Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
I am a member of the Mom It Forward Blogger Network, and today’s post is sponsored by Smucker’s. Thanks for supporting the brands that make The Seasoned Mom possible!
Hi, friends! It’s our favorite time of year in Central Virginia, and I thought it would be fun to share one of our recent family outings with all of you. Come along as we take you on a Fall Picnic and share our PB&J Moments!
While summer is often associated with picnics, in my mind Autumn is the best time of year to enjoy the outdoors and dining al fresco! On a recent Sunday morning, we stepped onto our front porch and we were greeted with this beautiful, cool weather. We instantly knew exactly how we wanted to spend our day!
Since we live right near Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Mountains, hiking is our go-to family activity when the weather is decent. With three little boys, plenty of outdoor exercise and fresh air is a must. On this particular day, though, we just headed up the road to some of our favorite local walking trails, which happen to be on the grounds of Montpelier (home of James and Dolley Madison).
We parked at the Visitor’s Center,
and wandered up towards the mansion. Check out the mountain views from Madison’s front yard!
Instead of paying for a tour of the inside of the home, we go with the free “DIY” tour which allows us to explore the gorgeous grounds on our own. In the mansion’s backyard, the older boys always like to climb on the statue of James and Dolley,
before heading into the walled garden. They love this place!
Beyond the garden walls is the entrance to the James Madison Landmark Forest (and more trails than we have time to discover).
Spence walked some of the way on his own,
but eventually ended up in my backpack to enjoy the scenery from above.
Gibbs and Casey had fun spotting some of the first fall foliage,
and after a large loop through the woods, we ended up back at the picnic tables near the Visitor’s Center…just as the boys’ tummies were starting to growl. Lunch time!
Whenever I need to pack a lunch for the family, whether it’s a road trip, a quick lunch in the car, or a fall picnic, a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich is always the answer! It’s a fast, affordable, and delicious option that pleases everyone in my family — and it’s easy to transport (no refrigeration necessary)!
I always use Jif peanut butter (that I buy in bulk!), and one of our favorite Smucker’s Fruit Spreads. In case you missed it, I included my “recipe” for the perfect PB&J sandwich in THIS post…and it always includes Smucker’s Fruit Spreads because I know that I can count on their authentic tastes and variety.
On this particular afternoon, we went with the Smucker’s Apricot Preserves (one of Casey’s favorites!) on our sandwiches.
My hungry hikers devoured their lunches in record time,
(even with dirty hands!),
and we all left with full tummies and happy hearts!
There’s nothing better than quality family time outside on a beautiful fall weekend…with a PB&J in hand. Creating PB&Js with Smucker’s Fruit Spreads helps me bond with my children and appreciate this time in their life. These are our sweet PB&J Moments, and they are memories that we will hold onto!
I am so excited to be heading to a local that has FALL as a season! In LA, it’s still summer! I will definitely have a picnic!!
Thanks, GiGi! Where are you heading? I love Virginia’s seasons, too. I just wish the winter was a bit shorter! 🙂
I absolutely LOVE this post…you live in such a gorgeous part of the country! I’d love someday to be able to visit Montpelier, especially now, after seeing all your beautiful photos! 🙂 Looks like your family had such a fun time together too!
Thanks, Anna! I hope that you have a chance to make it out this way at some point!!! You’d love it. 🙂
Lovely photos of a beautiful garden.
Thanks, Jeanette!!
You are just the most happiest Person I know. I wish I could be as Happy as you are. Keep up!
When I lived in Alaska, in the Anchorage Municipality, I always brought at least one PB&J along whenever I went hiking…two for longer, more grueling ones. In fact, my fastest ascent up the treacherous North Face Trail on Mt. Alyeska was fueled by one that had Jif Creamy peanut butter, a sliced Del Monte organic banana and a black currant jelly made locally by Midnight Sun Farms (they’re the exception to my jelly preference being Smucker’s). The entire ascent took 1 hour, 8 minutes and 40 seconds, with 3,000 feet of elevation gain over 2.2 miles. This trail isn’t for the faint of heart, but the view at the summit of Mt. Alyeska is absolutely spectacular! In fact, the next day at work at the town’s grocery store, I capitalized on this feat when I had to step past both my boss and the store’s liquor manager on my way to the can with the following: “Make way, heathens! Do not tarnish the North Face God’s path!” Once I showed the hike’s time duration on my watch, it made a lot more sense to them.
Sadly, rising housing prices and a lack of affordable options forced me to bid retreat back home to Michigan, but refueling after intense exercise with some variation of a PB&J has stayed with me, although nowadays it’s usually after long distance sessions on inline skates. In fact, as I type this, I am eating one to refuel after over 3 1/2 hours on my Rollerblade Macroblade 110 3WD skates that I’ve had for over a month. Got Jif Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (my favorite peanut butter), Aunt Sue’s Raw and Unfiltered Wildflower Honey, a sliced Chiquita banana (I go with whatever I can find) and Smucker’s Natural Squeeze Concord Grape Jelly, all brought together between two slices of Brownberry (Arnold in your neck of the woods, Oroweat in the majority of states west of the Mississippi River) Whole Grains 100% Whole Wheat Bread. *takes a bite* Mmm, so good. Without question, this is the best homemade sandwich you will ever sink your teeth into.
That sounds like the perfect sandwich, Pete!
It absolutely is, for so many reasons, but there are three big ones as to why.
1. It’s delicious! I guess that’s kind of obvious, though.
2. When made with good quality ingredients, it’s definitely nutritious.
3. It’s filling. You won’t be hungry again for hours after you’ve eaten one.
I rarely hear anything said about this take on the PB&J, so that’s saying something. In fact, two years ago on July 3, when I met up with a friend who I hadn’t seen in fifteen years, which was the year after we both graduated from high school, she got to try a PBHBJ and she loved it! She said that it meets the hype in both how it tastes and how filling it is, even calling it a highlight of her visit home.