To me, a picnic is a very portable meal made from tried and true favorites. Michigan is surrounded by fresh water(The Great Lakes) and has thousands of inland lakes and rivers, so usually the picnic setting has something to do with water! We have where I live, the Grand River that flows through Grand Rapids. It has numerous riverside parks, and is the start of The White Pine Trail, a closed railroad track that has been paved or a two track that covers almost 90 miles! Most parks in Michigan prohibit alcohol, so no nice bottle of wine today! The photo is a shot of Versluis Park, a township park by our house.
My picnic fare included deviled eggs, onion wraps, potato salad, fresh strawberries with powdered sugar, shrimp salad sandwiches on croissants, and peanut butter Rice Krispie squares frosted with semi sweet chocolate..
The cooler has taken the place of a picnic basket, paper plates and plastic utensils work for ease of clean up!
Anyone who would like the recipe for anything I made is welcome to ask!
Simple things, done well is my motto...
60 comments:
I love picnics and yours sounds delightful. :)
I love my vintage picnic basket. It makes me feel like I should be wearing a flowing skirt. But there's a small cooler inside. Always.
Ake- When we go for a picnic, it is a stripped down, move quick affair!
Kate- We have like 5 coolers, because of my outdoor cooking contests!
The shrimp salad looks really good -
Isn't it nice to have all those walking/biking trails nearby? Seems like I could start walking today, walk 5 miles a day and never repeat a trail, and still never exhaust all the ones just in my state.
I assume the onion wraps are the first picture - is that a spicy meat and mayo(?) around an onion stalk?
I.G.- Dried beef, cream cheese, and a green onion, trimmed..a dill pickle spear works too!
What a great way to spend the day. If it ever stops raining here we want to picnic too. It's my favorite summer thing even If I just pack sandwiches, fruit and chips to eat in the park with the grand kids. All of your food looks yummy to me. I'd have a plate with a bit of everything you made and be a happy gal. (smile)
J-
J.J.- I stick to simple when picnicking, Ham and cheese sandwich and a Pepsi is fine with me!
PRETTY ! I don't know if I'm gonna have time to Samckdown this time around. I'M COVERED UP !
we are picnicing this afternoon...what is in your onion wraps?
Heff- I posted mine way early..
Brian- Green onions, trimmed cream cheese spread on dried beef and wrapped.. you can use ham or any lunch meat, and a dill pickle spear instead of onion is good, too!
Since I am confined to bed for a few days- I am making some deviled eggs! Make my own couch picnic! That sounds like a great idea I need to plan one for hubby and I for my birthday! Thanks for the post!
I don't really picnic. It's that "I don't eat outside with bugs" thing of mine. But, just like you, I made deviled eggs last weekend - except that I boiled 2 dozen eggs for one day. Oh, well, I'll picnic inside!
ChefE- Our picnics are usually a sandwich and a treat or munchies, but this was a Smackdown!
Marjie- Michigan is a large swamp that breeds mosquitos! Picnics work out better at the beach!
what are onion wraps?
You made all this yourself? Wow!
Mona- Green onions, trimmed ,wrapped in cream cheese and dried beef- simple and good!
Sounds incredible as do the recipes! Love the fact you put so much of yourself into it! Would love to go for a picnic like that!!
I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a nice picnic. Yours sounds really nice.
I would love to have your deviled egg recipe, if you don't mind.
Takes me right back to the Alafi River in Fl.
We would have picnics with NO refrigeration or coolers and survived...what's up wit that!
Nowadays I wouldn't THINK of not keeping stuff cool, clean and safe!
When did Picnic poisoning start!
Great post!!
John
Uhhhh what???? No booze on a picnic? Cripes. When did that happen?
Hello fellow Michigander! Well DONE! You really put a lot of thought and work into your picnic fare. I love all the dishes, esp. the wrapped onions, haven't had those in ages. I'd like the recipe for the Rice Krispy squares! ladivacucina@gmail.com
I like to picnic by the water too. Especially rivers under a nice weeping willow tree.
Listen, re: mosquitoes. you got nuthin' on the Aussie bugs, they make our bugs look tiny! And all their flies bite! Not your average horse fly! Thanks for participating BD!!!
Yeah...
Your onion wraps.
I've been meaning to steal them.
Now that green onions are 2 for a Buck? I'm all over em....
Have a Kick Ass Week-End Buff...G
That sounds like pretty high brow picnic fare to me! Couldn't you have snuck in some wine in one of those little pocket flask things? :=) I'd like a description of those onion wraps. I love shrimp salad sandwich recipes. I'll be craving them now until I make them.
I don't want the recipe, I want to eat some of it right now!
picnics are great!
Ruth- Simple and good- and portable!
Velva- Yolks smushed, Mayo, not Miracle Whip( too much water and sugar!)mustard, dill weed (not relish!)salt and pepper and topped with paprika- simple!
John- Coolers make more sense, when you think about it!
barb- I've smuggled booze into everywhere! I just thought I'd play this one like I didn't... :)
L.D.C.- 1 cup Karo syrup, 1 cup white sugar, 1 cup smooth peanut butter, all heated until melted, 7 cups Rice Krispies, pressed in buttered pan, and covered with melted butter/choco chips mix, cooled until firm...people love these things!
G-man- You got the recipe- enjoy!
Lea Ann- The shrimp salad sandwiches were really good!
Pat- Snuck in on me while answering! Good simple food!
Looks like a mighty tasty spread, B.D., and I'll bet the setting was gorgeous! Now I know how you make those onion wraps you mentioned in an earlier post - I have friends who make the dill-pickle version for every party, and they are always a hit.
My picnic for the Smackdown had to be postponed due to crappy weather forecast and sick friends. But I'm hoping Team Eggplant will rally on Sunday.
Eggplant- I was early! I did need to get it done! Hope you liked the food!
thank you for the little poem written in my name...
welcome to my blog any time!
I enjoyed your wise words.
Those onion wraps always make me drool, BD!
well, well. the ornery side of me wanted to ask you, for the umpteenth time what was in your onion wraps? silly, you could have saved yourself a lot of time by posting the recipes for all your yummy offerings! any spread like the one you put on would be worth swatting a few skeeters away!!
Buff,
My wife just picked up the most awesome-two person cooler I've ever seen. I can't afford that one that is about 350.00 or so?.....do you know the name of the one I'm talking about? Professional fisher guide people use it on boats, it works so well...but dang it--I can't remember the name.
Do you like Ice--or Frozen Containers for cooling?
John
I don't remember the last time I went on a picnic.
Jingles- I do like Limericks!
Chris- We like the flavor and simplicity of them as a snack!
Sheri- Read the comments- I listed the recipe twice!
John- That is a self contained refrigerator! I use ice and or the frozen reusables..
Jeff- We used to have a huge one at the club I belong to..
MMMMM...looks yummy! I have very fond memories of staying with my aunt in Michigan in the summer!
Darngirl- What part of Michigan? Water everywhere!
Niiice. You know what I always want on a picnic? Cold fried chicken. Can't have it, of course, being allergic to chicken and all, but it really is one of nature's perfect picnic foods.
T.T.- I like it hot! Cold fried chicken batter can be nasty!
Sade- Welcome, but I can't translate!
I like your food motto. I try to live by Keep It Simple Stupid in all aspects of life. *try* is the key word.
Tracie- I was the Master of overkill! Learned the only people impressed by it were fakes! I do it straight up now days, and people eat that way 90% of the time!
that's a good idea to put powdered sugar on the berries -- never thought of that - we normally use reg sugar which ends up quite crunchy
carma- We were given some home grown strawberries..powdered sugar was wife's idea!
Hey....isn't the smackdown wednesday?????
What no wine! Oh, let me introduce myself. I just popped in from Barbara's Moveable Feast.
I can't stay very long it's past my bedtime but, I just had to tell you, it sounds like you had a mighty fine picnic. I'll be back again soon for more.
Thanks for sharing; Bookmarked!!!
thoughtful collections of food for picnic...I wish I can try some now..
Happy Sunday!
Bama- Yeah, I jumped the gun..
louise- Welcome to the blog!
Jingle- I'll try and add a photo of where we could have a picnic..
I love picnics. We have a lake just down the street from us. We have at least 3 a year.
I would love your shrimp sandwhich recipe, Buffy.
Oh and please tell me what you do wih your potato salad.
R.L.M.- We don't have that many, now that our kids are grown..
Uber- Shrimp, hard cooked eggs, mayo, celery, onion, and Old Bay seasoning..
Potato salad is pretty basic- cooked potatoes, hard cooked eggs, celery, onion, mayo, sour cream, mustard, and black pepper with a bit of salt..
I think it was near Detroit because my uncle worked in a factory..complete with a mug of coffee and a lunch from home
Great picnic! Would love to hear more about the onion wraps. Don't know what that is. Sounds a lot like Canada in your little part of the world.
I want to come on one of your picnics... mine are always filled with sticky stuff and bees!!
Hold on--peanut butter krispie treats? Why did no one inform me of this?
Used to be a factory on every corner of Detroit- not anymore...
Fingers- Michigan and Ontario share a long border.. Green onions, dried beef spread with cream cheese, and wrapped as shown..any lunch meat will work, as will a dill pickle spear wrapped!
E.D.- I try for finger food- less mess and clean-up...
BlondeD- We eat them a lot!
gimme two of the shrimp salad and an ice cold I.P.A.
well bugger me, that dont look like no picnic grub Ive ever seen, you even have amazing picnic nosh LOL
x
DogB- India Pale ale is excellent!
Marmy- Nice picnic fare, don't you think?
You're the first one I've seen with an actual picnic blanket. The onion wraps look great. And the deviled eggs and potato salad are old favorites of mine. It must be nice to have lots of places to go fishing. Nice job on the challenge.
that's amazing,
what creative post,
you rock!
;)
Buuzz- thanks, and welcome to the blog!
Jingle- Just real picnic food...
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