Picnic Perfect: Picnic Ideas, Recipes and Tips
Hi friends! It’s that time of year – time to break out the picnic baskets and blankets and head outdoors, right?! It’s picnic and BBQ season and today we’re sharing some fabulous picnic ideas, recipes and tips with you!
Picnic Ideas
Does the idea of a picnic sound like a lot of work to you? It doesn’t have to be! You don’t have to go far or devise an elaborate plan for the perfect afternoon out. A nearby park or even your back yard can be the perfect setting for eating out. Look for comfortable grassy areas and some shade and you have your location. Think of your favorite things to eat at a Summer party or BBQ and pack them up. And you’re on your way…
Picnic Tips
It starts with the basics – the picnic basket. How fabulous is this white wicker basket? It’s the perfect size for a picnic, party of two! This particular basket comes with all you need – utensils, napkins, plates – even cute glasses that I swapped out for mason jars this time around. But it’s so nice to not have to worry about packing the extras on your adventure outdoors.
Next up let’s talk storage! The best way to transport your food and goodies are with festive containers and jars. Everything you need can be neatly tucked away for your perfect little picnic and you don’t have to worry about spilling or your food getting smooshed. Smooshed – it’s a word, right? Then we have the picnic blanket. A must-have! Set the perfect foundation for your picnic with a blanket that is all about comfort.
Picnic Recipes
Now that we’ve talked about the basics – now we’re on to the food! Is there anything better than picnic recipes? I instantly think of sandwiches, fresh fruit, salads and fruity drinks. And that was exactly what was on our menu!
For our main course we had ham and swiss sandwiches. Sandwiches are easy picnic fare and wrapped in parchment and baker’s twine – not only are they cute, they are easy to pack up and bring along!
To accompany our tasty sandwiches, we made fresh strawberry lemonade. There is nothing more refreshing than a fruity drink and this one fits the bill. Served in mason jars, it was easy to carry and to consume.
Then on to the sides! Salads are the perfect companions to sandwiches. We made this macaroni salad and customized it to our individual tastes.
Last but not least – the dessert. Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too?! We made a strawberry cake in jars for no fuss handling and serving. Perfect for Summer and topped with homemade whipped cream, this sweet treat is a dream.
It was so fun to spend the afternoon outdoors and this sweet picnic was easy to put together! A quick shoutout to my lovely nieces who helped me set up {and enjoy} our little picnic! As a recap, here’s what made our picnic possible and easy to plan…
The Basics:
- Martha Stewart Collection White Wicker Picnic Basket for 2
- Martha Stewart Collection Seas Stripe Picnic/Beach Blanket
- Martha Stewart Collection Star Spangled Melamine Storage Containers
On the Menu:
Are you ready to plan your next picnic now? I hope these picnic ideas, recipes and tips help you along!
These items are from the Martha Stewart Collection, exclusively at Macy’s and part of the ‘American Icons’ campaign. These products were provided by the Martha Stewart Collection available exclusively at Macy’s.
I want to have a picnic at your house! Everything is just so cute and looks so yummy!
everything looks so yummy! i love picnics.
I love picnics and am always looking for an excuse to break out the basket. Using mason jars has always been so convenient and awesome too. Now I will have to try the mason jar cake to add to the picnic collection! Thanks for sharing!
How long did you bake the Strawberry Cake in the jars?
That looks so cute! Are the mason jars water tight? I’m always worried about transporting liquids around. And baking a cake in them too, that’s genius! Do you think the jars are microwave safe too?
Hi Tomiko – they are totally water tight! I had no issues, and I really did transport them in the basket to our location. Since they are glass, they are safe for the microwave and for baking – just make sure you take the lids off! 😉
I want to go to your picnics! That looks absolutely fabulous!
I can’t even handle how glorious this is! Such an adorable post + amazing tips. I definitely want to go scoop one of those baskets up! Thanks so much, Kimberly!!
Such a cute picnic basket! I love the idea of using jars for everything. Growing up in the south, mason jars were everywhere. I love seeing them go ‘mainstream’ these days. So cute! I love the idea of the pasta and the cake being in the jar. While I don’t have a wicker picnic basket, I do have this great backpack picnic kit. I’ve been wanting to use it for quite some time, but it seems our summers always have a way of making us busier than we need to. Thank you for giving me a bit of inspiration for a easy date for hubby and I. Pinned! (stopping by from Wednesday Whatsits!)
Thank you for stopping by, Chrystal! So glad this has inspired you to get out with your hubby, so important! 😉
This picnic basket is so perfect! I’m wishing I had this for a picnic this weekend!
Thank you, Heather! It is the perfect size for two!
Love these ideas! Everything looks so good!
Thank you!
How long do the cakes in jars need to cook? This looks soooo yummy, can’t wait to try it.
Hi JoAnn – great question! I think they were in there about 35 minutes; I simply watched the oven until the tops were golden brown!
What a nice picnic spread! I love how you wrapped the sandwiches 🙂
Thanks, Shareba!
Lovely looking picnic. I’m going to Diner en Blanc on Thuraday and was planning to bring elegant rhubarb parfaits for dessert but I’m having second thoughts now because we’re expecting really warm weather. How did you keep your whipped cream fresh and cool?
Hi Laura! Great question – we picnicked within walking distance from home, so there was no travel time. If you’re expecting the cream to be out for a bit before serving, you could always add in some ice packs or even include a container full of ice to store your jars of cream or parfaits! Hope that helps.
Looks lovely! Wish I could see the recipes. Whenever I click on what’s on the menu, it takes me to https://www.shoutlet.com/
Sadface.
Sorry about that Rose! Looks like they updated all the links on Martha’s end. 🙂 I’ve updated the links to the recipes so give them a go! Enjoy!
hey great recipes!!! The frozen strawberry lemonade you made looks more frozen than the recipe! Did you blend the ice with it? Thanks so much!
Hi Jessie – I didn’t! It was just the strawberries, but the pulp from the fruit made the drink thicker. I’m sure if you added ice and blended that would be amazing too! Hope that helps!