Making A Day at the Beach Count

In 1929 the Knights of Columbus in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, launched a National Beach Day as part of their convention plans. It was hoped that Knights across the country would host a day at the beach all across the country on the same day, August 30th. The idea never gained much attention and was soon forgotten.

Then in 2014, Colleen Paige, a Pet and Family Lifestyle Expert (whatever that means) resurrected and reinvented National Beach Day to celebrate an appreciation of beaches everywhere and the importance of keeping them clean. On this day we are encouraged to get involved. Organize a clean up day for your favorite beach or join one already established. Take up donations and find out what your beach facility may need. Donate garbage and recycling cans. Or gather your family, spend the day at the beach and when you leave, make sure the beach is cleaner for having had you there.

No day at the beach, be it ocean side, lake side or simply along the banks of a stream, would be complete without a delicious pack-it-in pack-it-out menu. Bring along a few extra trash bags to help clean up your favorite beach at the end of the season. Today isn’t just a day at the beach, it’s to make a difference while soaking in the last rays of summer.

Beach Day Spicy Chicken Picnic
Spice-Rubbed Picnic Chicken in Sourdough Bread Bowls
Chive Potato Salad
Carved Watermelon Fruit Salad

Mexican Cinnamon Brownies

Crystal Light Iced Beverages

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Spice-Rubbed Picnic Chicken in Sourdough Bread
Spice Rubbed Chicken
6 tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Kosher Salt (reduce by half if using table salt)
1/4 cup Chili Powder
1/2 cup Paprika
4 teaspoons White Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (increase for a spicer flavor)
2 Chicken Breast, split
4 Chicken Thighs, trimmed
4 Chicken Drumsticks

Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil and top with wire racks.

Combine brown sugar, salt, chili powder, paprika, pepper and cayenne in a small bowl. Set aside.

Cut breasts in half to keep size uniform with the thighs. Trim thighs of excess fat from the thighs, aside. Pull skin of the drumsticks down to expose the meat.

Coat chicken pieces with spice mixture. Gently lifting skin on breasts and thighs to distribute spices underneath while leaving skin attached to chicken. Coat drumsticks, pull skin back into place and coat skin as well. Place chicken skin-side up on prepared wire racks, tent with foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, up to 24 hours for best flavors.

Everything Else
2 large or 4 small Sourdough Bread Rounds
2 large or 4 small Heavy-Duty Foil Sheets

Adjust oven racks upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 475-degrees. Remove foil covering from chicken and roast until brown, crisp and breasts register 160-degrees. Roast chicken for 20 minutes. Switch and rotate baking sheets, continue to roast 15 minutes longer.

Transfer breast pieces to a platter or dish, cover to keep warm. Continue to roast thighs and drumsticks until they register 175-degrees, about 10-15 minutes longer. Turn off oven.

Cut tops from the sourdough bread bowls. Hollow out the bowls, reserve bread.

Remove chicken from oven. Arrange an assortment of chicken pieces inside each bowl. Top with bread “lid”. Wrap tightly in foil and hold in the warm oven until ready to  pack into picnic baskets. Bread will absorb some of the chicken flavoring while keeping the chicken warm.

Pack the reserve bread into a ziplock bag to enjoy with the chicken at the picnic.

Just remember to pack the serving tongs!

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Chive Potato Salad
3 lbs. Small Red Potatoes
3/4 cup fresh Chives, chopped
2/3 cup Olive Oil
3 tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard, more to taste
Kosher salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons Flat-leaf Parsley, chopped

Scrub potatoes, place in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil, then simmer potatoes until just tender; about 10 minutes. Immediately empty potatoes into a colander, run under cold water to cool. Cut into quarters. Place potatoes into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Chop chives. Place chives, olive oil, vinegar and mustard in a blender. Season with salt and pepper, puree until smooth. Taste and adjust dressing as desired.

Chop parsley, scatter over potatoes. Pour dressing over the potatoes, toss to combine.

Place salad into a nice serving bowl with a tight-fitting lid. Chill until ready to pack.

Don’t forget the serving spoon!

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Carved Watermelon Fruit Salad
1 (20 oz) can Pineapple Chunks, drained
2 cups Grapes
2 cups Blueberries
2 cups Blackberries
4 cups Strawberries
1 cup Orange Segments
1 Honeydew Melon
1 Cantaloupe Melon
1 large Watermelon

Drain pineapple chunks. Place drained pineapples into a large mixing bowls. Rinse grapes, blueberries and blackberries, add to the bowl. Rinse, hull and slice strawberries, add to the bowl.

Peel orange, break into segments, Cut in half if large, add to the bowl.

Cut honeydew in half, remove seeds. Use a melon baller to create honeydew balls. Add to the bowl.

Cut cantaloupe in half, remove seeds. Cut each cantaloupe half into quarters, Remove rind, cut cantaloupe into bite-size pieces, add to the bowl.

To carve melon bowl, cut off top 1/4 of melon. Being careful not to cut through to melon, cut thin slice from bottom of melon so it will sit flat. Scoop out watermelon with a melon baller, add balls to the fruit in the bowl. Hollow out watermelon, leaving 1/2- to 1-inch-thick shell.

Carve top of watermelon as desired. Wrap melon bowl in plastic wrap to keep moist. Hold in the refrigerator until ready to pack in a cooler.

Toss the cut up fruit to blend, cover and chill. Just before serving, fill watermelon bowl with cut up fruit. Serve and enjoy.

Pack along a slotted serving spoon for the salad.

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Mexican Cinnamon Brownies
1 box Brownie Mix
1/2 cup Water
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
2 Eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons Mexican Cinnamon

Heat oven to 350-degrees for a shiny metal pan or 325 for a dark, non-stick pan. Grease bottom of an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray or shortening, set aside.

In a mixing bowl, stir brownie mix, water, oil, eggs and cinnamon until well-blended. Spread batter out in the prepared pan.

Bake in the heated oven for 35 minutes until tester inserted 2-inches from the side of the pan comes out almost clean. Let cool completely on a cooling rack, about 90 minutes.

Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows. Wrap individually with plastic wrap, then place brownies in an air-tight container for the picnic.

Tip: For easy cleanup, line brownie pan with foil, allowing for some overhang. Once brownies have cooled, lift from pan, slide to a cutting board and cut into squares.

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Crystal Light Iced Beverages
2 Half-Gallon Thermos
1 package Crystal Light Sweet Tea Mix
1 package Crystal Light Lemonade Mix
14 cups Cold Water
2 cups Crushed Ice

Empty tear mix into one thermos, lemonade in the other. Add 7 cups water and 1 cup crushed ice to each thermos. Stir well to blend.

If possible, place in the refrigerator to help cool drinks until ready to pack.

Don’t forget the cups!