THROWING A PICNIC ON THE FLY

From late April till late October, there is a plastic box that lives in the “wayback” of our little SUV. In it is everything we need for a spontaneous picnic — just add food.

Start with a good quality plastic container with a lid that closes tightly.

Here are the items we keep in the Picnic Go Box for our family of four. Everything is sturdy and reusable.

Four plates with rims so food is less likely to slip off into the grass. Four cups. Three thick plastic mugs for coffee. Good-quality plastic cutlery. A tablecloth or thin blanket for the grass. Instant coffee. Our favourite spices (salt, Montreal steak, lemon pepper, peppercorns). Napkins. Small cutting board, knife and vegetable peeler. Corkscrew. A small reusable bag for dirty dishes, for easy transportation into the house and back to the car.

You can set up a separate go bag to keep in the fridge with things like condiments and salad dressing that won’t keep in the car for months.