hello friends, and welcome back to the fairy hollow!
you might remember my spring bucket list post from a couple of weeks ago, in which i listed some of my favorite spring activities. one of the things on that list was “go on a picnic,” which caught the attention of my dear friend Liesl from Quote, Unquote. she is a lover of picnics and was kind enough to write a guest post on the topic of picnics! i hope you all enjoy her excellent picnic themes, food selections, and aesthetics!
who doesn’t love a good picnic? i know i do. picnics combine the best of both worlds—somehow food just tastes better outside. and with the weather warming and the world waking up, what better time to enjoy a good picnic but now?
here are some ideas for themed picnics for you and your friends. they all have suggestions for when and where to do it, who to bring, and what to pack, but feel free to adjust each individual picnic to your liking. after all, you’re in charge!
plus, if you read all the way to the end, there’s a special treat…
essentials for all picnics
whenever possible, use reusable dishes and silverware. my family has plastic plates for occasions like these, so we don’t damage our daily dinnerware. bring a bag to pack all the dirty dishes in and wash them at home.
bring a garbage bag. there might not always be a trash can nearby, and if you litter, i will personally emerge out of the woods to yell at you. and then i’ll eat all the picnic food you brought. it will be fun for me—not so much for you.
and of course, the quintessential checkered picnic blanket. bring something to sit on. you could always sit at a picnic table, but still bring the blanket for a fun little tablecloth. you’ll feel fancier that way.
sunrise picnic
who: just yourself, or bring one or two close friends
when: in the early morning before the sun has risen
where: the highest spot you can find, or anywhere you can watch the sun rise
this picnic is perfect for when you’re camping on a mountaintop. or you can just get up early in the morning and drive to your nearest available large hill, your choice. to make getting up easier, food prep the night before—cut up your fruit, potatoes, and tomatoes, mix up your pancake batter, and lay out your thermoses. make sure everything’s ready the night before so you can just roll out of bed and go enjoy the sunrise.
the key word for this picnic is rustic. you’ll need to have a grill or campfire with grate available for this one. bring a cast-iron skillet (a small one—they get heavy!) and wood or plastic cooking utensils to cook your potatoes, pancakes, and tomatoes. don’t use metal on your cast-iron pans—it may damage the coating, and you don’t want cast-iron flakes in your food.
- coffee
- hot cocoa
- orange juice
- sausage
- bacon
- home fries
- seasonal fruit
- fried eggs
- pancakes
- grilled tomatoes
tea party picnic
who: lots of friends
when: in the late morning to early afternoon
where: an open field, a clearing in a park, a table in a garden
this picnic is a lighthearted retreat. though making the sweet treats is probably going to be the most time-consuming thing you’ll ever do, it’ll all be worth it when your friends are exclaiming over how light and delicious your scones are. and you should bring friends—lots of them! this picnic would make an excellent, cozy bachelorette party.
it’s worth the extra effort to get to your picnic site a little early to set up. candles and flowers are a nice touch. but if you’re worn out from making all those pastries, just bring a nice white tablecloth and maybe some pink cloth napkins.
- herbal or fruit tea (bring sugar lumps and/or honey)
- pink lemonade
- scones
- tea sandwiches (cucumber and curried mayonnaise is a classic)
- chocolate-dipped strawberries
- mini tarts
- bonbons, fancy chocolates
- mini cream puffs
- soft honey cookies
- seasonal fruit
beachside picnic
who: five or six close friends or your family
when: late afternoon after a long day of swimming
where: anywhere there’s sand and water
when the weather gets warm, the water calls. after you spend the whole day mercilessly splashing your siblings or friends, anything will taste good, but this picnic will hit different. try not to get too much sand on the blanket as you gobble everything up.
- lemonade
- pasta salad
- cold paprika-grilled chicken
- pickles
- deviled eggs
- seasonal fruit
- veggies with ranch dip
- strawberry torte
liesl’s lemonade recipe
this is my own original recipe, crafted after several attempts. i searched the internet for the so-called “best” lemonade recipes and decided that for it to be the ultimate lemonade recipe, i would simply have to make my own. i have never shared this recipe with anyone other than my family before. now it is on the internet for all to see…but i hope you enjoy it. drink a cup for me!
ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 zested half lemon rinds
- 1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 2 1/2 cups water
directions
1. Put the water, sugar, zest, and rinds into a medium saucepan. Simmer until sugar dissolves. Let cool, sieve out rinds and zest.
2. Add the simple syrup to the pitcher, along with the lemon juice and water. Leave the pulp in—it will add flavor. Ice will naturally dilute the lemonade, so add less water than you think you should.
3. Serve cold with ice.
what do you think?
i hope you all enjoyed that post by Liesl! i know that i’m definitely going to have to try each of these picnics out myself.
have you ever had a picnic? what was it like? what did you bring?
have a lovely day, my friend (:
i feel like a fairy 