Looking for an activity to do with the family? Have a picnic! Whether it’s in a local park or just in your yard, on a nice summer day take your meal outside. I’ve put together a menu of easy recipes for a family picnic everyone will enjoy.
“Hot, humid summers in the heartland call for a refreshing beverage,” thinks Robin Poindexter (Okmulgee, OK). She shared her Picnic Lemonade recipe that’s heavenly a hot day.
You can sweeten the lemonade with sugar, honey or honeysuckle syrup. I opted for honey and it adds an aromatic, flowery scent to the lemonade. Sweet and tart, this would be great to have on hand to cool down if you’re doing weekend yard work, too.
Grishma Shah’s (Nashville, TN) Watermelon Mozzarella Salad is a light and delicious appetizer.
“The original recipe uses cantaloupe but I did not enjoy the flavors,” shares Grishma. “But when I tried it with cold watermelon I fell in love. The magic is in the zesty dressing!”
Made with honey, fresh lemon juice, mint, salt, and crushed red pepper, the dressing soaks into the mozzarella cheese balls and adds incredible flavor. Easy to make, this is perfect to munch on.
Ashley Bateman (Ashburn, GA) posted her Picnic Club Sandwich that her family and friends love.
It’s layered with ham, turkey, cheese, tomato, and lettuce sandwiched between toasted bread. Mayonnaise, chili sauce, and sweet pickle relish create an aioli that’s the perfect sandwich topper. Serve with a pickle it’s like you’re eating a deli sandwich (without having to run to the deli).
Kelly Phillips‘ (Milton, FL) Rice Salad With a Citrus Vinaigrette is delicious alongside the sandwich.
“This is an incredible salad to serve on a hot summer day,” says Kelly. “You don’t have to worry about keeping it cool or warm.”
I was surprised at how delicious this salad is. It’s made with simple ingredients and once assembled it packs a punch of flavor. The rice salad alone has hints of citrus from lemon and orange zest. What makes this salad is the vinaigrette. It’s salty, tangy, sweet, and so good.
Wash the meal down with Lisa Foote’s (Castle Pines, CO) Chocolate Chunk Cookie Butter Cookies.
“I have developed an allergy to peanuts late in life,” reveals Lisa. “I am on a quest to find recipes that use alternatives to peanut butter so I can still enjoy some of my favorite things, without the side effects.”
Lisa’s solution? Cookie butter! If you’re not familiar with cookie butter, it’s made with ground speculoos cookies. Popular in Belgium, they’re similar to a gingerbread cookie with more of a caramel flavor. They’re delicious… and even better when ground up and turned into something similar to peanut butter.
The addition of cookie butter, along with browned butter, adds tons of flavor to the recipe. These cookies are rich and buttery with big chunks of chocolate. Yum!
If the weather is nice, have a picnic lunch or dinner this week with your family. It’ll be a nice change of scenery from the kitchen and a great way to get out of the house a bit. Happy Pinching!