Now that we’ve celebrated the first day of summer and the Fourth of July is right around the corner, I am excited about spending more time outdoors. One of my all-time favorite activities is having a picnic. There is something about taking a blanket to the park and packing our own lunch that seems so relaxing and family-oriented. We also take our picnics to the beach and save on some of the costly foods served there. No matter where you decide to picnic, you’ll want to ensure you follow a few guidelines to avoid any food mishandling or possible illness.

• Prep less then a day before – To ensure your food stays and tastes fresh, don’t prep your picnic more then a 24 hours ahead of time.
• Transport with ice – If you are packing perishable food, make sure to keep it in a cooler with ice or ice packs to maintain proper temperature control.
• Reheat before traveling – To save some time, you may want to bake a dish ahead of time. On picnic day, reheat the dish, wrap in a towel and carefully transport to your destination.
• Two hour rule – Don’t let your meal sit out for longer than 2 hours (1 hour if the temperature is over 90 degrees..like it is here in Florida!)
• Don’t keep your leftovers – Once your picnic is over, toss the remains and head to the playground!

Tasty Deviled Eggs

Many people also have their yearly family reunions during the summer months so these would be great ideas to apply to larger picnics as well. I remember as a kid, my favorite food at family reunions was the ice cream. My aunt had this awesome ice cream maker and all the kids would flock to her as soon as she brought it out! As I have grown older I now enjoy delicious deviled eggs, they just make my mouth water. My sure to visit our blog next week for my secret recipe for the best tasting deviled eggs you have ever had. If you don’t know what to bring to your next event try making our Veggie Quinoa or for something sweet try making our Cheesecake Stuffed, Chocolate Covered Strawberries! What kind of picnic food is your favorite?

-Lani