A Tuesday Picnic Affair :-)
Last Tuesday, one of my bridesmaids, Stephanie, and I went on a picnic! And, oh, it was just so much fun!
We both spent lots of time in the kitchen preparing for the adventure — she made some great foodies, and so did I (recipes to follow)! We picnicked at this gorgeous park in South Scottsdale called the Scottsdale Center for the Arts. There are so many wondrous grassy patches, and water fountains, and statues — we had a lot of places to choose from in just that one park where we could set up our blanket and food. But in the end, we landed at the bottom of a giant grass hill, nearby a large fountain, hoping that it would be perfect for kite-flying after we finished eating!
Stephanie and Mareah’s Picnic Menu
-Oatmeal Whoopie Pies
-Cake Batter Truffles
-Mango Salsa with Tortilla Chips
-Dill Havarti Cheese and Crackers
-Dried apple slices
-Caprese Salad
-Tuna Salad
and…I think that’s it!
Whew!
It was a feast!
I love this girl!
She induced some much-needed laughter on my part!
I have to admit — the kite-flying didn’t go so well! We tried and tried to get that thing to catch air; even falling into the grass and doing some hopeful dance moves didn’t work! We contemplating asking the kiddies that were in the park to help us, but felt weird about it. Eventually, we just called it a day. :-)
I’m going to post some recipes for you all — the food we had at the picnic was great, so Steph and I thought that we would share the goodness with you!
***
From Stephanie’s Kitchen
Stephanie’s Mango Salsa
Ingredients:
2-3 diced mangos
Handful of chopped cilantro
1/2 white onion
1 finely chopped jalepeno
Lime juice
*Cook’s Note: Diced papaya adds a fun twist!
Directions:
Mix it all together and dig in!
***
Whoopie Pies
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
8 ounces unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line sheet pans with parchment paper.
3. Mix the dry ingredients together, then stir in the oats.
4. Beat the butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs, then scrape down the bowl; add vanilla and beat until blended.
6. Add the flour mixture in two additions, beating each until well combined.
7. Stir in the cranberries and walnuts.
8. Bake about 9-11 minutes.
9. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool.
Whoopie Pie Filling Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 cups marshmallow cream, such as Marshmallow Fluff
1 teaspoon vanilla
Filling Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients together until creamy, spread desired amount between two cookies, and ENJOY!
***
From Mareah’s Kitchen
Caprese Salad
Ingredients:
3 medium tomatoes
3/4 pound fresh mozzarella
6-7 basil leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Slice the tomato into bite-size cubes.
2. Slice the mozzarella into bite-size cubes.
3. Slice the basil into bite-size pieces.
4. Mix the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil together in a bowl. Add the two tablespoons of olive oil and salt and pepper to your liking.
***
Cake Batter Truffles
(Check out this recipe’s creator here.)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup yellow cake mix
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons sprinkles
Truffle Coating Ingredients:
16 ounces (8 squares) almond bark (or white candy melts)
4 tablespoons yellow cake mix
Sprinkles
Directions:
1. Beat together butter and sugar using an electric mixer until combined. Add cake mix, flour, salt, and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add 3 Tablespoons of milk or more if needed to make a dough consistency. Mix in sprinkles by hand. Roll dough into one inch balls and place on a parchment or wax paper lined cookie sheet. Chill balls in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up.
2. While dough balls are chilling, melt almond bark in the microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. Stir between intervals. Once melted, quickly stir in cake mix until incorporated completely. Using a fork, dip truffles into almond bark and shake of excess bark by tapping the bottom of the fork on the side of your bowl. Place truffle back on the cookie sheet and top with sprinkles. Repeat with remaining balls until finished.
3. Chill cake batter truffles in the refrigerator until serving. Makes around 24-30 truffles.
***
Tuna Salad
(Courtesy of my momma!)
Ingredients:
2 cups elbow or shell pasta (dry)
1 can tuna
celery (just until it looks right)
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup mayonnaise (if you want a really try tuna salad…like me! Otherwise, add to your liking!)
Directions:
1. Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Strain and rinse with cool water.
2. Drain tuna very well. Mix with pasta in a large bowl.
3. Add celery.
4. Add mayonnaise.
5. Add salt and pepper.
6. Chill for two hours until nice and cold!
***
Love, Mareah and Stephanie
Tagged as: picnic. stephanie. home and garden. recipes.
