Muffin Tin Makeover Somewhat Flop

The ever popular Muffin Tin Meals for kids have been popping up all over on blogs everywhere including this great blog Muffin Tin Mom who hosts Muffin Tin Mondays.

I did have the muffin tin meal idea in my post on funky lunches.

 

Yep I too have jumped on the muffin tin bandwagon and made some pretty yummy meals that were gobbled up by my kiddos, let's face it, because they were in a muffin tin. But I had a problem...

I have three kids, and three muffin tins that are not in the greatest shape.

Please notice the two different kinds I have. A light colored non-stick air bake on the left and a dark non-stick on the right.

They were old and put into the dishwasher one too many times. Yes that is rust!

I was about ready to toss them and buy new ones. Yet anyone who knows me knows I am not one for tossing things without at least trying to give them new life.

Thus my plan...

Spray Paint!

In the kid's favorite three colors of course.

Whenever possible we use green for my daughter dark blue for my older son and orange for my youngest. I was super excited!!!

I started to spray, I had used spray paint before on a few projects so wasn't too worried. But...

If you look closely the blue and green muffin tins were originally the dark non-non stick muffin tins the orange in the middle was the air bake variety. I guess the air bake, although the more rusted of the two, also had a really good quality non-stick coating on it because the spray paint just wanted to slide off the surface and made puddles in the bottom of the tray. It would not stick and provide an even coat. So when all was said and done I was left with two finished muffin tins.

 One green and one blue.

They look really cool don't they?

Once they were dry completely and after I let them sit and cure for a few days. We washed them up and tried them out.

They seem to be ok...

But...

After a friend who has a degree in Ag pointed out that it really may not be a wise idea to have children eat off a spray painted surface if I didn't know for sure if it was food safe. I did think of this but thought it should be ok since they showed serving trays on the side. But honestly I really wanted it to work and I was just going to toss the trays anyway if I didn't try. But look at that poor child in the photo above who is now slowly dying faster because of eating the food that touched this muffin tin. Makes me feel guilty!!!

 I decided we won't be using them again unless I purchase some silicone liners to fit inside them to hold the food. Yet I am not sure if I will even do that since even weeks after spraying them they still seem to have some paint odor to them.

Yet!!!

I am but one mom with one idea and you are many many others who may have a better idea of what food safe paint to use to pull this idea off.  If you do, please leave a comment!

AND...

they did look cool didn't they?

Oh well... can't win them all.