A Romantic Picnic...
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A chance to work on a relationship without
interruption. No children, no worries, no ants.
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By Cynthia Bowan
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"A jug of wine, a loaf of bread and thou..." What romantic scenes those words from Kahlil Gibran give us.
Many times, a picnic means a large basket, usually the same type of foods your family loves, a lot of people, a local park or your backyard...but as for romance, the perfect ness of a summer's day, a beautiful wooded spot near a stream, and just the two of us/you, no children, no worries, no ants...
Which is all very nice if one can manage it.
We did that once - just once - and it was an afternoon I will always treasure. We had such a secluded spot (minus the stream), the weather cooperated, the food was good, no ants, and my husband and I had a chance to work on our relationship without interruption (meaning, we were able to talk like two intelligent adults).
Merrill found a level spot where the hill just came down into a small meadow, under the very edge of some beautiful trees, so we were slightly in the shade. He put the basket down, spread the blanket, and we opened the basket. For the next couple hours, we just slowly ate, talked and laughed. When time came to leave, we put everything away, and left feeling like humans again, relaxed and peaceful.
So why is it we let things like this slip by us? We've never repeated that picnic again in such a way, but we have done similar things. We have a screened tent that appears in our front yard at the beginning of each summer. It's at the far end of the yard, under a pair of huge sycamores, and next to my two flowerbeds. So we have breezes, the cool of the trees and the fragrance of roses and other flowers when they bloom in turn.
We have not repeated that memorable picnic meal, either. The basket back then contained a loaf of French bread, a couple different cheeses, a container of Greek olives, gazpacho and fried chicken. Fresh melon and strawberries were the best dessert...and perfect with the bottle of champagne.
But we have been known to take our lunch out in the tent or sometimes, dinner. Now that the five children are no longer living at home, we have more opportunities for time to talk, but not enough...
The world still crowds in - work, volunteering, meetings, and so on - the ants in our daily lives... How did we manage these things when the children were here? Small wonder my hair has this huge gray streak in it, and more is appearing every day.
After 39 years of marriage (celebrated this coming August 8), and having dated for almost 5 years before we said "I do", it is a joy to find the time to be able to sit quietly and enjoy each other's company, or share a meal such as I have been talking about, or to have that gentle conversation.
There was a study done once that showed that couples in a California area spent about 15 minutes a week talking to each other - and part of that was giving or asking directions to a party.
How very sad that would be.
We are much older than we were for that romantic picnic, but I think I can honestly say that the times we spend together for just us are the glue that holds us together. A wife or husband can get lost when so many other things demand our attention.
A wedding is for a day, but a marriage is for a lifetime. I heard that quote from a priest in Marriage Encounter once, and it has stuck with me through all the years. The truth of the matter is, marriage takes work, hard work, and you get out of it what you put into it.
So maybe, if Merrill and I keep having "dates" to go see a movie, and if we continue to sit at the dining room table together for a meal, sit on a beach, by the river here in our small town, or in our vacation home - as we call the tent - just maybe, we will make it as long as our parents and grandparents did, or even longer. When things get tough, we hang on, because we know the special moments will come, and the memories will help us make it to the next one.
May it be so for all of you.
CYH - consider yourself hugged!
And may you Enjoy! the following
perfect recipes for any picnic...
1 lb. small red, white or yellow new potatoes
12 oz. fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces (about 2 c.)
1/4 c. dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained and chopped
1/3 c. bottle Parmesan or Italian salad dressing
4 c. pre-washed Italian salad greens
4 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled (opt.)
Halve or quarter potatoes. In large saucepan, cook potatoes and green beans,
covered, in boiling, lightly-salted water, for 10-12 minutes or just until
tender. Drain. Return to pan. Toss gently with tomatoes and salad dressing.
Place greens in large serving bowl. Stir in potato mixture. Sprinkle with
bacon pieces, if desired.
Serves 6-8
2/3 c. chopped almonds
1 c. Bulgur(cracked wheat)
1 c. cherry tomatoes, quartered OR
1/2 c. raisins
2/3 c. sliced green onions
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley, lightly packed
2 T. chopped fresh mint
1/3 c. lime or lemon juice
1/4 c. almond or other polyunsaturated oil
1/4 tsp. pepper
Spread almonds in a shallow pan. Toast in a moderate oven (350F) 10 minutes, or
until lightly browned, stirring once or twice while toasting; cool.
Place the bulgur in large bowl. Pour boiling water over to just cover. Let stand
until water is absorbed. Add cherry tomatoes or raisins, green onions, parsley,
mint, lime or lemon juice, oil and pepper. Toss until mixed. Cover and chill.
4 c. mixed baby greens
1 sweet onion (Vidalia, Walla Walla, Maui etc.)
1 can mandarin oranges w/ light syrup
1/3 c. bleu cheese, crumbled (or more to taste)
1/4 c. toasted almonds or sunflower seeds
Dressing:
1/3 c. olive oil
2/3 c. raspberry vinegar
2-3 T. balsamic vinegar
Dressing: Pour dressing ingredients into jar and shake well.
Salad: Cut four thin slices from the onion. Drain oranges, reserve juice.
Layer salad in bowl: baby greens, sweet onion, oranges, cheese, nuts. Drizzle
syrup from oranges over salad. About 15 minutes before serving, drizzle with
dressing and let sit, but not any longer than that before serving.
Leftover dressing may be kept at room temperature in a tightly covered
container.
Serves 4.
2 tablespoons olive oil or salad oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onion or snipped fresh chives
2 teaspoons snipped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 large yellow sweet peppers, thinly sliced into rings (about 3 cups)
3 large red tomatoes, sliced
Spinach leaves
2/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese or blue cheese (3 ounces)
For dressing, in a screw top jar combine olive oil or salad oil, vinegar, green onion, or chives, basil, sugar, mustard, and pepper. Cover and shake well. Chill, if desired.
In a skillet cook sweet pepper rings, covered, in a small amount of boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes or just until crisp-tender; drain and cool. Chill, if desired.
To serve, arrange tomato slices and sweet pepper rings on a spinach-lined platter. Sprinkle crumbled cheese atop salad. Shake dressing well; drizzle atop salad. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Note: You can prepare dressing; cover and chill up to 24 hours. Cook peppers; drain and cool. Cover and chill up to 24 hours.
Better Homes & Garden
8 oz. thin yellow or green beans, trimmed
5 T. olive oil
3 T. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. chopped fresh basil leaves
2 c. cherry, grape or miniature pear tomatoes, red and yellow combination, halved
1 sm. red onion, halved, sliced paper-thin
3 C. torn bitter salad greens, such as arugula, watercress, mache (I used part "baby greens")
Cook beans in large pot of boiling water until crisp-tender, 4-5 minutes.
Quickly drain and cool under cold running water; pat dry.
Whisk oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in
basil. Add beans, tomatoes and onion; toss to coat. Taste and adjust
seasonings.
Make a large bed of greens on each of 6 salad plates; spoon vegetables on top.
Serves 6.
Adapted by Cynthia from a
Clipping from a very old Good Cooks magazine (put out by TV Guide?)
3 c. cut up fruit
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. finely chopped mint leaves
Combine juice, sugar and mint, stirring to dissolve sugar. Pour over fruit; refrigerate until well chilled.
1/2 honeydew melon
2 mangoes
1/2 pint raspberries
3 T. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. grated lime rind
2 T. minced fresh mint leaves
1 T. sugar
Cut melon into bite-sized pieces. Peel and cut mangoes. Place all fruits in bowl and gently mix.
Combine lime juice, rind, mint and sugar. Pour over fruit and stir gently.
4 lg. whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half
2 c. Cheddar cheese-flavored croutons, crushed fine
OR 2 c. small cheese-flavored crackers, crushed fine
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
1 c. margarine or butter, melted
Preheat oven to 400F. Cut the chicken breasts in half. Wash and dry the 8 halves. Mix croutons, salt and oregano. Dip chicken in melted margarine, then into crumb mixture. Place in greased pan or casserole dish. Bake uncovered at 400F, 25 minutes.
Note: Use your processor to crush the croutons. Also, you can make this chicken in large quantities and then freeze.
By Cynthia Bowan
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Warm Green Bean and Potato Salad | Almond Tabbouleh Salad
Summertime Salad | Yellow Pepper and Red Tomato Salad | Summertime Bean Salad
Easy Fruit Salad | Honeydew Salad | Picnic Chicken
