Picnic Time!

It's summer time and the living is easy!  My kids and I want to be outside as much as possible enjoying the beautiful weather before the true heat of the summer sets in (we live in Virginia - 95 degrees, plus 100% humidity will be here before we know it!).   That includes having our meals outside!  The last place I want to be is in the kitchen.  The other night for dinner, we made "picnic" food and had a very nice dinner on the deck.  This was something that was easy to make and all the kids enjoyed.  This is something that would be great to make & take too! The kids were involved with the prep work, which makes everything taste better!  Here is our easy menu.  Sure to please even the pickiest of eaters!

Pirate Chicken (aka grilled chicken drumsticks)
Who doesn't like to eat like a pirate!  This was super easy to make.  I took large Ziploc bags and made a marinade of equal parts honey and mustard.  Seasoned with a little salt & pepper.  I put in fridge for about an hour.  Then I put the chicken on a pre-heated grill.  I grilled them for about 40 minutes on a medium heat.  Turning every 8-10 minutes.  You want to make sure that your chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. (note on the marinade - my husband thought it needed a little acidity to cut the sweetness of the honey - try adding a little freshly squeezed lime juice to yours!)

Sweet Georgia Corn (aka corn on the cob left over from Sunday's dinner)
I sliced the corn off the cob, warmed up in the microwave and we were ready to go!  I love to cook once eat twice!

Home Style Potato Salad (potato salad made from scratch with love!)
My girls helped me make this.  It tastes better if you make ahead and put in the fridge prior to eating.
Super easy!  Peel, Slice and boil potatoes.  (Use what you have on hand - I used 4 white potatoes. Make sure the pieces aren't too big - you want them to be all around the same size so they cook evenly.  You also want to make them bite size for your smaller diners!)  Rinse cooked potatoes in very cold water. Put in bowl.  Mix in 1/2 cup chopped celery, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1 c miracle whip, 1/2 c buttermilk ranch dressing, 2 squirts of yellow mustard, salt & pepper to taste.

Fresh Strawberries
I Sliced up some sweet strawberries and the kids finished the entire bowl!

I hope you try this with your family!  Please be sure to leave a comment if you do!

Please also be sure to share some of your favorite picnic recipes!

Have a great day!