Late Summer Picnic on Lake Merritt

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As summer’s coming to a close, we’re trying to soak up as much outdoor sunshine as we can and a picnic is the perfect way to do it! Ideally, a picnic should be something spontaneous and relaxing with simple foods and assembly. So today I’m sharing an easy way to throw one together for our Say Yes team lunch on Lake Merritt we had earlier this week.

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More details and photos after the jump…

This post is sponsored by Gold Peak Tea  

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As I mentioned earlier this week, our team has grown a lot over the last few months. Right now we have five editors/assistants with a sixth, Gaby, starting officially starting in two weeks for the holidays coming up. We also have several other contributors in food, hair/beauty, and DIY. See more about our core group of five right here. It’s so exciting to see how everyone is meshing so well together!

We headed to beautiful Lake Merritt in downtown Oakland for lunch. It’s such a lovely place with boats to rent, a gorgeous bike path that goes all the way around, and charming architecture surrounding it.

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Taking your meal outside can be a hassle enough with plates, napkins, picnic blankets, etc. So we grabbed a few simple, yummy ingredients at the store on our way instead of making a full meal at home and bringing it along.

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One thing that makes it extra special is picking up a rotisserie (I could eat rotisseries every day. I’m a total carnivore!). We grabbed ours at Boston Market along with some cold Gold Peak Teas to-go, which are perfect for a warm summer picnic. Very convenient, and a crowd pleaser with lots of flavor options from unsweetened to raspberry and green tea. Find nearby locations where they serve Gold Peak Tea right here.

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I picked the unsweetened black tea for the picnic that we added some lemon and mint to as well. The iced teas are delicious on their own, or you can customize it to your liking. A very refreshing boost that gets you through a long day.

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We also picked up a couple fresh baguettes, berries, and some local cheeses at a grocery store. The great thing about baguettes is you can just tear off pieces so you don’t even need a knife to cut and I’m all about just grabbing stuff on the way!

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For cheeses, I like to get something soft like a triple cream brie from Cow Girl Creamery, and something a bit more hard like a sharp English cheddar so there are a few options. Boston Market also had a couple slices of cakes that looked good so so we picked up a some of those as well for dessert.

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It’s more of an assembly, snack lunch.  We often have this for dinner with the family during the summer months. One of my favorites and so easy to throw together especially when you have a long, busy day, or it feels too hot to turn on the stove.

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Thanks to Gold Peak Tea for sponsoring this post. And thanks to team members Stephanie, Sarah, and Gaby for joining us on this summer picnic lunch. Photography by Liz Stanley and Stephanie Gardner. 

Comments

These photos are lovely and delicious looking lunch. I LOVE Sarah’s pants, where are they from?

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