Early Preview: KaCSFFS Picnic returns to June Meeting!

cartoon by Alexis Gilliland

Here's ADVANCE NOTICE: Plan ahead, for the KaCSFFS Picnic!
As announced earlier, this year we return to the month of June for our picnic. Not this week, though--the Picnic will be on our regular meeting-day of June 18th, the 3rd Saturday, at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111. 

We discussed venues, and although several members really wanted to return to our earlier tradition of outdoor cookouts in parks, input from other members convinced us to choose the path of inclusiveness. Since some of us have allergies, sensitivities, and limitations due to illness and/or mobility issues--AND we want everyone who is part of our community to enjoy the picnic--we will once again have an indoor-outdoor picnic.

Part of the spread at the 2013 Picnic.

Since the Picnic is a food-oriented event, it seems appropriate to offer some suggestions and resources. We will have grills going outside, leftover drinks (both alcoholic and soft) from the ConQuesT ConSuite, and tableware provided by KaCSFFS. What we need from members is everything else! 

Bring salads, sides, desserts, and anything else you care to bring and share! Here are links to some of the many resources for delicious recipes online:

Allrecipes "Picnic Recipes"
Cooking Light's "Top-Rated Picnic Recipes"
Country Living's "75+ Summer Picnic Recipes" and "15 Essential Grilling Tips"
BuzzFeed's "23 Easy Picnic Recipes that Everybody will Love," and
Food & Wine's "Top 10 Picnic Foods and Recipes" 

So there you have them: options. See you at the Picnic! 

IMAGES: Many thanks to File 770:164 and Alexis Gilliland, for the "T-Rex Picnic Chef" cartoon, and Country Living for the picnic table shot at the end of this post. The photo from the 2013 Picnic is by Jan S. Gephardt. 

Call for Grill Wizards and Sundry Others

KaCSFFS Needs You for the Annual Picnic!
Start planning now for the Annual KaCSFFS Picnic at The Writers Place. Same fun folk, new month, and a new format: an indoor-outdoor picnic. 

We're hoping for nice weather September 19.

But KaCSFFS can't do it alone! We hope you'll start thinking NOW about what you can bring. We will need:

• Lawn toys (Frisbees, croquet, bocci, horseshoes, beanbags, Nerf weapons, Super-Soakers, or whatever).
• Grills, charcoal, utensils, and most importantly COOKS! 
• Delicious side dishes to share with everyone (there's a sign-up message on the Google Group. Please use it, so we can make sure not everyone brings the same thing).
• Drinks of your choice, if our standard soda choices don't work for you.
• More specialized condiments (pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, mayo, cheese, chili, or other goodies)
• Ice, for drinks and coolers.

IMAGES: Many thanks to La Saucisserie Artisan Sausage Maker, for, ironically, the image of burgers on the grill; also to the blog On Your Grill, for the image of the hot dogs. Are you hungry yet?

Annual KaCSFFS (Indoor) Picnic June 21!

Summertime, and the Picnic is Indoors . . . 
Who: All KaCSFFS Members and Friends are invited!
What: Annual KaCSFFS Picnic meeting
When: Saturday, June 21, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. (Setup starts 6:00)
Where: Indoors at The Writers Place
Why: Because we like to party together!
How: With good food, drink, and friends.

The 2013 picnic's theme was "Camp KaCSFFS," held at The Writers Place.

The KaCSFFS Picnic tradition goes back decades. When the club and all its members were young fen just starting out (and when air conditioning was not as ubiquitous as it is today), we often went to local parks for food, fun, and our June meeting.

Now that we are a multi-generational group, however, we've moved the party indoors so everyone can freely attend without adverse health consequences. 

The food is pot-luck: everyone brings some kind of "picnic-appropriate" food.  KaCSFFS club funds go for the meat (usually hot dogs and hamburgers) and buns, plus paper plates, cups, tableware, and napkins. If you have special needs, let us know or feel free to bring your own.  We can set up grills outside, either on the front porch or on the lawn.

Don Mull and Kristina Hiner talk near one of the 2013 food tables.

Members bring everything else: side dishes, desserts, condiments, drinks, chips--we need it all!  Coordinating the picnic this year is President Ken Keller. Please let him know what food you want/plan to bring, before we have everyone show up and discover we all brought nothing but pie or potato salad.

Going Google!
Learn about our new Google Group in June!  We have been promised an orientation presentation, so all members present will know about the features and possibilities of our new members-only organizational group. This blog recently posted an overview with an informational video.

IMAGE CREDITS: The "Picnic" lettering is from RH Events "Company Picnic Themes" page.  The photos from the 2013 Picnic meeting are by Jan S. Gephardt.

In June: Our Annual Indoor Picnic

An indoor "American Picnic" is the ticket for a
hot, humid Kansas City June day.

Come Share an All-American Family Picnic!
Where: The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, MO 64116
When: June 16, 2012--the Meeting starts 6:30 p.m.; the Picnic begins when the meeting ends.

Our annual picnic is traditionally held indoors, because Kansas City is usually hot and humid in mid-June, and some of our members have health issues that make it hard for them to be outside.

We want ALL of our friends who can come, to join us and be healthy and comfortable!

Bring along your favorite family games!

This year's theme is "An All-American Family Picnic," and our party planners are Susan Satterfield and Becky Rickart.

They plan to decorate with red-and-white checked tablecloths and entertain us with old-fashioned games, such as Yahtzee, Monopoly, Farkle, and others.

If you have a favorite family-type card, table, or dice game you'd like to share, please let them know what you're bringing (via the KAXFEN Yahoo Group)!

Food:
KaCSFFS will provide hot dogs, buns, chicken legs, and chicken thighs--as well as Italian sausages,  courtesy of "Zac" Zacarola. If you'd like to bring a different kind of meat, feel free to bring what you like!

KaCSFFS supplies some of the food,
but we need your help to make a successful Picnic!

We also need members to bring food in several other categories:
Salads (any type except broccoli, which KAXFEN never seem to eat);
Potatoes, Rice, and or Beans;
Other side dishes (deviled eggs, cheese and crackers, chips and dips, etc.);
Condiments and Relish; or
Desserts.

Please alert Diana Bailey about any kind of meat or other food you plan to bring! There is a sign-up opportunity on the KAXFEN Yahoo Group.

We provide plates, cups, and plastic tableware, but please also bring whatever you prefer to drink.

Our Annual Picnic is always a popular event. Come join us!

PHOTO CREDITS: The decorated table photo from an indoor picnic is courtesy of Amy Anderson, on the Food As Art Blog. The image of the family playing a board game is from the Gaming Inc. website. CD Kitchen Blog provided the image of the picnic food. Many thanks to all three!