Family Picnic... In February

For as long as I can remember, my parents made a tradition of having a family picnic... in February... Did I mention I live in Canada and this is what my front yard look liked only a few days ago?

Yikes!

Yes, as weird as it may seem, when we were young we always put aside a day in February where we make as many yummy summer foods as we could. We would break out the lettuce, pasta, tomato and potato salads (staples for a good old fashioned summer shindig) We usually would have a BBQ (my Dad would always be the brave soul to stand outside during a winter storm to cook our dinner!)

When we were kids, my parents would gather my brother and I up, decorate the kitchen table by putting a traditional picnic blanket down to really set the mood. My Dad also found a tape (yes a tape) of beach sounds to put on in the background. It was just like we were on the beach complete with the sounds of waves and seagulls flying around. I can almost feel the sunshine!

Leaf salad with tomatoes,  dried cranberries, cheese and pecans

Well, we brought back the picnic last weekend after a long hiatus! However, this time there was too much snow that we couldn't bother to shovel out the BBQ so we settled for fried chicken. Not quite a typical "summer" food, but seriously... we have had a couple snow days this month!! My husband and I went over to my parents house and got ready to experience a little nostalgia! We couldn't find the tape with the beach sounds, nor did we even have a radio to play it on! My parents got rid of the picnic blanket years ago and my brother and his wife live in the Northwest Territories. So there were a few key components missing, but it was still a wonderful day! Any day we get my Mom's awesome pasta salad, and my Dad's MOST AMAZING POTATO SALAD EVER, are good days to me!

No one makes a pasta salad like Mom! This is my #1 fav summer food!

It was so nice to bring a little something back from when I was a kid to share with my husband and the rest of my family. Although, there were some things missing, it was amazing to be able to share this with them all again! It is a great family tradition that we intend on continuing when we have little ones, as I remember how much fun it was when I was growing up!

Always a crowd pleaser - Dad's Famous Potato Salad

Summer in a bowl

Just as we were sitting down to eat, we looked outside only to see the sun had made its first appearance in days! It was almost as if it the sun knew how much we were craving just a little bit of summer. I love the winter more than most of the people who live in Canada, but now and then, usually when my feet are freezing and soaking wet, or when my back is killing from shovelling so much snow, its nice to have a little piece of summer. :)

The Sun knew what we were up to!