Children love bite size snacks they can carry with them. Just about every child loves macaroni and cheese. You can make it special and portable by hollowing out a small dinner roll and stuffing it with mac and cheese. They won't even need a spoon.



Stuff cherry tomatoes with a mixture of one cup of cottage cheese mixed with one quarter cup of parmesan cheese. Fill a plastic disposable container large enough to serve the stuffed tomatoes, half full of water, then freeze at least overnight. At party time serve the tomatoes on the lid of the container placed on the ice.

For a variation stuff the tomatoes with chicken salad or tuna salad.

Chicken wings are fun and easy. Cut a chicken wing in three pieces. Save the bony wing end for making chicken broth. Bake the wings at 350 degrees until done. Serve at room temperature with dipping sauces. Mix equal parts honey, lime juice and mustard for a tangy dip. Or try equal party ketchup and brown sugar for a BBQ like sauce. Each child gets their own little cup of dipping sauce.

Miniature hotdogs and buns are always a hit. Buy the little franks and refrigerator biscuits. Cut the biscuits in half. Place one little frank in the center and roll up. Bake as package directs.

Grill baby burgers and place in a cut dinner roll, top with a slice of tomato, a lettuce leaf, and favorite condiments like mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard. .

Salad to go. Wash endive leaves. Fill the broad end with a teaspoon of your kid's favorite prepared salad. Wash butter lettuce leaves, selecting the smaller more pliable leaves. Spread out the lettuce leaf and put a tablespoon of salad on the end nearest you. Roll the leaf forward covering the salad. Tuck the ends of the leave under as if you were rolling up a burrito. Lightly fill celery stalk with cream cheese. Press dried cranberries or raisins into the cheese. Cut into child bite sized pieces. For a change use flavored cream cheese.

Child sized pizzas. Use refrigerator biscuits. Lightly flour a board. Roll each biscuit flat doubling the size of the biscuit. Place biscuits on cookie sheets. Spread with a teaspoon of tomato sauce, pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce. An alternative is to use a slice of fresh tomato. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake as package directs.

A veggie platter and dip can be made special by using baby vegetables. Carrots, summer squash, patty pan squash, string beans, both yellow and green should be blanched by immersing in boiling water for one minute and then in immediately in an ice bath. Add snap pea pods, grape tomatoes, both red and yellow, and boiled baby potatoes.

Mini tacos are fun and easy. Use the corn chips that are made for dipping and have a bowl shape. Fill with a teaspoon of cooked taco meat, a bit of refried beans and top with shredded cheese. Bake until the cheese just melts.

Usually the challenge with kids and desserts is to stop the kids from only eating the sweet stuff. Here are a few suggestions to carry the mini theme forward. Use small cookies like vanilla snaps or mini chocolate chips cookies. Place a tablespoon of ice cream on the flat side of one cookie and cover with the flat side of another cookie to make a sandwich then freeze in a plastic container.

Use a medium size sugar cookie, about a 3 inch diameter. Frost with vanilla pudding and top with slices of fresh strawberries for a mini strawberry tartlet. Make different varieties: Use chocolate pudding and raspberries, lemon pudding and fresh blueberries.

Children will love you for making them feel special at your Fourth of July party.