Well meerkats aren’t exactly magical, but there are certainly fun to watch either at the zoo or on Animal Planet’s Meerkat Manor. Sometimes I think Meerkat Manor is a little too PG-13 for younger kids – too much death, sex and violence. So if you’re looking for something “meerkat-ish” for children three to six, check out Meet the Meerkat by Darrin Lunde from Charlesbridge Publishing.

Meet the Meerkat uses a question and answer format that should appeal to little children:

Hello, little animal. What is your name?

My name is Little Meerkat. I am a kind of a mongoose.

This would be a great book to read before a trip to the zoo. You’ll follow Little Meerkat into the Kalahari desert and learn about his life and habitat. Patricia J. Wynee provides scientifically accurate – and charming – illustrations. (Click here to download a coloring page PDF.)

Also by Darrin Lunde and perfect for Halloween is Hello, Bumblebee Bat (for children three to six). Again using the question and answer format, children are introduced into the life and habitat of the exotic and endangered Bumblebee Bat.

Speaking of bats, why not try baking up a batch of Martha Stewart’s Dulce De Leche Bat Cookies? These would be perfect to bring to the zoo for a meerkat or bat watching trip – or a Halloween party!

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I loved this bookmark idea from Martha Stewart. My kids are always pulling out my bookmarks. Lucie finds this terribly amusing. I don’t. So when Martha claims this bookmark will stay put, I hope she’s right.

This is a great craft to make with your kids. Have them pick out the paper and cut it into strips. Make several if you’re like me and are reading many books at once.

Directions to make Martha’s Stay Put Bookmark:

1. Laminate a strip of decorative paper, leaving an inch on each side. Thick wrapping paper, a strip from a postcard or greeting cord, or even an ad from a magazine would work.
2. Round the corners with a corner punch.
3. Punch a 1/8-inch hole on each end.
4. Cut 2 pieces of thick elastic cord. Cord like this come in either black or white and can be found at any craft, fabric or beading store.
5. Thread one end of each cord through one hole, and tie ends in a knot. Repeat on opposite end.
6. Use one elastic cord to mark your page, and wrap the other around the entire book to secure it.

Directions and photo courtesy of Martha Stewart Living magazine.

Are your children getting nervous about school? A great book for ages 4 to 8 for overcoming the first-day-of-school jitters, is The Apple Doll by Elisa Kleven. Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, the book is about little girl Lizzy who is very nervous about starting school. To feel better, she picks an apple and creates a makeshift doll named Susanna to accompany her. Lizzy’s mom then shows her how to make  a real apple doll, and with Susanna’s help, Lizzy finds a way to overcome her shyness and make friends at school.

The book comes with instructions on how to make an apple doll. (Click here to download the apple doll instructions from the book.) You can learn more about apple dolls at Apple Dolls, An American Folk Doll website. FamilyFun.com also has instructions for making apple dolls.

If you’re interested in reading more about apples – how they’re planted, grown, and harvested – check out Apples by Jacqueline Farmer (illustrated by Phyllis Limbacher Tildes). From Charlesbridge Publishing, this book is for aes 4 to 8. However, you’ll learn something about apples too. For instance, do you know what the difference is between cider and apple juice? (I didn’t until I read the book.) Cider is unfiltered apple juice. I dunno, the stuff at the store looks pretty filtered to me. The book also includes a recipe for apple pie.

Apple Recipes from A Readable Feast:

• Vulcan Apple Pastry
• Abigail Adams Apple Pan Dowdy
• Apple Recipes from Around the World

Other Sources:

• Apple recipes from Martha Stewart
• Two apple dishes from Simply Recipes – kid friendly Apple Chicken Quesadillas and Apple Turnovers
• Old-fashioned apple recipes from the Apple Journal
• Apple dishes from Allrecipes.com

The lucky winners of  my Halloween book giveaway contest for the Usborne Halloween Activities books are:

1. Jenn at Poohza’s Ponderings
2. Michelle M.
3. Lana B.
4. Kathy C.
5. Linda P.
6. Mary M.

As soon as I get everyone’s mailing info, I will send the books out.

In the meantime, I’ve been coming across some wonderful pumpkin soup and stew recipes where the pumpkin is used as a bowl. This one for White Bean and Sausage Stew in Pumpkin Bowls from Martha Stewart is one of the better ones.

White Bean and Sausage Stew in Pumpkin Bowls 
Serves 12
(Since this is such a large recipe – are you really going to serve 12 people or buy 12 pumpkins? – you may want to halve it.)

Ingredients:

1.  2 cups dried navy beans
2. 2 bay leaves
3. 2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1 tablespoon leaves
4. 5 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
5. 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
6. 12 sugar pumpkins (about 2 pounds each), washed and dried
7. 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8. Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
9. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
10. 1 pound turkey sausage, casings discarded, coarsely chopped
11. 3 dozen red pearl onions, peeled
12. 14 small red fingerling or new potatoes (about 12 ounces), halved lengthwise
13. 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
14. 2 large leeks, white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced crosswise, rinsed well
15. 1 celery stalk, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice
16. 1/2 pound white button mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
17. 1 cup fresh shelled or thawed frozen baby peas
18. 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
19. 1 1/4 cups whole milk
20. 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh sage
21. 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Directions:

1. Put beans into a medium bowl; cover with cold water by 2 inches. Refrigerate 8 hours (up to overnight). Drain beans and transfer to a large stockpot.
2. Make bouquet garni: Place bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and the peppercorns on a square of cheesecloth; tie into a bundle with kitchen twine. Add stock, onion, and bouquet garni to pot with beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer until beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid. Discard bouquet garni.
3. Preheat oven to 350°. Using a keyhole saw, cut out tops of pumpkins, and reserve. Remove seeds. Rub inside of each pumpkin with the oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place pumpkins and tops right side up on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake 25 minutes. Remove tops; let cool completely on a wire rack, and reserve for garnish. Turn pumpkins upside down, and bake until flesh is tender but firm, about 25 minutes more. Let cool completely on rack.
4. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add sausage. Cook, stirring, until sausage is browned, about 7 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the pearl onions, potatoes, carrots, leeks, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened, about 12 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and peas. Stir in flour, and cook 2 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to medium. Add milk; simmer 5 minutes. Stir in beans, reserved cooking liquid, sage, thyme leaves, and 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer; cook until thick, about 30 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350°. Divide the stew among pumpkin shells. Place on baking sheets, and bake until pumpkins are soft, about 15 minutes. Garnish with tops.

I have a love/hate relationship with Martha Stewart. Sometimes I love the ideas in her magazines. “Gawd, that’s gorgeous,” I think. Other times, I’m like, “Oh please. Enough already. Who has time for this anal-retentive homemaking crap?”

So with trepidation I advise you to pick up the October 2006 issue of Martha Stewart Living. It’s full of terrific fall recipes and Halloween crafts that you can actually do without too much brain damage or without breaking the bank, either.

One of the issues simpler recipes is for Squash Quesadillas:

Hearty butternut squash is often roasted as a seasonal side dish, but a whole one might yield too much for a single meal. Try this with the leftovers: Mash the squash, and sandwich it, along with a layer of cheese (we used cheddar and Monterey Jack), between two tortillas; cook over medium heat in a skillet, flipping once, until both sides are golden and cheese is melted. Cut the quesadilla into wedges, and serve them as a tasty appetizer or a snack.

The Pragmatic Chef has an even better recipe for Corn and Squash Quesadillas done on the grill. Yummy! Don’t both look like a great way to get kids to eat some very healthy butternut squash?

I’ll be featuring more of Martha’s recipes and crafts all month, but if you can’t wait check out her book Halloween: The Best of Martha Stewart Living.

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