The word picnic comes from two French words, piquer, "to pick," and nique, "a morsel." People have been enjoying picnics since the late seventeenth century, when the French word pique-nique first appeared. (Picnics: Easy Recipes for the Best Alfresco Foods. Vitetta-Miller, Robin. Clarkson Potter: New York. 2005)

Tucked neatly on the library shelf between books on outdoor dining and barbequing are beautiful books on a very romantic topic: picnics! Whether you plan an impromptu meal of sandwiches and chips or a grander menu, picnics are a treat for all ages. Tailgating is a form of picnicking (a real, but funny, word), as is cooking out over a campfire, or having meals while hiking in the woods, but generally most of us think of a picnic as the occasion at a particular destination. With cooler weather coming and with the color of autumn leaves providing all the decoration and beauty we need, the next few months will be a good time to plan such an outing.

In Picnics by Hilary Hemingway and Alex Hemingway, the authors provide lists of ideas for various picnic settings, a "list of extras worth remembering," as well as recipes. They also remind us to savor nature itself while outdoors. In The Perfect Picnic, Anita Louise Crane gives a list of items to pack in the "perfect picnic basket," along with directions for making a fitted tablecloth that will not blow off the table, as well as fabric wine bottle and wine glass holders to make transporting glass objects easier to your picnic setting. There's a new book that just came in titled Country Living Eating Outdoors, created by Country Living magazine. Place a hold online or call a library location to place a hold if you would like to see this newest addition on the topic.

There are so many more books about picnics. Use "picnicking" as a subject search to see all of our titles. These books offer great ideas, many of them offer beautiful photographs, and perhaps all of them will offer the motivation to get us all picnicking!