weekend projects

It’s amazingly summery here and I was feeling inspired or maybe I just had picnics on the brain, either way, today’s weekend projects are a little out of the ordinary, but I think you’ll love them! They’re all about planning a perfect picnic!

Ideally you would shop for supplies with this beautiful basket attached to your bike…

Basil Dundee Basket from Dutch Bike Co.

If you’re like me, you hate been stuck in the kitchen or running around crazy when you’re hosting. It’s so much better to relax and spend time with the people who have come to see you, at least that’s what I think…

…so here’s a little menu of things you can make the night before or whip up quickly the day of your adventure:

Strawberry, Mozzarella and Arugula Salad
recipe by Kitty Greenwald via Etsy Blog

You’ll need…

1 pound strawberries, rinsed, dried and hulled
8 basil leaves, washed, dried, and roughly chopped
1 ball fresh mozzarella
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper
6 cups arugula, washed and dried
Juice of 1/2 lemon

tasty ingredients

Cut the berries in half (quarter larger berries). Toss the berries with the basil. Tear or chop the mozzarella into bite-size pieces.

Whisk the oil and vinegar together. Season the dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

Season the salad with a pinch of salt and the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Spread the greens out on a large platter. Tuck the mozzarella and berries in and around the greens. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.

The Best Chicken Salad, Ever
This one is my very own and it’s so simple and tastes amazing!

You’ll need:

2-3 large chicken breasts
2 chicken bullion cubes
fresh parsley, finely shopped
A cucumber, pealed and cubed
Mayonnaise
Salt
Pepper

*makes 4-6 sandwiches

Fill a large stockpot with water and drop in bullion cubes add chicken breasts. Cover, place on stove-top, and turn heat up to high. Once the water stars boiling turn the heat to ow and allow to simmer for 3 to 4 hour or until the chicken is easily shredded.

Drain the chicken and place in a large mixing bowl. Shred chicken. salt and pepper and toss the chicken.

Add enough mayonnaise to give it a chicken salad texture. Add cucumber and parsley. Spread on to your favorite bread and enjoy!

I’ll leave the sweets and lemonade choices up to you!

photo via Once Wed

One summer while I was in high school, my friend Laura and my sister and I would lay on the trampoline in my parents’ backyard looking at the stars and talking for hours (probably about boys) every single non-rainy night. We’d stay out and make up our own constellations until mom would yell for us to come inside. There’s still something so “summer vacation” to me about wrapping up in a blanket and watch the stars and fireflies.