This is the blog Heather wrote on "How to Make Cooking a Big Meal No Biggie": http://everydayfoodblog.marthastewart.com/2012/09/how-to-make-cooking-a-big-meal-no-biggie.html

And these are a few more of her favorite fast, easy, inexpensive Everyday Food recipes — perfect for the busy days leading up to Christmas and New Year's:

Pappardelle with Caramelized Onions and Parmesan

http://www.marthastewart.com/336532/pappardelle-with-caramelized-onions-and

Spinach with Orzo and Feta

http://www.marthastewart.com/333844/spinach-with-orzo-and-feta

Penne with Two Tomatoes and Mozzarella

http://www.marthastewart.com/314711/penne-with-two-tomatoes-and-mozzarella

Baked Eggs in Tomato Parmesan-Sauce

http://www.marthastewart.com/312953/baked-eggs-in-tomato-parmesan-sauce

You can find more of Heather's favorite recipes at heatherplusmike.com.

Happy Holidays everyone.

Plan ahead when traveling with children to keep them entertained. Pack a bag filled with crayons, colored markers, notebook paper and toys. Wrap kids' magazines and books up as presents and bring them out as soon as your kids put on their seatbelts.

Carry emergency rations for a long trip. Kids get hungry often, especially when they're bored. Tuck an apple, crackers, a granola bar, a bottle of water, and two aspirins in your bag.

Be prepared for the unexpected. Food spills can happen on your clothes anytime and anywhere – in the backseat of a car, on the plane or at Grandma's house during a holiday meal. Pack an instant stain removing pen, in your bag to keep you and your family looking clean and fresh for the holidays.

When traveling by plane, get your seat assignments when you make your reservations and confirm them a week before your departure to make sure you'll be sitting with your kids. Occasionally airlines switch planes and seating configurations can change or be canceled.

Presents, either those being given or received, must be unwrapped for security checks at airports.

Air Travel. Don't let anyone reading your id tags know where you live. They already know you're not going to be home for the holidays. Identify ownership on luggage tags but only with a name,   email – no home address please.

Leave for the airport early! On peak travel days it can often take an extra 30 minutes just to approach the terminal. It won't matter if you are in a bus, car or taxi, you'll need extra time just to get in the door. Lines at the security check may also be very long and move slowly. Pack your patience!

Avoid layovers whenever possible. If you do transfer planes, be realistic and allow time for unexpected delays. Trying to make a twenty-minute flight connection with kids is asking for chaos -- an emergency potty stop could make you miss a connection.

Under-plan your days and move at a leisurely pace so you and your family can enjoy the holidays without feeling constantly rushed. Plan quiet time or naps for the children.

If you share your home with an exotic pet, such as a rare breed bird, a reptile, or a sugar glider, be sure to tune-in to “Ask Marc the PetKeeper,” for some important cold weather care tips!!

Our very own Marc Morrone will be talking to Dr. Laurie Hess, owner of the Veterinary Center for Birds and Exotics in Westchester County, New York and a contributor to the Pet Health Network web site, a reputable and user-friendly resource for pet owners and veterinarians.

Dr. Hess will share the top list of must-dos in caring for exotics in cold weather.

Plus, she and Marc will be on hand LIVE to answer any of your pet questions!

Be sure to catch “Ask Marc the Petkeeper” today November 16 at 8pm east/5pm west on Martha Stewart Living Radio, Sirius XM 110.

Martha Stewart, and an esteemed group of our nation’s top chefs, including Mario Batali, Amanda Freitag and Jonathan Waxman will help you solve all your turkey day dilemmas during the sixth annual Martha Stewart Living Radio Thanksgiving Hotline.

From Monday, November 19, through Wednesday, November 21, we'll have celebrity chefs, entertaining expert Colin Cowie and beer and wine aficionados Garrett Oliver, Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg standing by to answer your holiday entertaining questions, live on Martha Stewart Living Radio (SiriusXM 110). Call us at 866-675-6675 between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET.

Even if you're not a SiriusXM subscriber, you can tune in to the hotline for FREE by signing up for a FREE 30-day trial. Below is a list of chefs, designers, and other special guests who will answer your questions every hour!

Each of the chefs and experts participating in the Hotline has contributed a recipe and tips for our Thanksgiving Hotline Cookbook. Download the FREE book to see their delicious recipes.  For a printer-friendly version click here.

For the full Hotline schedule, please see below:

Monday, November 19, 2012
Hotline: 866-675-6675

7 a.m.:  Tiffany Derry, Executive Chef & Partner at Dallas’s Private|Social Restaurant

8 a.m.: Sunny Anderson, Food Personality and Host of Food Network’s “Home Made in America with Sunny Anderson,” & “Cooking For Real”

9 a.m.: Elizabeth Falkner, Acclaimed Chef, Television Personality, Cookbook Author, and Chef and Co-Owner of Krescendo pizzeria in Brooklyn, New York

10 a.m.: Chris Cosentino, Chef/Co-Owner, Incanto & Boccalone

11 a.m.: Emily Luchetti, Chair of the James Beard Foundation, Executive Pastry Chef at San Francisco’s Farallon and Waterbar restaurants, and a Dean at the International Culinary Center in New York and California

12 p.m.: Bill Telepan, Executive Chef and Owner of New York City's Telepan Restaurant

1 p.m.: Melissa Clark, Celebrated Food Writer, New York Times “A Good Appetite” Columnist, and Author, “Cook This Now: 120 Easy and Delectable Dishes You Can’t Wait to Make”

2 p.m.: Charlie Palmer, Master Chef and Restaurateur

3 p.m.: Karen Page & Andrew Dornenburg, Two-time James Beard Award-winning authors ofglobal bestsellers: “The Flavor Bible” and “What to Drink with What You Eat”

4 p.m.: Martha Stewart is on live to answer all your Thanksgiving questions!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Hotline: 866-675-6675

7 a.m.: Donatella Arpaia, Chef, Restaurateur, Cookbook Author, and Food Network staple

8 a.m.: Jonathan Waxman, Award-Winning Chef & Owner of New York City’s Barbuto & Author of “A Great American Cook:  Recipes from the Home Kitchen of One of Our Most Influential Chefs” and “Italian, My Way”

9 a.m.: Tom Douglas, Award-winning Seattle Chef and Restaurateur, and author of  “The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook: Sweetness in Seattle”

10 a.m.: Michel Nischan, CEO/President of Wholesome Wave, owner of Dressing Room restaurant, and Author of “Sustainably Delicious: Making the World a Better Place, One Recipe at a Time”

11 a.m.: Gina DePalma, Award-Winning Pastry Chef at Babbo Restaurant and Enoteca in New York’s Greenwich Village & Author of Dolce Italiano:  Desserts From The Babbo Kitchen

12 p.m.: Michael Lomonaco - Executive Chef and Managing Partner at Porter House New York and Executive Chef and Owner, Center Bar at Time Warner Center

1 p.m.: Mike Price, Executive Chef & Owner, New York’s Market Table

2 p.m.: Rick Bayless, Top Chef Master, Executive Chef at Chicago’s Frontera Grill, and author of “Fiesta At Rick’s” and “Frontera: Margaritas, Guacamoles and Snacks”

3 p.m.: Nick Anderer, executive chef of New York City’s Maialino restaurant & Colin Cowie, Celebrity Event Planner and Designer, Author, Lifestyle Expert, Ambassador of Style

4 p.m.: Lucinda Scala Quinn, Executive Director of Food and Entertaining at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia & Sarah Carey, Editor-in-Chief, Everyday Food magazine

Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Hotline: 866-675-6675

7 a.m.: David Burke, Celebrity Chef and Owner of The Burke Group Restaurants

8 a.m.: Amanda Freitag, Chef, Television Personality, and Judge on Food Network’s “Chopped”

9 a.m.: Sara Moulton, Chef, Television Personality and Author, “Everyday Family Dinners”

10 a.m.: Mario Batali - Chef, Restaurateur & Author, “Molto Batali: Simple Family Meals from My Home to Yours”

11 a.m.: Johnny Iuzzini, James Beard Award-Winning Pastry Chef and Author of “Dessert Fourplay: Sweet Quartets from a Four-Star Pastry Chef”

12 p.m.: Alex Guarnaschelli, Executive Chef at New York’s Butter & The Darby restaurants

1 p.m.: Elizabeth Karmel,  Founder of Girls at the Grill and Executive Chef at New York’s Hill Country Barbecue Market and Hill Country Chicken

2 p.m.: Art Smith, Executive chef and co-owner of Table fifty-two, Art and Soul, Southern Art, and

LYFE Kitchen restaurants and New York City’s Joanne Trattoria

3 p.m.:  Joey Campanaro, Chef & Owner of The Little Owl in New York City and Village Belle in Philadelphia, Owner, Blackfoot Consulting and Little Owl - The Venue @ 93 Greenwich Avenue & Garrett Oliver, Brewmaster of The Brooklyn Brewery, Author of The Brewmaster's Table, and Editor-in-Chief of The Oxford Companion to Beer

4 p.m.:  Cat Cora, Celebrity Chef, Entrepreneur, and Founder of Chef’s for Humanity

Christmas lights always make us feel warm and fuzzy, and we wish we could decorate our houses like fairy castles all year round. Well, today on Morning Living, we asked our listeners to tell us all the neat, out-of-the-box ways they use twinkle lights to bring a lick of sparkle to their lives. Here are some of our listener's nifty ways to light up your holidays:

Beth in North Carolina:

Decorates the bare trees in her yard my creating orbs made from grape vines and string lights... a vintage idea torn from the pages of Martha's very first Holiday book!

Theresa in Texas:

Takes a mason jar and fills it with a string of lights but leaves the plug out. Then she takes her favorite potpourri and fills up the jar around the light. When you turn on the lights, the heat from the bulbs energize the potpourri and fills her house with delicious smells!

Brenda in Iowa:

Lays down sheets of lights, that people normally use for covering bushes, in her flower beds to create a warming glow under her blooms year-round!

Heather in Kentucky:

Ties fabric scraps to long strings of lights to make what she calls Country Garlands.

Judy in Missouri:

Lights up a dark corner of her kitchen by taking an empty wine bottle and filling it with tiny lights. Judy keeps hers on the kitchen counter and says she uses it all year!

Pat in California:

Decorates her golf cart with long string lights for a nighttime ride.

Deen in Arkasas:

Fills an empty crystal champagne bucket with string lights and tops it off with some pine cones for an autumnal light display.

We know you'v got some great ideas up your sleeve, so let us know and leave it in the comments section below!

Download audio file (11-8-12-Home-Depot-Integration-Seg-2.mp3)