We took Evelyn to her first concert the other night! The show was at an outdoor venue that encourages concertgoers to bring along picnics. I asked my mom and sisters for some picnic menu ideas, and my mom’s suggestion was the winner. It all came together and we had a great time!

Fried Chicken
I found a recipe from fellow blogger Monique (aka The Cooking Diva) and it was AMAZING! Every bite of chicken was perfectly flavored, with just the right amount of saltiness and kick. I am not a fan of bones or skin, so I actually made this recipe using boneless/skinless chicken breasts and they were still very juicy. My husband was heartbroken the next day when he realized there were no left overs!

http://divascancook.blogspot.com/2009/06/some-good-southern-fried-chicken.html

Creamy Potato Salad with Dill (my recipe)
1 1/2 lbs baby yukon gold potatoes
1 cup real mayonaise
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Lemon juice from half a lemon
3 stalks of celery, sliced
Dill, chopped
Salt, pepper

Put potatoes in a pan and top with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook until tender (about 25 minutes). Drain. Once they are cool, cut into quarters.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Add cooled & quartered potatoes and mix well to thoroughly coat.

Lemony Bean Salad (my recipe)
My sister Meghan makes a great bean salad, but I didn’t have all the ingredients so I improvised. Here’s my recipe:

1 bag of dried lima beans, soaked & cooked to package instructions (or you can buy frozen or fresh ones)
Two large handfuls of string beans, trimmed, blanched and cut into 1″ pieces
A nice bunch of thin asparagus, trimmed, blanched and cut into 1″ pieces
1 lemon
Basil, chiffonade
Olive oil
Salt, pepper

Add lima beans, string beans and asparagus to a large bowl. Generously dress with olive oil. Add zest of entire lemon peel, juice from the lemon, basil, salt and pepper. Gently toss and enjoy!

Jalepeno Corn Bread
I started with a basic corn bread recipe and added freshly chopped jalepenos and grated cheddar cheese.

Raspberry Shortbread Bars (my recipe)
This is a classic dessert – I didn’t have a recipe on-hand, but shortbread very basic and easy to make.

Raspberries are one of Evelyn’s absolute favorite treats. In the picture below she is trying to get the last little berry at the bottom of the container. Cute!

Preheat oven to 400. Using your fingers, combine the butter, sugar and flour and blend until coarse crumbs form. Pour 3/4 of the mixture into an ungreased 9″ square pan. Press down evenly to form a crust. Bake until lightly golden — about 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool slightly. Spread jam evenly and dot with fresh raspberries. Sprinkle remaining dough crumbs on the top and cook another 15-20 minutes.