Far above a paper bag in terms of design and functionality and probably much cooler than anything you carried while in school, the Lunch Tote from Built NY might just be the ultimate lunch bag. The two-compartment tote is made of neoprene rubber and is fully insulated to keep both hot and cold foods for hours at a time. The smaller compartment is designed as a drink holder, so it is ideal for a water bottle, thermos or a canned drink. When it is fully unzipped, it can act as a placemat, which is useful if you don't know what's been on that table before you or if you simply prefer to set your food out neatly when eating. Because it is flexible, not only can it hold just about any size of container, but it can be stored flat or rolled up when empty. On top of that, it is also machine washable, which makes for easy cleaning. Is there anything not to like?

All our bags are packed and we're ready to go... on a picnic (not an airplane). It's Slashfood's Picnic Day! We're excited to get out of the house and hit the road, and we're sure that many of you readers are eager to get away this summer, too. Whether you're going out to the beach for a long weekend or simply over to a friend's barbecue, we hope you'll like some of our favorite ideas, tips and recipes for foods that can be made ahead and taken along.

This space will be updated throughout the day with links to all of our posts, so feel free to bookmark it for a handy reference! You can also find all these posts and more summery things by looking under our Spirit of Summer tag all season long.

• Portable Peanut Butter
• Picnics: Easy Recipes for the Best Alfresco Foods, Cookbook of the Day
• Bacon-wrapped dates
• Silverware to-go!
• All-cookie picnic
• Better-than-you-can-buy chewy granola bars (recipe)
• Ultimate picnic food: pasta salad (recipe)
• Wine For Picnics - Salads
• Quiche Lorraine (recipe)
• Chocolate Covered Ants
• Picnic tip: take veggies to go
• Sweet, savory and healthy Waldorf Coleslaw (recipe)
• More veggies to go: wraps
• Wine For Picnics - Salad Dressings
• Gazpacho to go (recipe)
• Take your 6-pack on the road
• Salad Recipe - Thai Inspired Melon Salad (recipe)
• Picnic Bread: Prosciutto and Artichoke Schiacciata (recipe)

One of my favorite portable foods is hummus and pita. I'm a busy mother of two and always on the go, so I choose healthy, protein-packed foods to nourish myself and my family. I like hummus in particular because I can whip up a batch in less than 5 minutes, and it keeps well without refrigeration. I can put it in a plastic container along with some pita bread and raw veggie sticks and it's the perfect picnic meal. It travels well, and would be equally great after hiking, surfing, or apres ski, too.

I like to experiment with various nut butters in my hummus recipe. I like traditional hummus, but I also think twists on the usual are fun.