Giving you a FULL guide on how to picnic in your backyard and make a memorable night for you & your partner. Let’s all agree that 2020 is a WILD year. I haven’t gone on a date night with my husband in over 4 months… we were in desperate need of some alone time! I decided to throw us a perfect date night in our backyard. BTW this is a perfect idea for new parents. Put your baby/kids to sleep, bring the monitor with you and enjoy some alone time while sipping on some bubbly!!! I’m going to go over food, drinks, dessert, decor, and some fun games to keep things interesting.
My idea was to add a little element of places we have traveled to or want to go to for every course or just something personal that related to our relationship. I guess it’s the little things that count.
I asked on IG what you guys wanted to see in a picnic post, I got LOTS of good feedback and ideas. I can’t cover it all in one post so going to break it up in 3 different posts. There is a family one coming soon so stay tuned!
Alright let’s get started with the menu!
Apps: Cheese board– I picked only two cheeses, because it is summer and I didn’t want it to get yucky. So I picked goat cheese, it’s mine & my husbands fave cheese. And I also added cheddar from Trader Joe’s. I added some crackers, and berries to this board! You can pick any cheese that you prefer, cheddar, parm, brie would all be great. I added spanakopita to the board as well because it we ate that on our honeymoon in Greece.
Other App & Salad ideas: 3 Dip Mediterranean Tray, Beet & Goat cheese Salad, Thai Noodle Salad, Mexican Street Corn Salad.
Arugula Strawberry salad: I added this really simple salad in a mason jar, so its easy to carry and eat! I packed dressing in a mini mason jar for both of us and the veggies in two separate mason jar. – I picked this salad because my husband had an arugula panini on our very first date. You can add little personal touches like this- get creative!
You can also make: Arugula & beet salad, chickpea & quinoa Salad,
Main: Spicy Panini: I used two of my recipe for this and made it into one. Instead of using the store bought pesto I used my Basil Cilantro Pesto, and I also didn’t grill the sandwiches. I just wrapped it in wax paper and tied it with a twine / jute string.
You can also make: Chickpea Curry Sandwich, Chimichurri Pasta salad, Chimichurri Potato Salad.
Dessert:
Mini Guava No Bake Cheesecake: You can make this in mini mason jars so it’s easy to carry if you aren’t picnicking in your backyard. ALSO if you have kids who eat out of glass jars, save them! They are so cute and has a lid, perfect for picnic or mini desserts. This recipe came an inspiration from our trip to Cuba! We are both a HUGE fan of guava everything. When were in Cuba we drank fresh Guava juice any chance we got, because it was just soooo damn delicious. So I figured this would be a good easy dessert.
Assorted Macarons: I picked some up from costco and they are so pretty and colorful!
Drinks:
Champagne with berries! : I kept this really very simple and minimal because I’m not trying to lug around a tons of stuff. Even if it is in our backyard! Champagne/ Rose with berries! You can pack the berries in one jar and use for your cheese board & drinks.
Decor:
For the decor I just picked a color scheme for me it was white/ cream, blush, & sage green. you don’t have to do this just use what you have on hand. I will link everything/ similar things I used in this post at the bottom.
- Get a neutral color rug or blanket.
- put a bunch of throw pillows in a corner
- Add fresh flowers
- Picnic basket
- fairy lights or candles
- a throw/ blanket
- Tiki’s so bugs don’t eat you alive LOL
For games:
- Cards, Heads up on your phone.
- Board games like 5 second rule, taboo, scrabble, or whatever else you like.
- A questionnaire that will make you think, mostly things about your relationship. It’s great way to bond and have a conversation started beyond the normal talk. Also just a great way to check in on your relationship.
- Bring an ipad to watch a movie or show together! Here is a list of some of our favorite shows to watch together: Friends, Money Heist, Beat Bobby Flay, Property Brothers, Flip or Flop, Fuller House, Big Bang Theory.
