Do You Still Picnic?

Ah the Fourth of July! When we were kids my parents would pack a basket and a cooler and a few blankets, and we would head to the park for a picnic during the day, and staying into the night for fireworks.



I still carry those old time images in my head, kind of like the 1956 William Holden movie Picnic HERE


But who am I kidding here in hot New Orleans! I think the chances are better of us having a picnic in the living room.



But I love the idea of elegant hampers with real silverware and china. Beaux Monde Designs has a great posting on them HERE



Romantic images of elegant picnic parties in Central Park really did happen to me! I would pack up china and silverware, and even a candelabra for nights the opera or symphony played in the park.


I would love to shop Fortnum and Mason style for the provisions.


But most of all I love to make fried chicken . Paula Deen has a great recipe HERE. Her secret is to fry it once and then fry it again for extra crispy chicken.


My favorite chicken in New Orleans comes from a French Quarter dive called Fiorella's. My 90 year old friend Miss Anne and I used to meet there once a week for lunch. Popeye's is also great chicken if you don't want to cook, and the new grilled chicken form KFC is really good too. There's just something about picnics and chicken being the perfect thing to have.



When I was young thing dating about town, I loved to make a picnic for the first date, and head off to Central Park, or even Prospect Park in Brooklyn.


It was also great to meet friends in the park for a picnic for the many concerts in the city parks.


You don't have to sit on the grass to have a picnic. You can set a table. It should be in the open, and not on the patio, or in some uber outdoor "room" all the houses seem to have nowadays.



Being under the trees, with grass under your feet is picnic.


Okay maybe a porch picnic is still old fashion enough to qualify as a picnic.


And why not style up the old picnic table with cute cushions on the benches, and a cute table setting.


Nothing wrong with paper plates either. I love the stone used on top of the napkin to keep it from blowing away.


The picnic on the beach is another fun thing to do, though my beach going days are not what they used to be.

So do you still picnic? I hope so!!!

PS Please check out the Perch blog HERE to see this week's Tablescape Thursday. Jack made another delish lunch for us!