Yet Another Cycling Forum

Off Topic => The Pub => Food & Drink => Topic started by: Ham on 24 September, 2019, 10:09:19 am

Title: Kids Party Stuffs
Post by: Ham on 24 September, 2019, 10:09:19 am
This Saturday we have our grandson's first birthday party. Probably a dozen kids up to five and sundry adults.

I have just realised (after 30 years) that while I'm ok at party catering, I've never made a kids party.  As Miss Ham's birthday is August (along with mine) I've only ever done a big BBQ garden party and made sure there was food for kids (plain pasta, carrot sticks, yadda yadda)

The cynics would say that at 1, he won't really care, but I think I need new skillz and ideas. So far the only thing I have for sure is a monkey cake which I have yet to bake. OK, OK, yet to design and bake. What's wrong? I've still got a few days? Reached criticality at this point because in-laws have offered to do stuff, and I don't know what to ask them to do.

Suggestions?

Title: Re: Kids Party Stuffs
Post by: jdsnape on 24 September, 2019, 01:23:12 pm
We just did a party for my wife, but there were lots of kids (slightly older but all < 2) there too. We mainly did BBQ stuff (as it was about a month ago), and the kids just ate smaller versions of what the adults had.

Some specific things that worked well:

-  mini burgers (think sliders)
- Chicken wings (some of them loved eating it off the bone, others parents took it off for them)
- Kiddie 'cheesecakes'. Small ramekins with crushed up biscuits in the bottom, topped with yoghurt with some fruit on top
- A big bowl of fruit salad
- Some BBQ'd veg kebabs (could just be grilled), veg taken off and mixed up with couscous.
Title: Re: Kids Party Stuffs
Post by: Ham on 24 September, 2019, 02:37:59 pm
Thanks for the reply, how can I put this without seeming arrogant .... I'm quite good at BBQ? I like the idea of the cheescake things - I've got a surfeit of jam that would play well to that. I'm thinking finger food, without any hot.

Title: Re: Kids Party Stuffs
Post by: ian on 24 September, 2019, 05:01:00 pm
They're kids, can't you just get them a case of Wkd or something and mop up later?
Title: Re: Kids Party Stuffs
Post by: SteveC on 24 September, 2019, 06:39:54 pm
When I saw this I was reminded of one of my favourite party foods from my childhood,

Two slices of brown bread, two of white. Butter one side of one, put Marmite on it, butter one side of the other colour, place butter side down on Marmite, butter the other side, put tuna fish on, repeat. The third layer is cream cheese. So you have brown-white-brown-white.
Cut the crusts off and cut into fingers. I used to love them.

No idea what I'd think now!
Title: Re: Kids Party Stuffs
Post by: hellymedic on 24 September, 2019, 07:13:06 pm
Small cold pizza slices, sandwiches, fish & chicken goujons, falafel balls,
Avoid cocktail sticks
Title: Re: Kids Party Stuffs
Post by: perpetual dan on 24 September, 2019, 09:37:27 pm
For kids that young ... sliced veg and fruit, little sandwiches, pizza, crisps and cake. Nothing too complicated or with too many different things mixed together.
Title: Re: Kids Party Stuffs
Post by: pcolbeck on 25 September, 2019, 09:10:21 pm
Cocktail sausages always go down well with kids. Grapes, strawberries, pizza, carrot sticks, plain ham sandwiches cut into small triangles, same for bog standard supermarket mild cheddar.
Crisps (plain), dorittos (cool) maybe a dip. Chocolate fingers.
And if you want to achieve lift off loads of full strength Coca-cola :)
Title: Re: Kids Party Stuffs
Post by: geraldc on 25 September, 2019, 09:13:56 pm
Pinwheel sandwiches, normal sandwiches are a bit daunting for toddlers
Title: Re: Kids Party Stuffs
Post by: hellymedic on 25 September, 2019, 09:25:50 pm
Make sure grapes are cut up. Toddlers can be deficient in the tooth department.

I've read a few Horror Stories of Choking on Grapes.

Ideally kids should be sitting, not walking, when they eat.

Kids have hot paws and chocolate can coat hands, walls, faces and paws in Sticky Brown Slime.
Title: Re: Kids Party Stuffs
Post by: Ham on 27 September, 2019, 01:50:52 pm
Done the cake, anyhow

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DGb2xr3yHoM/XY4FUkWgtcI/AAAAAAADFog/JqbhA4sQHQ4CKKRFMj6a3W---Y7e1sBEwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/c709149f-8d28-47d5-ba16-eea981821736.jfif)
Title: Re: Kids Party Stuffs
Post by: hellymedic on 27 September, 2019, 03:34:45 pm
Looks like a wonderful cake!
Title: Re: Kids Party Stuffs
Post by: perpetual dan on 28 September, 2019, 08:28:14 am
Great cake  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Kids Party Stuffs
Post by: Ham on 29 September, 2019, 09:37:33 pm
It all went alright on the night (OK, afternoon). I baked bridge rolls served with egg, smoked salmon, chicken liver pate, made sausage rolls, cooked up plain chicken drumsticks and chipolatas, a mustard and molasses glazed gammon, added carrot and cucumber sticks with pots of hummus, tzatziki, tarama, Added a few salads, some plain pasta, crisps, nuts, breadsticks. A good time was had by all.
Title: Re: Kids Party Stuffs
Post by: jsabine on 30 September, 2019, 12:32:49 am
What's a bridge roll? One you have in the garden, or one you eat while playing canasta?

(And can you cater my next party?)
Title: Re: Kids Party Stuffs
Post by: hellymedic on 30 September, 2019, 12:43:53 am
Bridge rolls are small, glazed, slightly sweet, white yeast dough rolls, beloved by Jewish caterers for finger buffet receptions.
Title: Re: Kids Party Stuffs
Post by: jsabine on 30 September, 2019, 01:30:46 am
Google gave me pictures and a significantly less evocative description, eschewing the Jewish connection. I'd still call them finger rolls, thobut.
Title: Re: Kids Party Stuffs
Post by: hellymedic on 30 September, 2019, 02:31:58 am
They are beloved in Orthodox circles because they are formulated as 'cake' and don't need the rigmarole associated with 'bread' in The Rules. They are slightly lighter than what I'd call finger rolls but maybe Ham can elucidate further...
Title: Re: Kids Party Stuffs
Post by: Ham on 30 September, 2019, 09:43:28 am
At least the way I cook 'em, they are closer to brioche than bread, they are rich baked with butter and egg (a little like cholla with added butter). As a result they perform better than bread rolls for buffets. You can load them up with filling and because of the fat content (I assume) they don't go soggy. Often commercial bakers will use a sugar glaze which intensifies the hint of sweetness on the tongue, I prefer not to. Haven't made 'em for about 20 years or more, not sure why I'm sounding as if I do them every week  ;D

Looking around to refresh my memory I found this recipe

https://www.cuisinefiend.com/47/bridge-rolls

which was similar enough to my memory go with, although the amount of butter in that recipe is full on brioche (2:1 flour:butter) and I cut to something like 4:1 or less, plus the "divide into 12" sounds like they would be full roll size, and I made them smaller. Once baked you slice in half and serve as an open sandwich (an odd term, but suitably descriptive)