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.

Paul’s been working on the car for several months. I try not to listen too closely to the details of his frustration. Old cars don’t always run well. And they usually take lots of time and money to get them running at all. That’s part of the reason you buy them, right? But when they do run, it’s time to celebrate…and show off your pretty toy to other men. Here’s the requisite men-admiring-the-engine shot.

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