors. Whether planned or impromptu, remember it’s the food, people and spirit that make a picnic special. Pack a basket, grab your family and friends and enjoy!
New spin on a classic picnic menu (links to recipes):
Maple Mustard Baked Chicken instead of Fried Chicken
Melon Slaw instead of Cole Slaw
Black Bean and Corn Salad instead of Baked Beans
No Yolk Hummus Deviled Eggs instead of Deviled Eggs
Strawberry Sour Cream Bread instead of Strawberry Pie
Watermelon Lemonade instead of Lemonade
PHOTO CREDIT: http://ezeliving.com/tag/picnic/
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I love picnics! My favorite picnic menu is fried chicken, biscuits with blackberry jam, muddled strawberry lemonade with mint and fresh peaches for dessert!