Make Special Holiday Treats
By FeatureSource Staff

(FeatureSource) - Making special treats during the holidays is a tradition that everyone fondly remembers. It's easy to put a sparkling holiday touch to your cooking - and the kids can help, too! Here are some ideas from Vicki Lansky's book, "Feed Me! I'm Yours" (Meadowbrook Press).

• Perk up a popcorn string with cranberry juice or another brightly colored juice. After letting the popcorn stand long enough to lose its crispness, string the kernels together and dip them in the juice to dye them a fun color. You can also string mini-marshmallows or colored gumdrops between the popcorn kernels.
  
• To save time, buy plain cookies and ready-to-use gels, icing, and candied decorations. Then let the kids spend their time creating fanciful holiday treats. Larger cookies can be made into greeting cards by writing a personal message with tube frosting.
  
• Use pointed paper cups to mold lime gelatin "trees." Cut away the paper when the mold is firm and decorate your tree with cream cheese or whipped cream.
  
• Make a "snack tree" by covering a conical Styrofoam form with green paper. Use toothpicks to attach edibles, such as cheese cubes, cherry tomatoes, grapes, cauliflower, carrot slices, pickle chips, bread cubes - whatever your family likes to eat. Serve with a dip if you want.
  
• Make great straws for your favorite holiday beverages with hollow candy canes or peppermint sticks.
  
• Use the well-known Rice Krispies bar recipe to make holiday shapes. Add green food-coloring and cinnamon candies to make a mini-Christmas tree or a wreath. Roll three Rice Krispies balls in coconut, stack, and decorate to make a snowman. Roll balls in colored sugar or nuts or make a Christmas tree ornament shape.

"Feed Me! I'm Yours" is the best-selling baby and toddler cookbook and has sold millions of copies. It contains more than 200 child-tested recipes and can be found in bookstores everywhere.