When’s the last time you went on a picnic?
Yesterday we took our maiden cruise in my hubby’s new toy…a 1961
Jaguar MKIX Saloon named Martin. Isn’t he a doll? The car, not my
hubby. Although Paul’s pretty cute, too, I think. 
What’s a picnic without friends? We took along pals Fred and Colleen
and cruised to a nearby lake. The breeze coming off the water helped
cool the August heat of the Central Valley. Our simple, but delicious
lunch was also cooling. We almost forgot that a 1961 Jag doesn’t have
air-conditioning. 
Here are a couple of tips to make your picnic less work and more fun:
1. K.I.S.S. - you all know what that means but I prefer the “Keep it Simple, Sweetie” version. 
Simple prep. Simple menu. Simple clean-up.
2. Be prepared. One of the best buys I ever made was an
all-inclusive picnic bag. I purchased it as a Father’s Day gift for my
hubby, but it was really for me. Ours is like a chunky purse that came
stocked with plastic plates, glasses, dinnerware, glasses, a
thermos…the works! I love this thing because I never have to hunt for
paper plates or worry about broken glasses or if I remembered to pack a
wine opener. Just remember to put everything back when you’re done. 
3. Menu - think cool:
Chef Salad Deluxe
fruit salad with yogurt
croissants
chocolate of choice
pinot grigio or shiraz over ice or lemonade
You can’t get any easier than this: buy a regular bagged salad then
doctor-it-up, as my mother would have said, by adding sliced,
hard-boiled eggs, ham, cheese and toasted almonds. Ummm, yummy.
Colleen provided the fruit salad and it was delicious, but you can use
any fruit you have on hand. Add frozen strawberries or blueberries if
you’re out of fresh. Bring along a carton of yogurt as a topping. Greek
Yogurt is really good.
Croissants look pretty on the plate and since you’re not wasting
calories on a lot of meat, you can splurge with these fattening goodies.
Chocolate…this is going to need a post of it’s own. I found a decadent,
ridiculously over-priced chocolate bar in San Francisco and brought it
along to dazzle my friends, but I’m convinced any kind of chocolate
would have worked just as well. 
Remember to keep in in the cooler until you’re ready to eat it.
Boxed wine over ice. Don’t freak out. It’s summer. More ice means you
drink less, and the cold red wine is very refreshing. Plus, the little
boxes they’re now offering are so easy to pack. And no bottle to haul
back for recycling.
PS: wine is also dehydrating. Don’t forget to pack water, too.
Clean-up. Tuck a plastic bag in your picnic basket and you’ve got it
made. Clean stuff stays clean, dirty stuff goes right in the dishwasher
when you get home. Wine boxes are crushed and stuffed in the garbage.
Chocolate wrappers are saved to include in your next blog.
One last picture of the happy picnic people. And Martin, the Jaguar. 
Have a great week. I’ll blog again on Friday, unless something
interesting comes up during the week. I’m hard at work on Mac’s story.
Wait til you meet his heroine. Gives new meaning to the saying “It’s a
small world.”
Deb
BABY BY CONTRACT - May- Top Pick!
www.debrasalonen.com
Sounds like you had fun.
Sounds like you had fun. The Jag is impressive, and I don't usually like Jags. The only thing that made me wince was red wine over ice. I prefer my red wine the temperature of blood.
"Perhaps what the average member of a group is capable of doesn't limit what a given individual can accomplish." -- Boston Globe, letter to the editor
March's Member of the Month!
Yes I've been on a picnic or more lately
Nothing quite as fancy as yours but my DH and I enjoyed them. We usually throw a couple of sandwiches, some fruit, a bag of corn chips, veggies and a dip, and water and/or juice in a cooler bag and head out down some backroad and stop to eat when we're hungry. We like to find a bit of a stream or lake to sit by. If water can't be found we settle for a good view of the prairies or mountains depending on which direction we have gone in. We are from Calgary, which has mountains about an hour to the west and prairie in any of the other three directions. If we go east about an hour, we can visit Drumheller and the Badlands. This is not a trip for a hot day though. After you go north for an hour we hit parkland which has lots of trees and lots of farms. South is basically prairie but prairie is interesting as there are creek coulees.
We consider it a very good day if we see some wildlife, some birds, some wildflowers, an interesting old barn or building, a tressel bridge, a great cloud formation. Lots of simple things make for a great day. We like to take a short hike or two during the course of the day as well. We used to hit the road early in the morning and come home late at night but we are getting older and the price of gas is going up so our little picnic trips are shorter.
Ten years ago we were going on longer hikes and packing our picnics on our back. We do have a backpack fitted out for four with all the basic needs in it and we have used it lots. It is a great thing to grab if we are in a hurry as everything is in it if you put it back after you use it.
When I get a little money I buy books, and then if any is left I buy food and clothes..-- Erasmus
blood red wine and the simple things
Fake Frenchie, I understand and agree about Jags--they've become so domesticated. This one is unique. It looks like a Bentley, don't you think? It's the car that was in the "Pardon me, do you have gray poupon?" commercial, I was told.
As for red wine, I was shocked and embarrassed for my hostess the first time I was offered red wine over ice, but with a crisp, dry red, like Shiraz, the taste is quite refreshing in the summer. I certainly wouldn't do that to an expensive "serious" red, like merlot.
Kaelee, I'm in awe of all your options. Sounds like a great place to live. I grew up a few hundred miles (probably quite a few) south of you on the prairie, too (of South Dakota--hence the link to my Sentinel Pass series). I agree that simple can be quite profound. On our picnic, a white dove flew down and settled on a rock wall about ten feet from us. She kept her back to us and appeared to be admiring the view of the lake. We really enjoyed her company.
Thanks for the comments,
Deb
BABY BY CONTRACT - May- Top Pick!
www.debrasalonen.com
Deb
Cool moment with the dove. I like the car even if it doesn't have air conditioning. Great pictures as well. I wrote the other blog in the middle of the night and wasn't thinking logically so forgot to mention those two points. Picnics are a necessity of life as far as my DH and I are concerned.
I love that you have named your car. My dad named his cars.
When I get a little money I buy books, and then if any is left I buy food and clothes..-- Erasmus
It's the car that was in
It's the car that was in the "Pardon me, do you have gray poupon?" commercial, I was told.
I liked the car in that commercial, but I would have never in a million years thought it was a jag.
About red wine: I know. There are some reds that "should" be drunk cool. But, I don't like cool drinks. Go figure. For example, the beaujolais nouveau is supposed to drunk cool, but just the idea makes me shiver.
Edited for typos!
"Perhaps what the average member of a group is capable of doesn't limit what a given individual can accomplish." -- Boston Globe, letter to the editor
March's Member of the Month!
Fake Frenchie
I like cool wines except for retsina which must be cold. I have never tried wine over ice as I don't even like water over ice. However on a real hot day I may give it a try.
When I get a little money I buy books, and then if any is left I buy food and clothes..-- Erasmus
ice
Did I mention that it's "triple-digit" weather, right now? I try to stay hydrated--and it's not easy living in a hot, dry climate--so I drink a lot of water, with ice, in the summer.
But I have heard that plain water and room temp beverages are better for digestion. I rarely drink ice water at other times of the year.And I'm enough of a vinophile to want my wines served at the "proper" temperature, red or white. Some whites are best chilled, some not so much.
Thanks on the car and his name. We were paying homage to the car's former owner. Plus, it just sounds sort of classy. And, to me, this car really doesn't look like a Jaguar. We turned a lot of heads as we were going down the road.
Deb
BABY BY CONTRACT - May- Top Pick!
www.debrasalonen.com
I would be looking at the car too
I'm not a car buff but if I saw this one coming towards me I would be turning my head to look at it too.
When I get a little money I buy books, and then if any is left I buy food and clothes..-- Erasmus
Another wine
that needs to be served cold is Gewurztraminer. We're just sitting down with a glass right now.
When I get a little money I buy books, and then if any is left I buy food and clothes..-- Erasmus
That Jag is one awesome car!
That Jag is one awesome car! I've noticed too many classy cars becoming too much like every other sedan out there. Give me a car that stands out!
Nancy
The Jag
Thanks, Nancy. My hubby is quite proud that he finally got it running. Finding parts can be a real challenge, but I do think older cars have personality and charm that is often missing from newer models. "Martin" is a hoot. We're having fun with him--or will be when the weather cools. I like my AC.
Deb
BABY BY CONTRACT - May- Top Pick!
www.debrasalonen.com
the 'g' wine
A little too sweet for me, generally. I did try one called "Black Cat" that was quite good, though.
Kaelee, enjoy a glass for me. It's really, really hot here today. I want to hunker down by a fan and read. That's what I "want" to do, not what I have scheduled. Sigh.
have a great weekend!
Deb
BABY BY CONTRACT - May- Top Pick!
www.debrasalonen.com