PARTY FOOD - ideas please !

[Binker]

Have searched for a party food thread but no luck-(I'm sure there is one somewhere!). My son's party is in a few weeks-it's in a hall so we'll bring all the food and bits from home. I need ideas for simple things to assemble at home,transport easily and be able to put out on individual plates at the party,topping them up as the food goes down(or on the floor)...any ideas very gratefully received. (he'll be 5). (cake is sorted already by grandma)

Nigella's tip for making marmite sandwiches is to mix the marmite and margarine/butter together before you spread it - it does save time. But I'd say not too many sandwiches since they never seem to get eaten; big bags of crisps and biscuits; if you want jelly you could buy those individual ready made up pots to take; packs of mini muffins. HTH.

We made rice crispie cakes with melted down mars bars, takes 5 mins and then setting in the fridge. They're lovely and stick together well due to the toffee. Also how about mini baby bells, mini pepperami.
We've also given ready assembled "boxes", from Party Pieces, fill them with what food you like then no hassle with plates etc.Have Fun.

Sausage rolls; mini pizzas; mini veg (baby corn, baby carrots); cheese and pineapple was a great hit with the 2/3 year olds at the last kids party I was at, although we had to make sure they didn't stab themselves with the (flat ended) cocktail sticks. tomato ketchup for dipping always seems to be essential.

Choc krispie cakes; choc fingers; fairy cakes; iced gems...yummy.

bread sticks (make good swords), chicken nuggets, popcorn, grapes, millions of bags of crips, party rings (just got to suck the icing off)..twiglets, cucumber in sticks. I made up a selection and put on large serving plates , one for a group of 4/5 kids so the kids could pick the bits they liked. Try and go for cups with lids. Have fun - I love doing kids parties.

How about pikelets, gingerbread men, little frankfurters with sauce, popcorn, fairy cakes, macaroons...anything easy to eat, the messier and stickier the better!

Here's a recipe for Fruity Bliss Balls (you can actually make these ahead and freeze them til you need them).
12 oz finely chopped dried apricots
2 fl oz (3 tbsp) apricot nectar
4 oz dessicated coconut
3 tbsp milk powder
2 tbsp icing sugar
extra coconut
Place apricots and nectar in microwave safe bowl and cook for 2 mins on high. Remove and stir. Once cool, add remaining ingredients except extra coconut. Cover and refrigerate til firm. Place extra coconut on large piece of plastic wrap. Roll mixture into a sausage shape on the extra coconut and wrap up. Refrigerate overnight or until firm and then cut into 1cm pieces or roll pieces into balls. Store in fridge or freezer. Makes about 2 dozen.

thanks ! lots of ideas for me there ...mmm cheese and pineapple -my favourite ! For a friend's daughter's party one year I made a cheese and pineapple crocodile with gherkin legs and olive eyes-needless to say I ate most of it !

ready cooked cocktail sausages split nearly in half and filled with mash, then heated in oven or under grill, little mini muffins from supermarket, cherry tomatoes, homemade mini hamburgers in buns (just squash up some minced beef and seasonings with an egg and a few breadcrumbs and shape to required size.

Sausages are the only food things that ever run out at children's parties, IME. Even crisps and cake generate leftovers. Sausages - easy to pre cook, easy to eat, no mess, come in both veggie and non veggie varieties. Logic says serve saugases and nothing else!

yep,sausages ae already on my list !