Fun with the Kids - A Surprise Picnic!

My kids (especially the littler ones) LOVE picnics! It was almost time for my 5 year old to get home from kindergarten, which also meant it was almost lunch time. I don't know about you, but I am terrible at planning out the meals around here. I usually remember I need to fix a meal when I am hungry and already ready to eat. Yesterday was no different. As I opened the fridge I saw the beautiful bags of deli sliced meats and cheese, a light bulb went on. Not that I get those "light bulb" moments often, because I don't. But when I do, I usually have to go along for ride and see where it takes me.

When I was a kid, we had Lunchables. Not just the kind they have now, but really yummy ones as well. At least......from what I can remember. They had real cheese in them, not the processed stuff shaped like a square. And the meat looked like meat, not bologna (which, by the way, I claim is NOT meat!). Oh, and the crackers! They had flavor! And they even had a tasty sauce to put on the little cracker sandwiches. They were even nice enough to tuck in a little Andes mint. Oh how I loved those things! When I would get money, I would buy those Lunchables. Not toys or candy or anything else, but Lunchables.

Looking at the beautifully sliced deli meat (Thanks Maceys! You did a wonderful job. And the kids are still playing with their lovely balloons you so kindly gave them. They have fallen, but are not forgotten or unloved. :)), I decided to make some homemade Lunchables for my little ones. As a got out the meats, cheese, and crackers, I thought a picnic would be lovely. A SURPRISE picnic for my 5 year old! Not the kind where you actually go outside - it's really REALLY cold out there right now - but one in the comfort of my very own front room. Normally food is banned from anywhere in the house except the kitchen or dinning room, but I figured I could put a blanket down and it would save me a mess on the carpet. Besides, a real picnic uses a blanket.

My sweet little 3 year old got so excited to help set up the picnic. She insisted on carrying the food to the blanket and setting it up for us. We had just finished getting everything ready when my 5 year old got home. She was so excited about her lunch!

My little princesses at their picnic!

Our meat and cheese plate and the cracker and olive plate.  No picnic is complete without olives for "monster fingers"!

Our drinks and peeled baby oranges.  We love the Cutie brand.  They don't have seeds in them and my 3 year old can peel them herself!

My 3 year old's creation

YUM!!  (My 5 year old said it looked like she had fangs with the meat hanging out of the sides of her mouth.  She looks very lady like, I know....)

My 5 year old's creation.

Yummy!

Another one of her creations.  She loved it and had me try it.  Did I love it?  Not so much.

All the homemade lucnhables are is sliced meat and cheese (I use the deli sliced and cut them into quarters) and crackers (we like the buttery crackers like Ritz, Club and Townhouse).  Easy as can be and a whole lotta fun!