You don’t have to limit yourself to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches when you take an outdoor adventure on the river. Packing delicious foods is easy to do and they keep well in the cooler if a few extra minutes are taken to pack well. Freeze three, one quart plastic bottles of water the night before. Use your creativity, organic tastes buds or gourmet cravings to help build a menu out on the river. You can purchase sets of locking lid plastic containers at department stores. They are very handy to packing into a cooler and the lids won’t separate during transport or while digging in the cooler.
First lets take a look at PBJ! An easy way to bring the old stand by along is to premix peanut butter with jelly, jam or honey. Place equal amounts of peanut butter to equal amounts of sweetness into a small mixing bowl and stir well. Then put into a container with a locking lid and you have instant sandwich spread, fun dip or a tasty topping for brownies! The kids love the peanut butter mixture and will even be tempted to dip some celery sticks or bread sticks into it.
Wraps are a great way to transport a riverside lunch. Don’t fill the wraps until reaching your picnic site so everything is fresh. A few of the favorites are Mandarin Chicken Wrap or Ranch Ham Wrap. The Mandarin Chicken is very easy to prepare. In a mixing bowl combine two cans of cooked chicken meat, one can of mostly drained mandarin oranges, finely chopped green onion or chives, and a little mayonnaise. Mix the four ingredients together and pack in a container with a locking lid. The flavors mingle while being transported to the riverside lunch spot and are very refreshing. Ranch Ham wrap is a more hearty wrap filling. Using sliced deli ham or slice your own Black Forest Ham, cut into thin half inch strips. This is quickly accomplished by using a pair of kitchen scissors. Next comes a choice of cheese: mozzarella or cheddar cheese cut into cubes. You can even use a handful or two of shredded cheese. Now add a green onion or two, finely chopped, two to three cucumbers chopped, and cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half. The quantities of vegetables depend on how much meat and cheese you have already prepared. Once you are satisfied with the ham, cheese and vegetable ratio, add organic ranch dressing. Yes, the organic makes a difference! Once all ingredients are in the big mixing bowl, stir together then transfer to a container with a locking lid. Turkey works well in place of the ham.
Now it is time to embellish the main lunch course. Open a can of olives and put into a locking lid container, along with snap peas, tomatoes, pickles, cucumbers, carrots, sliced peppers, and celery. Each in their own container, they offer variety and color to your picnic. Hummus is a great choice for your vegetarian friends or anyone that would enjoy a healthy and tasty boost of protein. Pita chips or bagel chips are delicious for dipping and satisfy the salty, crunch crave. When stored in a locking lid container they also remain uncrushed. Strawberries, precut cantaloupe and watermelon make juicing, refreshing sides as well. Finally, chocolate is a welcome addition to the rafters dream lunch. Bake a batch of chocolate-y brownies the night before and cut into one inch squares or chocolate chip cookies that have been baked and immediately frozen travel well also when stored in a locking lid container.
Once the lunch is prepared gather together and pack the cooler. Place the frozen water bottles in the bottom of the cooler on the sides and in the middle. Meats get stored on the bottom along with any other temperature sensitive foods like berries, fruit and hummus. Now stack all the embellishments. Once all food and bottles of drinking water or juice have been placed into the cooler, cover everything with a couple of bags of crushed ice. Using a plastic Ziploc bag pack napkins, paper plates, a plastic garbage bag, forks, spoons and knives and some wipes for clean up. In a separate plastic bag, pack the wraps! These two Ziploc packs rest on top of the ice and serve as extra insulation.
Remember you can never have too much water to drink while out on the river. Be sure to pack plenty for everyone. Picnic along the riverside, enjoy the fresh water breeze and be sure to pack everything out with you. Packing a picnic lunch for rafters is very simple and offers a special taste for everyone. Be sure to picnic responsibly taking pictures, leaving only foot prints, and savoring the beauty of the day and the river. Enjoy!