10 Things You Didn't Know About Martha Stewart (Slideshow)

Back when she was known as Martha Helen Kostyra, Stewart babysat the children of baseball greats Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Gil McDougald. Even at the ripe age of ten Stewart had some pretty impressive connections. To this day she is a staunch Yankees fan.

Believe it or not, the culinary aficionado is a big fan of rap music. She often listened to it on the set of The Martha Stewart Show. Her favorite hip-hop artist is Eminem.

Holding the title of America's greatest cook/baker/host is no easy task. It's no wonder the woman can't get enough shut eye! Stewart reputedly has a hard time getting a full nights' sleep and can often be found indulging in late night television shows.

Martha Stewart has always been a passionate animal owner and advocate. However the sheer number of animals in her care is quite astonishing. Stewart's farm is home to four horses, 200 chickens, two sheep, three miniature donkeys, five cats, three dogs and 25 red canaries. Oh, and did we mention she's a beekeeper? How quaint!

Stewart (or M. Diddy as she was known in prison) encountered a bit of legal trouble in 2002 when she was indicted on charges of insider trading. She served five months of jail time in 2004 and was sentenced to strict home confinement immediately following her stay in prison. During her time in the white-collar facility her net worth more than tripled, bringing her total net worth to over $1 billion.

Before Martha Stewart was known for her culinary pursuits, she held a number of interesting positions. As a teenager, Stewart earned a paycheck modeling and appeared in several magazine ads and television commercials, including one for Tareyton's cigarettes. She later made a name for herself as a stockbroker with the small firm Monness, Williams and Sidel. She reportedly used her looks to her advantage in board meetings by occasionally showing up in hot pants

Stewart divorced her husband Andrew Stewart in 1987. Upon entering the dating pool, Stewart entertained a brief romance with actor Sir Anthony Hopkins. While they did get along, Stewart just couldn't get past one of his past roles. After watching The Silence Of The Lambs, she had some second thoughts. Apparently, Stewart could not stomach Hannibal Lecter's unique eating habits.

Stewart is known by her colleagues to be very detail-oriented and is somewhat of a tough cookie. In fact, she personally approved each and every piece of the 3,000 items licensed through Macy's. According to her head of merchandising, Stewart once refused to approve a pot, claiming it was "crap" and she didn't want her name on it.

Stewart's favorite scent is unscented. Faux aromas are not for her, which is why you'll find that all of her home products are fragrance-free.

One might think that an experienced chef like Stewart would only dine on the finest and fanciest of foods. But according to the cooking maven herself, the homemade meal she enjoys most is scrambled eggs.