Ultimate Recipe Swap - Picnic Foods

Summer is such a great time to take in the beautiful creation all around us and enjoy eating outdoors! From having a simple picnic on your porch or in your backyard, to enjoying the scenery at a nearby park, picnicking can be a breeze.

We love picnicking on the grass, but we also enjoy sitting on the ends of docks for a change of pace. Maybe it's my inner spirit remembering that I grew up in the "land of 10,000 lakes" :)

In addition to bringing along the food -- be sure to pack... a blanket to sit on, wet-wipes or soap and water to clean those hands, and sunscreen!

Image from thisnext.com (click on the image to link)

PB&J is often a popular hit for summer picnics because it does not require refrigeration... couple that with apples, bananas, and carrots and you have the traditional summer picnic. But, we like to change things up a bit...

Our picnic menu might look something like this:

Italian pasta salad (recipe below)
Dried Fruit
Travel Bars

I like carrying dried fruit, because we often couple our picnic with a hike and if we carry in our food, we don't have to worry about smashed fruit!

The pasta salad is light and refreshing, can be eaten with a fork (in case we forget the soap), and gets your veggies in too!

And, the travel bars ... well, the are easy to make a travel well. Plus, when warmed in the sun, they become nice and gooey ;)

Italian Pasta Salad

2 C pasta, your choice (uncooked)
1/2 C Zesty Italian salad dressing
1 large carrot, sliced
1/2 C peas
1 C broccoli, chopped into bit-sized pieces
cherry tomatoes

Cook pasta according to directions; adding in the carrots, peas and broccoli for the last 5 minutes or so. Drain and place in individual serving sized containers (we like 2 C containers). Refrigerate over night.

Before leaving for your picnic. Toss the salad with cherry tomatoes and drizzle salad dressing over the pasta. Enjoy!

Happy Picnicking!