How to throw the perfect spring picnic.

Hey readers, 

The best in everyone is brought out by picnics, for some reason. It's challenging to beat the combination of delicious cuisine, clean air, and enjoyable company. You can have the ideal spring picnic if you prepare in advance and keep things straightforward.

So below are things to consider to throw a perfect spring picnic. 

 1. Location.

 The most crucial factor is where you will have your picnic. Both the outfit and the food will benefit from being informed. For example, if you have to walk to the venue, you can't serve an expensive spread or wear wedges and a sundress.

2. Time. 

Plan the picnic so there will be adequate daylight for eating and engaging in activities. You can choose any time you like for the picnic to begin if it is on a Saturday. 

On Sundays, many individuals don't have to get up early for work, so none of your guests will feel rushed. 

If you choose to have the picnic on Sunday, I advise planning to have your guests arrive around 11 o'clock. This will give you the rest of the afternoon to eat and participate in outdoor activities.

3. Packing your hamper. 

Carefully select your equipment because a leaky cool box is the worst. Make sure your Tupperware is tightly closed before you leave, and place any particularly fragrant goods in a plastic bag. 

A cool box is  

 helpful for keeping your picnic supplies chilled on a hot summer day.

For young children, plastic bottles or cups work best to prevent breakages. If you're bringing wine glasses for adults, think about getting a small tray so they can rest there while you pour and in between sips. 

If you're tasting wine that has been cork-sealed, don't forget the bottle opener!

4. Plan for activities.

Make plans for your day. A picnic frequently involves more than just food. Check out the local events to determine what to bring. 

Bring fun athletic gear, such as a soccer ball or Frisbees, if the park lacks a playground.

Another option is to bring a board game that is enjoyable to play outside, like Twister.

If you're in a natural preserve, consider hiking to a picnic area!

5. The menu. 

Everyone attends a picnic solely for the food. Yet, your menu of delectable dishes needs to be filling and delicious. 

The fantastic company, fun, and games are just as welcome.

In most situations, everyone pitches in to make the food available. Still, you should be aware of any vegetarians, vegans, or those with allergies or intolerances attending your picnic. 

To avoid cross-contamination, you'll need to keep some items separate and use different utensils.

Sandwiches, munchies, and cake would make up the classic picnic meal; there is nothing wrong with this formula other than the fact that it has been used before. How to spruce up the typical picnic cuisine is as follows:

SANDWICHES.

Choose sandwich fillings that won’t leave the bread soggy and cut sandwiches into tiny, delicate fingers. 

Arrange in separate containers to stop delicate flavours from being overshadowed by more robust ones.

Choose a quality bread or roll for your sandwiches, as the flavour will make all the difference. Whatever you choose, and no matter how you choose to serve them, ensure they are a picnic-friendly size.

Sumptuous sandwich fillings include:

Turkey with brie – serve cranberry sauce on the side.

Strong cheese – grate it and serve with artisan condiments such as chilli jam or pickle.

Tuna with spring onion – a delectable combination; add a hint of mayonnaise for moistness.

Jackfruit and BBQ sauce – shred the jackfruit as you would pork and add BBQ sauce, a delicious vegan-friendly sandwich.

SNACKS.

With sandwiches made and ready, the next thing you’ll need to think about is savoury snacks that complement the flavours of your sandwiches.

There are so many ideas it’s hard to know where to start:

Devilled eggs – these take the humble boiled egg to new heights.

 Hard boil eggs, and when cold, halve them, scooping out the yoke.

 Mix the yolk with a teaspoon of mayonnaise and flavourings such as mustard, a hint of chilli or a dash of Tabasco. 

Load the yolk paste back into the white egg case and garnish with snipped chives or a dusting of paprika. 

Transport in a sealed container, placing each egg half in a paper bun case.

Crudites and hummus – A delicious dip with some healthy chopped veggies to dip in is fantastic for long summer days and takes seconds to make with this handy dicer (chop chop!)

Pulse salads – ditch the iceberg lettuce for a salad with a sturdier base, such as a vegetable of a grain. 

Couscous is simply crying out for flavour, and don’t forget the humble cooked pasta is excellent served with watercress, chopped tomatoes and other summer veggies and fruits. You can even chop and serve in the same bowl with this useful Nicer Dicer Set.

Pastry parcels – fry off your favourite mix of veg, season well and pile into filo pastry cases. 

Bake in a moderate oven and well excellent; slip into your picnic hamper. You can add chicken or turkey to these parcels too. 

In fact, you can get as inventive as you like with 

the fillings – why not try cooked beef with stilton, for example, or ham with peas in a light cheese sauce stuffed inside a pastry case.

Nuts – potato crisps are all well and good, but they can feel a bit samey after a while. Nuts (and seeds like pumpkin) make a great alternative when you need something savoury to nibble on.

DESSERT.

There’s no reason why you can’t enjoy a sweet treat at a picnic. From cake to full-on desserts like cheesecake, there are ideas galore.

Cupcakes – a great idea for picnics; cupcakes can be stashed away in plastic containers and then passed around your assembled picnickers.

Victoria sponge – sometimes, the wheel doesn’t need re-inventing, and if there was ever a cake that looks at home at a picnic, it is a sumptuous Victoria sponge. 

Add extra decadence with a layer of whipped cream and jam.

Scones – another old favourite that never goes out of fashion, the humble fruit scone with jam & cream (or is it cream & jam?) will also be welcome sweet fare at your picnic.

Cheers for reading X 

10 signs of Spring.

Hey readers,

The first signs of spring are emerging so here are some signs to help tell if we are entering the season of spring....

When does spring officially start?

We officially enter in spring on the Spring Equinox that this year is on the 20th of March. That isn’t to say that nature waits until the Equinox to show off her spring signs.

 1. Clocks go forward.

That “Springing Forward” can be a little bit painful when your alarm goes off in the morning, but it does give us some longer days.  More light and sunshine is definitely a sign of spring.

2. Fresh, soft scents.

Ever notice that entrancing smell of spring? The Earth is awakening and it does indeed smell more, well, earthy. With warmer weather, misty mornings and soft wet smells fill the air.

3. Frogspawn/toad spawn.

Who, as a child, didn’t watch avidly as frogspawn became tadpoles and tadpoles became frogs? So go check out your nearest pond to see if there are an frogspawn has appeared. Frogspawn normally presents its self as clumps while toad spawn is in long chains.

4. Bees.

Blossoming trees are a sign that it’s time for bees! With the return of flowering plants and trees, bees emerge from their winter nests and get ready for a new year of nectar collecting.

5. Flowers blooming. 

This year, the first snowdrops were seen well in advance. The delicate flowers are now making their brief appearance and in some places daffodils are already out. Many of us can usually tell when spring has sprung when all these flowers start to bloom in parks, gardens and woods.

6. Dawn Chorus. 

Singing us into spring, the birds really get going with their morning melodies by early March as they seek to attract mates and defend their territories. The early-worm-catchers are the skylarks, song thrushes, robins and blackbirds whereas smaller birds such as wrens and warblers seem to stay in bed until it’s a bit warmer.

7. Longer and warmer days.

This is a pretty obvious sign of spring, but oh so pleasant! The days are getting longer and more and more often we wake up to beautiful sunshine. Staying outdoors in the evening becomes a pleasure as the temperature goes up and it’s lighter outside. 

It also means waking up in a good mood, longer walks with your children and more outdoor activities in general. It might still get chilly in the evening, so don’t forget to pack a warm jacket for you and your growing explorers.

8. Trees.

Similar to flowers and wild plants, there are also trees which blossom earlier on in the spring. So look out for the small buds on their branches that will appear before the flowers do. The trees you should look for are ash, beech, oak and rowan.

9. Nest building.

We don’t just hear birds more in springtime, we see them more too! Once they have claimed their territory and attracted a mate, we will start to see them zipping around our gardens with beaks full of grasses and twigs as they begin nest-building. 

10. Shorts and swimsuits. 

The next time you’re out grocery shopping, pay attention to the clothes for sale. If you see lots of shorts and swimsuits for sale, you know spring isn’t too far off.

What are your  signs of spring? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X 

10 reasons why I love Spring.

Hey readers,

Finally, we have reached the light and next month is March which means it will be spring. I can't wait to have a much warmer temperature for one. So, below I have listed 10  reasons why I love spring. 

1. Blossom.

You got to admit blossom is so pretty especially when it fills up a tree that has been so bare over winter. Then when the blossom gets blow away and makes the pavements much more aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

2. Mild weather. 
Spring brings with it warmer weather to enjoy which is bliss because I actually hate having to wear coats and find them quite suffocating. When you go outside and shock horror your not freezing your t*ts off that is awesome as well. 

3. Birds.

Now that I am older I love the early mornings when you get to have your first hot drink and you can open the windows and listen to the beautiful birds singing.

3. Flowers.

During winter everything feels flat and dead. Spring feels all most like a new year, when new flowers grow and come into full bloom, making the area so much brighter and cheerfuller. 

4. Longer days.

As the clocks go back the day's getter longer, brighter and other all your mood lifts with more sunshine shiny brightly in the sky. 

4. Cute baby animals. 

In the spring baby animals are born and so cure seeing them all fluffy. You can see baby swans and fluffy ducks at your local farm. Like I said before spring is all about the new and fresh feel to the environment. 

5. Fresh breeze.

As the weather will become warmer in spring that means it is not too cold to have the windows open. I just love that fresh breeze that enters the room. My home with the freshness doesn't feel stuffy like the colder months not where rooms don't get much fresh air because of the coldness. 

6. Nature walks.

Again another positive with the warm weather and growth in flowers means that nature walks are a great time to particulate in and see nature grows during spring.

7. Easter.

Though I don't believe in God or anything like that I do like Easter because quite frankly I just bloody love chocolate, I have no shame in that. plus I love a good old lamb roast. 

8. Pastel colours.

I love a bit fashion and I just love light, pastel colours to add to an outfit. I find delicate and pastel colours is another extension to the notion that spring is here. 

9. Lighter evenings.

A couple of nights during the week I get home late and presently have to walk in the dark. Well not for long as with spring means lighter evenings which is a lot safer for me in my mindset and I like that golden hour to just take time out and walk home.

10. Wind.

I just love that sound of the wind going through the trees and making then dance. 

what things do you like about spring? love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Cheers for reading X