Picnics- Not Just for Summer

Here in the North, as summer turns to fall, we think of the long warm days when outside dining was possible. The picnic may be the epitome of outside meals. BBQs are great and getting together in your backyard with family and friends for the many treats that a BBQ can provide is an essential summer activity.

For me, though, the picnic surpasses the backyard BBQ. If you must BBQ, you can always pick a spot where there is a BBQ already set up or bring your own small unit.

The winters can be long and the month of February is often very difficult for people to get through so why not bring a little summer into your home and organize a picnic?

But a BBQ is not a real picnic. A picnic meal requires no cooking on site. All the food preparation is done either the night before or the morning before you leave.

Traditional picnic foods are salads; potato, pasta, devilled eggs, ham, cold chicken, watermelon, to name a few.

My parents loved to take us kids, my sister and I, on picnics, we went to several different locations just outside of our Toronto home. I have many fond memories of long summer days and mountains of potato salad, one of my favorites. We had a great Coleman cooler to keep it all safe.

Pop and juice were on hand to wash it all down.

Well over the years I have found that a picnic does not have to be held only during those brilliant summer days but can be enjoyed all year round, even when the snow is blowing.

All you do is move the picnic inside.

You can eat on the living room floor, for example, spread out your favourite picnic blanket and set out the food and picnic dishes and pretend it is July. If you can sit on the floor set up your camp chairs in the living room or kitchen and enjoy.

Or you can have a picnic lunch. We do this now and then, I pack a picnic lunch and meet my wife at work and we head to the mall, Buy a juice or diet pop, grab a table and set out the feast. We may get a few looks but who cares, we are having fun.

Food is a wonderful way to break routine and add a little spice into your life. You are going to eat anyway so why not break from habitat and approach your meal time from another perspective.

Food is a celebration and eating a joy. You do not need a lot of money to make a meal a feast, just a little imagination and some knowledge.