Take a Family Picnic

There are few better ways to enjoy the nice weather than to pack a basket of food and head out to a pleasant shady spot, and picnics on green lawns and sandy beaches are some of the true highlights of summer. To make this season's outings special for your family, try putting some new and inventive twists on all your favorite classic picnic recipes and ideas.
Californian Janice Morrow spent six years learning from talented chefs at various culinary schools across the US. Today she runs the White Apron School of Culinary Design for children, and has taught creative and healthy cooking to over 500 students, ranging in age from 4 to 16. She also teaches adults by request. Here Morrow offers some fun ideas for your next family picnic:

Try a colorful presentation.
A nice presentation always adds to the fun of a picnic. One great idea is to take little plastic containers and line them with different colors of lettuce. Try putting red lettuce on one side, green lettuce on the other side and then a big helping of pasta salad, or another favorite cold dish, in the middle.

Have fun with shapes.
Let your child have some fun by choosing his or her favorite cookie cutters and forming their sandwiches into shapes.

Make place setting kits.
Another idea is to individually wrap up plates with napkins, forks, knives, and spoons. Get the kids involved by letting them make creative nametags for each of your family members or friends, and use these to tie up the bundles of plates and utensils.

Choose healthy snacks.
Instead of filling your picnic basket with sweets for the end of that special afternoon, try something a little bit different, like homemade granola bars. The kids will love the flavor and you'll love the fact that it's a healthy, nutritious dessert.

Source : http://www.fineliving.com