Delish!The Jewish holiday Purim celebrates Queen Esther's denunciation of the evil Haman, thereby saving the Jews of Persia from destruction. There are many food traditions associated with this particularly festive spring feast known as Se'udah Purim. Because Esther ate only grains, seeds and legumes to keep kosher while living with King Ahasuerus, legumes and poppy seeds are traditional foods. Triangle-shaped foods are popular, as they recall either the hat or ear of Haman. And drink is also an important part of the holiday; (age-appropriate) celebrants are urged to, well, get a little tipsy.

However your family chooses to celebrate their Se'udah, we've got an array of traditional and family-friendly recipes for your feast. Chag Semeach Purim (Happy Purim)!

Pumpkin Challah
Challah is a popular food for many Jewish holidays. During Purim, the Challah is formed into a long, elaborate braid to symbolize the rope used to hang Haman.

Related: What you should know about Purim and girl power

A guide to imbibing without embarrassmentIn recent years, the world of wine and its champions have made impressive strides to overcome that harsh, nagging stereotype that wine lovers are snobby and elitist.

Click here to see The Complete Guide to Ordering Wine

We're lucky, really, to be living in such an age of drink super-geekdom that has given rise to a wealth of unique venues, companies, and brands. These are genuine passion projects run by folks more than eager to share their enthusiasm and knowledge, lively wine tastings where people won't give you a glaring side-eye if you don't spit after every taste, and wine bars that feel as relaxed and casual as your favorite local dive. Take Corkbar in Los Angeles, for instance, whose owner, the appropriately named Caleb Wines, notes "It seemed like most of the 'wine bars' here were just glorified restaurants or really esoteric and intimidating, where if you didn't know the latest Eastern European varietal you were made to feel like an idiot."

Click here to see the World's Most

The McDonald's Shamrock Shake Copycat RecipeThis is probably the only time you'll ever find me imitating a recipe from McDonald's. I generally steer clear of all fast food restaurants, except in March. The minute the Shamrock Shake hits the menu I am in the drive-thru faster than you can say "shake." In fact, I once attended a formal dance in high school in March, and we took the limo through the drive-thru just to get Shamrock Shakes before we were dropped off at home! I don't know what it is about the mint green shake - it is just so darn delicious that I can't get enough of it. It is also the best way I know how to celebrate St. Patrick's Day when you are not Irish!

There are tons of copycat recipes on the web, and I've been experimenting with my own. I like to go heavy on the ice cream so that it is extra thick. Sometimes I don't use green food coloring since it only adds color, not flavor. No matter how you serve it up, I guarantee it will be a hit at home.

Related: The most age-inappropriate toddler gear (what were they

Say
By Sayward Rebhal, Networx

The 21st century world is a very unnatural time to live in. And for the most part, that's just peachy keen. The Internet, for example, is one modern invention I'm pretty fond of. And I'm glad we have, you know, like . . . doctors, grocery stores, fire-resistant roofing materials and robotic vacuum cleaners that do all the work for you!

Yes, postmodern living has its perks. But there's a dark side, too, in this hyper-processed wonderland. Medicine is fine and dandy and robots are just plain awesome, but what about eating? What about health? What the heck has happened to our food?

The truth is that synthetic replacements just can't stack up the real thing, and science doesn't always have the answers. That's probably why we're seeing a widespread resurgence of natural living; a return to a holistic lifestyle.

All of our needs can be met using real, ground-grown produce instead of laboratory engineered products. (Passionate gardeners from Dallas to

Grapefruit MeringuesI'm hosting a party for a dear friend who can't have dairy. Of course, homemade sweets are essential to any gathering, so I've planned a dairy-free spread of desserts. Rather than use dairy-free substitutes for the real thing, I prefer to bake treats that taste better without any dairy. Here are 5 delicious ones:

1. Angel Food Cake: Egg whites give this cake its ethereal lift and ground hazelnuts add a delicious richness. A dusting of confectioners' sugar makes it pretty enough for the party.

2. Wine Poached Pears: I love the deep burgundy hue of the pears. To serve, I place each one in a dish and serve with scoops of different shades of pink sorbets (strawberry, raspberry, peach).

3. Grapefuit Meringue Nests with Mixed Berries: Sweet red grapefruits make all the difference here. The aromatic zest is in the meringues and the juice flavors the berries.

4. Crunchy Chocolate Biscotti: Our Food Director, Susan Westmoreland, created this crunchy cookie recipe for her dad. Chock full

By GalTime DIY Diva Malia Karlinsky

Make your own Easter memories

It's almost springtime and that means eggs, baskets and candy. Of course you can buy some pricey Easter decor-- but why not make some yourself... and use up some of last year's plastic Easter eggs in the process?

DIY Painted Easter Eggs

Supplies: Modge Podge, plastic eggs, letter stamps, Staz-on Ink, acrylic paint, scrap material (canvas, cotton or even light colored ribbon would work). Optional: Stickles or glitter.

Directions

1. Channel your inner child and paint the plastic eggs with the acrylic paint. It may take up to 4 coats, but the paint dries quickly. If you like things sparkly, you can use Stickles or glitter to sparkle up the eggs.

2. In the meantime, stamp some sentiments on your scrap fabric. Some happy little words I used: Tweet, Chirp, Cheep!, Swoon, Glee, Spring, Delight, Bloom, Grow and Fly. Cut out the words and glue them on the eggs with Modge Podge.

Related: 5 Egg-cellent Ways to Save on Easter

Peat

These cocktails skimp on calories--not flavor. Try one of them tonight for a healthy way to kick back and relax after work.

Randarita1. Randarita: On February 13, 2012 country singer Miranda Lambert tweeted about her love for a cocktail she calls a "randarita" (which is a concoction of Bacardi and Crystal Light). She even made Lady Gaga a fan.

One Twitter follower replied with her own touch: with vanilla Bacardi and pink lemonade Crystal Light. @Jaymidann tweets that it "tastes like cotton candy!"

RELATED: The Worst Drinks for Your Body

Ginger Elixir2. Ginger Elixir: Ginger is an ancient Asian remedy for digestive problems and can ease an upset stomach. At La Costa Resort and Spa, their Ginger Elixir, a non-alcoholic "ayurvedic cocktail" from the Legends Bistro and the Spa Café, is best served before a meal.

Blend one cup of ginger juice, one cup of lemon juice, one cup of water, and one-fourth of a cup of honey and serve!

Photo Credit: La Costa Resort and Spa