Packing the Perfect Picnic
Cheap, boozy, but undeniably chic.
With summer in full bloom there’s no better meal than one enjoyed à la outdoors. And just because you’re sitting on a blanket on the ground doesn’t mean you should be any less chic than if you were sitting indoors around the dinner table. July is National Picnic Month, so we thought there’s no time more perfect than now to grab a picnic basket, pack up your lunch or dinner, and take your meal to the great outdoors under the summer sun and alongside the birds and butterflies. In order to help add a little bit of the fresh summer air along with a scenic view to your next meal, we’ve put together a guide to help you enjoy a picnic that’s 1) insanely fun, 2) totally chic, and 3) absolutely Instagram worthy. In hopes of taking the work out of your next picnic prep and making sure it’s a picnic worthy of boasting about on each one of your social media accounts, here’s our advice and expertise on Packing the Perfect Picnic.
To start off, the essentials:
- Canasta Basket – $55.95
A simple picnic basket is all you need for all your picnic essentials and a wicker basket will always evoke those classic picnic vibes. Find one big enough to fit all your picnic must-haves, pack it up, and you’re good to go! (We recommend getting one big enough for a bottle of rosé, because let’s face it – what’s a picnic without it!)
- Govino Wine Glasses – $17.95
For inexpensive wine glasses that can be used again and again these are your best friends. Made from BPA-free polymer these glasses are shatterproof, recyclable, and stemless, with an indentation for your thumb – goodbye to the days of spilling your wine!
- Fouta Beach Towel – $48
A fouta beach towel is the way to go, as it’s soft on your tush and will provide the ultimate comfort on even the hardest ground. Choose a light color that won’t absorb the heat, because your food is the only thing that should be hot. Incase the ground is wet be sure to pack along a shower curtain as well! It may sound a bit strange but using the shower curtain as a buffer between your blanket and the wet ground will keep you dry all day long.
- Cactus Wooden Utensils – $8
Leave the boring plastic utensils at home and choose something with a splash of personality that can easily be tossed away once all the food has been eaten. These wooden cactus utensils are totally cute and chic and add a pop of fun to any picnic. An added bonus – they’re totally Instagram worthy!
- Compostable Wooden Plates – $20
If a tree falls in the forest, it may not make a sound – but it does make a plate. Or a bowl, or a serving dish. This minimalist disposable dinnerware is a no-brainer for your next picnic. The high edges mean you can pile your plate with all sorts of treats and not lose a crumb, even if it’s perched on your lap.
- Tovolo Bamboo Outdoor Wine Table – $22.88
This clever invention makes outdoor boozing a lot easier. It’s super simple to secure into the ground and will keep your wine glasses out of the sand for any picnics taking place on the beach. Who would’ve thought something so simple would make such a huge impact on your picnic?
Plus all the good stuff:
- Gérard Bertrand Côte des Roses – $13.99
- Ruza Rosé Cans (3-pack) – $14
- Chandon Limited Edition Rosé Summer 2017 – $28
- Alloy Everyday Rosé (4-pack) – $30
- Mumm Napa Brut Rosé – $24
And now for the pro picnic tips:
- Pack light and simple.
A picnic isn’t about showing off your five-star culinary skills (or faking that you have any of those!) It’s about eating light, eating easy, and eating fun all while eating delicious. Heading to your local supermarket is the way to go. Pick up some sliced cold cuts, cheeses, a fresh loaf of bread (it’s time to part with the go-to PB&J gig), and some sides such as fruits and veggies or a premade potato or macaroni salad. Shopping for your food will save you time-consuming meal prep and might even save those taste buds if your cooking isn’t the greatest.
- Separate food into mason jars.
Fruits and veggies can be cut up and stored in mason jars, just as those salads can, for easy pickings and no spills. Mason jars will keep your snacks fresher than the packaging they come in – and they’ll look a lot chicer too!
- Avoid items that will spoil quickly in the summer heat.
Items that may spoil quickly in the heat such as certain condiments and soft cheeses should, explicably, be left at home. The last thing you want to happen at your picnic is to get an upset stomach from a spoiled sandwich or have a smelly picnic basket because your cheese went bad. Stick to condiments that can be eaten hot or cold and harder cheeses if you’re going the cheese platter route (which, let’s be real, you’d be crazy if you didn’t!)
- Leave room for water.
We all know the first thing you’ll reach for is that bottle of wine (and don’t forget the bottle opener!), but make sure you have some water to sip on as well. You won’t be able to finish out that picnic if you find yourself dehydrated, so leaving room in that overflowing picnic basket for water is a must!
- Use frozen grapes as ice cubes.
On a picnic there’s no way of avoiding the inevitable – the summer sun is going to warm your drink up pretty fast. Instead of using ice cubes though, which will quickly melt and water down your drink, use frozen grapes instead! Pack them in a thermos to keep them chilled for as long as possible, and pop a few in your drink whenever it’s in need of a chill sans the watered down part.
Happy Picnicking!
