Chris's Favorite Recipes

 Picnics!Party Picnics

I love picnics.  Take your lunch outside, and you have an instant party!  My friends and I like taking our lunches to the Secret Tree. 

When I have to baby-sit my two-year-old brother Joey, I often let him have a picnic outside, because then I don't have to worry so much about cleaning up.  He makes a mess! 

Chris
     
Chef Kid
Tips for the Best Picnics Ever!
Chris's Deviled Eggs  
Bugs on a Log  
Tips for the Best Picnics Ever!
Good food for picnics:
  • Sandwiches
  • Fruit
  • Cheese
  • Deli meats
  • Little sausages or salami
  • Boiled or deviled eggs
  • Pickles
  • Chips
 Picnic desserts:
  • Classic bag o' store-bought cookies (This is easy!)
  • Homemade cookies
  • Brownies
  • S'mores
Picnic Checklist:
  • Food
  • Condiments (ketchup, mustard, salt, pepper, relish, mayo, etc.)
  • Drinks
  • Cups
  • Napkins
  • Tablecloth (some picnic tables are dirty!)
  • Bug spray (bug off!)
  • Allergy medicine (If you have a friend who does not do well in the great outdoors)
  • Knife (for cutting fruit and cheese, not your fingers)
  • Plastic forks, knives or spoons
  • Plastic plates
  • Garbage bag.  Don't litter!
 Picnic tableSpecial Picnic Ideas:
(Ask an adult to help you with these.)
  • Fried chicken -- you can just buy this at the grocery store.
  • Chicken Salad
  • Grilled fish or meat -- you will need a grill (duh!)  Do not set hair alight or flick flaming hamburger into dry grass.
  • Sushi -- make sure you consult with an adult and that the sushi was prepared safely.
  • Tacos -- just bring hot, cooked meat and the goodies to put on top.

 

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Chris's Deviled Eggs:

This is one of my favorite foods for a picnic, but my friends thought the eggs were difficult to make until I showed them a few special techniques.  I'll show you, too!

 A plate full of deviled eggs
What you need:
  • Pot large enough to hold all the eggs you plan to make
  • Lid for the pot
  • 12 eggs (can make more or less, if you want)
  • Small bowl for mixing
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 heaping tablespoons pickle relish or chopped-up pickles
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Save the egg carton -- it makes a handy carrying case for taking the eggs to the picnic
How to make it:
  1. Carefully place the eggs in the pot.  Don't crack them!
  2. Fill the pot with water.  You need to have about an inch of water above the eggs.
  3. Put the pot on the stove, turn on the heat, and let it come to a boil. You need a rolling boil, where the bubbles are really going.
  4. Once it starts the rolling boil, turn off the heat, and place the lid on the pot.  Let the pot sit on the stove for about half an hour after you turn off the heat.
  5. Keep eggs WET while peelingCool eggs.  (See Chris's Tip below.)
  6. After the eggs are cool, peel them! Do this under running water to keep the shell from sticking.  Dry the eggs, and get ready to make deviled eggs!

Chris's Tip: Use the lid of the pot to keep the eggs in the pot while pouring the warm water into the sink.  Then fill the pot with cold water.  Your tap water might not be cold enough -- my cousin in Florida adds ice cubes to cool the eggs faster.  Crack the shells a little to help them cool off, but don't peel the eggs -- yet.

Make the deviled eggs:

1.  Cut each egg in half the long way.

 Cut the eggs in half the long way
2.  Carefully pop the yolks into a small bowl.  Look at the picture to see how to do it. Set the egg whites aside. Pop the yolks out
3.  Add the mayonnaise, pickles or pickle relish, and salt to the egg yolks.  Stir.

4.  Spoon the mixture back into the egg whites.  If you are going on a picnic, do not overfill. 

Chris's TIp: You can overfill a little if you are eating them at home.  If you are eating them at home, arrange on a deviled egg plate if you have one. (See picture at the top of this recipe.)  Garnish with paprika or parsley.  You can put olives on the plate as a garnish, too.  Try to arrange the eggs so they all point the same way.
How to pack deviled eggs for a picnic:
  • Put two halves together, and wrap in plastic wrap. 
  • Arrange the wrapped eggs in the egg carton. 
  • Take to your picnic and enjoy!  Note: deviled eggs need to be kept cold.
 Deviled eggs packed for a picnic
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Joey at playBugs on a Log:

Celery sticks with raisins and peanut butter -- it sort of looks like bugs on a log.  At least Joey thinks so!

What you need:

  • Fresh celery stalks
  • Peanut butter
  • Raisins 

How to make it:

  1. Wash celery thoroughly, then dry.  Cut the celery into lengths of about three inches to make celery sticks. Don't cut in half the long way, because you need the middle to hold the peanut butter.
  2. Spread peanut butter in the indentation of the celery stick.  These are the logs!
  3. Add raisins, placed individually on the peanut butter.  These are the bugs!

Enjoy!  You can wrap these individually in plastic wrap to take on a picnic.
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