GOOD TASTES.

FOR KIDS: The holidays are the perfect season to spend some time with your kids in the kitchen. The number of food-making products on the market has been growing steadily the past few years. Two of our favorites this year are the Disney Smoothie Maker and Popcorn Popper ($39.99 each). Both are available at Target stores.

Bright red and charmingly designed for the kitchen, both perform as good if not better than the adult versions. And both machines have great safety features for little helpers.

The Popcorn Popper lets kids - with adult supervision - watch as kernels pop and fill the container, which conveniently turns into a bowl for snacking on the freshly made treat.

We put it through the paces, and each time the machine popped almost every kernel - and the kids enjoyed the show with glee. It's nice to learn that popcorn doesn't originate in a bag.

Mixing their favorite fruits and other ingredients into delicious drinks with the Smoothie Maker was a surefire way to get our kids to drink many of the recommended daily five. Kid-friendly controls made it easy and safe to make smoothies (with an adult for supervision and taste-testing, of course). Each time, the mixing was superb. No lumps in our smoothies.

- JoAnn E.B. Yerem

PRESIDENTIAL PASTRIES: Collin Street Bakery, a Texas-based business founded in 1896, is, for many, synonymous with its well-known DeLuxe fruitcake. Now the bakery has expanded its horizons and is offering a line of gourmet presidential pastries (favorite desserts of five presidents and first families) created by former White House executive pastry chef Roland Mesnier. The first three in the presidential series (they're not inexpensive) are now available and include White House Banana Celebration Cake ($33.95), White House Passion Fruit Pound Cake ($34.95) and White House Pumpkin Friendship Cake ($39.95). Prices include shipping. To order and for more information, go to the company Web site at www.collinstreetbakery.com, or call [phone].

- Natalie Haughton

DINING OUT: Tim and Liza Goodell, the talented husband-and-wife team from Orange County (Aubergine, Troquet, Red Pearl Kitchen, etc.) recently opened Meson G, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in the former Citrus-turned-Alex space at 6703 Melrose Ave., Hollywood. Open for lunch weekdays and dinner nightly, it specializes in small plates, which are currently trendy. For information or reservations, call [phone].

- N.H.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1) WHITE HOUSE PASSION FRUIT POUND CAKE

(2) no caption (Disney Popcorn Popper)

(3) no caption (Disney Smoothie Maker)