Muffin Tin Picnic

I'm linking up to Muffin Tin Monday over at Muffin Tin Mom.  She's got all of the details on her blog (like, "What's a Muffin Tin Meal?"), and I encourage you to hop on over to learn more, check out the others who've linked up, and join the fun!

This is our first Muffin Tin Meal, so I'm excited to link up.  I can't believe I didn't do this earlier in the summer - it was so much fun!  School begins next week, and with both kids in school I won't get the chance to do this often. 

I really enjoy being in the kitchen, so preparing this lunch was fun for me.  The muffin tin gave it a fun because this meal didn't have to have a lid over the top and I didn't have to worry that it would get shaken about on the way to school (I pack my kids' lunches in bento-style Laptop Lunchboxes).

I served both kids out of this 12-cup muffin tin.

There wasn't really a theme, although a rainbow theme came to mind as I was filling the muffin tin and I decided to serve it as a picnic on a brightly-colored towel.I served strawberries, carrot sticks, white cheddar (not exactly yellow), cucumber slices, and blueberries.  I didn't have anything purple, so I rolled up a few slices of turkey (the package had a purple label, does that count?).  I served ranch dip in silicone pinch cups, and milk to wash it all down.  

I was surprised by how much food fit into the muffin tin!  I was also reminded that my kids don't need "fancy" foods - they devoured this simple meal.  Mister J finished all of his meal, and then helped me out with Miss M's leftovers (there wasn't much).  They did ask for a snack of chips afterward, but I think that's just because they knew that we had a new bag in the pantry. 

Photos with two smiling kids, eyes open, and looking at the camera are rare.  This was the best of five.

And there's one more thing to be excited about - easy cleanup!  My kids always try to bring their dishes to the kitchen in one trip - and frequently end up dropping something along the way.  Miss M carried all of the 'dishes' to the kitchen, and Mister J grabbed the towel.

I didn't even have to ask her to do this - she figured it all out on her own.  What a big help!

I think I'll be able to revisit this idea on school holidays and weekends, and I'm also going to borrow Muffin Tin Mom's idea of serving snacks this way.  It's a great option for the days that the kids can't really decide what they want - and end up wanting a little bit of everything.  Hop on over and see what others are doing!