Mini Bagels

• Mini bagels can be turned into convenient, handheld cold or hot finger foods. For a hot option, slice the bagels in half horizontally. Spoon pizza sauce around each half. Top with shredded mozzarella, chopped green bell pepper and pepperoni. For added festivity, use a small cookie cutter to shape the pepperoni into stars. Place on a cookie sheet and broil three to five minutes, or until the cheese is melted. For a cold snack, slice the bagels and spread with cream cheese. Sprinkle with chopped red, green and yellow bell pepper for a savory food, or Christmas gummy candies for a sweet treat.
  
  

Cheese and Crackers

• Give the cheese and crackers staple a face-lift for Christmas. Create a cheeseball snowman by forming a large and medium-sized ball from your favorite cream cheese recipe. Stack the smaller ball on top of the larger, then decorate the snowman with a carrot or celery ribbon scarf, raisin buttons and eyes, a baby carrot nose and broken pretzel arms. Create a sweet spread by softening a block of cream cheese and mixing in assorted chopped dried fruits. Shape the cheese into a square and wrap with licorice rope ribbons. Serve with cinnamon graham crackers.
  
  

Pretzel Rods

• Create Christmas chocolate-dipped pretzel rods to appease kids' taste buds. Melt white, milk and dark chocolate over simmering water in separate double boilers. Dip pretzel rods halfway in the chocolate, then roll in Christmas sprinkles or sparkling sugars. Or create snowmen by dipping the rods in white chocolate, then decorating with mini chocolate chips for eyes and buttons, gumdrops for hats and sweet-tart gummy ropes for scarves. Make a reindeer with milk chocolate, mini chocolate chip eyes, red gummy noses and broken pretzel antlers. Dip one end of the antlers in chocolate to help them adhere to the rod.
  
  

Festive Pinwheels

• Use green spinach and red bell pepper tortilla wraps to make spiral sandwich finger foods. Fill a tortilla with your favorite sandwich fillings. Meat and cheese and peanut butter or cream cheese and jam work best. Roll the tortilla, sealing the end with a dab of cream cheese or mayonnaise. Slice the roll into six pieces, then arrange on a serving platter in the shape of a wreath or tree.
  
  

More Favorites

• Deviled eggs, with a sprinkling of red paprika on top, are on many holiday tables, as are cinnamon sugar or chili pepper spiced nuts. Popcorn balls shaped into tree ornaments, cupcakes with colored frosting and sprinkles, fruit kabobs, trail mix and fruit and vegetable trays also please little palates at Christmastime.