The Perfect Picnic

The Basic Utensils:

A Picnic Hamper- You need this to carry all the food, utensils, and other things of course! A blanket is included with the basket (the blanket color is determined by what color the basket is). If you don’t have a picnic hamper you can go buy one! Or if you don’t have the Neopoints, you can decorate a paper bag with markers and/or colored pencils. That way you can just throw the bag away once you are finished with your meal. If you don’t want to use a paper bag, a lunchbox or two should work just as well.

Plates, forks, knives, and spoons- Great devices for eating food without making a big mess! Whoever invented these must be a genius… Plastic utensils are best because you can just throw them away when you are done instead of taking dirty forks and spoons home in your clean picnic hamper. As for plates, I prefer paper because like plastic utensils, you can just throw then away once you are done with them.

Napkins- In case you make a mess or accidentally spill something, a napkin or two will clean it right up. And they also come with pretty designs on them! Or if you don’t have any napkins around, paper towels can be used as a substitute.

The Food Itself

Main “Dish”- Sandwiches are the most popular with picnickers. They’re easy to make and can be made to your personal liking. If a sandwich is too small for you, a sub may be just the right size for those with a bigger appetite. They’re larger and more filling than a regular sandwich! If you feel like having something besides a sandwich or sub, try something like B-B-Q Pork, Chicken, a slice of pizza, or even some spaghetti!

Fruits and Veggies- You have to bring at least one healthy thing and what better than good ol’ fruits and vegetables, huh?! And guess what; each and very single fruit, each and every single veggie has, would you believe it, VITAMINS AND MINERALS!! Plus they both go oh-so-well with sandwiches. And there are tons and tons and TONS of different kinds of fruit and vegetables, so try a few new ones at every picnic. And if you want to spice it up some more, bring along some dip!

Other side foods- Or also known as munchies. You could bring crackers, pretzels, chips, fruit chews, granola bars, even cereal! Anything that seems like a picnic munchie, can be a picnic munchie! Just don’t bring too much, you DO have to carry the picnic basket.

Beverages

FYI- You may want to put drinks in a small cooler with ice so they will be nice and chilled when it’s time to eat.

My personal, and all time favourite picnic beverage is Apple Juice. I’m not quite sure why but I love the taste, it goes with everything! If you don’t like Apple Juice or just don’t have any, here are some other suggestions; Neocola, Orange Juice, Lemonade, Milk, or even plain, old water!

*Extra Tip- Cola isn’t good for you and your Neopet’s teeth. So if you want to help your stay white, bring some straws along with that Neocola.

Dessert

This is THE best part of the picnic meal (and any other meal). Almost all desserts fit into a picnic hamper, so choices are almost unlimited! (Just make sure that when you bring chocolate, it does not melt!)

My Neopets and I always enjoy a nice slice of our favourite Mince Pies when we go out on a picnic. Don’t have pie? Cookies, chocolates, and trifles are another favourite of most picnickers we’ve met.

Other Things You Might Bring on a Picnic

A Frisbee- Aaah. Frisbees. So fun to play with… yet so dang hard to throw straight! Oh well. They’re great for when your Neopet(s) wants to play but you’ve just eaten, and your stomach is bulging. Since you don’t have to move around too much, you won’t get any stomach cramps or anything. Unless of course your pet isn’t the best at throwing.

A hat- If you want to go on an outing on a sunny, cloudless day, but you or your Neopet(s) fry like eggs, a hat is the simple way to keeping sun burn away.

Sunglasses- To keep the sun from bothering your sensitive eyes, what else!?

Beach Chair- Bring one of these if you don’t want to sit on the ground or if there’s no picnic table. These can also be brought along if you are going to have a picnic on the beach, and you don’t want to get your food all sandy.

That Perfect Spot

I’m going to make this one short, sweet and to the point. A good picnic spot should follow these regulations:

1. It is a nice grassy area (especially if you are going to be sitting on the ground).

2. If you are planning on sitting at a picnic table, try and find a place that has a nice and sturdy table so your food won’t fall off when you stand up.

3. There are no pesky bugs that will get in your way or walk all over your food.

4. There’s a restroom nearby in case someone has to go and you don’t want to walk to a restaurant and ask to use theirs.

5. It’s an enjoyable spot for you and you Neopet(s). I mean really, who would want to have a picnic in the Haunted Woods? Not that I’m saying it’s a bad place or anything, it’s just not that picnic-like type of place. Anyways, the best places my Neopets and I have been are nice sunny places, with a few trees here and there, and sometimes even there’s a pond or lake nearby so we can go swimming. And if you want to go somewhere really exotic, take your basket and eat on one of Mystery Island’s beaches!

And there you have it, a guide to the perfect picnic. You don’t have to follow everything EXACTLY as I may have explained, this is just a basic, umm, outline you could say. The only REALLY important rule to follow when having a picnic is to have fun!

Hola everyone! This is the first article/story/anything I have written alone for the Neopian Times. So because I am “new”, I would really appreciate any comments or suggestions on this story or how I could improve on my writing. Thanks! More stories/articles will be coming soon!

~Angel