Annabel Karmel Guest Blogger Series

Editor's note: The following is a guest post written by Annabel Karmel, the British children's chef and kiddie cookbook author. This week Annabel shares her favorite recipes for kids to make and eat throughout the holiday season.


The traditional foods that are served on Christmas day can sometimes be too much for your little ones with all the rich meat and stuffing. To avoid tears or upset tummies, here are a few Christmas alternatives that are sure to be popular with the wee crowd. Most of these can be made in advance so you can avoid adding another meal to your long list of dishes!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, and that there are no disasters in the kitchen!

Happy Cooking!

Editor's note: The following is a guest post written by Annabel Karmel, the British children's chef and kiddie cookbook author. This week Annabel shares her favorite recipes for kids to make and eat throughout the holiday season.

The holiday season is upon us and there is no better time of the year to enjoy being with friends and family, cooking and eating together. Here are some of my favorite holiday-inspired recipes for you to enjoy.

Editor's note: The following is a guest post written by Annabel Karmel, the British children's chef and kiddie cookbook author. Here, Annabel shares step-by-step instructions for apple pie that tots can make for Thanksgiving dinner.


This traditional dessert is a big favorite in North America — and at my house! I've used sharp green Granny Smith apples here, but sweet eating apples work well, too — just add a little less sugar. Following my recipe and step-by-step instructions, kids can take the lead in creating dessert for their holiday meal! Enjoy!

Editor’s note: The following is a guest post written by Annabel Karmel, the British children's chef and kiddie cookbook author. This week Annabel shares step-by-step instructions for holiday decorations the entire family can make, and eat, together.

The holidays are the perfect excuse to bring the family together and into the kitchen. Cookie baking is always a favorite activity, as kids love eating the tasty things they make, but there are only so many cookies a family can consume. Converting treats into home and tree decor is a great way to get even the youngest kids involved in holiday decorating. Tots as young as two can use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and crush candies for the colorful centers of our stained glass window cookies – edible decorations that taste as good as they look hanging on the tree!

Editor’s note: The following is a guest post written by Annabel Karmel, the British children's chef and kiddie cookbook author. This week Annabel shares some travel-friendly recipes just in time for the holidays!

As all parents know, travelling with children requires a lot of organization and it doesn’t matter if you are going away for an afternoon or a week, you end up packing for every eventuality! Travelling is much easier if you are prepared, which means always having some sort of food with you, as there is nothing worse than a hungry child and no store in sight.

If you have a young baby who is starting on solids there are several fantastic fruits and vegetables that do not need cooking. Banana, peach, mango, and avocado are all ideal, and all you need is a knife, fork and a bowl to make nutritious purees. All of these have their own protective case and will not spoil without being refrigerated.

When travelling, it is important to have child size portions that are easy to eat and that make as little mess as possible. Keep food simple – finger food is the easiest option. Chopped carrot, sandwiches and wholemeal muffins are examples of foods that are easy to eat. You can always use a mini ice pack or freezer gel pack to ensure food is kept at the correct temperature.

Editor’s note: The following is a guest post written by Annabel Karmel, the British children's chef and kiddie cookbook author. This week Annabel shares mural meals to help entice tots to try new foods.

Children often say that they do not like foods even before they have already tried it. So it is important to entice them and encourage them to eat a healthy and balanced diet. It is easy to give up and just make the foods you know they will like. But just persevere, keep trying new things and make food look attractive so they are at least tempted to try just a little bit.

Children also like to assemble their own food, so you can get them involved – they love to eat food they have made themselves.

Have a picky eater who refuses to eat his greens or a lil girl who is begging to be your sous chef, but you don't know how she can help? Submit your cooking and feeding questions to The Children's Table group over in the LilSugar Community, and we'll have Annabel answer them!