Sunday's Plate

Someone called me at 6:45 a.m. one Friday, and they said they were surprised I was there. I reminded the caller that I had to make lunch for 35 kids and 15 adults - to go. Normally, I get the opposite comment: I don't see how you do it..."

Like anything else, a picnic lunch needs certain things: viability; taste; and ease. I never do anything hard. It's time consuming but do able for anyone who is organized and can see the bigger picture.

First things first: viability. Will it stay at restaurant chill till lunch? We use a good rolling insulated soft sided cooler. It's tall and deep. We use freeze blocks. I have a whole box separated in the rungs of the freezer at school. Food stays refrigerator cool for hours and hours.

I fill a two gallon thermos with milk and another with water and another with bottled water and a couple of cans of soda in case... probably 4 minutes.

I use Schnuck's re-usable grocery bags as carry alongs. I fill one with two cutting boards, twelve loaves of whole wheat hoagy type bread; bread for teachers (I love pumpernickle, Leigh changes her mind but generally Leigh and Dayna like glue pods, and Amy will eat nearly anything) 50 cups; two cans of Pringles; a water melon and 8 washable reusable baskets. Done! another four minutes.

I gather utensils: a sharp knife; three ice cream scoops; a bread knife; a peanut butter paddle and a wash cloth in a baggie. Done! 1 minute.

Second things second: Will the children AND the adults want to eat this? Variety is the name of the game, and make on the spot rather than pre-made-sog is the ticket. So every picnic morning, and there are three a week, we boil ten eggs; we make four cans of tuna; we fill the American cheese box; we fill the meat box with sliced turkey and sliced ham which I buy at Wesselman's because it's higher quality. I take along a jar of peanut butter and a bear filled with honey. I sometimes include spicy cheese and salami. So those are the sandwich makings.

I use real mayonnaise. It has a much cleaner taste than salad dressing or Miracle Whip. I grind ten eggs in the food processor, pop, pop, pop, done - and mix enough mayo into it to make it stick to bread. DONE! I do the same thing with the tuna, and each is put into perspective air tight containers and put into the cooler side by side on top of a freeze block. NEXT! Five minutes if the eggs are already boiled and pealed. By not putting a bunch of things into the tuna and egg, the result is that children eat it. Hint, hint!

I get out the meat box and put enough turkey and ham for sandwiches, and close tightly and put on a freeze block in the hamper. One minute tops.

I make carrot dip and place in a small screw on plastic pot; fill the pickle container till it's filled; wash enough apples that will fit in a zip lock bag - 4 minutes.

Using the freeze bricks, I stagger the cold among the other take a longs, and lunch is packed.

Sometimes I make a chicken salad which is a snap if you do most of the work in advance. You bake six chicken breasts that are loaded with taco seasoning. When they are cool, you cut them up into chunks and into that goes real mayo, walnuts, grapes and anything that sounds good at the moment. Mix and store.

When we get to the picnic spot, we unfold the plastic picnic tablecloth, pull out the sandwich makings on one side of the table and the other picnic things on the other. On one cutting board, we cut one whole wheat hoagy bun at a time, fill, cut into six pieces and place into one of the baskets. We make two peanut butter and honey loaves, two meat and cheese, two egg, and two tuna. Normally, we throw very little away.

The children form a line and take a cup of milk and a sandwich - no plate. No plate means they need to eat it before they can put it down. It makes lunch a snap. They can have as much as they want. When most of the sandwiches are gone, it's time to open carrots, pickles, apples or other fruit, watermelon and lastly chips. Chips are a prize for getting to the lunch finish line.

After we've had a very long field trip - on the way home - we offer the children half a soda and a whole grain cookie. The soda keeps them from the potty, and the cookie refreshes them.

OK, now tell me what is hard about any of that. Takes about 35 minutes to make and it's easy to carry, and it tastes good, and it's nutritious and fun. Clean up is nominal.