Powelltown Picnic

We'd decided on a day's outing as an early celebration of Nick's birthday, so I packed a picnic early this morning.

(As you can see, the red suitcase is yet to be made over - and I managed to leave the apple tablecloth at home, sadly)!

As much as I would have liked to use my new lizard bag and wide-mouthed thermoses, I hadn't pre-made any soup. 

Plan B was to thermal-cook soup en route, which worked out very well - using the slosh-proof method I had developed last year (this time using a rolled hand towel sitting in the top pot of boiling water).

I made this recipe with a few adaptions - an extra carrot in lieu of celery, a tin each of butter and cannellini beans as well as a small amount of mixed herbs.  I'd used the same recipe previously (without additions or substitutions) but had simmered it on the stove-top and it condensed nicely.  There is no steam release during thermal cooking, so the extra beans thickened the soup wonderfully.

Vaughan is not a fan of soup.  He had noodles instead but all enjoyed fresh home-baked scones with jam and cream - along with minion-made beverages!

We stopped for lunch at a small park in Powelltown, where there is a time capsule due to be opened in 2034-35!