guest post

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 Darcy Miller, celebrations expert and editorial director of Martha Stewart Weddings. Having just thrown her daughter's third birthday, Darcy shares the original — and sweet! — way she planned the entire party around the birthday girl's favorite color.

In our house, birthdays are not only a celebration, but also a fun activity for us to do as a family. We always start with the theme (of course it is a negotiation at times), but we end up with fun celebration that we enjoy organizing together. We have done everything from a Daisy Party for my oldest daughter Daisy's first birthday to Pajama Parties and Puppy Parties. This year, for my youngest daughter Pippa's third birthday, her sisters decided she should have a purple party since it's her favorite color. I will admit, although I love lavender, I can't say purple is my favorite color — but purple it was! As you might have already guessed, everything from the favors to the play dough stations was purple. There was purple icing on the cake and purple bouncy balls tossed around the room. I even set up a reading station featuring purple-themed books like Harold and the Purple Crayon on a purple blanket. At Martha Stewart Weddings, we love to start with a palette, and monochromatic is a color theme we've returned to over the years.

Editor's note: The following is a guest post written by Darcy Miller, celebrations expert and editorial director of Martha Stewart Weddings. With Valentine's Day upon us, Darcy shares some original — and sweet! — crafts she and her three girls put together for the holiday.

With three little girls — Pipa, Ella, and Daisy — who adore all things hearts and sweets, Valentine's Day is always a huge holiday in my house. In fact, I start collecting pink and red materials in early January to prepare. It's the perfect time to surprise loved ones with custom handmade gifts that show how much you care. I always like to involve the girls, and this was a great way to spend time together. Here are some of the sweet DIY gifts we'll be sending with love to family and friends this year.

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to showcase your love of tablescape decor. I was curious to see what was on David Stark's radar this year, and he created a truly modern and elegant tablescape with a minimalist palette. Take it away, David!

Here are some pieces that I like for this Thanksgiving — all coming from the premise that the Thanksgiving table does not need to be a “harvest” table of classic autumnal reds, golds, and oranges in the classic Pilgrim sense. Rather, deep blacks and soft whites paired with natural woods and hand-made ceramics take rustic to a new level of sophistication.

We're thrilled to present this sweet Celebrity Baby Scoop story here on Lil!

This Sunday is a happy day for any proud papa, but it's extraspecial for dads celebrating their first Father's Day. New dads from Orlando Bloom to Mario Lopez to Owen Wilson to Elton John and partner David Furnish to Nick Cannon will be celebrating this weekend. Take a look through our list of the hottest new dads in Hollywood . . .

See the first half of the list now and visit Celebrity Baby Scoop to see the rest of the list!

Move the party outdoors this Summer! Space constraints are always an issue when planning a party for tots, but when the temperatures warm up, it's the perfect opportunity to make use of the great outdoors. The June issue of Martha Stewart Living is packed with warm weather recipe and party ideas, and Marcie McGoldrick, MSL editorial director of holiday and crafts, was eager to show us how to transform them for the kiddie set.

Since summer is the perfect time for gathering outdoors – we thought it would be fitting to include a family reunion story in our June issue. A "Grand Old Time" has a lot of great ideas for kids and parents alike. These ideas are not specific to a family reunion and would be great for any outdoor kids party you may be throwing.

For some light and easy Summer dishes inspired by the June issue, visit Busy Cooks at About.com and visit Examiner.com for some fun, adult-friendly Summer cocktails!


Photos by Francesco Lagnese. Copyright © 2011, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. Originally published in the June 2011 issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine.

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 tips for feeding tots after school without spoiling their dinners.

When children come home from school they are usually starving. Most children tend to head straight for the chips or biscuits, as they are the only things to snack on, but these have high levels of salt, sugar and saturated fat in them, so if you have time try making some snacks yourself that we be more delicious and nutritious for them.

It is important to spend a little time making some healthy snacks they can eat when they get home, but that won’t spoil their appetites.

Keep the fruit bowl full; so that the children can help themselves, or you can always spend a few minutes cutting up a selection of fruit and put it on bamboo skewers or thin plastic straws. Raw vegetables or pita bread with a tasty dip or wraps also make good nutritious snacks and are easy for your children to help themselves to from the fridge.

. . . Annabel

Have a picky eater that 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 the questions each month!