your best 3yr old's Birthday Party food ideas please... pref nut free

[ClareVoiant]

hello,

Party next week was thinking along the lines of....

pizza slices
cocktail sausages (remember reading on a thread about someone having a recipe involving a sticky sauce - please share if your reading this!)
pineapple and cheese on sticks (cos i love it)
cucumber and cherry tomatoes
maybe some chicken satay type things (without the satay)
crisps

party rings
mini fruit kebabs
birthday cake (prob can't be guaranteed nut free as not making it myself)

does anyone have any other ideas? was trying to avoid sandwiches. must be quick and easy to prepare or be able to be made the night before.

thanks in advance.

[LadyPenelope]

Sounds great
One word of warning on mini fruit kebabs - they went down a storm at my ds's 3 birthday party, but did involve some kids picking out the bits of fruit they didn't want/eat!

[ClareVoiant]

:-) did you use cocktail sticks? I'll be using a lot of cocktail sticks, are they ok for 3yr olds, or is there a health and safety issue i've not considered?

[LadyPenelope]

I used the bigger kebab sticks and put a few bits of fruit on each. Also put a marshmallow in the middle! (It must go in the middle or they don't eat any of the fruit!)

I also did fairy bread (white bread and brown bread, cut off crust with sprinkles over it.) Looks really pretty and goes down a storm. I know you don't want to do sandwiches though, so perhaps for another time.

Keep it really simple cos the kids don't each much.

[LadyPenelope]

meant to say butter the bread too otherwise the sprinkles don't stick!

[giddly]

I was thinking of making some little cheese biscuits for my DD1s 3rd Birthday. Was going to do different shapes. Are good as can make a few days in advance (useful for me as DD2's b'day is the day before and we'll be having a family party - great planning eh!). Can put a link to a recipe if you're interested.

Love the fairy bread idea!

[S1ur]

Puff pastry pizza

• individual circles with topping. prep night before, bung in oven or 15mins

[S1ur]

homemade sausage rolls meat and veg version - delia good.

Chocloate tray bake.

[S1ur]

choc dipped fruit,

strawberries in milk choc
orange with dark choc
black grapes in white choc

[mistlethrush]

We did 'top your own' pizzas and decorate your own gingerbread man/lady and bun. All children enjoyed doing this, and they all ate a tremendous amount. (sweet stuff didn't come out until reasonable amount of time given to savouries) (other parents also impressed with amounts that their dcs ate... )

[ClareVoiant]

giddly - yes please to the cheesy biscuit recipe

slur - your teasing me wih the fruit dipped in chocolate, I honestly don't believe that I would be able to make it the night before and have any left for the party
like the puff pastry pizza idea too - would they be nice cold? only party is at village hall so need to take the food with me.

mislethrush - that sounds fun, only food needs to made in advance, great idea though.

[S1ur]

yes puff pastry pizzas still nice cold, more so than normal pizza imo because puff is still puffy.

So easy too.

[ClareVoiant]

so...

defrost and roll out puff pastry
cut out shapes
put pasta sauce, toppings and cheese
bake for 15 mins

what do you usually use for toppings?

[ClareVoiant]

oven at 180?

[S1ur]

yeah sounds good.

But I just went even simpler because they are only four

Tom puree type thing smear in circle in middle, sprinkle cheese.

brush round edge with egg 15 mins in oven 180 C should be fine.

Only did cheese because of age.

But could add sweetcorn/ham/tuna/peppers/mozzerella/chillis though prob not altogether eh?

[mistlethrush]

We used the 'topping the pizza' etc as the main bit of entertainment !

[ClareVoiant]

Thanks slur. Your right, i'll stick to cheese :-)