This past weekend Spring FINALLY decided to grace the DC area with her presence. I turned in my thesis Saturday afternoon (pause for a long happy sigh) which meant that Sunday felt especially relaxing. With the lovely weather we decided — like everyone else inside the Beltway — to go for the first picnic of the season.
The original plan was to go picnic at the Tidal Basin under the cherry blossoms. This plan quickly died as we drove by and saw that everyone had the exact same idea. So many people. Every inch of the grass was covered with people determined to enjoy those trees and the line to park backed all the way across the river. Pretty or not, no trees are worth picnicking knee to knee with millions of people.
We headed down to Old Town to picnic by the river and had a less scenic, but decidedly more enjoyable time. 
My goal for the next nine months is to picnic at least once a week, because someone gave us that awesome picnic basket as a wedding present and I intend to use it. My de-fault picnic dinner is always pasta salad, summer sausage, cheese,fruit, and baguette, but I would love some new suggestions. What picnic foods do you always include in your spring or summer picnics? Feel free to share some recipes below!
The Art in Life 
Ah, picnic season! Hooray! My basket always has finger food– sliced fruit, candied nuts, cheese, bread, and wine.
Candied nuts are the best! Really I just wish that all food could be finger foods.
My last picnic involved picking up a pizza and eating it on a big rock in Central Park while drinking wine straight from the bottle when no park attendants were nearby. So I may be the wrong person to offer suggestions.
That picnic sounds PERFECT. Can I fit an entire pizza in my picnic basket? I’m pretty sure I can.
That looks delish! I like including some red pepper spread or jam to smear on some bread with cheese.. mmm. Fruit is always great too if you bring along a knife for slicing!
I need to get some good pepper spreads!!! I always love them when other people have them, but I never think to buy them and don’t know how to make them.
I rely on Trader Joes (guilty!)- the roasted red pepper spread with eggplant and garlic, or even their bruschetta jars, are delicious! I also recently made date spread by cooking dates down with water and blending them.. so maybe more experimentation is in the future for us both!
Gotta head to Trader Joes!!!! Which brings me to my feeling that it is way past time to open a Trader Joes in SE!!!!
I love it! Yay for spring and late sunsets!
And engagement shoots!!!!!!! : )
Awwwww, I have sudden Stephen Ford nostalgia. 🙂 Please tell him that the Zoutendams send all their fondest wishes and congratulations.
Your food looks delicious. I don’t know if we ever told you, but Philip loved the pasta salad you made us in Paris and is always trying to recreate it.
Getting quality Stephen time is one of the joys of DC… you should come!!!
And I may just put that recipe up here soon… It is my standard, and oh so easy!