Starter or (child-friendly) canapes for Christmas dinner?

[DitaVonCheese]

We are having our meal at DB & DSIL's this year and DH and I have been given the first course. Would you rather have a starter or canapes, and what?

Will be for 8-9 adults, two toddlers and a 1 yo. They are 30 min drive away so needs to be mobile and do-in-advanceable. Also we don't really have a kitchen so nothing too schmancy.

Am thinking starter would be easier (eg soup, souffle - actually tempted by melon + Parma ham as light start to ginormous meal but poss too lazy plus DH is pesky vegetarian) but canapes might be good for that bit of pre-meal faff when you're keen to start eating (or is that just me?) but whoever is cooking the main course is battling to get everything ready at the same time and it's all taking just slightly longer than anticipated.

Is there such a thing as a canape that a toddler can eat on the hoof without disaster ensuing?

I'm a big fan of canapes rather than a sit down starter with lo's. Also with a big meal I think its less stressful for the main cook as they can pop in and out and still join in.

You could do your soup in small cups to drink with soft bread sticks to dip or your parma ham wrapped melon as chunks, some without the ham.

My kids like pinwheels (bread with the crusts cut of, flattened with a rolling pin, buttered and then topped and rolled up - cut into bit size pieces. Smoked salmon and dill sauce being our favourite Xmas day filling). These can be frozen in advance as whole rolled slices and then defrosted in the fridge on xmas eve.

Things like quails eggs are fun as is a prawn ring with either a sweet chilli dip or a more conventional marie rose sauce.

depends on the toddler (all the ones I know have adored seafood) and if DH eats fish, but maybe Blinis? They are a big hit with my lot, the pancakes are fiddly but after that its just a blob of creme fraise and some smoked salmon or caviar if you are feeling luxurious (only when its free in our case lol).

Last year we had a roast butternut squash soup that I had made in advance and frozen so easy peasy on the day, but it was rather heavy on the stomach. I'd be much happier with Canapes or something light like melon.

meant to say the pancakes can be made the day before and either warmed or served cold (if you are lazy like me)

Delia's blinis are easy (if a little time consuming as you have to wait for yeast to activate etc) and can be prepaerd in advance and served with smoked salmon and creme fraiche or cream cheese. Mini ones are ideal for little appetites - my big ones with not so small appetites also love them!

Little bruschetta with child friendly toppings? Anything on cocktail sticks is more than a bit iffy with little ones I guess but you could keep some grown up stuff out of kids' reach. I love (raw) king prawns, marinaded in garlic, lemon juice, olice oil, salt and flat leaved parsley which can then be griddled or popped into a hot oven for 5 mins at the last minute and served hot. Or chunks of nice buffalo mozzarella wrapped in Serrano ham and served with a balsamic dressing?

You will only need little tasters anyway as the main is so filling. I LOVE canapes - best part of a dinner for me

Thanks ladies, sounds as though canapes are the way forward (and cat me too ) and some good ideas too - loving pinwheels and melon on sticks.

(Also love smoked salmon. Many years ago I was a chalet girl for an upmarket ski co. Our boss wouldn't let us serve smoked salmon as a canape for Christmas as it was passe and boring and no one really liked it any more, so I didn't serve it ... and my guests went out and bought their own )

yy to canapes, about an hour or two before turkey.

Waitrose do some funky bread canapes that are a piece of piss to copy - wee little rounds of buttered bread with smoked salmon, dill etc or with quail egg, tomato, or smoked mackerel pate and cucumber etc etc