Now here is a post without food. Well certainly without recipes.
It's been quite a week for me. On Thursday I joined nine fellow food bloggers for a virtual cooking school class called Delicious Summer Picnic Recipes. The class is part of the Cooking Connections series on The Motherhood. Take a moment to look up the summary of the entire class as well as view the video right here
http://www.themotherhood.com/blog/delicious-summer-picnic-recipes/
And though we had lots of fun brainstorming, here were some of my favorite and very handy Summer Picnic Tips from George Duran:
Rinse pasta in cold water to stop the cooking after you’ve drained it for your pasta salad.
To save calories in preventing sticky pasta while you’re preparing your other pasta salad ingredients, spray a little PAM Olive Oil nonstick spray in your pasta and mix it around. “Yes- I always have a problem with sticking!
To make your own croutons to save money and eat healthier, cut up bread, put it in a sheet pan and spray it with PAM Olive Oil, then toast and season it. Freezes well.
Kid-friendly picnic foods are usually finger foods like small sandwiches, cubes of cheese, watermelon wedges and other items that allow kids to keep moving while they’re eating.
To keep foods fresh over a long period of time, stick with cold foods that don’t contain milk products, and use ice packs while transporting.
For an alternative to sandwiches, try bringing wraps. Kids will love these peanut butter apple wraps from ReadySetEat.
Remember to pre-cut food so people can easily eat with one hand or eat standing up at the picnic location. Grilled vegetables are a great picnic option, especially for vegetarians and vegans.
To make sure you’re getting a sweet watermelon, buy a pre-cut watermelon so you can see the color inside. Make sure it’s bright red.
Consider creating a toppings bar if you have guests over for a picnic. Grill hot dogs and hamburgers and let them choose their own toppings.
Aren't these some super handy tips to remember for this summer? And don't forget, you can view the entire video and read up on the nitty gritty details right here
And just when I surfaced from that class, I was already elbow deep in prep for my Saturday class 'A Summer Italian Luncheon'. It was such a lot of fun.
And look at the spread!
Zucchini Alla Scapece
Pasta Alla Norma
Rustic Grape & Marmalade Crostata from Sicily
BISCOTTI with Almonds & Orange
Homestyle Fish with Peas from Rome
Balsamic Strawberries & Ricotta Bruschetta
What tremendous group of people to work with! The class was divided into 4 groups and each had their own workstation-kitchen so for most part, it was hands-on with a few demonstrations worked in as needed.
And of course a whole lot of do-this & don't do that, not to mention a stream of nibbles, eats and Godiva coffee.
Fun!
Can't wait for my next class 'An Elegant Picnic' scheduled for the end of June.
