The Importance of Plastic-Free Picnics: A Guide to Having a Beautiful Picnic

As I stand here today, I'm excited to share with you my passion for having beautiful picnics. For me, a picnic is not just about eating food outdoors; it's an experience that combines nature, beauty, and simplicity. And the key element that makes all the difference in creating this experience is plastic-free. When I was a historic interpreter at Black Creek Pioneer Village, one of the most important things we adhered to was keeping things historically accurate, which included avoiding plastic.

I remember using a basket as a prop to hide modern items like plastic water bottles and cell phones. The rules that I followed at Pioneer Village have carried over into my everyday life, and what that has meant for me when I'm having a picnic is that everything used during the picnic must be beautiful. In other words, everything is made from natural materials or has a historical significance.

Let's start with some of the essentials for a picnic. One of my favorite items is this cutting board that I made at Pioneer Village using traditional techniques. It's made from wood and is perfect for preparing sandwiches or snacks. Another essential item is parchment paper, which I use to wrap sandwiches instead of plastic wrap. And, of course, no picnic would be complete without some delicious food.

When it comes to choosing a spot for your picnic, the location can make all the difference in creating a beautiful experience. Being on top of a hill is not only aesthetically pleasing but also practical, as it's less likely to be wet than lower-lying areas. And, let me tell you, there's nothing quite like setting up your picnic blankets and enjoying the view.

Now, I know what you're thinking: "But, Rajiv, what about glasses and plates? Don't they have to be carried around?" Ah, yes! In this day and age, it's worth taking the extra effort to make something beautiful. I always carry my antique basket with me, which has a lid that's perfect for storing food and keeping everything organized.

So, how do you start setting up your picnic? For me, it all begins by putting down the picnic blankets. There's something so iconic about seeing these on the grass, and I always take my shoes off when I set up to avoid getting them dirty. And then, of course, comes the food. When I'm making sandwiches, I wrap them in parchment paper instead of plastic wrap, and even the garbage looks nice.

Now, once you've got your picnic set up, what do you do? Well, if you're with friends, you can sit and talk. But, I want to encourage you all to try something bold: going on a picnic without devices. Don't take a picture of this; instead, let the vision sink in and become special in your mind. And, trust me, time will slow down.

When I'm on my own picnics in Central Park, I bring things with me to do. I bring my lunch, my drink, and usually my knitting. It's a complicated project that I started, using five balls of yarn. And, of course, I always carry my sketchbook to capture the beauty around me.

As I conclude this article, I want to leave you with one final thought: don't be accessible for 2 or 3 hours when you're on your picnic. Don't be tempted to look at a screen; if you don't have it with you, you won't be tempted. Instead, enjoy the beauty of nature and your own company.

In conclusion, having a beautiful picnic is all about embracing the simple things in life: natural materials, historical significance, and simplicity. By following these tips and avoiding plastic, you'll not only reduce waste but also create an experience that's truly memorable. So, go ahead, grab a blanket, and enjoy the great outdoors!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enHi, I'm Rajiv and today I am going to showyou how to have a picnic.Not just how to have a picnic, but how tohave a beautiful picnic.So the key element to a beautiful picnic isdo you know what it is?I know what it is. No plastic.So when I was a historic interpreter atBlack Creek Pioneer Village, one of the veryimportant things that we adhered to waskeeping things, period.So when I was in costume as as a pioneer, my1860s costume, I had to make sure thatanything I was carrying around washistorically accurate.So we couldn't carry around plastic bags.We couldn't pull out a plastic water bottlewhen the public was around.If I had a plastic water bottle, it had tobe hidden.And this basket was a prop that I actuallybought to use at Pioneer Village, so I couldhide modern things in it.I would have my cell phone in here.I would have my plastic water bottle inhere.The rules that I followed at Pioneer Villagehave kind of carried over into my everydaylife, and what that has meant for me whenI'm having a picnic is that everything that'sused during the picnic is beautiful.So I'm going to start unpacking the picnicbasket to show you what my essentials are forhaving a picnic.This is a cutting board that I made atPioneer Village over 15 years ago.It was from a tree that we cut down on theproperty.I hand planed the plank of wood, then I putit on a foot powered lathe, turned theprofile and then spent about two monthscarving out all of this detail.And you can really see that the use of theboard has made it really beautiful.But I think having one of these is not onlygreat for using at home, but for using on apicnic, because if you pack fruit in herelike a watermelon, which is great in thesummertime, you need something to cut it on.And it not only functions as a cuttingboard, but sometimes just as a servingplatter. If you're going to cut something onthe board, you need a knife.And the knife is pretty too.It has a brass ferrule.It was given to me by my friend Guy Wolfeand his wife Erica.It was in their drawer and asked if I couldhave it and they said yes, I'm bad.If I see something I want, I ask for it.So that knife on a picnic you end up makingsometimes a mess when you're cuttingsomething, there's drips and spills and youusually need some kind of towel.I don't bring paper towel.I bring old cloth napkins about this inGermany at a church market, and I use this inthe kitchen, but I also always pack it whenI'm having a picnic.This towel right here I usually use to wrapthings up because I don't bring along plasticcups. I always bring along actual glasswareand actual China, and I use I use the towelsto actually wrap things up so that whilethey're being transported, they're a littlesafer. And then you can actually use thetowel on the picnic as a towel or a napkin.The last thing that's essential for a picnicis a picnic blanket, and the iconic picnicblanket is red and white checked gingham g In g h a m when I'm having a picnic in CentralPark with my friends, and this is laid out,I can look around and see all the otherenvious picnickers that see the picnicblanket, that see the picnic basket that seesthe guy that's as gay as a picnic basket.They see the gingham and they see the picnicbasket there, smiles on their faces.Because this, this really is a worthwhileinvestment.If you like having picnics, you can veryeasily find cotton, pure cotton, gingham.You can throw this in the washing machine,you can throw it in the dryer.And then when you're done with cleaning it,you can put it right back in the picnicbasket and store it there.So I have this beautiful red and whitechecked cotton gingham.But I also have this which is very oldlinen.Also, I found it in Germany at the churchyard market fair thingy, and I always usethis as a sub blanket.So if you're having a picnic on the grass,sometimes the grass is wet, or even if itdoesn't feel wet after like half an hour,sometimes you start to feel that everything'sdamp from the moisture in the ground comingup through the cloth.Put this down first, and then I put thecotton gingham over top of it.You can buy picnic blankets that have aplastic bottom, but then you can feel plasticunder your bum and no plastic.Let's let's try to avoid plastic.So this this also goes in the wash.Those are my essentials that I always packfor a picnic.And and then the most important thing somesome food.This is a beautiful day and we are in abeautiful part of upstate New York, and Ican't think of anything nicer to do on anafternoon than to eat outside alone.The spot that you choose for a picnic is avery important component to your experience,and being on the top of a hill is not onlyusually very beautiful, but from a practicalstandpoint, it's not likely to be as wet asif you're in a valley where the water settlesinto the ground more so you found your spot.Now it's time to set up.And I have this wonderful antique baskethere that has a lid, which is great becausethis is what I do. I put the lid down andput my food stuff on the lid while I set up.And then first order of business is puttingdown the picnic blankets.Okay. It just it's so iconic, even from faraway.Seeing this on the grass, I always take myshoes off because I don't know, you don'twant to be on the picnic blanket with yourshoes and then you can get set up.A lot of people might say, yeah, but I don'twant to carry around glasses and I don't wantto carry around actual plates.Well, in this day and age, I feel like it'sworth it.Life is filled with so much chaos and you'rerunning around.Take the extra effort to make something likethis really beautiful.So here we are.We're set up, and then the picnic begins.If I'm making sandwiches, I always wrap thesandwiches up in paper, not plastic wrap.You can get nice parchment paper and use anactual piece of string.Then even the garbage looks nice.Okay, the next aspect of going on a picnicis, well, what are you going to do?And if you're here with your friends, youcan sit and talk.I'm going to say something very bold here interms of advice.Try going on a picnic with no devices.You don't have to take a picture of this.Try to take a picture of this in your head.Actually, look at the sun setting.You don't need to see it by snapping a photoof it.Stay here and absorb the vision of this inyour mind and it becomes so much morespecial. I have to say, in this day and age,when you don't have a device with you and youjust don't have an option, time slows down.So when I'm going on a picnic alone, which Ioften do in Central Park, I bring things withme to do.I bring my lunch, I bring a drink, and thenI usually bring my knitting.This is a very complicated thing that Istarted.It's a fair isle hat.So there's five balls of yarn, and I alwaysbring my sketchbook and that's that's apicnic. Listen to that sound.Just listen. Useopportunities like this to actually, trulycut yourself off from your everyday life.Don't be accessible for 2 or 3 hours.Don't be tempted to look at a screen and ifyou don't have it with you, you won't betempted. Now you just enjoy your owncompany.There you have it. All the aspects of havinga picnic.The old fashioned way.The beautiful way.No plastic, no devices.If you liked this video, give it a thumbsup.If you like this channel, please subscribe.And if you like me, please check out my ownchannel at Rajiv Surendra.Thanks for watching.Goodbye.\n"