Let's pack a picnic...

I'll cut to the chase here. I'm not very good at picnics. I really want to be but I find myself either not packing enough food or just finding the whole experience rather irritating.

It was reading Malory Towers books that mae me think picnics were a good idea, I remember reading about Darrell's family coming to visit and taking her out for a wonderful picnic that contained things like, cold roast chicken, fat pickles, crisp green salad, hard boiled eggs, pork pies, victoria sandwich and not forgetting the ginger beer. All comsumed while sat on a cliff top over looking the sea, the whole thing just sounds idyllic.

We try and do picnics but all I can ever manage is sandwiches, crisps and maybe some homemade cake. I'd love to be able to make all those wonderful things that you see in food and high end supermarket magazines but I can never be bothered. It all seems a lot of hassle for something that is essentially just a packed lunch, which to me is something you have on a school trip (I think years of working in schools and being a nanny has made me detest the preparation of a so called picnic, which always seems more hassle than it's worth!)

A friend of mine is fabulous at picnics, when a group of us went out with our children, she was the very organised person who had one of those wonderful picnic baskets you can get in the Adnams shop or John Lewis filled with delicious fare, she always packs far too much so always very generously shares it out. (Why can't I be more like that?) I had to buy a jacket potato from the cafe that day due to not having any picnic suitable items in the house. After lunch her husband pulled out a flask and teacups and served everyone cups of tea! I think I exhausted myself by making cupcakes for everyone that morning to take with us, thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

There is another reason why I have worken up and felt the need to post this, we are due to go for a picnic today. We found out yesterday that this delight was to be inflicted happening and thats not enough time to prepare! I only went shopping on monday, I don't want to go out to shopping AGAIN to buy picnic fare as the only choice is the high end supermarket which is so expensive. Yet I feel pressured into buying more stuff in order to sit on a rug somewhere to try and cut up a pork pie with a plastic knife and spear cherry tomatoes with a plastic fork, also am I buying to share or buying just for us?

Another thing with picnics is very much of the traditional picnic fare is deemed unsuitable for pregnant women. These include

• pate- which I can't bear as I think it tastes like feet so thats not an issue for me.
• cured and deli meats
• selection of cheeses- such as brie, camenbert, some goats cheeses etc
• some pre packaged salads

Most of those things I love so that just leaves me with the humble sandwich and crisps.
I don't get this whole picnic thing I really don't, mainly cos I am too lazy to prepare the fare for something that needs to be packed up to be taken elsewhere then once consumed taken back home to be thrown/put away.

So yes, who knows what I am going to come up with but I know one thing... I'd much rather go to the pub over the road for a nice meal.