Good Question: Help Me Throw a Spring Birthday Picnic in Central Park

So my husband's birthday is in May and I really want to throw him a fabulous picnic in Central Park with about 20 of our friends (mostly adults but some kids too) - would love to make everything but I work full-time and have a lovely newborn so that will be kind of tough. Do you have any good tips for something sweet and fun? He's a foodie, so we can't really go the six foot hoagie route.

Thanks so much in advance,
Lisa

(To All Good Questions)

Lisa, we thought of you instantly when we saw this picnic on Jordan Ferney's lovely blog, Oh Happy Day. She helped a friend create these lunchboxes for her friend's husband's birthday.

They filled the boxes with bagged sandwiches, salads, water, and treats. This might be a really good option for you if you have a friend to help you design and print labels. You could make all the packaging up ahead then fill the boxes with purchased cookies, granola, trail mix, and fruit - or ask friends to donate some homemade treats that will travel well.

Then make up good foodie-friendly sandwiches, like goat cheese, arugula, and spring squash and prosciutto on focaccia.

Another idea, instead of the 6-foot hoagie, is to have a gourmet sandwich bar laid out on a picnic table, with plenty of soft cheeses, great bread, smoked ham and other yummy delicacies, as well as olives, capers, and fresh spring greens. All of this can be ordered and purchased ahead of time. Add some fruit and a cake and you're set.

More picnic ideas for Liz?

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(Images: Michelle of Allerpower)

Comments (10)

One time, we made our own 6 foot hoagie--with around 5 large loafs of bread. Big huge sandwiches that could be cut like those from the deli (which by the way I used to think were actually quite tasty, but have never seen out here in CA). The sandwiches were great and it was fun. We also have done "do it yourself burritos", where we provide the wraps and the ingredients and everyone makes one themselves.

See if any the local resteraunts that use local and organic ingredients can make the box lunches for you. Decorate with reusable linens and potted plants. Or you could do edible centerpieces of fruit or lollipops.

I love the lunch box idea! I think the container store sells those boxes. You could always make the sweet treat, maybe bar cookies? Then you could make little sandwiches. Or buy premade salads and fill small ziploc containers.

Also, you could think tapas or mezze. Dips, grape leaves, cheese, olives, marinated vegetables, lots of finger foods. Plus crackers, drinks, and sweet treats. Birthday cupcakes maybe? Fun for adults and kids, you could even go retro and bake them in the flat-bottomed ice cream cones.

You could also buy frisbees and decorate with a big round sticker (with your husband's name and picture), hand them out to the guests with little bags of candy (Economy Candy is great for bulk candy, and who doesn't love candy!).

I like the lunchbox idea. I could see doing something like home-made chilled noodle salad in Chinese take out boxes with disposable chop sticks. And a box of salad with sesame seed dressing on the side.

You could even wrap each lunch in a bandana, something reusable.

Such a fun idea!

just remember to have plenty of vegetarian food, too! (and/or vegan food...check out your guests' requirements)

My favourite kind of picnic is a French-style bits-n-pieces kind of thing. So a variety of cheeses, cold cuts (sliced at the deli, we're not talking luncheon meat here), nice breads, olives, sliced pears and apples, and strawberries. Then some pastries or cupcakes for dessert (hand-held size so you don't need forks or plates). This is one of those types of picnics that mostly just requires you to bring it to the park. All the components can just be bought and gathered together. If you prep the apples/pears at home, drizzle with lemon juice to prevent browning. Bring some napkins and cheese slicers and you're set.

the lunch box idea is conceptually simple, but seems like a lot of work once you're making 20 or so, plus trying to guess what the kids will and won't eat.... i'd go more buffet style, with some good meats, cheeses and other sandwich fixings (as fancy as you like), a variety of breads (maybe some homemade rolls), and a few prepared salads in big bowls. some of the best (and foodie-est) picnics i've been to have been this style, with exotic jams and soft cheeses for the breads, too.

I love Oh Happy Day. It's my favourite blog and she always has ingenious ideas! Exhibit A? These picnic boxes. Put the blog on your blogroll. You won't regret it.