Picnics can be formal affairs with fine china or impromptu spreads with bread, cheese, and wine; either way, they make occasions such as the Fourth of July, Mother’s Day, or an anniversary more memorable. In FESTIVE PICNICS, we’ve packed more than 30 recipes such as Cold Avocado and Cucumber Soup, Hummus and Pickled Onion Sandwich Wraps, and Banana Cake with Blueberry Sauce, with craft and decorating ideas perfect for an outing with friends or a beach day with the kids. And as appealing as the recipes are, it’ll be the craft ideas—Picnic Sand Pails, Picnic Party Fans, Rice Paper Candle Holders—that make you dust off the picnic basket and plan your next meal outside.

With summer at hand, what a wonderful way to celebrate the season than to have a picnic or barbecue. With Festive Picnics, you get more than just recipes, but also decorating ideas with theme events!

Pamela Sheldon Johns is the author of over 25 books, a former cooking school director and is currently a lecturer of food and wine in her Tuscan villa. With this experience, you can expect a classy book with delicious recipes.

Absolutely, beautifully photographed, this cookbook not only provides gourmet recipes for barbecues and picnics, but also decorating and entertaining ideas. This is a wonderful addition to her book, as so many books only provide the recipes, and here she shows you how to present them. All recipes and decorating ideas are easy to prepare and classy.

Some of the delicious recipes you can try are: Cold Avocado and Cucumber Soup, Hummus and Pickled Onion Sandwich Wraps, and Banana Cake with Blueberry Sauce. Then, Johns explains to use a beach pail for your beach party instead of a picnic basket! The idea is unique and a lot of fun for kids. Other craft ideas within this book are: Picnic Party Fans and Rice Paper Candle Holders.

If you are looking for an excellent book for outdoor entertaining, pick up a copy of Festive Picnics. It is a great addition to anyone's collection.

This is a great way to spice up your average picnic. It includes not just the food, but the right decorations and accessories....and the picnics are international, hot and cold, with grill/without and so on! Fun to try them all.