So the Sun is shining and I'm in the mood for a picnic! We've had quite a few yummy picnics over the Easter holidays... from rainy day 'living room picnics' to rather windy al fresco dining on the beach (whilst wrapped up in jumpers!) and even a couple of pleasant sunny picnics in the park!
It's a fun low cost activity that the little ones never seem to get bored of!
Where ever you're having your picnic, whether it's on grass, carpet or sand you just have to have a picnic blanket and I love the new range of funky picnic blankets & bags from Minene...

The Minene picnic/activity mat is versatile for both indoor and outdoor use.The blanket is made of 100% Cotton canvas and the underside is waterproof and each to clean. It is padded and colourful with an attached soft toy. It comes in its own vibrant bag, ideal for family picnics and all trips with children.Machine Washable
The Minene picnic/activity mat is versatile for both indoor and outdoor use.The blanket is made of 100% Cotton canvas and the underside is waterproof and each to clean. It is padded and colourful with an attached soft toy. It comes in its own vibrant bag, ideal for family picnics and all trips with children.Machine Washable
MINENE (meaning my child in Spanish) was established in 2005 by three mothers with a vision to create innovative, well designed and practical yet stylish products for parents, babies and toddlers.
They design and manufacture high-end innovative quality textile products from changing bags to bedding, baby clothes to playmats and much, much more in-between... Check out there website to see the amazing selection... .www.minene.co.ukWe were sent one of their lovely booster cushions to review last year, see what we thought of it here...
Minene Booster Cushion Review

The lovely folks at Minene have offered Mymummyspennies readers the chance to win this fab picnic blanket & bag worth £36...
There's just something about a picnic that makes food taste better wherever you're having it!
My four year old Ben loves helping to prepare the picnic just as much as he likes eating it! So we're always looking for new picnic food ideas!
For your chance to win this fantastic prize simply comment below with your favourite picnic food ideas or recipes...
(please ensure you leave a way of contacting you such as email or twitter id in your comment or your entry will not be valid!)
For extra entries...
- share this competition on facebook, twitter or forums and leave a separate comments for each share
(you can copy and paste this... ' #Win a fabulous Minene picnic blanket & bag with @mymummyspennies.. http://bit.ly/HWpjXE ' if you like )
- like Minene on facebook and let them know mymummyspennies sent you
- subscribe to follow this blog by email using the box in the top right hand corner (please leave a separate comment to let me know you have done this)
T’s and C’s
· Facebook is no way affiliated with this competition.
· If the winner does not contact me within 3 days of their name being chosen another winner will be drawn.
· Competition will close 9pm 29th April 2012 and will be announced on here shortly afterwards
· The prize is as stated and no cash alternative will be offered
· winner will be selected by random draw
· open to residents of UK only.· Facebook is no way affiliated with this competition.
· If the winner does not contact me within 3 days of their name being chosen another winner will be drawn.
· Competition will close 9pm 29th April 2012 and will be announced on here shortly afterwards
· The prize is as stated and no cash alternative will be offered
I found a recipe a few years back where you hollow out a loaf and mix the centre with a cooked mince mixture then stuff it back into the loaf and bake in foil. Fab for picnics as you slice it when you're out and it's like a sandwich with attitude. So easy to pack too ;-)
ReplyDeleteI've subscribed by email norman-elaine@sky.com
ReplyDeleteIf we get chance to plan in advance we love to cook and take a frittata with us, usually potato and cheese, but can be any bits and bobs we have in the fridge we want to use up. Cheese muffins are always a great hit too
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ReplyDeleteI like to take some dips and crusty bread on a picnic, and of course you can't have a picnic without crisps!
ReplyDeleteForgot to leave a contact on the above post - @FlorrieFloyd.
ReplyDeleteHave followed and Tweeted @FlorrieFloyd.
Have liked Minene on FB.
ReplyDeleteFreeze all the drinks then let them defrost in the morning - so by the time picnic comes around the drinks are defrosted but still cold!
ReplyDeleteHave tweeted @MumFriendlyJo too and liked Minene on Facebook
ReplyDeleteI love a picnic with lots of traditional sarnies, crisps, cake, fruit & of course a flask of tea:) @kikicomp
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ReplyDeleteOurs is not so much as recipe but we always take water melon it goes down a treat on a hot day @mummy2five1
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ReplyDeleteVegetable sticks like carrot and cucumber are always a massive hit for us. I also take drinks in old squash bottles that we can just dispose of when the juice is gone :) @pipersky1
ReplyDeleteMake food fun, so I use cookie cutters for sandwiches and mini pancakes
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Shared via Twitter
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Shared via FB - Boo Roo and Tigger Too
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Shared via Google+ - Sarah Anguish
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Liked and commented on FB - Boo Roo and Tigger Too
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Subscribed to your emails too
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following your blog :) Kathryn PHillips
ReplyDeletetweeted - @mummykx
ReplyDeleteA summer picnic would not be complete without strawberries!
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subscribed to your emails :) Kathryn Phillips
ReplyDeletei love to cook sausages, and boil eggs then take homous with sticks of vegetables :) kathryn phillips
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ReplyDeleteWe love mini scotch eggs for picnics, boil some eggs, cool them then mash with a little mayo, salt & pepper, wrap in sausage meat, roll in beaten egg and breadcrumbs and fry til golden. The only difficulty is not eating them all before they've cooled enough to pack!
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We always take a selection of sandwiches and fruit aswell as a flask of tea and coffee, squash and water
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Shared on Facebook
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ReplyDeletepicnics I think are even more special for children if they get to help make the food first, yummy cheese straws and butterfly cakes are always a winner.
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When we go on a picnic, I always freeze the Frube type yoghurt's the evening before, as they warm so quickly and there is nothing worse than warm yoghurt's. They also help keep everything cool in the picnc hamper too.
ReplyDeletePasta salad is always a favourite for us on a picnic, and I make mine with pasta, mayonnaise, a little sweetcorn, some tuna and sprink with grated cheese and carrots.
Followed and tweeted @cherylpearson09
ReplyDeletetangy cous cous, homemade pate either chicken or salmon, fresh crispy bread rolls, homemade mini pies, fresh fruit, ie strawberries.
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ReplyDeleteThree-Cheers Chicken Sandwich
ReplyDeleteHere are the Ingredients:
2 kg. of boneless and skinless Chicken breast, cubed
1/2 teaspoon of Salt
1/2 teaspoon of Pepper
1/4 Whole Wheat Flour
3 Tb Olive Oil
3 cloves Darlic,minced
1 c chicken broth shopping list
1/2 c Balsamic Vinegar
6 TB form packed Brown Sugar
1/2 c Broccoli Puree
6 Ciabatta Rolls
6 large slices of tomatoes
1/2 c grated part-skim mozzarella
fresh basil(optional)
How it’s made:
1. First, it is important to gather all the ingredients needed for this meal.
2. Be sure to preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. Then, thoroughly season chicken with salt and pepper. Spread the flour on the sheet of waxed paper, and immediately toss the chicken chunks into the sheet where the flour was spread. You need to coat chicken completely.
4. It is also necessary to place oil in a large skillet that is over medium to high heat. Add the chicken and garlic. Lower heat to medium and you can continue to cook chicken until you can see it begins to brown and garlic becomes fragrant. Leave it for at least 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Add now the chicken broth, the vinegar and the brown sugar. You have to wait until boil. Cover and simmer for at least 10 to 15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink at the center. Don’t worry. It’s quite noticeable.
6. Pour in the puree and cook for at least 2 to 3 minutes more until the flavors have blended completely.
7. Place the rolls on the large baking sheet. Top each of 6 bottom halves with a tomato slice (and the fresh basil, if desired). You must divide the chicken among them and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese to make it taste even better. You also have to wait until the cheese has melted and edges of rolls are crisp. It could take 5 to 7 minutes. But you can also add any toppings you like for your sandwich; you can also add the delicious cucumber.
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ReplyDeleteEgg mayonnaise sandwiches are always a picnic favourite with our family :0)
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Shared on fb
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a picnic wouldnt be a picnic without scotch eggs and crisps, i love our picnics with the family xx
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liking and sharing on facebook (valerie mccarthy)
ReplyDeletesouthern fried chicken
macroni salad
fruit cut up
or pizza or pizza rolls
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletenothing better than eggy sandwiches, quavers, squash and party rings! perfect simple picnic ingredients xx kerry.brown17@yahoo.co.uk
ReplyDeletefeta pasta salad and a bottle of white wine!
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With a family of eight, a picnic becomes rather large, they all love a hot drink from the flask, but there are never enough cups! We now take along a large flask filled with hot water and pack eight little cups like you get in the vending machines with everyones favourite drink powder, (mines a hot chocolate!) so much easier and everyone gets to drink it at the same time xx
ReplyDeleteHave shared on fb Hex_Mum
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ReplyDeleteLiked Minene on fb Mandi Morrison
ReplyDeleteI like good old traditional picnic food sausage rolls, sarnies, crisps & cakes :D
ReplyDeleteI have tweeted as @kimmer2111
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We always freeze caprisun cartons and use those as our ice packs to keep everything cool, but the time we get to our destination they have usually thawed enough to dink but if not cut the tops of and you have a slush puppy! :o) kids love them!
ReplyDeleteI have Tweeted @katie_irving
ReplyDeleteIv liked Minene on fb and said you sent me
ReplyDeleteEven if it's raining, it's fun to have a teddy bears picnic inside :)
ReplyDeleteMe and my children love to take wraps with peppers, cooked chicken or ham tomatoes and lettuce ect and then make our own wraps with some dips. They love to make their own.
ReplyDeleteShared on twitter @WantMoreBabies
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ReplyDeleteTescos Pork and Pickle pies are fantastic, otherwise, we are quite like salad sandwiches with pastrami. And homemade mini lemon meringue pies.
ReplyDelete@robynlclarke
cheese and ham Sandwich roly poly!! (make the sandwich spiral by rolling it up and cutting it into circles x)
ReplyDeleteIt has to be Egg and Cress sandwiches!!! yummy.
ReplyDeleteI have liked Miene FB page and commented on their wall. @76clairelouise
We have to take bear shaped sandwiches x
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@charliefunhouse on Twitter
Pitta pizzas and strawberries (my Los favorite)
ReplyDeleteNishy2005@hotmail.co.uk x
Our favourite picnic food has to be sausage rolls! I love eating them cold and so do the children!
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ReplyDeletewe love cocktail sausages - small selection of differnt sandwiches and lots of fruit .
we like to have a bit of everything really, lots of variety. salady type stuff is always good - quick and easy for picnics, carrot sticks, cucumber etc, and of course a few treat too.
ReplyDeleteemail anna@marikar.net
fab giveaway :)
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a picnic is not complete without dips and vegetable crudites! Family picnic would also have laughing cow or babybels, posh picnic would need Camembert or brie. sianasmith@hotmail.co.uk
ReplyDeleteWhat a great giveaway, we LOVE picnics in our house. Since my eldest daughter was little she always wanted to eat anything other than the sandwiches I took on the picnics so I started to cut them into different shapes. I have lots of different shaped cookie cutters (ducks, rabbits, teddies etc) and my girls now cant wait to see what shape the sandwiches are when we go on a picnic! They also love fruit kebabs and it has turned into quite an art form the amount of fruit I can get onto a wooden skewer!
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To keep our family of 4 happy on a picnic I serve up homemade sausage rolls, pork pies, strawberries, grapes, and cheese straws. :)
ReplyDeleteOn twitter as @MrsMcGregor23
i always make my own pasta to take on picnics, just basically pasta mixed with mayo and some salad chucked in
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ReplyDeleteI'm a huge homemade sausage roll fan with local butchers sausage meat always important to know where your meat comes from!
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tweeted as @pippatrulymadly
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Rice salad or pasta salad is always a big favourite in our house - literally just cook your rice or pasta, stir in some mayo and mix in whatever salad type veggies you have in and a tin of mixed beans... delicious!
ReplyDeleteYou can contact me on FB as Mel Daniels (melanie.daniels77@yahoo.co.uk)
Just about to share on FB and like Minene :)
Also subscribed to your blog :)
ReplyDeleteWhen we go on a picnic our must have's are sausage rolls, homemade pasta salad ( so easy to make and healthy too ) and slices of cucumber and pepper, my boys love to munch on those!
ReplyDeleteI have tweeted and followed as @Dillymum
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ReplyDeleteMy favorite picnic food is cold fried chicken and potato sald and pasta salad :-)
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Got to be quiche! :D @mummyvswork
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ReplyDeleteEgg and cress sandwiches, salad, crisps and fruit. @7hippopotamus
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