Have you ever gone on a picnic?  When I was younger, my neighbor Matt and I would always go on picnics.  We would pack fluffernutter and peanut butter cracker sandwiches and piles of microwaved pepperoni (yes, you read that correctly) and we would walk to the far corners of our country yards to sit, eat, chat and inevitably get poison ivy.  As I have gotten older, my tastes have changed, my picnic settings have become more picturesque and I have learned how to properly identify poison ivy.  This past Tuesday I went on a lovely little picnic with my two girlfriends.  We couldn’t stop talking about how nice it was to eat, gab and simply sit and enjoy the nature around us.  Packing a picnic is as easy as pie, so go ahead, pack a picnic this weekend!

Speaking of pie, I made a variation of these hand pies.

I made a yummy wild rice salad, but this carrot salad looks like a winner too.

If you’re packing a classic salad, try topping it with these and these.

Sarah Yates puts together one classy picnic!

I have to admit, my picnic was missing a basket.  I packed my goods in two paper Trader Joe’s bags instead.

You can also buy a vintage basket.  There are tons on Etsy! Or you could always weave your own.

I really don’t like paper plates because I like eating off of a solid surface.  With my luck, I’ll flip the flimsy paper plate over onto my lap.  I packed these plates (our every day dinner plates), but I’d like to buy a set of enamel plates so that I don’t have to lug around our heavy, nice dishes.

If your picnic setting allows drinking, why not pick up a pair of these silicone wine glasses?

Throw down an outdoor carpet (find one at an Asian market for <$20), or an Indian tapestry or some cool fabric for your fine self to sit on. Uh, oh, now I’m down a cool-fabric rabbit hole. There’s citrus, strawberries, pineapples, and watermelon, but nothing similar to the sheet my friend Karissa brought along.  (You’ll see snapshots of that in the near future)

Huge lists of recipes overwhelm me, but the first few looked delish so you may want to check out some of these recipes.

Planning a picnic is really as easy as making a meal and throwing it (ok, place it gently) in a basket.  This bacon and blue cheese baguette is the perfect example of an easy picnic-friendly meal.

Are you inspired enough to go on a picnic yet?  Pack up your salad and snacks and get out there!

Stay tuned for photos and recipes from my recent picnic.  Happy weekend!