I met these ladies on the internet. I went on the hike across the Bay Bridge with them which turned into a super long four hour hike. Nevertheless they seemed like good people so I didn't hesitate when the host decided to set up a camping trip. Unfortunately she shouldn't have been the only one doing the planning and cooking. I'm not one for depending on other so I packed all my own stuff including food just in case.
I was a girl scout and learned the motto BE PREPARED!
There also was a problem with the parking as there were only a limited number of cars allowed in the campground so I arrived super early and as you will see I got to park right there next to the campground. That's my shiny red car in the background.
I was the first to arrive so I sat down on the picnic table and ate my veggies and read a book while I awaited the other women.
I'm a firm believer in self sufficiency so I packed my car up with all of my camping goodies. Tent, pillows, lantern and chandelier.
My front seat was loaded down with my pink box filled with kitchen supplies. On the floor you;ll see my dooney and bourke cabriolet bag in red leather and denim filled with my change of clothes.
As soon as I arrived and got the tent set up, I pulled out my plastic plates and plastic wine glasses. I've been collecting these wine glasses all season long. Every time I went to Safeway, I picked up a set. I have been wishing for some women friends to have a picnic with and enjoy these fabulous wine glasses.
Here I am enjoying a glass of dark wine that someone brought to share. I hate to say it but alcohol was all that they women brought to share. Kind of a shame.
Here are six of the eight women that attended the sleepover / campout. I was the 7th and Renee the organizer was setting up dinner.
Here is another picture of my fabulous dishes set up.
Here is a picture of the big bottle of tequila that Renee brought to give everyone shots.
Had my first and only shot of tequila that night complete with lime and salt lick.
Here is my camp stove set up with the pots set that my mother gave me just a few days before the camp out. Renee had precooked all the food prior to the cook out because she didn't have camp stove. She actually brought her toaster oven to heat up the frozen waffles but there was no plug even in the bathroom.!!!
Here are some of the ladies enjoying breakfast. I was in a hurry to get home to take care of my kids and hubby but I did stay long enough to help with breakfast. I was the first to leave.
Here is the other Pamela enjoying her breakfast.
Entertaining Outside/ Picnics/ Camping Trips / Tailgates
One of my favorite activities is entertaining outside. I
love backyard barbecues and picnics in the park. I've just returned to camping at local
campground after a hiatus of twenty years. Below are my hints, tips and tricks
for preparing for picnics and other events where you are going to be eating and
cooking outside.
The most essential item for all types of entertaining
outsides is a well-stocked picnic basket. A picnic basket is a large suitcase type
basket filled with your eating utensils, plates, and cups. Originally these
suitcases were made of wicker similar to make baskets. It may contain napkins
and a table cloth and of course there should be room for your picnic food
including wine.
There are many vintage picnic baskets still around and some
of them are for sale on eBay and in specialty stores. My aunt Becky told me
that the problem with them were that they were quite heavy especially if they
contained real china and flatware. I guess they originated around the time when
touring by car was popular. Folks would pack up their picnic basket and head
off into the country to enjoy a meal. There weren't as many fast food
restaurants along the way so folks took picnic baskets filled with their own sandwiches,
fried chicken and other homemade goodies. I suspected there were a fair amount
of thermos bottles filled with lemonade in those baskets.
There are tons of modern picnic baskets available for sale
on eBay. Some of them are backpacks filled with lightweight plastic plates,
cups and flatware. Other picnic baskets have wheels; many have room for bottles
of wine and real wine glasses. They come in a variety of colors, patterns and
textures to suit your preference. You can probably find one with almost every
college and professional sports team’s logo and team colors if that is your
preference.
I think the most important thing to remember is that no
matter how nice they are you won’t be able to fit everything in it you want to.
The picnic baskets now available are mostly for holding the utensils for
eating. You will need a separate cooler for you food.
I am a person who has a lot of stuff around my house and so
I decided to make my own picnic basket/ aka tub that would contain everything
that I need to host a picnic. The box ended up being actually containing all
the elements of mini kitchen for camping. These tubs are readily available in Target,
Walmart as well as just about every other store. Pick a color that you like or
find a suitcase or basket that will hold all your supplies.
If you live in a
small space a decorative basket that you can store in the corner of your home
will likely be beneficial. These baskets or tubs can usually fit in the trunk
of your car or backseat along with the cooler with your food.
Here is what my mini kitchen box contains:
·
Plastic
Plates and Cups – I grew up using metal girl scout mess kits for
camping. As I got older my mother gave me set of 1940’s Army flatware to take
camping. I also had tons of aluminum plates all of which I hated. When I
decided to put together my picnic basket/ camping stuff I decided to go for the
glamour. I sold the vintage mess kits
and Army flatware on eBay and purchased what I wanted. I found these mod picnic
balls on eBay a few years ago. I think they are from the 1980’s although some
folks are advertising them from the 70’s or 80’s. They each contain six
brightly colored dinner plates, six smaller dessert plates and six higher
rimmed “bowls”. There is a large round tray and everything packs up into these
two round bowls which secure with a white handle. I purchased both a bright
primary color set and a pastel color set. You of course should select whatever
dinnerware attracts you the most. There are tons of melamine pieces at Target
and Walmart for good prices. If you want something with flowers or stripes or
basic black go for it. If you want ceramic and don’t mind the weight of real
china and glass, then feel free to pick up some vintage china pieces that catch
your eye. I’ve seen many magazine articles lately where designers have set
picnic tables with different pattern china collected from thrift stores.
I follow a website for women who
“Glamp” glamour camping in vintage trailers and many of the women collect
vintage kitchenware and camping stuff to utilize in their remodeled trailers. So
select what you are attracted to for your picnic basket. Look around at what
you already have. I know some women who have inherited sets of dishes from
their mom or grandmother. The tendency may be to sell the items at a garage
sale or donate them to a thrift store but they may be just the thing for your
picnic basket.
·
Flatware-
I hate plastic flatware. It breaks when you are eating and I’m always
afraid that I will swallow one of the plastic prongs from the folk. If you are
going to invest in re-usable plates, then go ahead and invest in a set of
re-usable flatware. I found two different sets that I like. This set with
brightly colored handles came from Walmart and included a white divided
flatware organizer. I found another set of flatware that I like at Ikea. These
are brightly colored molded plastic. I doubt either of these set will last as
long as the military flatware or the Girl Scout mess kit flatware are that I
used to have but when this wears out I will look for something else.
Another option for flatware is
vintage silverware. Use your imagination to gather the stuff needed for your
picnic.
·
Cups
and Glasses – You won’t be able to enjoy your picnic beverage or early
morning coffee without a nice cup. Again there are so many choices. You will
need cups for hot beverages if you enjoy tea in the morning. Some folks just
pack the ceramic mugs that we accumulate in our kitchens. On a recent camping
trip I took a travel mug.
The dollar stores are full of
plastic reusable cups which you could through in your picnic basket. Tupperware
used to make tall tumblers with tops that would be perfect to take with you.
There are also a bunch of insulated cups with straws that are available for
folks to purchase that are very popular. Cups are probably one of the easiest
thing to find to fill you picnic basket.
I found these cute mini wine
glasses in my grocery store earlier this year. I bought five or six set just
because they are so cute. They are perfect for a pool party or picnic or
camping. Check out your grocery store or
discount store before Memorial Day for when they put out the summer stuff. My
grocery store had cute margarita glasses in fun colors, tall pitchers, plastic
trays and a variety of stuff for summer entertaining. The store Big Lots also
had a bunch of nice items for entertaining. Consider including some of these
items for your picnic basket.
Paper plates, plastic flatware and
disposable cups may seem easier but they aren’t as fun or as environmentally
friendly. Spend a bit of time and put
together your picnic basket supplies for a fun addition to your outdoor
entertaining.
If you’re going to use re-usable
items then you are going to have to wash them. If it is just you and a pal on a
picnic, then the easiest thing to do is to just pack the items up and bring
them home to wash them up. If you are on an overnight camping trip then you
will need to wash them. I pack a small bottle of dishwashing detergent and a
small sponge in a zip lock bag. I utilize on of the bowls from my picnic bowl
as the washing basin and wash up my dishes.
If I am at a campsite and can warm some water on the fire then that is
best. Rinsing can be done under the faucet.
I was taught to use a dunk bag in
girl scouts where after the dishes were washed, we put the dishes in a net bag
and dunked the mess kit in a pot of boiling water to sterilize them. Then you
hung the dishes up to dry on a clothes line. I haven’t done that lately but
that was taught to me very early and I think about it every time I camp.
·
Tablecloths,
Napkins – I collect plastic coated table clothes to use when
entertaining outside or picnicking. I also have some brightly colored placemats
that I don’t use regularly at home that are perfect for the picnic basket. I
can place them under the stacks of plates and cups for decorations or use them
as place mats when I eat.
There are tons of great linen table
cloths you can utilize for you picnic. Disposable or plastic will also work. I
usually take a roll of paper towels with me. I have a hard time utilizing the
linen napkins because they get dirty so fast but they do look nice. I still
believe in disposable paper napkins so I encourage you to include a bunch of
these in your picnic basket.
Other Essential Stuff
– I include re-usable serving spoons, forks and cutting knifes. I got a small
cutting board in a cheese basket last Christmas that I leave in the picnic
stuff. I leave an extra cork screw, bottle opener, and wine stopper in the
basket as well. I’m sure there is nothing as irritating as not having a bottle
opener on a picnic. Another essential is a box of gallon sized zip lock bags. I use the bags to store leftover food, wet
items and smaller items that I don’t want to lose.
Equipment – Essential
and Non-Essential
·
Blankets/Quilts - Back in the day folks
laid out a blanket or quilt. Now a days folks utilize old comforters. For the
longest time I had an old Disney quilt from my daughter’s bedroom that used for
the kids to sit down on the ground when they were little. I know have
·
Chairs – If you don’t want to sit on the
ground, bring a chair.
·
Umbrellas/ Canopy – Nice if you have
them.
Cooking Equipment
Now I am all in favor of
preparing or purchasing sandwiches ahead of time and just carrying them along
with cookies, cheese and crackers, chips, fruit and beverages on a picnic. One
could also take the classic picnic meal of fried chicken, potato salad and
cake. There are so many menus for picnic which could include preparing food at
home or purchasing them at a deli.
·
Barbeque
Grill- Electric/ Charcoal/ Propane – One of these is probably essential
for a tailgate party. While electric won’t work unless you have a generator or
a mobile home to plug it into there are other options such as charcoal grill. I
saw some really great coil grills for sale on QVC from time to time. I have
also seen a large circular grill made by the makers of the George Foreman grill
that would be great for cooking outside. Again if you don’t have electricity
then they won’t work.
I love the tiny charcoal grill that
you see at discount stores. My husband and I had a tiny “hibachi” grill that we
used for picnics at the park before we had children. These tiny grill usually
have short feet or stands to keep them off the ground or table because the base
likely gets hot from the charcoal briquettes.
I recently saw a disc at CVS drug store to get your grill started. You
will of course need a small bag of Match light brand charcoal briquettes as
well as matches. I keep my picnic
matches in a zip lock bag in the box of picnic stuff.
·
Camp
Stove – I have a propane camp stove that is a good send for cooking
outdoors. The caveat for using a camp stove is that you have to have cookware
aka pots and pans to use. You will also need a supply of propane canisters. The
canisters are about ¾ the size of a 2 liter soda bottle. I would always have
two or three new canisters of propane
for each event. Nothing can sour a trip faster than running out of propane
while you are trying to cook. Propane is available wherever camp stoves or
cooking items are available such as Walmart or Big 5 sporting goods. The
benefits of a camp stove is that you have consistent heat and can cook a
variety of foods as well as heat water without having to add fuel or briquettes
after a period of time.
Places to picnic?
Outdoor Concerts - There are so many
places to picnic once you decide to do this fun activity. I am planning to
attend a series of concerts in the park that are sponsored by the City of
Oakland. The series is called Sunday in the Redwoods and are held on Sunday
afternoons in late September and October. Folks are invited to bring a picnic
lunch and enjoy the concert while sitting in the sun.
Local City Parks – Your local
city park is of course the easiest place to practice your picnic skills. Local
parks usually have the picnic tables and the barbecue grill already there. All
you would need to bring are your lunch. You have the choice to cook something
there like hot dogs or hamburgers or just bring your own cold prepared food. If
it is just you and a friend or two then you can probably show up and find a
table or spread your blanket under a tree. If you are planning to entertain or
picnic with a large group of people then you should call your parks department
to reserve a space ahead of time. There would be a small fee but you will be able
to have a larger spot with many tables and a larger grass area. Often there are
larger size barbeque grill for cooking for a crowd.
City parks also have well maintained restrooms, trash pickup
throughout the day and water faucets for easy clean up and cooking.
Mrs. P.A. Moore HINTS
– Make and take soap on a rope to hang on the water faucet. How to: Use a screwdriver to carve a
hole through the center of a travel sized bar of soap and then tie a shoestring
or piece of string through the hole. Hang the bar of soap over the park’s water
faucet so that the folks can wash their hands with soap and water before they
cook and heat.
Sporting Events – Picnics held in the parking lot or outside
the stadiums of sporting events have been a tradition in the United States for
many years. They are called tailgate parties because folks used to flip down
the tailgate of their station wagon car to enjoy a meal before going to watch
their favorite college or professional football teams. The tradition has now
spread to baseball and other sports and involve much more extensive set ups
meals and parties. I love this.
One of my favorite activities when
my son was planning football in the kiddie leagues was to prepare a fancy lunch
in the cooler along with my picnic basket full of stuff to eat before or during
the games. Each Saturday I would fill up my insulated lunch bag or portable
cooler with hot dogs or sandwiches for us to enjoy during the game. We always had lots of bottled water, chips to
go along with the sandwiches or hot dogs. This saved us a bunch of money from
buying food at the concession stand because everyone knows that the food at
stadiums is very expensive and often doesn't taste very good. My family often rolls their eyes when I was
packing the lunches and loading them into the car because they preferred to go
out to some family style restaurant for dinner. After a while my son came to
appreciate the snacks that I had packed and he started looking for the food
right when he came off the field. He’d gobble down two of the hot dogs and a
bag of chips and fall asleep in the back of the car on the way home.
Tailgate parties can be as
elaborate or as simple as you want them to be. Team colors are required as well
as at least one canopy to shade your party from the rain, snow or sun.
Barbecuing and grilling are the probably the most popular activities. Folks
also prepare a large portion of the food ahead of time such as chili and other
“tailgate” foods. If you were to conduct a search on the internet for
“tailgate” recipes or menus you will find many hearty meals.
Alcohol is also very prevalent at
these types of picnics. Folks have been known to get drunk in the parking lot
prior to the game and not even make it inside the stadium. If you don’t have to
drive yourself home, then there is nothing wrong with having a glass of wine or
two during the picnic.
This fall I am going to partake in
my first professional football game tailgate party. Details on how to make it
more enjoyable will follow as the season progresses and I have a chance to try
it out. I was so jealous when I went to a recent Oakland A’s game and realized
that I’d missed the opportunity to tailgate in the parking lot prior to the
game. The Oakland Coliseum is so reasonably priced for baseball game tickets
and I only managed to get to one game this year.
The great thing about tailgate
parties is you don’t have to lug stuff too far. All you have to do is load up
your car, unload it and set up your picnic/ tailgate, then load the car back up
when you are finished.
Road Trips – One of my husband’s favorite memories is the
tuna sandwiches on raisin bread that my Aunt Becky used to make for us on the
ride back to Southern California. When my young family lived in Long Beach, we
would come up to the Bay Area to visit my family. It was always a sad time for
me and Auntie Becky would usually arrive shortly before we left with some tuna
fish sandwiches that she made on raisin bread. I didn't care so much for them
and but my hubby and kids loved them.
Whenever one is making a long trip
in the car, I suggest packing a picnic lunch. One may or may not take their
entire picnic basket. Mine is so huge that I wouldn't take the entire thing but
just parts of it. Back in the day before fast food restaurants at every exit, folks
had to take a picnic lunch. Today most of the food at truck and car stops tends
to be greasy, salty and expensive. The best way to ensure a healthy menu and
arrive at your destination without feeling indigestion is to pack your own
picnic lunch to enjoy along the way.
Now that my family has moved to
Northern California we make the six hour drive to Southern California to visit
my husband’s family. Our tradition is to get and leave at four o’clock in the
morning, stop for breakfast at 7:00 a.m. and when we fill up for gasoline. I
have to admit, my efforts to pack appropriate meals are futile now that the
kids are teenagers. They prefer the McDonald’s breakfast. Then they fill up on
snacks in the convenience store of the gas station. Typical purchases include
some sugary soft drink, bags of hot Cheetos for my daughter, candy bars and
other assorted junk food. My husband’s favorite on the road snack is sunflower
seed which he chews and then sits the seeds into a paper cup along the way. I
am usually on a diet so I tend to pack my own healthy snacks of almonds, boiled
eggs and veggies.
Snow Trips – Quite a few years ago
my husband and I went to visit the snow with the kids. We didn't exactly know
where we were going but just headed north to one of the State run ‘snow
parks’. We ended up at a nice park with
safe parking, bathrooms as well as showers changing rooms. Everything was there
except for some place to eat. Luckily I had packed a full picnic lunch for us
to enjoy complete with several different types of sandwiches, chips, hot water
and packets of hot chocolate. We enjoyed the picnic eating out of the back of
the trunk with several other families. My husband Darryl was surprised that
there was no place along the road such as fast food to eat. He was glad that I
had packed the picnic lunch. I’m glad too. Everyone was full after playing all
morning in the snow and we enjoyed a nice ride home with a full belly. Again
it’s never a bad idea to have some food in the back of the car when you go on a
road trip. Especially if you are going somewhere out of town.
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