Saturday in the Park

It's late-October and Autumn has only threatened to arrive. But this morning was downright cool and we slept until 9:15 after a midnight run to the airport to retrieve our husband and dad. The head of our family is home from a ten-day trip to Guatemala. He is tired today, but the sunny crisp air is calling to me.

We cleaned and did Saturday chores after coffee propped our eyes open. We made a rash trip to Kroger for a few essentials to fill our picnic basket. Reagan soon took over in the kitchen, chopping green onions and baking dough boy cookies. I stirred the cole slaw and retrieved the quilt and our read aloud book. We hit the park for a picnic and laughed and played and basked in the Autumn sun.

When we got tired we returned to the picnic table for chapter 6 of Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and since I did the reading, no pics, but you can see it in your mind's eye, just like I tell the kids to do when we read aloud together.

My chicken salad is a family favorite, the exception being Noelle. She's still learning to eat grown-up foods, even though she's almost taller than me now. She slid a grilled cheese into the top of the picnic basket at the last minute when I wasn't looking.

Do you make your own chicken salad? I like it best on crackers, but a croissant makes for a heartier early dinner in the park, don't you think?  It's also a great way to get some fresh spinach in your kids as well. We washed it all down with ice cold IBC rootbeer bottles. Is there anything better at a picnic? Although Adrian's in high school now, he still can't resist pretending he's drunk. It was adorable when he was seven, but not so much anymore.... What is so irresistable about a brown bottle??

Chunky Chicken Parmesan Salad

4 cups of chopped cooked chicken (either cooked at home, or, in this case, Rotisserie from grocery)

1/3 cup light mayonnaise

4 tablespoons cole slaw dressing (omit if you add chopped apples or grapes)

1/4 cup freshly stredded Parmesan cheese (or more)

1/2 cup chopped green onion

2 celery ribs, chopped

3 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

Feel free to make this one of your family favorites. Also, feel free to spend a Saturday afternoon at the park with your kids and your spouse. Even if they need some coaxing to get there, I can assure you fun will be had by all.

It was a great way to spend some much needed quality time with a tired Dad (and apparently a tired teen) after thirteen days away since September 29th. Welcome home, Mike. We missed you.