Foods for a Mother's Day Picnic

When I was a young child my family would pack up the car and head to a secret place where my father and grandfather fished and we all gathered fiddleheads. For several years this was our Mother's Day adventure and a 'car picnic' was part of the tradition. I loved the area we went to. It was heavily wooded with a beautiful stream rushing across the land for miles. We carried pails and searched for the tightly coiled green fern heads, a delicacy to some. I hated the things but loved searching for them. We'd gather pounds of them and I'd endure the smell of them cooking the next day and took part as they were packaged away, frozen for winter meals. (I probably spent a few face making, gag noise reveries that night until threatened to be sent away from the supper table when family members buttered, vinegar-ed and ate the nasty things. It was even worse if they fried fish too, ach! ) Maine in May can still be a cold place particularly next to a mountain fed stream in the woods. I'm sure more than once my mother had thermoses of cocoa for my sisters and I, plus coffee for the adults on these Mother's Day picnics. My mother's picnic containers would contain fresh fruit like apple slices, green grapes and melon slices. There would be a potato or macaroni salad, non-spiced 'deviled' eggs, sandwiches or baked chicken legs, carrot, cucumber and celery vegetable sticks and some sweet treat such as cookies.

It is now 2008 and I have my own little family. Mom is our only older generation left. The days by the 'fiddlehead stream' are memories. If there is to be a Mother's Day picnic I'd have to 'build' it myself just as Gram and Mom did, ahem, a few years ago. Today my picnic basket is a cooler and it still holds some of those family foods we loved as children.

Potato Salad The day before the picnic. Hard boil 6 to 8 large eggs. Peel off shells, set one egg aside, when it is cool put in container or baggie. Mash up the rest. Peel, boil and mash 6 to 8 medium size white potatoes. Dice one small onion. While all is hot mix together with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. When cool cover bowl with foil or plastic, set mixture and egg in fridge overnight. Day of picnic remove from fridge and mix in about 1 and 1/2 to 2 cups Miracle Whip Salad Dressing. Mix thoroughly to coat potato egg mixture. Smooth top of mixture for a flat surface. Spoon more dressing over top for a thin coat. Slice remaining boiled egg and arrange on top of salad. You can sprinkle with paprika if desired for a decorative touch but it is not necessary for the taste. This is a yummy salad with a creamier texture than potato salad that is made in chunks.

Angel Eggs A non spicy egg for those who can not tolerate 'hot' foods. Hard boil 6 eggs. Peel shells and let eggs cool for at least an hour. Cut eggs into quarters. Place yolks in mixing bowl. Arrange egg white quarters on serving dish. Mash egg yolks. Add 2 to 3 Tablespoons of Miracle Whip Salad Dressing, a dash of salt and a dash of black pepper. Mix thoroughly. You can 'pipe' the yolk mixture or spoon it into the dips in the egg whites. I like serving quarters. This keeps the waste down if a child picks one up and then doesn't eat it. I recommend Miracle Whip Salad Dressing because it has a little zing to it to replace spices.

Gelatin Creme Mix one 3 ounce envelope of your favorite gelatin dessert powder with 3/4 cup boiling water and stir to dissolve completely. Set aside to cool then refrigerate until it starts to solidify. When chilled pour into 1 to 2 quart serving bowl. Mix in a container of your favorite whipped topping. This makes a fluffy flavored whipped cool side dish for your meal. Keep on ice in your cooler.

Individual Fruit Shortcake Bake a batch of your favorite biscuits the day before the picnic. When cool slice in half and package to keep from drying out. The morning of the picnic wash and prepare fruit of your choice. Strawberries and blueberries will make a pretty, red, white, blue and yummy dessert. If no decent fresh fruit is available a can of peach slices can work well. If using strawberries slice and store in container. 1 quart will make 4 shortcakes. Add a Tablespoon of sugar to sweeten. Pack a tub of your favorite whipped topping into your cooler with the container of fruit. To prepare at the picnic. Place half biscuit on plate, spoon fruit with about a teaspoon of juice on it. Top with whipped topping, add second biscuit half top with more whipped topping and a big spoon full of fruit over top. Yummy, quick substantial dessert. (My kids will only eat the fruit and topping, no biscuit).
If you are a mother and preparing your own picnic meal bless your heart this Mother's Day!