Picnic Ready!

St. Louisans know that we have very small windows in between our cold, slushy winters and our too-hot, too-humid summers. These small windows of spring and fall? Oh my, do I love them! Matthew resides in the same boat as me, so whenever the weather approaches mild we go into "picnic mode".

"Picnic Mode" is not some passing fancy of oh, let's try to have a picnic next weekend. It is a full on attack of every park within walking distance of our home. In doing so, we tend to race against the clock once we get home from work--especially in autumn when the sun starts setting early. Over the years, I've found a few easy ways to maximize our post-work-picnic-potential. The common thread throughout is to keep things easy and to keep things ready.

Food and Beverages:

• Glass bottles of water in the fridge (when you get home, fill 'em back up and pop 'em back in the fridge)
• If we know the weather report for the coming week is good, I’ll make a big batch of something that lasts for several days in the fridge. Think salad: pasta salad, chopped salad, chicken salad, chickpea salad, or bean salad/salsa (like this or this). If I am really on the ball, I will divide it into smaller portioned tupperware. Note: in the photo above, I was not on the ball but just grabbed the whole bowl and carried it to the park!
• Generally speaking, our fridge is always stocked with chopped veggies, hummus, dressings, and cheese (don't forget to grab some crackers from the pantry). Throw any of these into your cooler and blammo! instant picnic fare. I'll pair some combination of these foods with a more substantial dish (see above) and call it done.

Getting Around:
I have a lightweight insulated tote bag that is perfect for quick picnics. You can find these almost everywhere (Target, Walmart, Amazon, BB&B, and the like). I keep it regularly stocked with the following.

• Disposable forks, knives, and spoons
• Bottle opener with cork screw (you never know when you might opt for some wine/beer!)
• Paper plates and napkins
• Bug Spray
• Wet wipes/hand sanitizer
• Little cutting board & knife (for cheese)

So when we get home from work, I grab the grub and toss everything into my bag. If there happens to be some extra room, I might throw in a freezer pack to keep everything chilled. And that's it. We sail out the door to enjoy some lovely scenery and each other's company. It's really one of my favorite things that to do with Matthew; I can't think of a better way to decompress from the workday! So as fall approaches (we are currently having a heatwave in St. Louis) get yourself ready to relish it with just a little bit of organization.

 

 

Eat: Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Missouri is not known for having the best weather. We seem to jump entirely too quickly from icy cold winters to sweltering humid summers. Lately, though, we have been blessed with strangely mild temperatures. This interim may be short, but it is quite lovely and very welcome. Matt and I try to take full advantage of nice weather with lots of picnics. I'm always keeping my eyes peeled for recipes that are "picnic-ready", meaning I can grab it from the fridge and off we go to a nearby park. You may think this criteria is limiting but not so when you're armed with the handy dandy internet.

I just recently tried this recipe for Mediterranean Chickpea Salad and loved it! I'm up for any dish with feta and this particular concoction displays an appealing variety of colors and textures. Chickpea (or garbanzo bean) salads are a healthier and heartier alternative to pasta salads. An excellent source of protein and fiber, chickpeas are proven to curb hunger and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. They can also give you an energy boost with their high iron levels -- something I definitely need!

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Makes 4 (1-cup) servings

1 (15 oz) can of chickpeas*
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 cup bell peppers, diced
1/8 cup cup Kalamata olives, sliced
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1/8 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup cucumber, diced

For the Dressing...
1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon plain low fat yogurt
Salt and pepper (or to taste)

Drain and rinse chickpeas. Place in a large bowl. After you have washed and chopped all of the vegetables, add them to the bowl of chickpeas. Sprinkle with the feta and olives.

In a separate container or bowl, thoroughly mix the dressing ingredients for the dressing. Pour this over the salad and toss to coat. Chill in your fridge for about an hour prior to eating.

*Note: I actually prefer to cook large batches of chickpeas and freeze them in 2 cup bags. It is highly cost effective and takes no time at all -- especially if you have a slow cooker. Here is a helpful overview.

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I encourage you to find easy recipes that let you get outside and enjoy the nice weather in your neck of the woods!

Birthday Weekend Whirlwind!

When it rains, it pours!

In this case, though, the rain is good. The rain happens to be fun celebrations for Matthew's birthday. Last Friday marked his 28th year and boy oh boy did we squeeze all the festive juice out of the occasion! It was a crazy few days but I managed enjoy each moment and not get stressed over just how many moments we were zipping to and from (something I've been known to do in the past).

Friday Morning
We kicked off Friday morning with our traditional Birthday Breakfast — more on that in a later post!

Friday Night
After work, we finished out the day at the Missouri Botanical Gardens. They just so happened to be hosting a Members' Night (and yes, we are members) with live music. Lord knows we love a good picnic, so we took in the scenery and big band music while chomping on some curried chicken salad, cheese, and wine!

Saturday Morning
Bright and early Saturday morning, we  went out to breakfast thanks to an it's-your-birthday-have-breakfast-on-us coupon that was set to expire. We simply could not turn down a perfectly good buy-one-get-one breakfast opportunity; it was a nice way to start the day.

Frittata with spinach, roasted tomatoes, goat cheese, and sausage. Delicious!

So composed!

Saturday Afternoon
After breakfast we got preparations underway for a potluck barbecue with our friends. It was such a wonderful time that I wish we could host a big picnic every Saturday! We had some very strange weather (ranging from hot sunshine and humidity to dark clouds and rumbling thunder) but our friends are so laid back that not even the threat of rain could phase them!

Later this week, I'm excited to share some easy tips for planning an inexpensive party. As much as I love party-planning, I also love saving money!

The wind kept assisting Matt in blowing out the candles.

 

Saturday Night

So did we rest after this gathering? Of course not! Matt's sister (and her husband/children) happened to be in town this weekend, so we cleaned up everything and swiftly headed out to West County for a family dinner of Dewey's Pizza. I highly recommend their Socrates' Revenge. It ended up being a relaxing evening of chatting, grazing the kitchen, and watching the kids play monopoly. Man, are they crazy about that game! Couldn't get enough of it! Technically, the adults were "playing" with them, but we just rolled the dice passively while they ran the board. What can I say? It had been a long day.

This reads " If you want to play Monopoly, find Lucas!"

Sunday
By late Saturday night, the past few days of busy-ness (coupled with multiple nights of poor sleep) had caught up with me. So as we were getting into bed, I announced that the odds of me getting up early the next morning for church were minuscule. I woke up on Sunday to Matthew making me breakfast as a sweet thank-you for my recent efforts. The rest of the morning was the usual practicalities and chores, then off I went spend the remainder of the day working an extra shift at the library. And yes, I regretted taking that shift!

Monday
So here we are on Monday morning, back at work and back to normal—but wait, there's more! Tonight we are driving out to my parents' house for our final birthday fête with my family.

The best part about all of this is Matthew. The entire weekend he wore a smile, sometimes small and subtle but often a full-out grin. Always being thoughtful, appreciative, and complimentary of everyone's attention and effort. It is so easy to celebrate such a great guy!

The end.