Is there some reason why we tip baristas and not fast food employees? Because going by this espresso-making video we just came across, even a 5-year-old could make you a decent cappuccino -- cute foam heart included!

Awwww, check it out: Little Ellanie and Ethan carefully operate the espresso machine. Look at that crema! And then they steam the milk and pour it just so. And with the sweetest smiles, too. When was the last time your barista served you a smile? Never, that's when. So now I'm wondering, if a couple of 5-year-olds can make a gorgeous cappuccino, doesn't that make the job look kind of easy?

Ah, the holidays. You bleed money for weeks while you shop for gifts. Then Christmas dinner rolls around and you find yourself turning your pockets inside-out and finding two nickles and some lint. Are you dreading paying for that giant, extravagant ham? That budget-busting prime rib? Isn't there a cheaper way to celebrate?

Of course there is! But it might require a total re-think on what Christmas dinner looks like. Traditionally there's a big, pricey hunk'o'meat at the center. There's your biggest expense. But what if you moved the meat from the center to the sides? The budget-friendly Christmas dinner can be satisfying and even decadent if you use meat as a flavoring or garnish rather than the centerpiece -- we promise! Check out these ideas.

Holidays 101: Baking and decorating batches and batches of sugary cookies shaped like reindeer and stars and snowmen and Christmas trees is absolutely mandatory. If you can't produce a few dozen, you're basically the Grinch. Oh, and this is definitely supposed to be a kid-friendly kitchen activity! Otherwise you might as well put coal in their stockings.

Except anyone who's ever tried to show a 4-year-old how to use a rolling pin knows what an exercise in frustration this activity can be: My dough won't get flat! My reindeer's legs fell off!

Hey, wasn't this supposed to be fun?

The great thing about these candy cane cookies is that they actually are fun to make with kids, basically because they're almost impossible to mess up (no matter what you do, they come out looking like candy canes). Plus they don't require the use of a rolling pin!

In my opinion, homemade holiday gifts are the best kind. Particularly if they're edible, and especially if they're chocolate. Nothing would make me happier than to get a gift-wrapped box of homemade fudge as a Christmas present. (Actually, who am I kidding? You don't have to gift-wrap it. Put the fudge in a zip-lock bag for all I care. It's fudge!!)

Anyway, another great thing about giving fudge as a gift is that it stays fresh longer than cookies or most other treats (with the exception of fruitcake, but who wants that??). If properly wrapped, fudge will keep for up to two weeks.

This fudge recipe from Martha Stewart is much easier than most because it doesn't require a candy thermometer. So even the kids can help out!

I can't wait to receive give this fudge as a gift ...

BEHOLD! Knives flashing over shiny vegetables! All-important taste tests! Apple-spewing! Yelling! Poofy hair and golden capes! Jason Schwartzman! It's Cast Iron Cooks -- a wacky new segment on Sesame Street.

Bored to Death star Jason is the wild-eyed judge in a fruit and veggie cooking contest that spoofs Iron Chef, the American version of the Japanese cooking show. Humans must compete against Muppets in preparing three dishes -- WHO WILL WIN THE CHALLENGE?!? Only Jason Schwartzman knows! And you -- if you watch the video below! Are you ready? Then get your red satin chef's toque on! BEGIN!

I don't know about your kids, but mine aren't huge fans of pumpkin pie. Every Thanksgiving I watch them try to like it, because, well, by the time you're 4 years old, you know pumpkin pie is practically the whole point of the holiday, but they're still not sold. (Hey, I didn't like it when I was little either. I had an annual tradition of accepting a slice only so I could eat the dollop of whipped cream off the top, then dump the pie itself in the trash.)

Kids like their desserts fun and colorful, and that's what's great about these cookies: They're kid-friendly AND just as Thanksgiving-centric as pumpkin pie. Plus, your kids will have a blast helping you make them. (If you're not up for making the cookie dough from scratch, just buy a roll of ready-made. We won't tell.)

If you've seen the tearjerker classic film Steel Magnolias, you remember the groom's cake. Although it looked like a gray armadillo on the outside, the cake itself was blood red. Not exactly uber-appetizing, huh! Who would have thought that however many years later, the traditional Southern red velvet cake would be the "it" dessert of the moment. One the whole country was salivating over?

For instance, you've surely tried a slice of red velvet cake or a red velvet cupcake. There are also those cute little red velvet whoopie pies at Starbucks. But have you had something red velvet for ... BREAKFAST? Oh yeah, this is a whole new frontier! Red velvet pancakes are sweeping the nation. Even sweeter news: Your own batch is super-easy to make.

This time of year always brings back great childhood memories of my dad taking me to an old-timey candy shop outside Chicago known for their fresh caramel apples. Every fall, it was a tradition to go in and get a couple of them. Sometimes, for an extra special treat, we would get one or two that weren't only coated in fresh caramel, but also had a layer of chocolate. To me, that was always the ultimate!!

Yeah, they sell apples like this in the grocery store these days, but I'm convinced you haven't experienced a caramel apple until you've had one that fresh. Hence, a homemade chocolate caramel apple recipe anyone can easily DIY any day, any time of the year!