Easy-packing picnic

Emily Richards

Every day that goes by I wonder how did I fill it and what did I do? I think most of us ask ourselves these questions as days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months. July is a busy month as I think it's officially the start of summer and many things are happening for me and my family.

We start off strong with Canada Day and it was great to go down to Riverside Park and enjoy the "no rain while it lasted" day of events. The kids had a blast on those rides and the big bouncy slides -- makes me wonder why I don't have a fun park in my own backyard to keep them busy and happy.

Canada Day is also our daughter's birthday; she was the 'Big 2' this year and knew all the components of what was to make her birthday perfect. They were all questions, too. "Cake?" "Presents?" "Me birthday?"

How wonderful it is to see such happiness and be the centre of it all. I guess that diminishes with time, or will it? I'll have to see what happens for my next birthday.

Well, we had a few parties for her to make sure we got all the family covered and tried to feed them well. We had somewhat of a picnic theme for each gathering and tried to do as much barbecue as we could. Although for one dinner we had turkey pot pie, not your traditional summer meal. One of the bonuses of working in the recipe development field, you tend to work months ahead of where you are.

With picnics, a must-have is a variety of salads and I like to make the classics like coleslaw, potato and pasta but also throw in new twists without making it too difficult for me, as I like to have as much fun at these get-togethers as everyone else. So, in planning, I looked for a few ingredients that would make my cooking a little easier -- a shortcut, if you will.

Many friends and family ask how they can get dinner on the table faster or include more flavour in their food. I found some Maple Leaf Prime chicken that you can pick up at Zehrs or Food Basics and create versatile meals that are easy to use and quick to prepare. I used the chicken in a salad so that I didn't have to marinate the meat or add too many ingredients to get a great taste. They have boneless, skinless marinated chicken breasts that are easy to grill or roast and add to salads and sandwiches alike.

Having ingredients like these tucked away in your fridge or freezer can help you out in a time crunch for the week or while entertaining on the weekend. These premium ready to cook products can help you out for sure. They certainly did for me and the salad was a big hit, too. This salad is easy enough to make ahead and also to enjoy as lunch. It's perfectly totable for your next get-together or potluck reunion.

Recipe: Chicken Tortellini Salad