• Plan specially themed food for your solar-system party.solar system image by Svetlana Gajic from Fotolia.com
  
  A solar-system theme can be part of a birthday party for a child who is interested in astronomy. It also can be used for adult scientists or for science classes. When planning a solar-system party, consider incorporating the theme into your menu. There are many food options to enhance the theme and celebrate a special occasion.
  
  

Planet Pizza

• Make a pizza to look like a planet. To do this, make or purchase a pizza crust and add sauce as you usually would. Use Alfredo or garlic sauce if you like (it will make the background of the pizza white). Decide which planet to make. Use food coloring to dye the cheese the color of the planet. Put the shredded mozzarella into a zipper bag, add food coloring, and shake the bag to distribute the color. Sprinkle the cheese over the planet pizza and bake following the instructions on your crust packaging or recipe.
  
  

Astronomical Candy Bar Snacks

• Make cookies and brownies with chunks of astronomically named candies baked right inside. Follow your usual cookie or brownie recipe, but add cut-up chunks of Milky Way and Mars bars. When the cookies are done, add a large chunk of candy bar on each.
  
  

Star Burgers

• Make burgers shaped like stars to serve as a main course at your solar-system party. Shape and make a regular-sized hamburger patty and grill it as usual. When the burger is done, put it in a bun and hold a star-shaped cookie cutter over the top. Use a sharp knife to cut around the cookie cutter. Place the star burgers on a large platter. Also consider using this same technique to cut quesadillas into star shapes.
  
  

Planet Cakes

• Bake nine round cakes in various sizes. If you do not have nine different-sized pans, use a knife to cut excess and make smaller cakes from larger ones. Frost each of the cakes to model the planet it represents. Use an airbrush to brush food coloring over white cakes. Alternatively, you can color the icing and ice the designs carefully with a knife or silicone spatula.