Simply classy theme—This picnic is a great occasion to bust out the fancy picnic basket your mom gave you last summer. Straw hats, red-and-white-checked picnic blankets, perhaps a game of croquet in the afternoon – enjoy a lazy afternoon of simple pastimes. Midrange budget—Plan to spend about $11 or $12 per person for this picnic. A grassy knoll venue—Depending upon your area’s topography, you might host this picnic at a park, the beach, near the lake, in the woods, or even in your own backyard. All you really need is a flat, comfortable area, shade, and access to bathrooms. Guest List and Invitations Invite about 15 to 20 people to this party, basing your guest list on the birthday girl’s preferences. Ask her who she’d like to attend—friends, family, neighbors, co-workers—and get everyone’s phone number and email address. If you have a friend or two whose company you think the birthday girl might enjoy, it’s entirely appropriate to invite additional guests. If you’d like to spring for paper invitations, look for simple cards that suit your theme; you might also look for decorative computer paper at an office supply store and make your own invites. However, using a web-based application to manage the guest list for this picnic would probably be the easiest, most efficient way to go. You can even customize your electronic invite by uploading an image of the guest of honor. Menu Each of these dishes is simple to make and travels well. You can make everything the night before the party, except for the green salad, which you should toss together just before serving (bring the prepared lettuce with the additional ingredients in plastic baggies or small Tupperware containers).

Appetizers—Herb-Marinated Cheese with baguette slices, chilled artichokes (cook and chill the night before and serve with Cindylicious Aioli) Side dishes—Erica’s Favorite Salad, Morning Melon Balls, Mediterranean Pasta Main course—Gastrointerestinal Disaster Dessert—Cookies (Stop by a bakery for an assortment of cookies, and purchase a cupcake to serve as the birthday cake. Don’t forget the birthday candle!) Beverages—Limoncello