Spring has definitely arrived! The trees are green and in full bloom, the temperature is warm with a gentle breeze (at least in NYC) and not that we ever had a winter this year but I’m still grateful for the change. I love this season, maybe because I’m a Spring baby or maybe it’s because everyone’s mood seems a little brighter and people are more sociable. When I wake up on a Sunday morning and see Spring at its peak, I think ditch the take home exam that you are dreading and have a picnic!
Tis’ the season for picnics. An excuse to enjoy family time and let kids stop watching tv to run and play outside, while you secretly look forward to how good their going to sleep tonight.
Or have an adult picnic with wine, cheese, music and tell everyone to bring a dish. Last Sunday, a friend and I discovered a park literally across the street, that was hidden behind a tall apartment building, and had a great impromptu picnic.
I believe there are some fundamental elements that must be included in any great picnic – wine, fresh weather (sun, breeze, blue skies), yumminess and great company. We enjoyed white wine (Grüner Veltliner), delicious sandwiches and my “adult cookies”. The recipes are below, so get a friend and/or a dog (even if your dog isn’t as cute as mine), spread a blanket and enjoy the outdoors. Relax, it’s Spring Time!
Adult Triple Chocolate Cookies
Makes 8
- ½ cup flour, sifted
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp salt
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp Amaretto
- ¼ cup white chocolate chips
- ¼ cup milk chocolate chips
Preheat oven at 350˚
Mix dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt), then add wet ingredients (butter, egg, vanilla, Amaretto). Finish with combing chocolate chips to mixture. On lightly greased foil use a spoon to drop roundish dollops. Bake for 11 minutes. When you remove them from the oven they should look soft, they’ll continue cooking while they cool, so let them rest before indulging!
Sandwich
- Fresh Bread (Italian or French)
- Prosciutto
- Fig Spread
- Goats Cheese
- Baby Spinach
Preheat oven at 350˚. Dampen the crust of the bread, (I wet my hands and pat the bread so that it is not soaking wet), before wrapping it in foil and warming in the over for 10 minutes. This allows the crust to be a little crisp while, the inside is moist as though you just baked it. Spread the fig spread, add spinach and prosciutto and lather goats cheese on top. Ultimate yumminess with the sweet, salty and creamy flavours.
Live, Love, Eat!
jealous of this impromptu picnic…and even more of that sandwich with prosciutto