Romantic Picnic Ideas

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a picnic? If you said 'Ants', you're funny, but wrong. What most people will respond with is 'Romance'. Picnics provide significant others with the perfect setting to enjoy one another's company. There are no distractions, just you and your loved one.

While you know your potential local picnic destinations better than we do, we thought we'd give you some general ideas when it comes to planning your next romantic picnic.

Picnic in the Park - Yes, its obvious, but we had to start with the most common picnic locale; the park. Find a quiet (let us stress the 'quiet' part again) park that will allow you two lovebirds to sit and let all of your worries fade away. Warm summer nights are perfect for a relaxing one on one picnic. It may be considered cliche, but everyone can appreciate a good old picnic in the park.
Recommended Picnic Supplies: Romance Picnic Basket

Picnic at the Beach - This idea may still be somewhat common, but it does pair two amazing experiences in one. Few people can say that they don't enjoy picnics, and even fewer can say they don't love visiting the nearest beach or lake. As long as you come prepared to deal with the elements (sun, sand, etc.), then you are destined for a picnic to remember.
Recommended Picnic Supplies: Malibu Botanica Picnic Tote (pictured)

Picnic at Home - This picnic idea will allow you to combine something sweet and romantic with the familiarity and comfort of your own home. Whether it's in your backyard, front yard, or even your living room, a spontaneous picnic at home saves you the hassle of lugging around lots of food and drink, but still allows you to concentrate on what's most important...each other.
Recommended Picnic Supplies: Piccadilly Picnic Basket

Sunset Picnic - This romantic picnic idea depends less on the location and more on the time of day! Find a comfortable place with a view of the western sky and plan to set up shop around dusk. A sunset is universally symbolic of love and caring. Couple that with a picnic and you've got yourself a foolproof romantic experience. Remember to bring some form of lighting so that you can enjoy your picnic beyond the waning daylight.
Recommended Picnic Supplies: Willowbrook Picnic Basket

Sunrise Picnic - Why not be spontaneous and do the opposite of a Sunset Picnic?! Extra points will be awarded to you if you can successfully pull of a Sunrise Picnic. If all goes well, it will surely go down as one of the most romantic ideas you've ever come up with. However, if you're not known to rise before dawn, then a breakfast picnic will work just as well. Pack some breakfast food and surprise your loved one with a nice morning drive to a location of your choice.
Recommended Picnic Supplies: Java Express Coffee Tote

Wine and Cheese Picnic - No need for a big meal in this situation. Take the love of your life on a simple wine and cheese picnic. This way, you'll be able to focus solely on each other. Pick a wine and assortment of cheeses (and maybe some fruit) that you both like and enjoy a classy picnic experience.
Recommended Picnic Supplies: Serrenta Wine and Cheese Tote

Dessert Picnic - This is by far and away our favorite! After a nice romantic dinner out at your favorite restaurant, hold off on dessert and head off to a quiet location where you can impress them with your baking skills. They will never see it coming!
Recommended Picnic Supplies: Metro Melrose Equinox Picnic Tote

Please feel free to let us know of any unique romantic picnic ideas that you have!

Picnic Time Reclining Camp Chair - New Product Review

Every year, Picnic Time expands their product line with new and innovative items. This year is no different, as they have just launched over 50 new products to their existing line of picnic baskets, picnic backpacks, wine and cheese accessories and much more.

It is our goal to review as many of these new products as possible, so that you, the picnicker, can get an in depth look into what's new from Picnic Time.

We have decided to kick off our series of reviews with the product that we are most excited about: The Picnic Time Reclining Camp Chair.

Here are some key observations:

Versatility: Similar to the Sports Chair, the Reclining Camp Chair is perfect for any outdoor occasion, whether it be a picnic, a tailgate, a campsite, or simply a day at the local soccer/baseball field. The chair is both lightweight and easy to transport. It comes with a carrying case that has a shoulder strap, so you can take the chair virtually anywhere.

Durability: The Reclining Camp Chair is covered in durable 600D "rip-stop" polyester canvas, so you dont need to worry about it snagging on a branch while on you next camping trip. Even more impressive is steel frame construction with a 300lb. weight capacity, which even exceeds that of the Picnic Time Sports Chair! This chair is one tough piece of furniture, which is ideal for all of the times you'll want to use it.

Comfort: To be completely honest, you may be hard pressed to find a more comfortable chair...and we've sampled quite a few. Both the seat and the head rest are nicely padded, so even long periods of sitting won't be a bother. The best part about the whole chair, however, is the reclining feature. The Reclining Camp Chair comes with 3 adjustable positions so you can enjoy your chair however you prefer. The adjustable armrests also work seamlessly with the reclining options.

Additional Perks: One might say that this chair is inferior to the Sports Chair because it lacks the side table and side pockets. Well, it may not have as many useful pockets, but the Reclining Camp Chair does come equipped with a large zippered pocket on back of chair for all of your accessories. The chair also comes with an insulated drink holder in the right armrest, so you really will never have to get out of you seat if you don't want to! The chair also comes in three great colors: black/gray, navy/silver, and green/black. Last but not least, this chair is $10 cheaper than the Sports Chair!

All in all, we are very satisfied with this Reclining Camp Chair by Picnic Time, and we already have a few to keep for ourselves!

Click here for more information on the Picnic Time Reclining Camp Chair.

The Perfect Wedding Gift - A Wedding Basket!

Chances are that you will have to attend a Wedding within the next year. Many times, the first question that comes to mind is "What should I get for the happy couple as a wedding gift?". The most common approach is to simply order something off the registry. Don't get us wrong, the registry is an easy way to make sure that you are getting the couple something that they actually want. If you really think about it, however, is a registry really all that great? How would you like it if you knew all of your gifts before even getting them? Where is the fun in that?!

We're here to recommend going with something different. Stand out from the crowd and get them something unique and something creative. One of the most important aspects of a wedding is the memories that it creates. Get them something that will always remind them of that special day. We believe that the following two items are perfect wedding gifts in the sense that they are both practical and meaningful.

The Wedding Heart Picnic Basket - The Wedding Heart is a 17", heart-shaped picnic basket that comes with everything needed for a romantic picnic for 2. What better way for a couple to celebrate an anniversary and reminisce about their wonderful wedding? This classy yet practical basket will surely be one of the most appreciated gifts of any newlyweds.

The Harmony Honeymoon Champagne Set - The Honeymoon edition of the Harmony Champagne Tote is a gift that the bride and groom can put to use right away! The Harmony comes with a compartment for a bottle of the finest champagne, 2 handblown champagne flutes, 2 wedding-themed glass charms, a tw0-sided doorknob hanger ("Just Married/Do Not Disturb"), and 2 napkins. In addition, you can add a picture of the bride and groom to the outside of the tote to make it just that much more personal and meaningful. You can guarantee that this gift will be put to good use over and over again.

For 10% off either of these wonderful wedding gifts (or both!), simply click on the links provided above and enter the coupon code WEDGIFT during checkout.

Let us know what they think!

Lower Prices for 2010!

We just wanted to take a second to share some great news with our customers for this new year (and new decade for that matter!). Beginning January 15, 2010, we have lowered the prices on over 50 Picnic Time products throughout www.picnictrend.com.

It is our goal to to provide you, the customer, with the best online shopping experience possible, and what better way to do that than to lower prices on picnic baskets, picnic backpacks, wine totes and accessories, beach equipment, and tailgating gear? Some products even have prices drops as high as $15!

One of the key price drops is on the Buccaneer Grill Set, which provides you with all-in-one tailgating grill and cooler tote, now for a much lower price.

Additionally we have dropped the price on the Botanica Sports Chair. This great-looking folding chair is now available at an incredibly low price compared to last year.

We'd also like to point out that now, in 2010, most of the specialty design products (Driftwood, Botanica, St. Tropez, Equinox, Moka, Riviera, etc) are the priced the same as their generic product equivalents. Get your favorite designer picnic item without having to pay more!

Happy New Year from Picnic Trend

2009 has already flown by and we are ready to kick off a wonderful new decade in 2010!

Happy New Year to all of you and we wish you nothing but the best in this upcoming year.

Please stay tuned for some great new blog posts. We have a ton of new Picnic Time 2010 products to review and we are super excited about them. In addition, we'll post about picnic recipes, picnicking tips, and much more.

Thank you so much for visiting our blog. If you have any feedback please post in the comments section or email us at info@picnictrend.com

Happy New Year!

Free Shipping Over $50!

At Picnic Trend, we love the ability to provide our customers with great deals and easier ways to shop online. That is why we are happy to announce that we now offer FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $50! This is just in time for your holiday gift shopping. From picnic baskets, to picnic backpacks, to wine accessories, we've got the perfect gift for those loved ones in your life.

http://www.picnictrend.com/

Recipe Time! Thanksgiving Recipes

We'll admit it, we know picnics...not cooking. Therefore, we have scoured the internet for the most enticing Thanksgiving Recipes that we would like to share with you. Hopefully these tasty recipes will offer you a slight change from the monotony of turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie.

We have put together a full course Thanksgiving dinner menu for your reading (and tasting) pleasure. Please let us know what you think!

Appetizer: Holiday Cheese Ball!
What's a holiday get together without an appearance by Cheese Balls?! We found this simple and delicious recipe on Finger-Food-Recipes.com. Remember, if some of the ingredients don't jive with you or your guests' tastes, then feel free to substitute any way you'd like!

Ingredients:
* 8 ounces cream cheese
* 4 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese
* 2 ounces crumbled blue cheese
* 2 tablespoons grated onion
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
* 1 (2.25 ounce) can green olives
* 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preparation:
1. In a food processor, mix the cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, blue cheese, onion, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce. Process until well blended.
2. Add olives, and pulse into small chunks.
3. Refrigerate for one hour to make stiff enough to roll into a ball.
4. Shape the mixture into a ball, and roll in the chopped pecans to coat.
5. Wrap in plastic, and chill at least 4 hours in the refrigerator.
6. Serve!

Salad: Fig Salad with Grapefruit Vinagrette and Paprika Almonds
We took this gem from our good friend Amy over at www.deliciousbynature.com. She always has exciting new recipes, and this one doesn't disappoint. Your guests will be talking about this salad for Thanksgivings to come! This recipe serves 4, but you can augment as needed.

Ingredients:
* 4 cups mixed salad greens
* 10 dried figs, tough stems removed
* 3 ounces goat cheese
* 1 Tbsp paprika
* 1/2 Tbsp butter
* 1/2 cup almonds
* Pinch coarse grind celtic sea salt
* 3 Tbsp champagne grapefruit vinegar
* 1/2 Tbsp shallots, coarsly chopped
* 1 tsp mustard
* 6 Tbsp olive oil
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Remove stems from figs and cut in half if larger than bite sized.
2. Crumble goat cheese into large chunks.
3. Toss together in a large bowl with the salad greens.
4. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Melt butter, then stir in paprika.
5. Stir in almonds and continue tossing to coat with butter and paprika until lightly browned.
6. Add large flake sea salt and stir to coat. Let cool slightly then add to salad.
7. Combine vinegar, shallots and mustard in a blender. Slowly add in oil until emulsified.
8. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
9. Pour over salad and toss to coat.
10. Enjoy!

Side Dish: Corn Casserole
Tired of plain old mashed potatoes every Thanksgiving? Thanks to Paula Deen, you can liven up your plate with this recipe for corn casserole.

Ingredients:
* 1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
* 1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
* 1 (8-ounce) package corn muffin mix (recommended: Jiffy)
* 1 cup sour cream
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
* 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar

Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter.
3. Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole dish.
4. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
5. Remove from oven and top with Cheddar.
6. Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
7. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.
8. Yum!


Main Dish: Fried Turkey
We don't know if you've heard of this one before, but we insist that you try it. It's amazing! Make sure you have your trusty Masterbuilt Butterball Turkey Fryer so you can fry your turkey safely and easily. It comes with instructions, so it's a breeze! This recipe is from ABC 7 News in Chicago.

Ingredients:
* 1- 12-13 lb turkey COMPLETELY THAWED
* 1- 16 oz jar of Cajun Injector Creole Butter recipe (1 per turkey)
* 1 - 8 oz can of Cajun Injector Cajun Shake
* 3.5 gallons of Cajun Injector Cottonseed oil, Peanut Oil or high-grade Vegetable Oil

Preparation:
Inject the turkey with one 16-oz jar of CAJUN INJECTOR® CREOLE BUTTER RECIPE, mostly in the breast area. Inject 1.5 ounces per pound. Sprinkle CAJUN INJECTOR® CAJUN SHAKE spices liberally over surface of turkey and inside turkey cavity.

Lower the COMPLETELY-THAWED, injected turkey down easily into the hot oil. (Make sure it is thawed. Ice in hot oil could explode.)

Follow the specific instructions that come with your Turkey Fryer.

Sprinkle with more Cajun Shake for a spicier crust or sprinkle with "Simon & Garfunkel:" Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme for an herbal crust.

Let cool at least 10 minutes before slicing and then enjoy the most savory turkey you'll ever eat!

Dessert: Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
This recipe is thanks to Pearl over at A Sweet Pearl blog. We saw these bars and knew exactly what they would taste like...heaven. What a perfect way to finish off your thanksgiving meal.

Ingredients:
For the bar crust:
* 1 cup flour
* 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
* 4 Tablespoons Butter
* Some finely chopped nuts, if desired.

Preparation:
1. Preheat to 350.
2. Combine flour and brown sugar.
3. Cut in the balance until mixture is crumbly. If preferred, may stir in nuts.
4. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

For the pumpkin cheesecake filling:

Ingredients:
* 3 containers of Cream Cheese (plain)
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
* 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
* 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
* 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

Note: May use pumpkin pie spice instead of ingredients 6, 7, and 8.

Preparation:
1. Lower oven temp to 325 degrees.
2. Blend cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, egg replacement until smooth. Remove 1 cup of mixture and spread onto cooled bar crust.
3. Combine the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg (or pumpkin spice) in with the remaining cream cheese mixture, and mix until well combined. Spread mixture on top of the cream cheese mixture on the bar crusts.
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until center is almost set (shake pan slightly to test). Let cool, then refrigerate overnight.

Good luck with your Thanksgiving Dinner preparation! Let us know what you think!