We had a lovely day out at Delamere Forest for the Robert's Bakery 50 Days of Summer Bloggers' Picnic. Myself, Ian, Ella, Kizzy and Freddy really enjoyed making a fun picnic, with recipes demonstrated by the ladies from Roberts Bakery, which we later got to eat for lunch. The recipe ideas were really inventive, elevating a humble sarnie into something way more exciting!
We used the new Robert's Bakery White & Wholemeal bread which includes fortified white flour and high fibre wholemeal flour to bring together the best of both worlds.
Thank goodness the weather was kind to us, as the masterclass in sandwich making took place on benches outside. Al fresco food preparation added an element of summertime fun to our lesson in picnic prep!
Here's what we made:
Sunshine Sandwich
These 'peep hole' sandwiches are filled with a mix of low fat grated cheese, grated carrot, sunflower seeds and raisins. Bulking out the grated cheese with grated carrot gives a lower calorie filling and adds extra nutrients. Each hole is filled with one of the ingredients to make an impressive looking sandwich that little ones will love. You could adapt this sandwich to make traffic lights, popping in tomato, sweetcorn and lettuce in the holes.
S.L.T.
The vegetarian sausage, lettuce and tomato roll is a twist on the BLT. The mayonnaise, Greek yogurt and black pepper dressing complemented it perfectly, and was lighter than using mayo alone. Served in the new Roberts Bakery White and Wholemeal buns they made a tasty roll.
Peanut Butter and Banana Monkey
aka Nutty Nana
The fun monkey faces with peanut butter, banana and a little honey, were really effective. Raisins added the details and made these sandwiches look really cool and perfect for feeding to my own little monkey Freddy.
Strawberry & Cream Hearts
Cream cheese, rocket, strawberries and black pepper make a really interesting and elegant sandwich filling. It's like having a cream tea on bread! The heart shaped sandwich with a cut out top is the ideal food to serve at a tea party. They look so pretty and the strawberry goes so well with black pepper and rocket.
With our sandwiches and rolls packed into boxes, we headed to a tent where a storyteller was waiting to share some stories with us while we ate our lunch. The children loved joining in with the storyteller's tales, and it was great to see Freddy getting involved. He has come on such a long way from the shy little lad he once was! The food went down well with everyone too, the veggie SLT being my favourite.
After our picnic, we had a lovely walk around Delamere Forest with Clearly Bex and her lovely children. We enjoyed the fresh air, scenery and sunshine and had a great time. It was fabulous to meet a fellow Shropshire blogger!! Freddy got on so well with his new friend, it was so nice to see them both playing with sticks, jumping in puddles and exploring the forest together. My girls loved looking after all the little ones, chasing after them and holding their hands as they clambered down banks to paddle in the streams. After a rainy wash-out of a half term, it was such a blessing to enjoy a day outdoors.
Thanks to Roberts Bakery for a fantastic day!