Picnic Lunch

[Generic]

So basically you need to clarify what it is; ie a picnic is not what you are talking about, you are talking about a boxed lunch. I have had a few of those lately and some very effective ones, I might add. One had the lettuce and tomato wrapped on the outside of the sandwich. Sour dough bread, croissant, brown bread, etc.
One particular chicken place that invented the chicken sandwich, does box lunches quite well. The chicken sandwich (burger) is simple,with a pickle on it. Not too fancy, but always nice (for those of us who eat meat every meal). a big cookie. a side of chips. a drink. it is perfect..

Something between a boxed lunch and a picnic. Wrapped up so that it can be used as both. Drinks, dessert, sandwich or salad, sides. People in the city might want to sit on a bench and eat it or sit in a park and pull it out. I'm urban, I need it to be flexible enough that they can choose it either way.
And then there are the food considerations, for example, commercial mayonnaise is preferable exactly because of the additives, which home made is more susceptible to spoilage. A frozen bottle of water to keep things cold, maybe something special drink wise as well, like a local can of soda or flavoured water. Something they don't find elsewhere, easily.

 

[Generic]

Reading the other posts and then this one made me think of "Innkeeping is no picnic" .

And living in a cold climate isn't easy, either. Which is why I have to think of things that I can do that will be around in different seasons. I'm also looking for inspiration in Bento boxes. But I need to think about the fact that many people would be buying this for this car or train trip home and this needs to be ready to eat in that fashion if they so wish. Then there are the GF and vegetarians to consider.
One thing that I can tell you, there is going to be one happy guy who is going to be getting a packed lunch for a while. I also have to go down to the dollar store and see what kind of packing items they have as well, because I'm expecting that most of what I do pack is never coming back.
What I do know is that I want to try to use things that are local, that aren't really found elsewhere. And I want things that I can pull together as much as possible from things that I keep in stock. Especially during the summer it is difficult for me to run out to the store and people have a tendency to tell me things last minute. I wish they wouldn't, but they always do. That's likely why I need to practice this and test this until I have a few tried and true and can set it all up.
The other side of this for me is cost control. I'm in the inner city, so if I can't beat them on price then I need to beat them on having something that is both different (ie hard to find anywhere else) and interesting. I know that it's not as much of a concern elsewhere, but let's face it, on the way to the train station, in the train station, and on the train I have competition. I want to get people before they get there.
.

Your macaroons (minis) instead of muffins for the sweet. Wrap sandwiches in was paper. I wrap things like pickles and the carrots/cukes in a doubled up wax paper using the drug-store wrap of course. Glad make a very inexpensive plastic container - 25 or 50 cents per I think it comes down to. I get my bags printed at the local Sheltered Workshop - good quality and great price. NO ONE else will have your macaroons!! A salad would be special and unexpected in a picnic lunch.
https://www.masune.com/Supply/Product.asp?Leaf_Id=27006 (price went up since my last order) Jus goo gle the .5 oz
.

Yup, that's part of going to the dollar store and seeing what they have and how I can use it. As I said, DH is going to be quite happy, getting a packed lunch each day as an experiment. (I'll skip the dessert for him, I have a long list of those that are perfected.) The macaron need to be enclosed in a box, too easy to crush, but I do have boxes for them in pairs. Maybe my pumpkin bread, banana bread, canale or biscotti. Heck, I can even make eclairs rather easily in smaller quantities. I'm sure that I can do that part easily enough. I think the dollar store also has small bottles of hand sanitizer, or they have a larger bottle and small travel bottles available, I'll figure that out, somehow.

 

[JBloggs]

Reading the other posts and then this one made me think of "Innkeeping is no picnic" .

And living in a cold climate isn't easy, either. Which is why I have to think of things that I can do that will be around in different seasons. I'm also looking for inspiration in Bento boxes. But I need to think about the fact that many people would be buying this for this car or train trip home and this needs to be ready to eat in that fashion if they so wish. Then there are the GF and vegetarians to consider.
One thing that I can tell you, there is going to be one happy guy who is going to be getting a packed lunch for a while. I also have to go down to the dollar store and see what kind of packing items they have as well, because I'm expecting that most of what I do pack is never coming back.
What I do know is that I want to try to use things that are local, that aren't really found elsewhere. And I want things that I can pull together as much as possible from things that I keep in stock. Especially during the summer it is difficult for me to run out to the store and people have a tendency to tell me things last minute. I wish they wouldn't, but they always do. That's likely why I need to practice this and test this until I have a few tried and true and can set it all up.
The other side of this for me is cost control. I'm in the inner city, so if I can't beat them on price then I need to beat them on having something that is both different (ie hard to find anywhere else) and interesting. I know that it's not as much of a concern elsewhere, but let's face it, on the way to the train station, in the train station, and on the train I have competition. I want to get people before they get there.
.

Your macaroons (minis) instead of muffins for the sweet. Wrap sandwiches in was paper. I wrap things like pickles and the carrots/cukes in a doubled up wax paper using the drug-store wrap of course. Glad make a very inexpensive plastic container - 25 or 50 cents per I think it comes down to. I get my bags printed at the local Sheltered Workshop - good quality and great price. NO ONE else will have your macaroons!! A salad would be special and unexpected in a picnic lunch.
https://www.masune.com/Supply/Product.asp?Leaf_Id=27006 (price went up since my last order) Jus goo gle the .5 oz
.

Yup, that's part of going to the dollar store and seeing what they have and how I can use it. As I said, DH is going to be quite happy, getting a packed lunch each day as an experiment. (I'll skip the dessert for him, I have a long list of those that are perfected.) The macaron need to be enclosed in a box, too easy to crush, but I do have boxes for them in pairs. Maybe my pumpkin bread, banana bread, canale or biscotti. Heck, I can even make eclairs rather easily in smaller quantities. I'm sure that I can do that part easily enough. I think the dollar store also has small bottles of hand sanitizer, or they have a larger bottle and small travel bottles available, I'll figure that out, somehow.
.

Yup, that's part of going to the dollar store and seeing what they have and how I can use it. As I said, DH is going to be quite happy, getting a packed lunch each day as an experiment. (I'll skip the dessert for him, I have a long list of those that are perfected.) The macaron need to be enclosed in a box, too easy to crush, but I do have boxes for them in pairs. Maybe my pumpkin bread, banana bread, canale or biscotti. Heck, I can even make eclairs rather easily in smaller quantities. I'm sure that I can do that part easily enough. I think the dollar store also has small bottles of hand sanitizer, or they have a larger bottle and small travel bottles available, I'll figure that out, somehow.

Don't forget the other innkeeper trick, giving something to guests as TEST GUINEA PIGS, they love that. They tell everyone about it too!
I remember the WEEK when every morning the guests were the testers, it was the same dish. I wanted to perfect it,so made it every day, and with our one nighters all the time, it worked! They all were so cute about it. I might have to make something just for that effect again! haha
PS My vegetarians called again for this weekend to remind me they are vegetarian, but they "wouldn't turn down - bacon -." Okay...awright...got it.

 

[Generic]

Reading the other posts and then this one made me think of "Innkeeping is no picnic" .

And living in a cold climate isn't easy, either. Which is why I have to think of things that I can do that will be around in different seasons. I'm also looking for inspiration in Bento boxes. But I need to think about the fact that many people would be buying this for this car or train trip home and this needs to be ready to eat in that fashion if they so wish. Then there are the GF and vegetarians to consider.
One thing that I can tell you, there is going to be one happy guy who is going to be getting a packed lunch for a while. I also have to go down to the dollar store and see what kind of packing items they have as well, because I'm expecting that most of what I do pack is never coming back.
What I do know is that I want to try to use things that are local, that aren't really found elsewhere. And I want things that I can pull together as much as possible from things that I keep in stock. Especially during the summer it is difficult for me to run out to the store and people have a tendency to tell me things last minute. I wish they wouldn't, but they always do. That's likely why I need to practice this and test this until I have a few tried and true and can set it all up.
The other side of this for me is cost control. I'm in the inner city, so if I can't beat them on price then I need to beat them on having something that is both different (ie hard to find anywhere else) and interesting. I know that it's not as much of a concern elsewhere, but let's face it, on the way to the train station, in the train station, and on the train I have competition. I want to get people before they get there.
.

Your macaroons (minis) instead of muffins for the sweet. Wrap sandwiches in was paper. I wrap things like pickles and the carrots/cukes in a doubled up wax paper using the drug-store wrap of course. Glad make a very inexpensive plastic container - 25 or 50 cents per I think it comes down to. I get my bags printed at the local Sheltered Workshop - good quality and great price. NO ONE else will have your macaroons!! A salad would be special and unexpected in a picnic lunch.
https://www.masune.com/Supply/Product.asp?Leaf_Id=27006 (price went up since my last order) Jus goo gle the .5 oz
.

Yup, that's part of going to the dollar store and seeing what they have and how I can use it. As I said, DH is going to be quite happy, getting a packed lunch each day as an experiment. (I'll skip the dessert for him, I have a long list of those that are perfected.) The macaron need to be enclosed in a box, too easy to crush, but I do have boxes for them in pairs. Maybe my pumpkin bread, banana bread, canale or biscotti. Heck, I can even make eclairs rather easily in smaller quantities. I'm sure that I can do that part easily enough. I think the dollar store also has small bottles of hand sanitizer, or they have a larger bottle and small travel bottles available, I'll figure that out, somehow.
.

Yup, that's part of going to the dollar store and seeing what they have and how I can use it. As I said, DH is going to be quite happy, getting a packed lunch each day as an experiment. (I'll skip the dessert for him, I have a long list of those that are perfected.) The macaron need to be enclosed in a box, too easy to crush, but I do have boxes for them in pairs. Maybe my pumpkin bread, banana bread, canale or biscotti. Heck, I can even make eclairs rather easily in smaller quantities. I'm sure that I can do that part easily enough. I think the dollar store also has small bottles of hand sanitizer, or they have a larger bottle and small travel bottles available, I'll figure that out, somehow.

Don't forget the other innkeeper trick, giving something to guests as TEST GUINEA PIGS, they love that. They tell everyone about it too!
I remember the WEEK when every morning the guests were the testers, it was the same dish. I wanted to perfect it,so made it every day, and with our one nighters all the time, it worked! They all were so cute about it. I might have to make something just for that effect again! haha
PS My vegetarians called again for this weekend to remind me they are vegetarian, but they "wouldn't turn down - bacon -." Okay...awright...got it.
.

Yeah, I don't seem to get that kind of vegetarian. I did get some more reasonable vegans lately, who told me that traces of egg or milk in things were fine. Glad someone has some sense.

 

[tedwin]

Reading the other posts and then this one made me think of "Innkeeping is no picnic" .

And living in a cold climate isn't easy, either. Which is why I have to think of things that I can do that will be around in different seasons. I'm also looking for inspiration in Bento boxes. But I need to think about the fact that many people would be buying this for this car or train trip home and this needs to be ready to eat in that fashion if they so wish. Then there are the GF and vegetarians to consider.
One thing that I can tell you, there is going to be one happy guy who is going to be getting a packed lunch for a while. I also have to go down to the dollar store and see what kind of packing items they have as well, because I'm expecting that most of what I do pack is never coming back.
What I do know is that I want to try to use things that are local, that aren't really found elsewhere. And I want things that I can pull together as much as possible from things that I keep in stock. Especially during the summer it is difficult for me to run out to the store and people have a tendency to tell me things last minute. I wish they wouldn't, but they always do. That's likely why I need to practice this and test this until I have a few tried and true and can set it all up.
The other side of this for me is cost control. I'm in the inner city, so if I can't beat them on price then I need to beat them on having something that is both different (ie hard to find anywhere else) and interesting. I know that it's not as much of a concern elsewhere, but let's face it, on the way to the train station, in the train station, and on the train I have competition. I want to get people before they get there.
.

I wish we could provide picnic meals but our health department doesn't allow it without a commercial license. A bento box to-go would be a fun idea. Unfortunately, most of the disposable bento boxes I've seen look like frozen dinner trays! My favorite picnic sandwich is the Vietnamese Banh Mi (recipes are plentiful on the internet). You might also check the upscale boxed meals sold at venues such as Wolf Trap Performing Arts Center. Unfortunately, the caterer hasn't yet posted their menus for the coming season.