What do you pack in your picnic basket?

**Sara Noel** · 04-18-2002, 10:01 PM

Curious what folks take on picnics. Please post what's in your picnic baskets.

Sara

**Michelle** · 04-18-2002, 10:22 PM

sandwiches, thermos full of water or juice, macaroni and/or potato salad, sometimes some fruit salad, snacks for the kids--depends on how long we're going to be out

**Sara Noel** · 04-18-2002, 10:34 PM

Do you use a picnic basket or like an igloo cooler? I don't own a basket.

Sara

**KathiS** · 04-19-2002, 03:06 AM

I have a plastic picnic basket and a small cooler that we take on picnics. I used to take sandwiches on picnics. Now I make up something like tuna salad and take a loaf of bread and some crackers. The girls often like to put their tuna salad on crackers or eat some of it on its own. I always take fruit, cookies, chips and juices. Sometimes I also take along things like: small cartons of yogurt, carrots and ranch dressing, cubes of cheese, slices of salami, fruit salad, or any finger food ideas I can come up with.

**Michelle** · 04-19-2002, 10:27 AM

We have a picnic basket and a small Igloo cooler--we bring both. We put eating utensils in the basket as well as the food that doesn't need to be kept cold. Then we use the cooler for foods.

**captclearance** · 04-19-2002, 11:12 AM

I pack whatever I have on hand, I often use an old picnic basket I refinished a couple of years ago.... I buy lots of kid or summer themed party goods I find on clearance. No matter what I bring the kids think it tastes better served with special plates and cups.

**Jerseygirl** · 04-19-2002, 06:43 PM

We love to picnic and do it really often. I have one of those cutesy baskets that has little compartments for everything and came with cups/plates etc. I usually use the disposable though, hate carrying home dirty stuff, and don't laugh... but I roll little fork and knife groupings in nice paper napkins with a little rafia bow-I keep it packed and ready to go so I don't get lazy and skip an outing 'cause it will take too long to prepare. It's a big joke when we tailgate at concerts and hockey games that my friends need to bring the sandwiches and I have everything else in the back of the jeep-roll-up table, folding chairs, cooler. For food we usually take sandwiches, wraps and salads, chips, fruit salads, cheese and cracker platter and we have been known to take along a mini grill and bbq in the stadium parking lot. It's a simple pleasure.

**TheFrugalDiva** · 04-20-2002, 08:02 AM

we do a basket and a cooler too....and pack things like...veggie sticks with dressing to dip....grapes..cantalope and melon chunks..sandwiches for DH..lol..pretzels....cheese and crackers(or peanut butter and crackers)...popcorn.

and also...rather than chunked ice for the cooler....throughout the year..I save empty plastic soda bottles (our own..I dont get them out of the garbage or anything) and fill them 3/4 full of water and keep them in the freezer.....these keep the cooler cool....and then everyone gets their own bottled water for lunch too! These are also perfect for my husband who is a Mailman...in the summer I give him a little cooler full of these frozen bottles and they stay cool throughout the day while hes out walking and delivering mail in the heat...so he has plenty of cold water.

**QuilterMom** · 02-25-2006, 08:11 AM

**Vannie** · 03-02-2006, 05:36 PM

I have a wicker basket and use it because it's pretty and I like the idea. Our stuff is very simple. I always pack my favorite sandwiches (boloney and cheese), cold chicken from KFC, green salad fixings already cut, a bottle of Italian dressing. Whole fruits or jello cups. Devil Dogs and Krimpets. Maybe some chips to munch on.

I also have a cooler for juice, milk and water.

**Bargain Hunter** · 03-02-2006, 05:51 PM

Hi in my picnic basket we have the usual plastic cutlery and plates and cups.
A must for us is fresh crunchy bread rolls and I make them up at home with a healthy salad, and wrap them tightly saves on rubbish and space, with 5 kid's space is always a must!

We always take some home made cookies and usually the esky with cool drinks too, and not to forget the bit the kid's hate the most "Fruit"

we sometimes take museli bars as well for snack on the trip..

Kim in Australia

**pkellyc** · 03-03-2006, 03:17 PM

If we are going to grill it's either hotdogs, hamburgers, sausages, kielbasa, or some kind of kabob.
Otherwise I will make sandwiches. Ham salad is my favorite. I pack it in a mason jar and bring my loaf of bread or rolls to make them fresh. P and J when the kids were little.

I will also bring fresh fruit, pasta salad, chips, and some cookies. For just a quick lunch I bring cheeses, pepperoni, crackers and a fruits like pears and apples that i cut when I get there.

I have a big rolling cooler I take because I can pack larger containers in it. I just love a nice cold slice of watermellon on the beach.

I have an ice maker so ice is never a problem. I always put just about everything in plactic containers or zip lock bags to keep the food from getting soggy. I just dump ice around everything. I have a 2 qt. water bottle that I half fill and freeze and will add water to the other half before I go. A few cans of soda.

I have a little basket that will hold paper everything that I can just grab and go with.

Lately dh and I have been picnicing in a different way. For some reason by day 3 in a hotel the thought of one more resturant is gross to me. So while on vacation we will stop at a supermarket and pick up what ever kind of prepared food that looks good and take it to a park to eat. It is still cheaper than eating out and a lot better than eating fast food.

**baxjul** · 03-03-2006, 09:09 PM

Sandwiches, potatoe chips, pickles, cookies, water

Now I'm hungry!

**Missy** · 03-03-2006, 09:26 PM

In a basket I carry either Fried Chicken or "Bean's" (or "Jordan's") (have relatives working at both

) hotdogs, that I get my mom to send me. Then I usually have a salad...either macaroni or potato. Snacks like pretzles, fruit, or chips. Water, water, water. Plastic utensils, napkins, and wet wipes in a ziplock, that can later be used for trash. I have plastic dinner trays so we have less trash in the end, I take em home and wash em. (I have since added a old margarine tub for water for Emma, as well as plastic bags for...well...) and Interspersed among all these items I have reuseable ice packs. I cover the whole thing with a picnic blanket. If we are having more than just our family, I split the food and supplies between two baskets. I also have a ziplock bag of various condiments...like salt and pepper, ketchup packets, mayo pkts, mustard...etc, extras that i get from mc'donalds etc.. Oh And we generally have a thermos of iced tea too.

guest7 · 03-03-2006, 10:06 PM

If it's a picnic with the children (when they were younger) I things that won't spoil too quickly- like PB+J sandwiches, some fruit, a bottle of soda (that was a treat back then) and an individually wrapped treat, sunblock, a blanket. some napkins, a game or two to play, frisbee.

For picnics with dh- I pack a nice bottle of wine, a blanket to sit on, backgammon, fruit, cheese, crackers, finger sandwiches of chicken salad- along with ice packs for food safety, a couple of wine glasses, a knife, napkins and a couple of books for quiet time, sunblock. and time.