Picnics

[vvviola]

I figured this was a good time to ask, seeing as most people are nearing the end of picnic time and might have come up with some good ideas...

We're just about to start getting into picnic time here, and there will be plenty of opportunities. But I always hit a total blank when it comes to ideas of what to bring/make. So any ideas would be gratefully received.

For: 2 adults, a 5 year old & a 1 year old. With the occasional addition of grandparents.
Complications: 1 year old is allergic to dairy, egg & nuts (and possibly chickpea, but that may have been a cross contamination issue). I'm still breastfeeding so can't have dairy or egg either.

Ice boxes, flasks etc not a problem...

Please help my family avoid endless ham sandwiches this summer

I used to spend ages making sandwiches but now I take a big french stick or two, a chorizo/salami or sausage-type thing (with a knife to hack at it), some boiled eggs, little tub of butter, box of cherry tomatoes and chunks of cucumber, Ritz crackers (take up less room than a load of crisps) and as much fruit as will fit in the rest of the bag. Chocolate biscuits or cake-type-things if I can fit them in.

But that's not much help to you is it? How about a couple of boxes or rice and pasta salads, cucumber, carrot sticks, french stick and something to dip them in? Taramasalata (not sure if that uses dairy or not though)? Finish it all off with apples and pears (less squishable than bananas) and biscuity/cakey things.

Mmmmmmm, picnics.

Ooh. Some lovely ideas there. The rice and pasta salads sound very good - could make them up on a Friday evening and ten they are ready for picnics if we go out, or will do for lunch at home easily enough too.

Will have to find an egg & dairy free mayonnaise that's edible though - the last one I tried was absolutely vile.

last picnic i was on, i took a big french stick and a pack of decent pate. Let people cut chunks of bread and help themselves, twas very popular.

VVViola, forgive me for being a mere man, but why are egg and dairy a problem when breastfeeding? My wife breastfed all three of our children for the best part of 12 months each, and never gave up either, provided they were cooked or pasteurised. We have three healthy, sporty kids with no food allergies.

I like this - I just tweak it to my own taste :)

Posted too soon - meant to say you could leave out cheese and do loads of roast veg.

4merlyknown DD is allergic to egg & dairy. Certainly with the dairy, enough of the protein passes through into breastmilk that it can give her a reaction. She seems to be better when I avoid egg too.

It's a bit of a pain, never happened with her sister (and I acted the same when pregnant / bf both).

Oh EnglishGirl that looks delicious.

I always wonder with that sort of thing whether the cheese holds everything together & the whole thing would fall apart otherwise.... Worth a try though!

You don't need the cheese. Just pack everything in really tightly and leave it overnight. It's lovely :)