Inner Sanctum

text by Carolyn Felderman

Planning Perfect Picnic Pleasures

Pack the basket, let’s go on a picnic! Summer is in full bloom and although any season is perfect for a picnic, summer graciously gives of her natural attributes, making her the perfect hostess. History reveals we might well have adopted this practice from the French, who perhaps invented the art of picnicking (the French word “pique nique” comes from “piquer,” meaning to pick at food and “nique,” meaning something small of no value.) Timelines dating back to 1745 tell us picnics were originally served indoors. By the 1860’s, picnics became an outdoor eating event.

Over time American picnics grew to be the typical backyard barbeque where the fare is generally grilled over charcoal or on a gas grill. A barbeque is a delightful summertime event, gathering family and friends together; however, I wish you the joy of creative spontaneity this summer with the pleasure of planning the perfect picnic.

Begin by thinking through the five basic W’s—Who, What, When, Where and Why. The answer to each element will automatically lead to the next answer and your mind will run wild with fresh new ideas.

Deciding Who will be invited will bring you to the What—the theme you will create and the food you will serve. When will be decided according to the most convenient time for those invited to attend.

Where you will have your picnic will be determined by the number of guests. And lastly, the Why is a given. Why? Simply because you’re in the mood to picnic.

You can keep it simple or make it as elaborate as you wish. The key is to be relaxed about the planning and let it happen. If you’ve had a busy week at the office and feel as though you have used up your last ounce of energy and lack patience for doing anything that remotely seems like work, take a step back and breathe. On a Friday night, call your favorite eatery and order some enticing items from the menu. Swing by, pick it up, serve it up picnic style creating whatever the mood is you wish to achieve.

Take advantage of convenience—we sometimes have to remember to step off of the wheel that goes round and round and let someone else get on it for us. Picnics don’t have to be well planned, for spontaneity often clearly speaks of creativity. The only requirement is a basket! Any basket will do. Use it for carrying food items or for holding fresh flowers as a centerpiece, but every picnic needs some sort of basket.

Use what you have on hand, mixing or matching tableware and linens. Take advantage of what is plentiful during the summer season. Eating locally grown strawberries from a basket with a friend on a porch swing can be a delightful picnic. Pack a backpack full of healthy snacks and take a nature walk on trails in State-owned parks. Stretching out on a blanket at the beach is always fun, or in the car while traveling.

Another summertime pleasure is an “alone picnic” with a good book and a sturdy tree trunk as the only guests accompanying you, and of course, a picnic lunch to enjoy. Going to visit an elderly person or loved one? Take a picnic basket along filled with delicious surprises. When you wake to a rainy Saturday morning, why not throw together a breakfast picnic and return to your bed, extending your rest and relaxation time?

Your little ones want your only day off to be a beach day. Give them their wish without leaving home. Dump a bag of play sand in an area you’re planning to plant a garden one day (it will ultimately help the drainage when amending the soil). Spread a blanket on your newly created “beach front property” and serve them a picnic lunch in plastic buckets. After lunch give them a bucket with a small amount of water to mix in with the sand and watch them build dream castles.

There’s nowhere quite so lovely to entertain in the summer months than in a garden. If you don’t have a garden for entertaining, borrow one from a friend! She’ll feel honored, and you can divide responsibilities—she prepares the garden and you prepare the food.

Whether you’re planning a romantic, five-course candlelit dinner for two in a garden, or a fun and festive occasion for a group, summer picnics can keep you as close to home as you care to be or as far away as you dream to go. A few lit tiki torches, pina coladas served in carved out pineapples and some heavenly scented flowering leis from your local florist, and you’re in Hawaii. The following weekend, travel south of the border by planning a Mexican theme. The possibilities are endless.

May summer bring you the pleasure of picnic perfection, sunshine to warm you and just enough rain to encourage new growth of your inner sanctum, that sacred place that belongs to you, and you alone.

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