When you think of latke (potato pancake) toppers, you think of applesauce and sour cream. Maybe there is cinnamon in the applesauce, or sugar in the sour cream, but those are the two widely accepted latke toppings.  We decided to literally "mix it up" a little this year, and at both of our Chanukah parties, we set out a variety of nouveau toppers, alongside the more traditional.  All thanks to a page right out of "Better Homes and Gardens."  We tried three of their ideas.  My favorite was the cucumber slices topped with ranch dressing and a fresh dill sprig. Ranch really does go with everything.  The cardamom apples (I used cinnamon) with yogurt were more reminiscent of the applesauce and sour cream, but were still good.  The most gourmet of the three we tried were smoked salmon, with watercress, a squeeze of lemon and ground sea salt. Tiny and her three-year-old cousin loved eating the watercress all on its own. Seriously.  ~ Parents: What innovative party foods have your tots enjoyed? ~

When we received the book It's Challah Time! from The PJ Library Tiny was only a few months old.  I read it to her a couple of times and then put it away on the cookbook shelf. Cut to a year later and my tot loves to "mix it" as she says. Her baking career started with the challah recipe at the end of this book.  We each had a friend over to help bake round challahs for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. I had prepared the sweet dough ahead of time and let the tots play with it and cover it in sprinkles. Tiny's pal still can't enter our house without saying "brinkles" and having a couple of the little jimmies as a snack.  It is a sweet new year indeed.  ~ Parents: What have your baby bakers made so far? ~