Picnic Recipes: Red Pepper Walnut Hummus & Whole Wheat Pita Crisps

Over the past couple of months we've been giving you some great highlights of our picnic products. But now that spring has sprung, we also wanted to share with you ideas of what to take along on your picnic.

One of the best parts of picnicking is that you don't have to create full meals. In fact, snacky foods are often even better picnic fare. A mix of cheeses, a baguette, dip, some pita chips, sliced veggies, and some delicious wine and you're all set.

The cheese, baguette, veggies, and wine are easy as you can pick them up at your local store. And with the help of the simple dip and pita chip recipe below this first picnic of the season couldn't be easier!

Whip this up, grab a couple picnic time sport chairs, and this adorable tote (or one of the others available on Picnic Trend) and you'll be all set!


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Red Pepper Walnut Hummus
Serves 10 or more

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup walnuts, toasted
1-2 roasted red peppers
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 tsp pimenton (smoked Spanish paprika)
Squeeze of lemon
1/4 cup olive oil + more if needed
Salt and pepper

Place all ingredients except olive oil in food processor. Blend as much as possible. Then slowly pour in olive oil, adding enough to smooth the mixture. Alternatively, you can also use some water or chicken broth in place of all or part of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


Whole Wheat Pita Crisps
Serves 10-12

1 package whole wheat pitas
Spray olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmesan
2 tbsp garlic salt

Preheat oven to 450.

Using scissors or a knife, cut each pita into 6 wedges. Spread wedges on 2 baking sheets in a single layer. Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan and garlic salt.

Place in oven and bake for 5 minutes. Once crispy, flip over and bake another 2-3 minutes until lightly browned. They will crisp even more once they cool, so be sure that you don't cook them too long!

Want more picnic recipe ideas? Check out our Picnic Trend resident chef's blog at www.deliciousbynature.com.

Product Review: Picnic Time Sports Chair

Due to the high number of reader requests, our next product review is of the Picnic Time Sports Chair. As a fan favorite, we wanted to give you a thorough overview of the sports chair that you can find anywhere from the sideline of a kids soccer game to the tailgate lot outside of the Super Bowl.

Features: The Picnic Time Sports Chair comes equipped with (in our opinion) just the right amount of features. The fold-out side table is, for lack of a better word, clutch. The table has space for an entire plate of food, your drink, and room to spare for utensils (or dessert!). The feature that sets the Sports Chair apart from the rest is the side panel. With multiple insulated pockets (count ‘em: 4), you will have room for any and all of your accessories. Whether you’re saving your snacks for later, storing your keys in a safe, zipper pocket, or simply keeping your drink cold in the beverage pouch, you will never cease to be amazed by the utility of the side panel.

Design: It is obvious to whoever uses the Picnic Time Sports Chair that a lot of time and effort was put into the construction of the chair. The fold-out procedure of the chair is self-explanatory as with most folding chairs. The wide seat, padded arm rests, and ample back support makes the Sports Chair comfortable for all ages and sizes (350 lb. weight capacity). In addition, the Sports Chair comes in a wide variety of colors to suit your needs.

Practicality: When it comes to practicality, the Sports Chair pretty much takes the cake. The super lightweight folding chair can go almost anywhere, and comes with a shoulder strap for easy transport to and from your event. The chair is easy to clean, extremely sturdy, and will last you a lifetime.



Summary: The Picnic Time Sports Chair certainly sets the standard for portable folding chairs. Whether you’re camping, tailgating, sitting at the beach, or having a barbecue in your back yard, the Sports Chair is the perfect seating accessory. It comes highly recommended, and the incredible popularity of the folding chair is proof in itself.

Pros: As we said, we really couldn’t have asked for a better portable folding chair. The comfort, portability, durability, and functionality combined with a great selection of colors (not to mention the Sports Chair Deluxe!) leave nothing to be desired. From personal experience, we at Picnic Trend do not attend any outdoor event without our tried and trusted Sports Chairs.

Cons: While this may not be a drawback, the Picnic Time Sports Chair is not necessarily a chair for lounging. While extremely comfortable, the the Sports Chair is not designed for someone wishing to take a quick snooze. Also, while the shoulder straps make carrying the chairs a breeze, we wouldn’t recommend trying to carry more than 2 at a time as it could get a little tricky.

Click here for a closer look at the Picnic Time Sports Chair

Picnic Trend Coupon Code

In the spirit of our Spring Sale, we've created a new coupon code for our customers to use. During checkout, you can apply the coupon SPRINGDEALS to receive an additional 5% off your order total, for all orders of $50.00 or more. As a bonus, this coupon code will also work for any products already marked down for our Spring Sale!

Product Spotlight: Picnic Time Avalon Picnic Backpack

Oftentimes we like to highlight certain deals on picnic supplies that we honestly believe are too good not to tell our blog readers about. This week, we are compelled to tell you about the Avalon Picnic Backpack and the incredible deal that you can get on it from now until 4/30/09.

The Avalon Picnic Backpack from Picnic Time is a well-made insulated backpack constructed from a high quality polyester canvas. The backpack is fully insulated and comes with a removable waterproof liner, so cleanup is nice and easy. The attached wine pouch keeps your bottle well secured and is a great addition to the bag.

This backpack usually retails for $94.99 but is currently selling for $47.50. (50% OFF!)

Picnic Time Sale - 50% Off

Get excited - it's time for Picnic Trend's annual Spring Sale!!
We're celebrating Spring's arrival by giving our customers 50% off some really great Picnic Time products.

Now is your chance to pickup the perfect gift for friends and family at a ridiculously low price! Great gifts for everyone, including

• Director's Chair - Oak foldable chair with detachable side table and insulated drink holder. Retails for $89.99 - on sale for $45.00
• Hydration Pack - Insulated backpack with integrated 2L hydration system. Great for hikers, bikers, skiers and hunters. Retails for $37.99 - on sale for $19.00.
• Tahoe Powered Cooler - Insulated cooler with a 12V DC thermoelectric cooler. This powered cooler ensures that your cold items stay cold no matter how long you're on the road. Retails for $82.99 - on sale for $41.50.

and 35 other great gift ideas!