Double-dipping has never been a more serious offense.

A lot of people are coming back to NYC this semester, and we’ve all missed our friends. Of course, there’s still a rip-roaring pandemic, and it’s not the best idea to have indoor hang-outs with your posse. But it’s cold, you say? Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and a nice winter picnic can be a cute and safe activity for your reunion. Plus, with the climate crisis still running loose, a quick peek at The Weather Channel will often find you a fairly warm, sunny day. I would not recommend attempting a picnic in a blizzard, though, as I ended up with a Wette Baguette.

I feel the need to formally declare that, regrettably, Bwog is not Pinterest. You don’t need a fancy woven picnic basket or an aesthetic gingham blanket to have a picnic. If you went to Columbia’s Parent Weekend last fall, you can use that bright blue blanket that just says “BBQ WEEKEND” on it, and you could even just share a loaf of pre-sliced Wonder Bread. I guess it’s not about the aesthetic; it’s about the friends we reconnected with along the way.

Food Inspiration:

  • A warm beverage!
  • A big quirky baguette with cheeses/spreads
  • Finger sandwiches
  • Various berries
  • Cookies (Chocolate Chip or Double Chocolate Chip)

Cookies were made for the pandemic. Perfectly pre-portioned portable palate pleasers, simply spread out your cookies and each friend can take one. Cookies are the people’s food! Stick one in your pocket and you’re good to go! It’s a whole meal in itself! Perhaps you shouldn’t even bother with pesky little sandwiches! Just have an outdoor cookie party! The theme is cookies!

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Ingredients:

6 tbsp salted butter

8 oz dark chocolate

2 eggs

½ cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

5-ish oz chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325℉.
  2. Melt butter and chocolate together in the microwave. Let it cool down a little!
  3. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, sugar, and vanilla well. Add in the cool melted butter and chocolate mixture, stir completely and then add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
  4. Add in your chocolate chips, and scoop onto a baking sheet. Bake for 12-17 minutes, depending on the size (they should still be a little gooey in the center!) That’s it! Cookie!

It is time for you, too, Baby Bird, to leave the nest and embark on your own winter picnic…

From all sides of the park, your friends approach slowly. You all stand erect in a circle. Gone are the days of reaching into a communal chip bag and double-dipping into the salsa. The grass in Central Park is dead, but you sit anyway. Your jaw cracks open; you haven’t spoken in months. Someone pours libations while another queues up Maude Latour’s “One More Weekend” on Spotify. A knife drops through a block of cheese. You press play.

is it snow or flaky sea salt? via Bwog Archives