by Charles Asbury

Created on: November 25, 2008   Last Updated: November 28, 2008

The Casual Country Picnic

Got a hot date? Then of course you want the date to be a success. So you're going to need atmosphere and the right food to impress. Search out the best spot ahead of time. Then get busy and prepare for a sure winner during this courtship, a casual country picnic. For the ultimate in carefree entertaining, spread out a picnic meal that's ready to eat. Pack the picnic basket, grab a blanket, and find yourself a romantic spot under a shade tree. I suggest the oak tree, but that's just me. Then spread out a meal to be remembered. There's no last-minute preparation - all the cooking is done ahead of time. Add some iced sweet tea and an antipasto tray to the recipes in this article, and this super sexy excursion should be a knock out punch.

Chicken Rolls, Potato salad and Cole Slaw is the order of the day here.

2 whole chicken breasts, skinned, boned and cut in half 4 ounces cream cheese 1 tablespoon flour teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon minced onions 2 tablespoons of butter 4 sandwich buns

In a mixing bowl combine cream cheese, onions, flour and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Place chicken breast halves on flat surface, bone side up. Top with 1/4 of cheese mixture. Brush each roll generously with butter. Place seam side down on a rack in a shallow baking pan.
Bake chicken breasts in oven at 350* for 30 minutes or until chicken is tender and lightly browned. Place breasts and buttered buns in a well insulated cooler. Makes 4 servings.

1 pound of potatoes 1 medium cucumber, chopped 2 green onions, chopped 1/4 cup of ranch dressing cup of mayonnaise 1/4 cup of sour cream 1 teaspoon of celery salt 2 hard boiled eggs 1/4 cup of radishes

Boil potatoes in water for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool slightly. Cut into bite size pieces. In a large mixing bowl combine potatoes, cucumber and onions. Pour dressing in a small bowl and combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, celery salt, onions, hard boiled eggs, 1/4 cup of radishes and stir rapidly for 30 seconds. Cover and chill several hours or overnight.

1 cup mayonnaise 3 tablespoons milk 3 tablespoons vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/2 celery seed 1/2 salt 1/8 paprika 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 medium head cabbage, finely shredded 1 medium carrot, shredded 1 small onion, finely chopped

In a small bowl, combine first 8 ingredients; mix throughly. In a large bowl, place cabbage, carrot and onion. Add mayonnaise mixture; toss gently to mix well. Cover; refrigerate until serving time. Yields 6 cups. You can even add some impressive color by using half red cabbage and half green cabbage.

So there you have it, the plan, the location and the meal. Be sure to bring some music too. I suggest something a little jazzy but soft. After this romantic interlude, there is just one last thing to do, get the kiss. Good Luck! Charles

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