Help Me Plan a Picnic

[migtig]

General story, I've been roped into something that started out small and over the course of a month has morphed into a family reunion of sorts for my in-laws.

So the setting will be outside next month. My husband and I will travel about 2 hours to attend. There will possibly be +/- 100 people in attendance.

The statement was made that each individual family would pack their own picnic and bring it. Sounds great, easy and ideal. However, it is not realistic. My past experience(s) with my immediate in-laws (25+) has lead me to believe that none of them can cook. And even when each family member is supposed to bring a "potluck" item in the past, nobody does, and they look to me for food.

So using deductive logic, I need to pack easily transportable food that does not need reheating nor grilling when I get there and can feed at least 50 individuals.

Please factor in that I don't want to spend a ton of money feeding these people nor do I want to spend days cooking. I just don't have that kind of energy anymore.

Other than sitting out a jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread, does anybody have any ideas?

 

[Beta]

"each individual family would pack their own picnic" -- correct, and since it's a family reunion, it's 1 family. You're bringin the food for the family. Didn't you get the memo?

 

[migtig]

"each individual family would pack their own picnic" -- correct, and since it's a family reunion, it's 1 family. You're bringin the food for the family. Didn't you get the memo?

Like I said, I've learned to pack enough to feed everybody.

 

[libertytyranny]

I wouldn't be against bread, cold cuts, a couple bags of chips, a pasta salad and some apples, myself. Or premade wraps. That's a lot of people for my normal fried chicken suggestion!

 

[mAlice]

Case of peanut butter, case of jelly, flat of bread, large pack of plastic knives. Picanic lunch!

 

[dan0623_2000]

let them eat SPAM

 

[vraiblonde]

Mig, if they don't bring food for themselves, how is that your problem? Because here's the thing: if you bring a bunch of food to feed everyone, and they end up bringing their own food, the Giant is going to be eating cold cuts for the rest of his life.

How about a big bowl of potato salad, or a crock pot of baked beans? Something that if they end up packing their own food, you can still share it out.

 

[migtig]

Mig, if they don't bring food for themselves, how is that your problem? Because here's the thing: if you bring a bunch of food to feed everyone, and they end up bringing their own food, the Giant is going to be eating cold cuts for the rest of his life.

How about a big bowl of potato salad, or a crock pot of baked beans? Something that if they end up packing their own food, you can still share it out.

It's how that works out with my in-laws. :shrug: If I don't pack food, then I'm treated as if I abused people and beat children and kill animals for fun. If I pack just enough food for just us, then they stand around and stare like beggar children. If I feed one, i.e. a mother, then I have to feed them all, because they seriously will take food away from an old lady. My husband is the youngest and there's some family dynamic at play that I don't understand, I don't like, but I accept. If we go out to eat with his family, we have to buy the entire meal for everybody and all their children. If we are eating in, even at another's house, we have to feed everybody. Which means I have to feed everybody, since my husband doesn't cook.

Example a "potluck" - I take an entire huge container of baked ziti to share, an extra container of the same size for my MIL to freeze to eat later or portion into smaller portions for herself. Two huge loaves of cheesy olive bread. Again, enough to share with the meal and for my MIL to freeze. I'm trying to be considerate and realize she's on a fixed income and doesn't cook for herself. And I packed a rather large salad with home made salad dressing that made my husband mumble. Nobody else brought anything. There were no leftovers, nothing for my MIL to save for later. And I was asked why there wasn't any dessert.

This is typical behavior. I can't even imagine what a family "reunion" will be like. All I can visualize is locusts. Now, hey, if I'm wrong, then both my husband and I will both be pleasantly surprised and he will actually get to have more than one serving and I might actually get to eat something.

 

[mAlice]

It's how that works out with my in-laws. :shrug: If I don't pack food, then I'm treated as if I abused people and beat children and kill animals for fun. If I pack just enough food for just us, then they stand around and stare like beggar children. If I feed one, i.e. a mother, then I have to feed them all, because they seriously will take food away from an old lady. My husband is the youngest and there's some family dynamic at play that I don't understand, I don't like, but I accept. If we go out to eat with his family, we have to buy the entire meal for everybody and all their children. If we are eating in, even at another's house, we have to feed everybody. Which means I have to feed everybody, since my husband doesn't cook.

Example a "potluck" - I take an entire huge container of baked ziti to share, an extra container of the same size for my MIL to freeze to eat later or portion into smaller portions for herself. Two huge loaves of cheesy olive bread. Again, enough to share with the meal and for my MIL to freeze. I'm trying to be considerate and realize she's on a fixed income and doesn't cook for herself. And I packed a rather large salad with home made salad dressing that made my husband mumble. Nobody else brought anything. There were no leftovers. And I was asked why there wasn't any dessert.

This is typical behavior. I can't even imagine what a family "reunion" will be like. All I can visualize is locusts. Now, hey, if I'm wrong, then both my husband and I will both be pleasantly surprised and he will actually get to have more than one serving and I might actually get to eat something.

You're a better person than I am.

 

[migtig]

I wouldn't be against bread, cold cuts, a couple bags of chips, a pasta salad and some apples, myself. Or premade wraps. That's a lot of people for my normal fried chicken suggestion!

I thought fried chicken at first but that's a lot of time and money.

I could probably make some wraps and a pasta salad and bring some fresh fruit. All good ideas. Thanks!

 

[JeJeTe]

You're a better person than I am.

For real. I'd eat before I came and bring a few bags of chips and call it a day.

 

[migtig]

You're a better person than I am.

No, I'm not.

 

[rhenderson]

You can only be taken advantage of if you let yourself be. Arrange to eat before you go and take no food for yourselves and do not accept any form others. Let the family know this is what you are doing!

If anyone else wants to provide food and you/your husband feels the need to help - make a donation to the cost. If this is a change from previous events - spread the word that this is how its going to be from now on.\

Will you be criticized - ABSOLUTELY!! So what?

 

[BadGirl]

Since they aren't picky about what they eat, why not make this as simple as possible for you.

Make a gigantic bowl of pasta salad (cheap and easy to make), and stop by BJs to pick up:

four packs of 16-hot dog rolls ($1.99/package=$7.96)
two packs of 24-Nathan's hot dogs ($7.97/package=($15.94)
one package of condiments (mustard, ketchup, relish) ($4.99)
four bags of Lays potato chips ($3.29/bag=$13.16)
12 bottles of cheap-ass generic sodas ($1.00/bottle=$12.00)

Along with the cost of the pasta salad, you've just fed 50 people for less than $100.00, and it'd be easy to pull off.

Stop feeding the ungrateful users, and let them take care of themselves. On the way home from the picnic, you and the Giant can stop off for a nice restaurant meal - something that you don't have to cook yourself.

 

[RoseRed]

It's how that works out with my in-laws. :shrug: If I don't pack food, then I'm treated as if I abused people and beat children and kill animals for fun. If I pack just enough food for just us, then they stand around and stare like beggar children. If I feed one, i.e. a mother, then I have to feed them all, because they seriously will take food away from an old lady. My husband is the youngest and there's some family dynamic at play that I don't understand, I don't like, but I accept. If we go out to eat with his family, we have to buy the entire meal for everybody and all their children. If we are eating in, even at another's house, we have to feed everybody. Which means I have to feed everybody, since my husband doesn't cook.

Example a "potluck" - I take an entire huge container of baked ziti to share, an extra container of the same size for my MIL to freeze to eat later or portion into smaller portions for herself. Two huge loaves of cheesy olive bread. Again, enough to share with the meal and for my MIL to freeze. I'm trying to be considerate and realize she's on a fixed income and doesn't cook for herself. And I packed a rather large salad with home made salad dressing that made my husband mumble. Nobody else brought anything. There were no leftovers, nothing for my MIL to save for later. And I was asked why there wasn't any dessert.

This is typical behavior. I can't even imagine what a family "reunion" will be like. All I can visualize is locusts. Now, hey, if I'm wrong, then both my husband and I will both be pleasantly surprised and he will actually get to have more than one serving and I might actually get to eat something.

You're a better person than I am.

Personally, I'd let him go alone. But that's just me.

 

[migtig]

You can only be taken advantage of if you let yourself be. Arrange to eat before you go and take no food for yourselves and do not accept any form others. Let the family know this is what you are doing!

If anyone else wants to provide food and you/your husband feels the need to help - make a donation to the cost. If this is a change from previous events - spread the word that this is how its going to be from now on.\

Will you be criticized - ABSOLUTELY!! So what?

This isn't my family, this is my husband's family and that's his family dynamic. :shrug: I won't be able to change him, nor will I be able to change his family. He doesn't make waves. He's not a dramatic person. He doesn't want nor need anymore drama than what I already supply him with. All I can do, in his family situation, is to accept things as the status quo.


So the only advice I really need is for some inexpensive easy picnic ideas. Got any?

 

[BadGirl]

Hey, Mig!

Scratch the family reunion, and instead come to our family reunion. You *KNOW* we'll have good food.

 

[migtig]

Since they aren't picky about what they eat, why not make this as simple as possible for you.

Make a gigantic bowl of pasta salad (cheap and easy to make), and stop by BJs to pick up:

four packs of 16-hot dog rolls ($1.99/package=$7.96)
two packs of 24-Nathan's hot dogs ($7.97/package=($15.94)
one package of condiments (mustard, ketchup, relish) ($4.99)
four bags of Lays potato chips ($3.29/bag=$13.16)
12 bottles of cheap-ass generic sodas ($1.00/bottle=$12.00)

Along with the cost of the pasta salad, you've just fed 50 people for less than $100.00, and it'd be easy to pull off.

Stop feeding the ungrateful users, and let them take care of themselves. On the way home from the picnic, you and the Giant can stop off for a nice restaurant meal - something that you don't have to cook yourself.

I thought about the hot dogs, but I think that means I'd have to buy the charcoal and then do all the cooking out. I'm trying to avoid the grilling option.

I was going to forget drinks.

 

[libertytyranny]

This isn't my family, this is my husband's family and that's his family dynamic. :shrug: I won't be able to change him, nor will I be able to change his family. He doesn't make waves. He's not a dramatic person. He doesn't want nor need anymore drama than what I already supply him with. All I can do, in his family situation, is to accept things as the status quo.


So the only advice I really need is for some inexpensive easy picnic ideas. Got any?

I'm usually the same way. Take people as they are, and if making peace means boiling 4 lbs of pasta and making a pasta salad, id do it.

 

[JeJeTe]

This isn't my family, this is my husband's family and that's his family dynamic. :shrug: I won't be able to change him, nor will I be able to change his family. He doesn't make waves. He's not a dramatic person. He doesn't want nor need anymore drama than what I already supply him with. All I can do, in his family situation, is to accept things as the status quo.


So the only advice I really need is for some inexpensive easy picnic ideas. Got any?

Can you make pigs in a blanket? I think those are ok at room temp for 2 hours, right?