Who doesn’t like a picnic? Whether a romantic interlude for two, a family fun fest, a reunion, a company barbecue or a tailgate party, a picnic means good food and good company.
Potlucks and picnics aren’t as popular as they used to be, but I think there is still hope. It may be up to the senior population to bring back the “old-fashioned” style picnic. Let’s see if we can make “dining out” popular again?
Start by saying “yes” every time the opportunity presents itself; get out your recipes box and “wow” everyone with your best efforts. Appreciate that someone else had gone to a great deal of trouble to plan and organize the event, and they have invited you.
Picnics used to be fun. What I wouldn’t give to taste Mrs. K’s “made from scratch” angel food cake again, or Aunt Irma’s Heavenly Hash. Yum. Everything was so good; we ate until we could hold no more, and nobody died of food poisoning.
Picnics stopped being fun when every third person decided that were trying to lose weight, were allergic to something, or that they were on a special diet. On top of that people stopped bringing homemade dishes to pass, and substituted bakery or deli items; not the same thing.
We worry more about germs and food poisoning than we used to, but try to see that as a good thing. It is a known fact that sun and warm air are hazardous to your health.
• Prepare foods with clean hands and utensils
• Don’t thaw meats at room temperature.
• Keep separate coolers for drinks, perishables, and fresh food. Don’t leave the lid of the coolers open.
The basic idea is to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold:
• Keep coolers in the shade
• Don’t allow foods to stay on the picnic table uncovered or in the sun for any longer than necessary.
• Don’t bring hot dishes from home as you can’t keep them hot enough to keep bacteria from growing
Too many rules: Perhaps, but if we keep things simple enough we might be able to resurrect the idea of neighborhood picnics again.
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