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Now that school is out and summer is officially here, I’m been checking things off the bucket list! Top on our list, per request of Dylan, was to have a picnic. He’s an outdoors boy at heart and could spend all day under the sun! And since we actually have lots of amazing open space and parks where we recently moved to, I’ve stocked the fridge with picnic-friendly goodies and have made it a point to get outside whenever possible. If you’re looking to get outdoors this summer, I’m sharing a few packing tips as well as one of our favorite picnicking recipes that I can almost guarantee will be a hit with the whole family!
I picked up this picnic blanket a couple years ago and it’s come in handy every year when summer rolls around. And while we don’t personally own a picnic basket, I’ve found that large totes work just as well!
When it comes to food, I like to pack a variety of finger-friendly foods. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches always take me back to my own childhood and it’s fun to use cookie cutters to make a few cute shapes for the kiddos too. Other options that have worked well for us include tortilla roll-ups, quesadillas or even a chilled pasta salad! For veggie options, carrot sticks and cucumber slices are always easy options and I like to include a couple dip options too such as ranch dressing or hummus spread. I picked up these Hidden Valley Ranch To Go cups and they were so convenient for tossing into the picnic tote and made dipping so much easier!
Glad Bags also recently released a line of plastic storage bags featuring some really fun, popular characters printed on them. I was surprised at just how much fun Dylan had picking out his favorite prints to use for packing up our picnic goodies! Both sandwich and snack size options are available, and I have a feeling we’ll be using these all summer long as we hit up the splash pad and would make for a fun surprise in Dylan’s lunchbox for summer camp too!
Because corn is a summer staple in our house, I wanted to share a quick recipe for elotes that is a family favorite. Commonly referred to as Mexican street corn, these ears of goodness are bursting with sweetness and have just a slight tang to them that keeps everyone coming back for more. Trust me when I say they’re addicting!
Elotes are best made on the grill but can be done in the oven too, (cook for about 40 minutes at 425 F). You’ll want to start off with shucked corn and brush it with melted butter on all sides. Then let it cook halfway on one side before turning it to finish cooking on the other side. You can re-apply the melted butter if you have extra (or just love some buttery deliciousness!) and follow-up with a light spread of mayonnaise and cotija cheese. Even though Adrian and I aren’t normally big fans of mayonnaise, in this recipe it’s just amazing! Finish off with some crumbled cotija cheese (should be available in most grocery chains in the specialty cheese section) and garnish with cilantro or green onions and a splash of lime. For those who like a little spice, feel free to sprinkle on some chili pepper to give it a little kick!
I hope you all are enjoying the start of summer and have some fun outdoor activities planned! If you’re looking to pick up a few picnic essentials for your next get-together, you can find the Hidden Valley Ranch To Go cups as well as Disney-printed Glad Bags at your local Kroger!
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