Picnics

 

A good house elf knows that in caring for their family, preparing meals is one of our greatest joys. During the sunny summer months, consider taking that meal outdoors! You could simply wave your wand and use the charm "far farrisium" to create a full picnic to serve even Dumbledore’s Army, but we all know muggles often frequent parks and seeing a full meal appear from nothing might raise a few eyebrows. Here are a few tips that you should consider when preparing a picnic lunch for yourself without a house elf.

When planning a picnic, do not plan to do all the cooking and preparing yourself. If you invite a large group, it could become disorganized and you could be very stressed out. When you issue invitations, ask your guests to bring their favorite dish or something to contribute to the meal. There are several ways to do this. You can plan to bring the main dish (sandwiches, chicken, etc) and ask guests to bring side dishes and desserts or break up the main dish and ask several people to help. Either way, let people know that they will be responsible for keeping their dish warm/cold and keeping their food safe for everyone to eat.

House Elf Tip #1: When trying to keep foods cold, remember that a full cooler stays colder than a partially full cooler. Buy an extra bag of ice and keep your food cold and safe!

Here is a list of the essentials:

  • Blankets or a tarp if the ground seems wet.
  • Cutting boards and knives (wrapped safely for travel) for cutting bread, sandwiches, etc.
  • Picnic Baskets for transporting plates and dishes.
  • Cups, plates, napkins and silverware, do not ask your guests to bring their own.
  • Tablecloth in case you decide to sit at the picnic tables at most parks.
  • Drinks, WATER is a good choice but you could also get powdered drinks that will make large quantities of drinks.
  • First Aid, bring a simple kit (Band-Aids, antibacterial ointment, bug spray and sunscreen).
  • Games (Frisbees, hula-hoops, jump ropes, water games if it is warm) for all ages.

    • Just like you can’t use a charm to make your picnic appear, you shouldn’t use one to make it disappear either. Plan to carry out your own garbage, don’t expect that the park will get rid of the garbage you make. Most of the time people will help clean up when it’s time to go, but don’t be shy when asking for help. You weren’t the only one to make the mess.

    Here is a list of easy, yummy and safe food ideas:

  • Tossed Salad
  • Pasta Salad
  • Fruit
  • Vegetables
  • Brownies
  • Bread
  • Lunchmeat
  • General sandwich fixings
  • Chips
  • Pretzels
  • Other handy snacking foods

    • House Elf Tip #2: If it’s been sitting out more than two hours, toss it out. One hour when the temperature is over 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

    Tips for keeping cold food cold:

  • Use two bowls, partially fill the larger of the two with ice, place the smaller of the two with the food in it on top. Be sure to refill the ice as it melts.
  • Fill a small kid’s swimming pool with ice and place the food inside to keep it cool until time to eat.

    • Barbeques

     

    So if you’d like to cook your meat the muggle way at a picnic, you’re in luck, most parks have little grills so you are set. Some great ideas of what to cook are, hot dogs, hamburgers, steak, chicken, etc. You’ll want to make sure to cook everything thoroughly. Fish should be cooked until opaque, ground beef and pork should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees, chicken breast to 170 degrees, chicken legs and thighs to 180 degrees and ground turkey and chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Also be sure to bring condiments, ketchup, mustard, relish, etc for people to eat their meat with. Add a lighter and matches and charcoal to your packing list of you decide to add barbequing to your plans.

    House Elf Tip #3: Kids and BBQs don’t mix, make sure to set up games and activities far away from the grill to avoid any injuries!

    Back to Lesson 1

    Recipes