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Friday, June 11, 2010

Picnic Smackdown For June







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:

Akelamalu said...

I love picnics and yours sounds delightful. :)

Kate said...

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.

buffalodick said...

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!

Intense Guy said...

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?

buffalodick said...

I.G.- Dried beef, cream cheese, and a green onion, trimmed..a dill pickle spear works too!

Anonymous said...

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-

buffalodick said...

J.J.- I stick to simple when picnicking, Ham and cheese sandwich and a Pepsi is fine with me!

Heff said...

PRETTY ! I don't know if I'm gonna have time to Samckdown this time around. I'M COVERED UP !

Brian Miller said...

we are picnicing this afternoon...what is in your onion wraps?

buffalodick said...

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!

Chef E said...

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!

Marjie said...

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!

buffalodick said...

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!

Mona said...

what are onion wraps?

You made all this yourself? Wow!

buffalodick said...

Mona- Green onions, trimmed ,wrapped in cream cheese and dried beef- simple and good!

Anonymous said...

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!!

Velva said...

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.

Full-On-Forward said...

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

Barbara said...

Uhhhh what???? No booze on a picnic? Cripes. When did that happen?

LaDivaCucina said...

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!!!

G-Man said...

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

Lea Ann said...

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.

Pat Tillett said...

I don't want the recipe, I want to eat some of it right now!
picnics are great!

buffalodick said...

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!

buffalodick said...

Pat- Snuck in on me while answering! Good simple food!

Sharon Rudd said...

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.

buffalodick said...

Eggplant- I was early! I did need to get it done! Hope you liked the food!

Anonymous said...

thank you for the little poem written in my name...
welcome to my blog any time!
I enjoyed your wise words.

Chris said...

Those onion wraps always make me drool, BD!

Sheri said...

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!!

Full-On-Forward said...

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

Jeff B said...

I don't remember the last time I went on a picnic.

buffalodick said...

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..

Just telling it like it is said...

MMMMM...looks yummy! I have very fond memories of staying with my aunt in Michigan in the summer!

buffalodick said...

Darngirl- What part of Michigan? Water everywhere!

tattytiara said...

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.

buffalodick said...

T.T.- I like it hot! Cold fried chicken batter can be nasty!
Sade- Welcome, but I can't translate!

Tracie said...

I like your food motto. I try to live by Keep It Simple Stupid in all aspects of life. *try* is the key word.

buffalodick said...

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!

Carma Sez said...

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

buffalodick said...

carma- We were given some home grown strawberries..powdered sugar was wife's idea!

Anonymous said...

Hey....isn't the smackdown wednesday?????

~~louise~~ said...

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!!!

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

thoughtful collections of food for picnic...I wish I can try some now..
Happy Sunday!

buffalodick said...

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..

Mike Minzes said...

I love picnics. We have a lake just down the street from us. We have at least 3 a year.

UBERMOUTH said...

I would love your shrimp sandwhich recipe, Buffy.

UBERMOUTH said...

Oh and please tell me what you do wih your potato salad.

buffalodick said...

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..

Just telling it like it is said...

I think it was near Detroit because my uncle worked in a factory..complete with a mug of coffee and a lunch from home

Sarah said...

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.

Anonymous said...

I want to come on one of your picnics... mine are always filled with sticky stuff and bees!!

The Blonde Duck said...

Hold on--peanut butter krispie treats? Why did no one inform me of this?

buffalodick said...

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!

Christo Gonzales said...

gimme two of the shrimp salad and an ice cold I.P.A.

MarmiteToasty said...

well bugger me, that dont look like no picnic grub Ive ever seen, you even have amazing picnic nosh LOL

x

buffalodick said...

DogB- India Pale ale is excellent!
Marmy- Nice picnic fare, don't you think?

Buzz Kill said...

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.

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

that's amazing,
what creative post,
you rock!
;)

buffalodick said...

Buuzz- thanks, and welcome to the blog!
Jingle- Just real picnic food...