No Fish Friday this week, but we did have a very nice night. Our daughter's softball team celebrated a very successful and fun season with a picnic, wiffle ball game (parents versus kids) and a projector showing of "A League of Their Own". It was an awesome party!
It was a potluck; I brought watermelon and s'more fixings.
Potluck Menu:
Fried Chicken
Hamburgers
Hotdogs
Grilled onions
Grilled mushrooms
Macaroni and Cheese
Baked beans with apple chunks (delicious)
Homemade hummus and carrot sticks
Spinach artichoke dip and crackers
Chips and onion dip
The grilled mushrooms and onions were delicious and made possible by a flat cast iron skillet on the grill, they basically sizzled in the run off of fat from the hamburgers. Everything everyone brought was absolutely delicious. After we all ate dinner and played wiffle ball for awhile we made s'more as the sun set, when it was dark we went up to watch the movie and have some popcorn. We didn't get home until midnight, but the kids (even the toddler) held up and were very happy.
A return to Fish Friday next week!
Showing posts with label picnics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label picnics. Show all posts
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Picnic in the Park
Went to the municipal park to see my husband and some of his team-mates play a little softball to warm up for the tournament tomorrow. Between the all of the parents there we have 6 daughters. The girls were thrilled to be playing together on the playground. I made my MIL's "picnic sandwiches", which are really more of a technique than a recipe, but here ya go.
Chopped picnic sandwiches
Chop half pound of sliced deli ham
Chop half a pound of sliced deli turkey
Chop half a pound of provolone (or your favorite sliced cheese)
Chop up 2 hearts of romaine lettuces
Chopped dill pickles to taste (optional)
Pour over all your favorite Italian or vinaigrette dressing, and toss together, serve on your preferred bread.
You could make this a variety of ways, serving a single type of meat, adding sliced chicken to the mix, or go completely, deliciously veggie by using some sliced olives, chopped onion and chopped marinated artichoke hearts and serving it in a pita pocket. These are great for a picnic, because you carry the sandwich filing in a tupperware bowl or a ziploc bag and serve it there. No soggy sandwiches! Plus the dressing negates the necessity of any mayo or mustard, so you have less to carry.
I served tortilla chips and fresh salsa, red grapes and mozzarella cheese sticks as sides and brought bottled water for everyone. Super fun, super cheap and a great night out with friends. If you are shivering in the cold right now, please forgive me for this post, but the great weather is one of the reasons we live in Florida. On the downside, in the summer we have to deal with mosquitoes bigger than your average Volkswagen -- so there is always a trade-off.
Chopped picnic sandwiches
Chop half pound of sliced deli ham
Chop half a pound of sliced deli turkey
Chop half a pound of provolone (or your favorite sliced cheese)
Chop up 2 hearts of romaine lettuces
Chopped dill pickles to taste (optional)
Pour over all your favorite Italian or vinaigrette dressing, and toss together, serve on your preferred bread.
You could make this a variety of ways, serving a single type of meat, adding sliced chicken to the mix, or go completely, deliciously veggie by using some sliced olives, chopped onion and chopped marinated artichoke hearts and serving it in a pita pocket. These are great for a picnic, because you carry the sandwich filing in a tupperware bowl or a ziploc bag and serve it there. No soggy sandwiches! Plus the dressing negates the necessity of any mayo or mustard, so you have less to carry.
I served tortilla chips and fresh salsa, red grapes and mozzarella cheese sticks as sides and brought bottled water for everyone. Super fun, super cheap and a great night out with friends. If you are shivering in the cold right now, please forgive me for this post, but the great weather is one of the reasons we live in Florida. On the downside, in the summer we have to deal with mosquitoes bigger than your average Volkswagen -- so there is always a trade-off.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Amtrak -- what we ate
So the kids had a late lunch/early dinner by having pizza before we got on the train, but I knew they'd be hungry later. Fortunately my Mom and I packed the World's Most Awesome Snack Bag for dinner. I have an insulated tote bag so we froze some water bottles and packed some:
*juice boxes
*yoo-hoo chocolate drinks
*baby bel cheese
*pepperoni slices
*ritz crackers
*small bags of peanuts
*red grapes
*gummi fruit snacks
*Go-gurts (yogurt in a tube)
*toaster pastries
*nutri-grain bars
*cheez-its (individual bags)
and one coca cola for me!!!
The kids ate a good cross-selection of the contents of the bags, especially the grapes which were great. I made sure they had plenty of juice and water as well as their "treat" of Yoo-Hoo Chocolate Drinks because I think children can get dehydrated on trips very easily. I know I do anyway, and if I am cold they have to wear a sweater, and if I am thirsty... well, you get the picture. The food lasted us for our "dinner" as well as a decent breakfast which we ate unbelievably early on the train.
Despite not falling asleep until well after 11 p.m. the kids woke up at 6:30 in the morning (!!!) because they were SO EXCITED to be on the train and heading home. They were up almost an hour before the dining car was even open and they woke up hungry! I woke up craving a large coffee and a voluntary coma, but I made do with a toaster pastry like a champ. Like a champ who's right butt cheek had gone numb or possibly had permanent nerve damage from "sleeping" like a pretzel to accommodate a a grouchy toddler. Seriously, if I were not such a CHAMPION butt-sitter I am sure my tailbone would be permanently fused to the metal bar that separates the two Amtrak seats from each other. OY! On the other hand, if Butt-sitting becomes and Olympic sport, then I am going for the GOLD, for my COUNTRY, for my glorious peasant butt, long may she reign.
What are your road-trip staples? Do you get food on the go or do you pack a hamper or some combination of both?
*juice boxes
*yoo-hoo chocolate drinks
*baby bel cheese
*pepperoni slices
*ritz crackers
*small bags of peanuts
*red grapes
*gummi fruit snacks
*Go-gurts (yogurt in a tube)
*toaster pastries
*nutri-grain bars
*cheez-its (individual bags)
and one coca cola for me!!!
The kids ate a good cross-selection of the contents of the bags, especially the grapes which were great. I made sure they had plenty of juice and water as well as their "treat" of Yoo-Hoo Chocolate Drinks because I think children can get dehydrated on trips very easily. I know I do anyway, and if I am cold they have to wear a sweater, and if I am thirsty... well, you get the picture. The food lasted us for our "dinner" as well as a decent breakfast which we ate unbelievably early on the train.
Despite not falling asleep until well after 11 p.m. the kids woke up at 6:30 in the morning (!!!) because they were SO EXCITED to be on the train and heading home. They were up almost an hour before the dining car was even open and they woke up hungry! I woke up craving a large coffee and a voluntary coma, but I made do with a toaster pastry like a champ. Like a champ who's right butt cheek had gone numb or possibly had permanent nerve damage from "sleeping" like a pretzel to accommodate a a grouchy toddler. Seriously, if I were not such a CHAMPION butt-sitter I am sure my tailbone would be permanently fused to the metal bar that separates the two Amtrak seats from each other. OY! On the other hand, if Butt-sitting becomes and Olympic sport, then I am going for the GOLD, for my COUNTRY, for my glorious peasant butt, long may she reign.
What are your road-trip staples? Do you get food on the go or do you pack a hamper or some combination of both?
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