Tasty treat is ideal size for children

It's fun to prepare food when you have people to cook for. My three grandchildren love to come to Grandma's house to eat. They are "good little taste testers" and let me know what they like and what they don't like, and of course, they love dessert or homemade treats. Often when I make bread dough in my bread machine, I like to make up mini buns for them. Not only are stuffed mini buns a nice size for them, they are also a perfect size to serve as an appetizer - a very tasty snack.

Mini Stuffed Buns

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 pound lean ground beef

1 egg, beaten

1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon ground sage

1/4 teaspoon salt

1.8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

40 mini buns, split

8 ounces American cheese slices, cut into squares

In a skillet, saute onion in butter. Transfer to a bowl; add meat, egg and seasonings. Spread over bottom halves of the rolls; replace tops. Place on baking sheets, cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. If desired, place a cheese square on each hamburger; replace tops and foil and return to the oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Yield: 40 appetizers.

Cottage Cheese Salad

Serving Size: 6

12 ounces small curd cottage cheese

8 ounces Cool Whip

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

1 3-ounce box orange jello

Put cottage cheese in small mixer bowl. Fold in Cool Whip. Add dry jello and stir well. Drain oranges; put about 1/2 of oranges in jello mixture; stir. Pour mixture in a bowl or mound mixture on large plate. Put remaining oranges on top and around base of cottage cheese/jello mixture. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Cheese Filled Meatloaf

Serving Size: 6

1-1/2 pounds ground beef

8 ounces tomato sauce

3/4 cup quick-cooking rolled oats

1 medium onion, diced

1 egg

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon pepper

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced

Combine all ingredients except the cheese; mix well. Divide meat mixture in thirds. Pat 1/3 in bottom of 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Cover with 1/2 the cheese.

Repeat layers ending with meat mixture. Bake in preheated oven for one hour or until done.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Keep your character in mint condition and it will take care of itself.

GARY'S TIP: When transporting a sheet cake in a jelly roll pan, invert another pan of the same size for a lid. Hold the two pans together with a big rubber band. The cake stays moist, and the frosting remains intact during the ride.