Tea for two

 With soft snow falling and warmish temps, we headed into the woods again...

 We had spent most of the morning bringing in wood and breaktime was upon us.

 So we took my dad's Thermos, filled it with milky tea, grabbed a couple of cups and headed back into the woods to our picnic table.

Chairs are stored under the table, so they were nice and dry. We sat back and enjoyed the silence.

Easter Sunday picnic

 I love having picnics at our table in the woods and last Sunday was a perfect day to have one.

 It was very impromptu: apples, olives, cheese and hot cross buns with tea.

 My parents' Thermos -- formerly for business meetings -- always comes in handy for our picnics.

With just a crust of ice on an inch of snow on the picnic table, it was a perfect way to sip tea in 12C degrees. No wind. 

Just blue sky and a bit of snow on the ground, receding in the sunlight.

Christmas Eve picnic

It was a perfect day to be in the woods for a picnic. December 24, 2015 and 17C. What??

First order of the day? Eggnog!

With a fresh dash of nutmeg on top, right?

I found an old bottle of whisky at the back of the liquor cabinet.
Man, that's old hooch! Dad likely got it as a gift and never drank it.
No time like the present.

Perfect!

 Hors d'oeuvres in the woods seemed like a good idea.
Hot Genoa salami, brie and Edam cheeses, olives and hard-cooked quail eggs.
Chocolate truffles and clementines for dessert.

It was pretty yummy.

 Cheers.

 Christmas tomorrow but today we bask in the warm, windy air. So crazy for the Great White North.

We had to navigate our mighty stream with all our belongings, but this year we didn't need snowshoes.

Happy days!

6th Annual Winter Picnic

 This year we had our annual picnic in the woods on April 6th.

The snow bridge is still intact over the little creek, which is running from the melt.

 It was 4C and sunny...actually a nice temperature for a hot cuppa tea.

 Everything tastes better outside, right?

 We had to snowshoe in this year there's still so much snow.
And we got to try out the new table which isn't perfectly flat...but who cares!

 This year's fare was kosher salami sandwiches on dark rye.

And a little salsa and chips too!

Out With the Old...

 My late father's picnic table finally gave up the ghost. It's been out in the bush for about 20 years and the site of our annual winter picnic for the past five or so years...

The new and improved version is part of a double cedar wall behind the house, that was discovered this past year when my gas range was installed. I figured it would be a perfect, rustic tabletop for a new picnic table. Richard cut down two dead trees as the supports and voila! Chairs will be old plastic outdoor garden chairs that my late mother bought eons ago.
I'll post pix when it warms up a tad and we can have a picnic out in the woods.

5th Annual Picnic in the Woods

 Today it was 20+ C so we decided it was time for our annual picnic in the woods.
Especially since this is likely the last time we can get back into the woods this year and there are virtually no bugs.

 This time I brought homemade hot ginger squash soup out back from a thermos.

We also had a hot baguette, cheddar and some olives.

 The picnic table has less and less leg room as it sinks into the ground. Next year? 

A new table!

Richard and I also had a hot cuppa tea from yet another thermos in my collection.

To celebrate the season, we decided to drink a bottle of champagne.

Nothin' but the best...

And yes, we also schlepped out champagne flutes into the bush.

 Ahhhhh. Bliss!

 Love this shot!

 For dessert, I also served a dark chocolate Lindt bar. Perfect picnic I'd say.

Picnic on the Road

Last weekend as we headed to the cottage, we stopped at a rest stop by the road for a picnic. I think this was near a place called Lake Tooey.

The province of Ontario seems to have some very well-marked, lovely and clean spots at which to have a quick lunch.

Picnics. The best tasting food in the world, eh?

Winter Picnics in the Woods

Our annual winter picnic in the woods at the old picnic table took place last Sunday on March 18 and the temperature was a balmy 26C. First time I wore a t-shirt at our picnic.

 Last year's picnic was held on January 19, 2011 when it was a "balmy" -15C. The snow and temperature did not deter us! I think we ate our sandwiches kind of quickly though.

The year before that, March 8, 2010 and we were out in the woods making poutine. That picnic was fairly toasty at 10C. And yummy too as I recall.

Into the woods on February 18, 2009 was when we had our first ever winter picnic. Minus 5C and a hot brunch en plein air. What could be bad?

This year another first! A bottle of cold wine! Isn't that what you do in the heat of summer? Except of course for the fact it was winter. A butterfly landed on our picnic table for a brief bit and looked around.

We enjoyed cheese, smoked oysters, olives, hot bread, and wine. Almost sounds like we were in France. Dejeuner sur l'herbe anyone?

Family Day

We spent Family Day in the woods. Family Day is a fairly new invention, an Ontario holiday in mid-February. Bring it on!

Our February days are more like days in March with grass showing through on the lane way.

And even though it was warmish, we had a picnic indoors on the coffee table, finishing off all the hors d'oeuvres we didn't cook up at New Year's. And we took out two movies too. Fun weekend.

3rd Annual Picnic in the Woods

Sunday was sunny and cold, about -15C but a wonderfully lovely day.


I decided it was a perfect day for our 3rd annual winter picnic. Hot milky tea from the Thermos...


...and warm sandwiches...


...eaten in the fresh air.


Brie, apple and chutney on a warm baguette. Say ahhhh.
Picnics in the snow are my thing. To see last year's poutine picnic, click here. Need more picnics? How about brunch in the woods. Click here.