Rules of the Packy Nacky

Known to laymen as a picnic, the Packy Nacky is a long established tradition during which one must follow a certain protocol if one wishes to partake. For a Packy Nacky is not just a meal, it's a veritable cornucopia of vittles and conviviality. In order to be properly enjoyed, a Packy Nacky must be governed by the following rules:

1. Food must be prepared by the participants, to better facilitate bonding and friendship.

2. Participants must dress up real dapper.

3. Dapperness/the occasion must be commemorated with a picture (see below).

4. Chefs get to choose the cooking music.

5. Spoils of labor must be enjoyed out of doors (obviously).

My friends and I had a Packy Nacky today, and it was glorious in scope and epic in execution. Our day began early with a trip to the farmer's market for ingredients. Then we spent all afternoon in preparation of this feast:

Sammiches!

(Mine consists of chicken, avocado, green peppers, pesto and pepperjack cheese)

Blueberry Cake

Recipe from Everybody Likes Sandwiches

We added more vanilla than the recipe calls for, and sprinkled brown sugar on top instead of raw sugar. You could probably use just about any fruit in this cake, and it's easily modified to fit the perfect specifications for your cake happiness.

Salmon Macaroni Salad

Recipe from Simply Recipes

(basically raiding of my Google Reader starred items facilitated today's Packy Nacky)

This was definitely the pièce de résistance of today's meal, though we had to surmount many obstacles in order to make it successfully. First we forgot to get pasta, then there was an incident in which way too much dill infiltrated the salad, and I made a horrifying discovery:

Apparently, some canned salmon comes with bones and scales still in it.

You can't see it here, but there was an entire ribcage in this sucker. Luckily my friend Sarah volunteered to clean it out. I was ready to throw the entire can away and get new boneless cans, so deeply disturbed was I by this development. However, the salad turned out delicious, and ribcage free.

Sarah's mom also baked us these delicious fudgy cookies to go along with our feast.

And, lest you think we defiled the sacred rules of Packy Nacky:

Dapper, out of doors, and the slightest hint of a food baby.

We also made friends with this toad, but that's not required. Just a bonus.