Flavored Lamb Roast.

Easter Lamb Roast
It quite an easy and requires a traditional technique for roasting a lamb leg and serving with a red wine gravy. What makes this picnic recipe special is the flavors. Preparation takes less than half an hour, cooking – upto a couple of hours; yields: 6 (8).

Ingredients:
Lamb
4.5lb (or 2kg) lamb leg (on the bone)

Flavored Butter
3 large cloves of garlic
1oz (20g) soft butter
4-5 fresh rosemary stalks (have also extra for garnish)
Seasoning: salt and black pepper

Red Wine Gravy
4.5fl oz (125ml) red wine
small piece butter
plain flour

Note: always use freshly ground black pepper.

Instructions:
Have the oven preheated to 400F (200C, Gas Mark6). The lamb should be of room temperature thus if kept in the fridge take out till warm enough.

Flavored Butter
Peel the cloves of garlic, grate them thinly and drop in a bowl where you have a knob of butter. Remove the rosemary leaves, thinly chop and add to the butter and garlic bowl. Sprinkle with black pepper and salt to taste. Stir and mash till a well incorporated paste forms.

Lamb
Make as many finger-size cuts in the lamb as possible (upto 50) using a thin sharp knife. Take small amount of the butter garlic rosemary mix and stir into each hole to season. You may set the lamb aside for some time when seasoned  to allow it absorb the flavors, or you may proceed with it at once by folding it loosely in foil and placing in the roaster (roasting tin) and then in the oven. When the temperature plays out throughout the lamb the melted butter will allow the garlic and rosemary flavors penetrate throughout the meat. Remove the foil when half an hour passes, allow lamb roast for another hour or as it is to your taste.

When done remove the roaster from the oven, set aside and leave the lamb to rest warm there for about 10 minutes covered on top with the foil. Keep the juices in the roaster as you will need them for the gravy.

Red Wine Gravy
Place a heavy bottom skillet over medium heat till almost hot. Add in lamb roast juices and the red wine. Reduce the heat allowing the mixture to simmer till reduced. In a bowl make kneaded butter (or beurre manie) by combining soft butter with flour. Add 1 tsp of it to the skillet stirring well, allow the gravy to thicken as desired.

When serving the picnic food have the lamb sliced, drizzle some gravy over the slices, add rosemary stalks at side. Serve with fresh vegetables and roasted potatoes.

Easter Pavlova.

Easter Pavlova
This is a delicious picnic dessert for the Easter spring. Instead of lime and lemon you may use kiwi, orange, peach or other fruits (citruses) that are more to your liking.
Preparation time: less than half an hour, cooking: 40-50 mins; yields: 4.

Ingredients:
Meringue
5.5oz (150g) caster sugar
3 egg whites
0.5 tsp sherry vinegar

Note: whisk the egg whites till stiff peaks are formed

Filling
2 lemons
3 limes
6oz (175g) caster sugar
3 eggs (plus 5 egg yolks)
5oz (150g) softened butter
7oz (200g) double cream
To serve: 12 passion fruit (optional)

Note: use juice and zest of the lemon and lime only, have the cream whipped likewise the egg whites, use passion fruit pulp only.

Instructions:
Have the oven preheated to 350F (180C, Gas Mark4). Spread the greaseproof paper in the baking sheet and preheat it too.

Have the whipped egg whites ready. Whisk in the sugar 1 tbsp at a time till well incorporated. Carefully add in the sherry vinegar. On the preheated baking sheet spoon the mixture in the 8 inch (20 cm) in diameter circle. Do not level it, allow peaks to form. Place in the oven at once turning the heat to 300F (150C, Gas Mark2) cook for 45 mins till outside hardens.

Filling
In a heavy bottom pan combine: juice and zest of lime and lemon, eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and 2¾oz (75g) butter. Place over a medium heat whisking till butter and sugar melt, add the remaining butter. Stir continuously till the smooth mix thickens enough to coat well. Remove from the hob, whisk slightly; set aside to cool completely.

Serve the picnic dessert on the plate, spoon some lemon mix in the center, add whipped cream on top and passion fruit pulp or other fruits to your taste.

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Scallops. Seafood.

Grilled Scallops, Salad, and Hazelnut Butter

Scallops and oysters can be the best choice for Valentine’s dinner for two. Bivalve mollusks are extremely nutrient as they feed human organism with vitamins and mineral elements that are scarce in our every-day food. If you are not hundred per cent sure your sweetheart likes raw oysters better to have them cooked. The picnic recipe herein will add unforgettable impressions to this special day!

Preparation time: 20 minutes, cooking time: 20 minutes; yields two portions.

Ingredients:
Scallops
6 cleaned scallops
1 tsp of olive oil
1 shallot
2.5 oz (or 75g) softened butter
half lemon (zest only)
1 tbsp fresh chervil
1 tbsp fresh chives
1.5 oz (or 45g) hazelnuts
seasoning: salt and black pepper

Note: Peel and thinly slice shallot, finely chop chervil, chives, hazelnuts, and have black pepper freshly ground.

Salad
1 lettuce leaves (separated)
0.5 tbsp of mustard (wholegrain)
0.5 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 punnet pea shoots
1.5 tbsp rapeseed oil

Instructions:
These scallops with delicate after-taste are cooked little more than in 5 minutes. This picnic idea goes perfectly with hazelnuts, lemon zest, and fresh herbs.

Put a skillet with oil on medium-low heat. When warm add shallot, panfry slightly till tender. When done remove the shallot from the pan into a bowl. Add butter and the remaining scallop ingredients (but scallops) that you have already thinly chopped; season with salt and pepper. Mix to combine well.

Scallops
Have the grill preheated. Lay scallops on the grill; put over 1 tsp of hazelnut butter as topping on each scallop. Allow grilling no more than 4 minutes or even less. Set aside.

Salad
In a small bowl combine oil, vinegar, and mustard; whisk lightly. Place lettuce leaves in another big bowl; add pea shoots. Sprinkle mixture from the small bawl; mix to coat well.

To serve
Have two plates ready. Place three scallops on each; add salad.

Dry white wine.

Wine Pairing
As a perfect wine marriage for scallops (or oysters) you may wish an expansive Champaigne. Some gourmands consider semi-dry, or dry white wines for example French wines: Muscadet, Riesling, etc., Spanish sherry, or a Chardonnay as perfect pairing. Right wine pairing will add to delicate after-flavor of this picnic meal.

Lemon Souffle
As a second course this picnic dessert is perfect continuation. Preparation time: about 20 min, cooking time: 20 minutes; yields 4 portions.

Ingredients:
2 lemons
2 egg yolks
4 egg whites
6 heaped tbsp of caster sugar (plus extra)
3 heaped tsp of cornflour
1 heaped tbsp of plain flour
3.25 fl oz (or 90 ml) double cream
4fl oz (or 110 ml) full-fat milk
Optional: icing sugar (for dusting)

Lemon souffle.

Instructions:
Prepare 4 medium size ramekins brushed with butter. Sprinkle some sugar to bottom and sides, place in the fridge. Finely grate lemon zests. You won’t need the pith. When done squeeze the lemons and add grated zest in the juice; set aside.

Crack the eggs for yolks and whites separately. Two yolks in a small bowl with 6 tbsp sugar you will need latter. Now preheat the oven to 350F (or 180C/160C fan assisted, Gas 4) with the baking tray in the middle.

Whisk flour, cornflour, and cream till a smooth paste. Bring milk to boil then slowly whisk some of it in the cream paste till well combined and thickened. Break all lumps that may appear and add the remaining milk. When done return the cream in the pan, put over low heat continuously whisking till it gets thick enough. Remove from heat, add lemon juice (with zest); whisk gently.

Beat yolks with sugar till thick paste lighter in color; add to the cream mixture, mix well. Return the creamy mixture (custard) to heat. Bring to boil continuously stirring; set aside to cool completely. When done, spoon by spoon add well whisked egg whites; whisk. Now with a spoon slowly move the mixture trying to air bubbles to form.

Add the mixture in the ramekins till full; level with a knife. If you move a thumb nail throughout inside rim souffles won’t stick to sides when rising up. Put the ramekins in the oven for no more than 14-15 minutes till turned golden. Keep the oven door shut. Remove from oven at once when done. You may serve the sweet picnic food hot or cool dusted with sugar. Bon Appetite!

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Doughnuts with Honey.

Honey, Raisins, and Pine Nuts Doughnuts
This is a kosher pastry. The whole process takes a couple of hours due to yeast dough thus you may prepare the dough a day before. Yields about 30-32 doughnuts.

Ingredients:
1 0.5 cups of warm water (105-115°F), divided
0.5 tsp sugar
1 envelope of active dry yeast
3 cups of all purpose flour
0.5 tsp salt
0.25 cup of raisins
0.25 cup of pine nuts
1 large free-range egg
1 tbsp of vegetable or olive oil (plus extra for frying)
1 0.5 cups of honey
3/4 cup of water
1 tbsp of ground cinnamon

Instructions:
Add sugar into a small bowl with 0.25 cup of water (preferably warm). Drizzle yeast over and stir to combine. Set aside till for some 10 minutes till yeast is well dissolved and starts to foam. In another large bowl combine flour with salt, whisk to blend. Add egg, pine nuts, raisins, and 1 tbsp of oil into a small well in the center. Then add 1 0.25 cup of water and yeast mixture in the well as well. Stir until becomes tender dough. With a spoon clean the inside of the bowl, put on a lid or plastic. Then wrap with a towel and set aside for 1-1.5 hours in a warm quite place till dough rises.

Spread paper towels in two layers on a rimmed baking sheet (large). Add upto 2″ of oil into a large saucepan and place over the heat till heated to 360-370°F. When dough is ready, dip a tablespoon in the saucepan with hot oil to coat then take a rounded spoonful of dough and empty it carefully into the hot oil. Try not to deflate dough. Make as many picnic doughnuts as space allows – about 5 at a time. Turn over the doughnuts a couple of times frying each side for a couple of minutes, remove using slotted spoon when golden-brown. Lay on paper towel to absorb oil.

Syrup
In a heavy saucepan combine ¾ cup of water, cinnamon, and honey, whisk well. Over a medium-high heat bring the mixture to boil, set aside. Dip each doughnut in the honey syrup and put in a bowl. Serve on plates with paper towels. For picnics instead of syrup you may use sugar dusting.

Apples From the Garden.

Picnic Apple Pies
This Southern recipe is also time consuming so you may prepare this picnic dessert a day ahead. Overall time is about 3 hours; yields 12 apple pies.

Ingredients:
Pastry
2 0.5 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp of unsalted butter (cold)
3 tbsp of vegetable shortening (cold)
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp of salt
1 large free-range egg
4-5 tbsp of ice water
Note: cut butter and the shortening into 0.5″ pieces, lightly beat the egg.

Filling
4 0.5 oz. (or 2 cups) of non-sulfured dried apples
2 cups of unfiltered apple cider
1 0.5 cups of water
2 0.5 tbsp of packed light brown sugar
1 tsp grated lemon zest
0.25 tsp cinnamon

Other:
sugar (for dusting)
2 quarts of vegetable oil (for frying)

Picnic Apple Pies.

Instructions:
Pastry
In a bowl combine flour, shortening, baking powder, butter, and salt. Blend either with blender, manually, or in a food processor. Add 0.25 cup of freezing water and whisk an egg. Carefully sprinkle over the flour-mixture, stir well to incorporate. If the dough falls apart when squeezed in hand add some water.

On a floured table or cutting board, lightly knead dough to remain smooth. Divide dough in 5″ portions, wrap in plastic. Place in the fridge for an hour till becomes firm.

Filling
In a heavy-bottom medium saucepan, shortly simmer the filling ingredients; add some salt. Stir randomly, do not cover with a lid. When apples are tender mash them using a potato masher. Continue for some 20 minutes till becomes a thick puree. Set aside to cool.

Picnic Pies
Cut each dough disk into 6 (equal) pieces. With a floured rolling pin make a 6″ disk of each dough piece on a slightly floured surface. Add 2 tbsp of filling in the disk center. Fold and press slightly moistened edges to fold filling in half-circle; press to seal. Put the ready pies on a slightly floured cutting board.

Put a cooling rack on a large tray or baking sheet. Pour 2″ of oil in a 4-5 quart cast-iron heavy pot and place over medium heat until oil is well heated (360-370°F). Drop 3-4 pies at a time to fry; turn occasionally. Remove when golden-brown, lay on the rack to drain. Keep the oil at the same frying temperature for the new batch. Serve the apple picnic pies dusted with sugar.

Hope you have enjoyed our desserts picnic ideas!

Muffins with Banana.

Picnic Muffins with Banana and Nuts
Overall this picnic dessert will take no more than an hour to prepare and cook. The yield makes 10 portions.

Ingredients:
75 g (or 3 oz) of melted butter
250 g (or 9 oz) of self-raising flour
1 tsp of baking powder
0.5 tsp of soda bicarbonate
1 pinch of salt
0.5 tsp of ground cinnamon
0.5 tsp of ground nutmeg
115 g (or 4 oz) of caster sugar
1 tsp of vanilla extract
2 large bananas (ripe)
2 eggs (medium)
125 ml (or 4 fl oz) of milk
10 walnut kernels

Serving
2 sliced bananas
50 g (or 2 oz) of walnut kernels
2 tbsp yoghurt or crème fraïche
2 tbsp of honey (runny)

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 190 C (or 375 F, Gas 5). Melt and then cool the butter. In a large bowl mash a banana, add flour, soda, baking powder, sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon and mix the ingredients well. In the other bowl whip the eggs, add melted butter, vanilla extract, milk, and mashed banana. Open a space in the middle of the dough and pour there the hipped eggs liquid. Stir until it becomes smooth paste.

Oil the moulds’ inside or place the paper cases in before filling with paste. Do not overtop the moulds with the paste and put a walnut kernel on each top. Place on the muffin tray. Put the tray on the wire rack and bake for no more than 25 minutes. Let the picnic muffins rest inside the oven for the next 5 minutes. Remove picnic muffins from the moulds. Serve with sliced bananas, yoghurt (or crème fraïche), walnuts, and honey.

Croissants in a picnic basket

Picnic Croissants with Apple
This picnic dessert also takes no more than an hour to prepare and has a yield for two.

Ingredients:
Croissants
25 g (or 1 oz) melted butter
2 ready-made croissants (plain)

Apples
25 g (or 1 oz) of butter
1 tbsp of soft sugar (brown)
1 medium apple
0.5 orange
1 tbsp of sultanas
75 ml (or 2,5 fl oz) of double cream

Instructions:
Split the croissants along, core and chop the apple, squeeze the orange (you will need only the juice).

In a medium pan melt the butter and put croissants in. Fry for a couple of minutes on each side till croissants become golden-brown. In a small pan melt the butter and add sugar. Put in the apple chops and pour the orange juice into the pan and let it simmer on the medium heat for 5 minutes. Then add the double cream, put the lid and leave on the heat for another 5 minutes. Top the picnic croissants with apple chops (butterscotch) and with a ready-made vanilla ice cream (optional).

Peanut-Butter Chocolate Picnic Cookies.

Peanut-Butter Chocolate Picnic Cookies
You will have a decent portion of picnic dessert with the yield about two dozen of picnic cookies.

Ingredients:
Cookies
1 3/4 cups of flour (all purpose)
1 tsp of baking powder
0.5 tsp of baking soda
0.5 tsp of kosher salt (coarse)
0.5 cup (plus 1/3 cup) of powdered sugar
0.5 cup (plus 1 tbsp) of dark brown sugar
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
0.5 cup of regular creamy peanut butter
0.5 cup of oil (vegetable, olive)
1.5 tsp of vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 1/3 cups (or 8 oz) of milk-chocolate chips

Filling
3 oz milk chocolate (like Perugina or Lindt)
1.25 cup of creamy butter (peanut)
2 tbsp of powdered sugar
1.25 tsp kosher salt (coarse)
6 tbsp of whipping cream

Instructions:
Chop the chocolate and let the butter become of room temperature.

Cookies
Preheat the oven to 180 C (or 350 F, Gas 4). In a medium bowl whip the all purpose flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Blend well the butter with both the powdered and dark-brown sugar. Add the peanut butter and whisk until the consistency becomes equal smooth cream. In small portions add the oil, vanilla extract, dry ingredients and egg. Mix well and then add the milk chocolate chips too.

Do not grease the baking sheets. Dollop the dough in equal portions with 1,5” spacing. Place in the oven for some 12 minutes. You will see them puff and become golden brown. When cooled place on the plate.

Filling
Put the peanut butter, chocolate, salt, and powdered sugar in the medium bowl. Heat the whipping cream until boiled (preferably do it in a small heavy saucepan). Add the hot cream into the peanut and chocolate bowl. Combine well till the mixture becomes smooth and equal. Chill for an hour. Spoon the chocolate-peanut filling on a cookie and cover with another (flat sides inward). Do the same with all picnic cookies. You can store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container a day before leaving for the picnic.
We hope that our picnic dessert ideas will come to your taste.

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Kids and adults alike are always excited for the celebration of Easter Sunday. There are picnic parties everywhere. Kids hunt for colorful eggs and play in noisy games; while adults enjoy the company of friends and family. Delicious picnic foods are brought in packed lunch boxes and picnic baskets. Picnic tables overflowed with plates filled with tasty goodies and delectable sweets.

Moms are not supposed to slave over the hot stoves anymore. With a bit of planning beforehand, picnic foods will still be abundant come picnic time. The freezer and the refrigerator will both play important roles to make picnic food preparation time easy and fun. There is no more need to wake up early and cook the picnic foods right before departure.

Most no-cook picnic food ideas can be bought at the supermarket or the small grocer store nearby. The list is endless but taking some effort of listing down the likes and preferences of everybody will save both time and money. No food wasted because everything you brought to your picnic outings will be eaten with gusto.

Picnic Ice Cream Cake

Predictably, the children often enjoy something cold and everything sweet. Yes, your guesses are right. Ice cream, softdrinks, cakes, gelatin, frozen fruits, and more. All you need for packing these sweet treats is a giant cooler with lots of ice packs.
Ice cream cakes are not quick to melt because the ice cream is inside the cake and icing. Buy the ice cream cake days before the picnic and store inside the freezer. To pack, place the ice cream cake inside a plastic container with air-tight cover. Make sure that it will remain horizontal during the travel to the picnic destination.

Picnic Fresh Fruit Basket

For the health conscious individuals, a large basket of assorted fruits will be a small piece of heaven. A slice of refreshing watermelon or pineapple will boost the energy level after an hour of hiking through the woods or the beach. Nothing will be more delicious than a juicy bite of peach or apple while soaking your lungs with fresh air. Bring several small paring knives for peeling and cutting fruits to bit sizes. A plastic bowl and forks will also come handy when serving the picnic fruit snack.

Cheese and Wine for Picnics

For sweethearts, a bottle of champagne and white or summer red wines will be perfect partners with different types of cheese. Couples will enjoy small talk with each other while sipping from wine glasses and sinking their teeth into luscious bits of assorted cheese.

Dads and Moms Love Easter Picnics

Dads can still bring their favorite picnic grilled meat foods even without bringing the picnic grill stand. While moms are shopping for the no-cook picnic foods ingredients, dads can buy a dozen of cooked meat kebabs sold in grilled meat food stalls that lined the aisles of most supermarkets these days. Pack the hot foods inside an insulated box to keep the food hot.

Sandwiches are the perfect picnic foods because they can be assembled anywhere. As guaranteed belly-fillers, mix canned tuna flakes with a small of salad dressing and spread the mixture on a slab of wheat bread. Stick in a slice of salad tomato and lettuce to make it crunchier and more refreshing to taste. Cold cut meats like ham, or even smoked salmon flakes, often taste better with cheese and mayo and some veggies. To make no-fuss sandwich meals, just squeeze all ingredients in between two breads.

Picnic drinks are as important as picnic foods. Along with the relaxing wines, stock up your picnic icepacks with cans of beer and softdrinks, bottles of iced tea and lemonade, and gallons of water. Nothing can beat water as the best thirst quenchers!

Easter picnics are bonding time for parents and children. Everyone should enjoy every moment they spent with one another. No one should be slaving over the grill to feed everybody. No-cook picnic foods are the best, especially when the climate is too hot for cooking. Easter Sunday is for hunting Easter eggs.

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Gifts need not be expensive. Savory foods and sweet cakes are perfect for Valentine’s Day. The best venue for a romantic dinner date is often at home because of two main reasons: privacy and comfort. Not to mention the huge savings on food and wine. Spontaneity intensifies the excitement when special loved ones are pleasantly surprised.

Picnic Outings are as Romantic as Valentine Dinner Dates

Here are 3 romantic picnic ideas that will bring you and your sweetheart closer to each other.

1. A small barbecue dinner in the patio will give an atmosphere of eating in a side walk café. Decorate the small table with a small tall vase for one red rosebud and a candlestick.

2. An impromptu and very informal dinner on the bed will look more romantic when lighted candles surround the bedroom. Spread a picnic blanket on the middle of the bed and pretend that you’re on some grassy spot in the park.

3. Pack picnic foods and drinks in backpacks and take a morning hike. Join outdoor activities that have a cause like voluntary tree-planting or collection of recycleable materials in the neighborhood.

Bring the usual picnic foods and picnic desserts plus a bottle of very special wine, of course. Don’t forget to pack the picnic blanket, some dining plates and utensils, and a couple of fine wine glasses. Just keep the foods simple to prepare and easy to pack. Spicy chicken wings are quick to cook while tossing a cauliflower salad. A heart-shaped gelatin for picnic dessert can be prepared the night before. Clean drinking water is better than fruit juices or soda drinks.

Spicy Picnic Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

10 pieces chicken wings
¼ cup hot sauce
¼ cup sugar
½ cup tomato sauce
1 cup of beer
Salt and ground pepper, to taste

How to: Combine all ingredients. Marinate chicken wings overnight inside the refrigerator. Over low heat, simmer chicken wings in marinade mixture for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Pour half of marinade on a baking tray and arrange the chicken wings all over the surface; then pour the remaining mix on top. Broil for 3 minutes; then turn the chicken wings. Broil for 7 minutes. Cool completely before packing.

Cauliflower Salad Best for Picnic

Ingredients:

2 cups cauliflower, shredded to bite-sized flowerettes
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup cheese, shredded
Salt and ground pepper, to taste
1 pc. medium-sized Sausage, chopped

How to: Boil 4 cups water in a deep pot. Add the cauliflower flowerettes and immediately remove from heat. Pour the vegetable in a strainer to drain. Sprinkle salt and ground pepper; then, cool and chill in the refrigerator before packing. Pack the mayonnaise and cheese separately. To serve, toss the vegetables with mayonnaise and cheese right before eating. Note: An alternative is to roast the cauliflower flowerettes instead of boiling.

Heart-Shaped Picnic Gelatine Dessert

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp red powdered gelatin, unflavored
4 Tbsp white fine sugar
1 cup water (add more for softer gelatine)
3 pieces medium strawberries, sliced thinly

How to: Heat water in a pot. Combine gelatine and sugar; then dissolve the mixture in small amount of water. Add the gelatine mix in the hot water. Stir continuously for 5 minutes. Do not boil. Remove from heat and cool slightly before pouring into a heart-shaped mold, where strawberry slices are arranged beautifully. Refrigerate until firm. Serve with whipped cream.

These simple picnic food recipes will turn your picnic outing as the most memorable Valentine date you’ve ever had by just choosing the best wine for the spicy chicken wings. White wine is usually perfect for chicken dishes but a bottle of fruity red wine can bring the palate alive. An even better suggestion is a bottle of Italian Chianti.

Picnic outings often give us big appetite so add sausage bits and grilled peppers to the cauliflower salad to make it more delicious and satisfying.

Never end a Valentine picnic date without some sweets. The heart-shaped strawberry-flavored gelatine should be just perfect as picnic dessert.

Last but not the least, don’t forget to play your favorite romantic music.

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Romantic Picnic Ideas for your Romantic Date

Most people find preparing dessert somewhat daunting because ingredients are often expensive. The cooking procedure is elaborate and time-consuming—but with a bit of imagination and creativity, desserts are really easy to make and easy on the budget, too. Here are some picnic dessert recipes that are quick to cook.

Chocolate Coated Strawberries

Imagine the taste of juicy strawberries locked inside a thin layer of rich chocolate. Heavenly! These chocolatey strawberries are perfect picnic desserts that both adults and kids will love. Healthy, delicious, and easy to make, fresh strawberries dipped in chocolate are even better tasting when prepared just a night before the picnic. Drizzle some milk chocolate over them or sprinkle some crushed nuts for a bit of decoration.

Ingredients:

24 pcs. medium-sized strawberries, well-washed and well-dried
2 cups chocolate (semi-sweet or dark), melted

How to: In a double-boiler or a thick saucepan, melt 2 cups of chocolate cubes over very low heat. Continue stirring until smooth. Make sure the strawberries are completely dried because the melted chocolate will not stick to the fruit properly. Arrange each chocolate coated strawberry on a slightly buttered baking sheet. Optional: drizzle with melted white chocolate or sprinkle with some crushed nuts like almonds or hazelnuts. Set aside in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until firm.

Low-Fat Picnic Sweet Meringue

Meringues are easy to make. Kids will find eating the crunchy mini-meringues enjoyable because they are sweet and cute to look at. Just follow these tips to make perfect meringues in a jiffy. Even a small speck of egg yolk could ruin the meringue so separate the egg yolks and whites one by one in individual cups to avoid discarding the whole batch. Use only stainless or ceramic mixing bowl. Bake meringue in low heat.

Ingredients:

8 pcs. medium-sized egg whites
2 cups sugar, very fine
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Food colorings: pink, blue, yellow, and more (optional)
Flavorings: chocolate, strawberry, raspberry, and more (optional)

How to: In a large stainless bowl (never use a plastic bowl), beat egg whites until stiff. Make sure not to over-beat to keep the egg whites still moist. While beating, add the sugar and vanilla in small amounts to keep the mixture firm. Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees F or lower. Use small pipe size to keep the meringue drops small. Arrange on lightly greased baking sheets; then bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Do not brown. Remove heat when meringues look dry. Leave inside the oven to cool. Store in glass containers with air-tight covers. To create meringues with different colors and flavorings, divide and prepare all ingredients in batches.

Picnic Dessert Gelatin

Gelatin is the quickest and the easiest dessert to prepare. Just boil some water, throw in some fruit bits or mix in desired flavoring, cool, and refrigerate until firm. Chilled gelatin is very refreshing, especially when combined with chunky fruits like strawberries, canned pineapples, and many more . Just make sure that fruits are well-drained before adding. Serve cold with cream or milk as delicious dessert. Keep in mind these useful tips to help you cook a perfect gelatin for picnic dessert.

Mix a ratio of 1:2 (1 Tbsp. powdered gelatin to 2 cups of water) in small amount of cold water first before adding to the hot water or milk or cream. To avoid clumping, mix the gelatin and sugar before dissolving in cold water. Do not boil the gelatin mixture. Too much sugar will make softer gelatin. Allow 2 or 3 three hours for the gelatin to firm and chill inside the refrigerator. When doubling a recipe, decrease the amount of water by one-fourth for each addition. Add water in small amounts to get the desired thickness and softness for gelatin.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. powdered gelatin (unsweetened and unflavored)
½ cup sugar
2 cups water (set aside ½ cup to dissolve gelatin and sugar)
½ cup sliced strawberries, well-drained (optional)
½ cup pineapple chunks, well-drained (optional)
½ milk or cream (optional)

How to: In a deep sauce pan, heat water over medium heat. Blend sugar and gelatin; then dissolve in water before adding in the pan. Continue stirring. Do not let the gelatin mixture boil. After 5 minutes, remove from heat and set aside to cool. For easy unmolding, wash the gelatin molder in cold water before pouring in the mixture. (Optional: Pour a small amount of mixture in the gelatin mold before adding fruits. Arrange fruits in a uniform pattern to look attractive.) Cover the mold when firming.