A Father’s Day ‘You’re my Hero’ picnic

It’s hard to decide what to do for Dad every year. Especially if money is tight, and let’s be honest, many of us are so tight we squeak! But dear old Dad’s special day doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Here’s a frugal but fantastically fun picnic inspired by our hero, Dad.

The theme for the celebration is “You’re my Hero,” so it’s going to be a super hero tribute to Dad. You can set up this celebration as a picnic outdoors or plan to have fun at home.

For décor, look for super hero themed toys and related décor items you can use starting in your own home. Go raid the kids’ rooms. Most stores have a selection of themed paper plates and napkins. If you don’t find super hero items super cheap; get plain colors like red and blue and have the kids get handy with magic markers or stickers. For a table cloth try using a brightly-colored blanket or sheet.

If you’re going to picnic on the grass bring something waterproof to put under the blanket. This is a great use for an old shower curtain. Wrap any gifts using the comics section of the newspaper. If you have comic books; make copies of the cover and use them as decoration.

The “You’re My Hero” Sandwich

I’m going to make a wild assumption that you know how to make a hero sandwich. Having established that, I’m just going to put out some ideas to give it a little “Diva.” That means make it special without spending a lot.

Use a full loaf of French bread (day old is fine) sliced lengthwise to make one huge sandwich. For a picnic it’s easier if you slice it in portions at home.

If you use toothpicks to secure the sandwich be sure they’re highly visible. Nothing ruins a picnic faster than a perforated trachea. I like to use straws instead of toothpicks or skewers. In this case I made little comic action bubbles and attached them to the straws.

To keep bread from getting soggy spread a layer of butter or cream cheese on the bread to act as a moisture barrier.

You also don’t want the sandwich to “squish” apart when you bite it so don’t put two slippery ingredients next to each other. Begin with the moist stuff, like tomatoes, or cucumber next to moisture barrier, next a layer of shredded cheese then put the meat and shredded lettuce in the middle.

Add extra zing by adding flavorful ingredients like roasted red peppers, chopped olives or pickles. Now, that’s a sandwich!

Happy Father’s Day from all of us at Divas On A Dime.

For more Father’s Day ideas and fun video demonstrations go to our website at www.divasonadime.com or join us on Facebook at divasonadimedotcom.