Hurray, picnic season has officially begun!

I love planning a picnic. Whether it’s for the whole family or a romantic outing for two, a successful picnic starts with packing the perfect basket. Here are some tips I use when organizing my basket.
- Be sure to load your basket with enough plates, cups, utensils and napkins.
- Bring along an insulted cooler to keep highly perishable items cold.
- Pack the items you’ll use last, like trash bags and antibacterial wipes at the bottom of the basket.
- Line the bottom of your basket or cooler with ice packs and place the most perishable items closest to the cold source.
- Pack all food in plastic, water tight containers.
- Beverages can be frozen to help keep the food and the drinks icy cold.
- Last but not least, don’t forget to pack the sunscreen, the bug spray and ahhhhh yes, the sunglasses.

Now you can kick back, relax and enjoy the summer.

On The Grill

It’s planning time for my next gourmet dinner group. This month’s theme is “on the grill” and I’m bringing the dessert. I searched the internet looking for ideas and found some tasty looking recipes for grilled fruit.
What a great way to usher in summer!
Since the grill should still be hot and all you need is sliced fruit and cooking oil, it should be easy! Here’s how…
Select the fruits you want to grill. Since it is my first time grilling fruit, I selected pineapple. Hard fruits like apples, pears and pineapple are easiest to grill because the keep their shape and texture while cooking. To make my life even simpler, I’ll pick up some pre-cut pineapple slices from the grocery store. To grill, place the pineapple slices on a clean, oiled cooking grate. If you have a sweet tooth, you can add a bit of brown sugar to help sweeten the fruit. Grill the pineapple over high heat for about 1 minute per side or until browned.
I’ll be serving mine warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup.

So fire up the grill and let the party begin!
Next time, I’m trying grilled bananas!