Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home



You will want to make sure you are at your favorite bookstore on October 13th to pick up the newest cookbook from Martha Stewart: “Martha Stewart’s Dinner at Home.” It is another cookbook that is sure to become a trusted kitchen resource.

While there’s so much to love about all of the cookbooks published by MSLO, each new release is designed in such a way that they become even more valuable to the home cook.



Dinner at Home features 52 diverse and complete menus that are grouped seasonally. The menus include starters, main courses, side dishes, and desserts that make the most of each season’s flavors. What makes this book a bit different is the simple preparation schedule that allows the home cook to plan and prepare a meal in just about an hour or so. The home cook can ‘mix and match’ seasonal recipes to create their own menu combinations. In her introduction, Martha urges readers to “use this book strategically. Study the lists of menus following each season’s opener, then choose meals or individual recipes that fit your needs and make the best use of your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer."



This well organized cookbook volume allows you to do just that.

As with all Martha Stewart Living publications, beautiful photography is a ‘given.’ This new book is no exception to the well established MSLO standard. The photographs pop from the pages and provide excellent visual inspiration to try the menus and recipes.

Something that is important to me as a cook is the availability of ingredients found in the recipes. As I looked through the book, I was pleased to find that the ingredients used could easily be found at local grocery stores and farm markets. Martha points out that some ingredients that were once thought to be ‘gourmet’ items are now readily available at your favorite grocer; and that, to coin a phrase, is a good thing.

If you’re planning dinner for your family, or a casual dinner gathering with friends, “Dinner at Home” is an excellent go-to resource. I would highly recommend adding this book to your cooking library.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Mad Hungry



Lucinda Scala Quinn, Executive Food Director for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia has started her own blog, "Mad Hungry."  The title of her blog mirrors the title of her soon to be released cookbook. 

Lucinda certainly stays busy with her many duties related to MSLO.  Outside of her food director duties, she is also a co-host of the PBS series "Everyday Food," and has her own show on Sirius/XM (channels 112/157) "EatDrink with Lucinda Scala Quinn."  As a listener to her radio show... it's fab-u-lous!  Try and tune in sometime.  The show is entertaining as well as being chocked full of helpful information and interesting guests.

Take a few moments to see the beginning of what I'm sure will be a long and wonderful blog to enjoy.  Twitter more your game?  You can follow her there too!

Favorite Places in Sharon Springs

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, it’s no secret that I’m in love with Sharon Springs, New York. This quaint village captured my heart on our first visit last spring and embedded its charm into my soul last weekend during the first annual Harvest Festival. Here are a few of my favorite places:

The American Hotel

Built in 1847 by Nicholas LaRue of Esperance, NY the American operated as a hotel until the 1950s and then as a private religious retreat until the 1970s. After 30 years of neglect, owners Garth Roberts and Doug Plummer (two of the most fabulous people you will ever meet) saved the property from demolition with an extensive four year renovation. The American Hotel reopened in the summer of 2001.




Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the American Hotel offers guests nine individually designed rooms, a cozy tavern to enjoy a nightcap and a beautiful dining room to enjoy food prepared by Chef Lee Woolver. The American menu features high quality seasonal and locally grown ingredients.




The porch of the American is beautifully decorated and calls out to guests to sit, relax, and enjoy.




Hotel guests are treated to a hearty breakfast each morning featuring their signature corncakes with Granny Smith apples, bacon and maple butter. Food Network host Rachel Ray featured the American and the delicious corncake breakfast on her show “40 Dollars a Day.”


The American Tavern/Lobby area is comfortable and cozy

Hotel owners Doug and Garth are wonderful hosts for your stay.  Need information or advice on great places to visit?  They'll be sure to direct you.  Need a good laugh while enjoying one of Dougs great martinis in the tavern?  You'll be rollling on the floor.  Doug and Garth very quickly became friends.


Cobbler & Co

While I was busy at the Harvest Festival, David ventured off to visit a local shop across the street from the American. When he returned he told me I HAD to visit the shop named “Cobbler & Co.” I was off to explore!

Cobbler & Co. is a twelve-room, eclectic gift shop with an ever changing array of gifts, cards, and home décor.

The original structure, built in 1898 was a one floor millinery shop, operated by Florence

Fonda. The building had a second story of boarding house rooms added in the early 1900s and was known as Florence Cottage. Subsequently, a shoe repair business in the building for almost 50 years closed at the end of the summer season in 1970. The D’Amico family operated their shoe repair shop in the front room, lived in the back of the first floor and continued to rent rooms on the second floor.

Once the D’Amicos retired, the building remained unoccupied and untouched for almost 30 years. All the original shoe repair equipment, shoe shine chair, cash register, coal stove, even the boarder’s kitchen, their clawfoot bathtub, beds and dressers upstairs were still in place. Many of these artifacts have been left in their original places for today’s visitors to enjoy.



Each of the rooms in the Cobbler & Co. have their own specialty selection of products for sale. You could spend hours in the shop and I’m still not sure you would see everything!


Meeting business owner Maureen, was like seeing an old friend. Her warm, welcoming and friendly nature immediately made you feel like a regular customer and a friend. I spent a half hour with Maureen talking about the history of the building and Sharon Springs. I could have talked with her all day!


The Black Cat Café & Bakery

A visit to Sharon Springs would not be complete without a visit to the Black Cat Café & Bakery.

David and I enjoyed our visit to the Black Cat on our first visit to Sharon Springs and we were anxious to return to enjoy the atmosphere and the excellent food.

When you enter the Black Cat, you can’t help but notice that each table is different, each chair is different, and patrons are obviously enjoying their visit. Intimate conversations take place while ‘standards’ play in the background, making the Black Cat Café a wonderful place to catch up with a friend and enjoy a good meal.

 
 


Tony, the owner of the Black Cat always has a story to share. There are no strangers at the Black Cat.

After Tony and his family visited Sharon Springs during a summer vacation, they (much like everyone) fell in love with the village so full of history. Daughter Isabella had a love story of her own, meeting a black cat that was living behind the American Hotel. The elegant black cat became the inspiration for the new café and Bakery.

The Black Cat is more than a café. They share their love of cooking with cooking classes and have published a cookbook of their favorite recipes.



The menu is simple and delicious. When you want to hang out with your best friend, who wants fussy food?

There are so many places to see and explore in Sharon Springs.  Make your vacation a trip to Sharon Springs.  Tell Garth, Doug, Tony and Maureen we said, "hello!" 

Monday, September 21, 2009

The Final Walk of Summer at Beekman

Take a moment to watch this video I created on our Final Walk of Summer at Beekman.  We're so blessed to be able to spend the weekend with Brent and Josh, Jackie (Mom to Josh), Rhema, Kay, and a host of others. 

There is so much to share about our weekend.  Stay tuned for more!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Technical Difficulties

Our trip to Sharon Springs and the Harvest Festival has been an incredible and memorable four days.  We've met so many loving people, visited wonderful shops, and for a short time, we became part of this incredible village called Sharon Springs.  There is just a small drawback however, and that's the lack of a solid internet connection!  With that little problem, it's been impossible to post the updates I wanted to post and the pictures and videos of our time here.  But, never fear... once we arrive back home, we'll have plenty to share and plenty to talk about! 

Today, we begin our journey back home.  A part of me misses home (and the cats!) and a part of me never wants to leave this small slice of heaven on earth.  I could definitely get used to this slower pace, where the closest fast food restaurant is 12 or so miles away.  I can't say it enough... I love it here. 

We're heading to the Beekman this morning for one last visit (and to wrap soap!) before we make our way back home.  One last hug of of the goats;  one last hug for our newly adopted family members Jackie, Rhema, and Kay; and one last hug to Josh and Brent. 

Sadly, we'll say goodbye to Sharon Springs for a while, but I know we'll be back.  This place is in my blood.... I'll always return 'home' to Sharon Springs. 

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

On the Road Again...

We're off to Sharon Springs, NY for a few days.  I've been waiting for months for this day to arrive so I can leave the daily stress behind and return to a place we fell in love with last May. 

We're heading east to attend the Garden Party at Beekman Farm and the Harvest Festival in the heart of the village.  As foolish as it sounds, I want to hug a goat or two, run like a hyperactive child around the Beekman grounds, and enjoy the company of friends. 

While we're there, I'll be blogging often, sharing our trip and adventures. I hope you'll stop back and enjoy the visit with us!

Monday, September 14, 2009

MARTHA STEWART BREAKING NEWS!: MSLO and HOME DEPOT DEVELOP NEW LINE FOR 2010

After much speculation and numerous internet rumors, The Home Depot®, the world’s largest home improvement retailer and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (MSLO), today announced an agreement to develop an exclusive Martha Stewart Living brand of home improvement products in select categories including Outdoor Living, Home Organization and Home Décor. The Martha Stewart Living brand at The Home Depot will provide consumers with distinctive, innovative merchandise, while staying true to Home Depot’s commitment to value and everyday low price.

“Our partnership with Martha Stewart is a natural fit. For years both organizations have been the go-to destination for consumers seeking ideas and information regarding their home improvement projects,” said Frank Blake, chairman & CEO, The Home Depot. “Martha and her organization offer the best, most practical design ideas for customers and together we will offer unique products at affordable prices, along with enhanced know-how to help consumers complete any project.”

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with The Home Depot, the largest home improvement retailer in the world,” said Martha Stewart, MSLO Founder. “Martha Stewart products have always been stylish and distinctive, with a consistently high level of quality. Partnering with The Home Depot allows us to offer a wider audience the product and 'how-to' information they need to complete all of their home improvement projects.”

The Home Depot and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia partnership is one of true collaboration. Martha Stewart and her team of designers are working side by side with The Home Depot merchant and design teams to produce a brand that allows customers to easily coordinate décor and design elements when taking on home improvement projects.

MSLO Executive Chairman and Principal Executive Officer Charles Koppelman said, “This exciting new partnership allows MSLO to significantly broaden our reach and expand our business. Between our program at The Home Depot and our robust offerings at Macy’s and other retailers, customers will now find Martha Stewart products wherever they shop.”

Products in the Outdoor Living category will begin to launch in January 2010 in the U.S. and February 2010 in Canada. Products in the Home Organization categories will launch in February 2010. The Outdoor Living line will consist of many different styles of patio dining and conversation sets ranging in price from $399 to $1,999, while the Home Organization category will feature a new closet organization system and a versatile nine-cube organizational unit.

Both companies are in the process of developing additional product offerings that will be available in 2010, and more details will be announced in the first part of next year. All of these products will be available in The Home Depot stores across both the U.S. and Canada as well as on homedepot.com.

“The Home Depot is the destination for today’s DIY consumer. With this partnership, we are able to leverage our expertise in home improvement and expand our business into new categories,” said Robin Marino, MSLO’s President and CEO of Merchandising.

Viewers of the Martha Stewart Show should tune in on Tuesday, September 15, as Martha will discuss the partnership during the themed DIY show.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Macys Come + Together Commercial

Macy's is launching the Come+Together campaign to help Feed America. Please enjoy the new commercial, "Make Room for More." Note: Watch closely at Martha's expression after Jessica Simpson says something to her... it's the perfect reaction! Enjoy and hold a dinner party to Feed America! For more details, go to macys.com/cometogether

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Martha Stewart Stationary: Holidays


Martha Stewart Stationary available through Crane & Company has introduced a new Holiday line of personalized and boxed cards and personalized holiday invitations available through Crane & Co. website and fine stationer stores across the country. With a wonderful assortment to choose from, here are several of my favorites:

Personalized Cards:



Martha’s Tree: Trimmed with twinkling stars, glittering ornaments and surrounded by a bounty of beautifully wrapped gifts, this wonderfully engraved tree is the perfect way to send your warm wishes for the holiday. Engraved on ecru white, the 100% cotton card opens to read "Best wishes for a glittering holiday season" along with your personalized message or signature in the ink color of your choice. Matching envelope included.




Citrus Wreath: A citrus wreath of pears, oranges, and other fruits takes us back to simpler times and provides and elegant way to send your holiday greetings. Printed in warm, rich tones with a dash of gold foil flourish, the 100% cotton ecru white card opens to read "Enjoy the fruits of the season" thermograph printed along with your personalized message and signature in the ink color of your choice. Matching envelope included.




Snowflake: Send one-of-a-kind holiday wishes with this elegant snowflake card rendered in white foil on a soft blue shimmer stock. The card opens to reveal yet another flake settling upon a greeting of "Wishing you a holiday unlike any other" along with your personal message or signature foil-stamp printed using white ink. Coordinating white envelope included.

Boxed Cards:




Engraved Calligraphy Tree: "Tis the Season of Joy - Merry Christmas" is artfully spelled out among the boughs of swirls of this hand engraved tree on the vivid green card face of the card. The Pearl White card opens to read "Celebrate the Holidays with a Flourish." Card is paired with a matching white envelope lined in shining gold.




Engraved Calligraphy Santa: Who better to share your holiday greetings than Jolly Old Saint Nick himself? This hand-engraved card features a calligraphy drawn Santa rendered in swirls of white. The front of the card reads "tis the season" and continues inside with a swirl of "to be jolly." A matching white envelope is lined in seasonal red.


Mistletoe Trim Photomount Cards: Surround your favorite family photo with red and green boughs of mistletoe on a Pearl White Kid Finish® letterpress card for a most memorable holiday greeting. Each card opens to read "Seasons Greetings and Happy New Year." Photomount cards are supplied with tape that allows photographs to be repositioned or removed without damage. A matching white envelope is lined in red.

Personalized Invitations:



Cheers Invite: Announce your holiday event with a dash of bold color and a touch of elegant cheer. Presented on a 100% cotton, flame red card featuring a wide white border, your invitation appears engraved in white text below a handsomely engraved "Cheers" surrounded by filigree flourishes. Perfect for personal and business occasions, each card is accompanied by a coordinating white envelope. Optional return address and envelope liners are available for an additional charge.



Bird and Wreath Invite: Topped with an illustrated wreath adorned with berries and a cheerful bird, all this slender, 100% cotton pearl white card needs is your words to create the perfect holiday invitation. Ideal for everything from tree trimmings to caroling parties, your text is thermograph printed in your choice of lettering style along with the motif in your choice of ink color. Matching envelopes are included.



All the envelopes are beautifully embossed with "Martha Stewart" to let everyone on your holiday card list know they are receiving a high quality, beautiful card this year.

To see the complete assortment of personalized and boxed holiday cards as well as the complete assortment of personalized invitations, visit the Crane & Co. website.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Martha Stewart Halloween Decorating with FLOR

Keep reading for details on the great HouseBlend and FLOR Giveaway!

It won't be long before the mysterious black silhouettes will be in the windows, the pumpkin creatures will be lining your front steps, and other frightful additions will be made to your home in time to celebrate Martha's favorite holiday, Halloween.


Have you ever thought about decorating your floor for Halloween? Now you can, with this amazing new rug kit available from Martha Stewart Floor Designs with FLOR!

The "Arachnophobia" rug kit comes with everything you need to decorate your entry, your family room, your kitchen, or any other room of your house!

This cobweb and spider design is perfect for Halloween when you want to add that spooky feeling to any room in your house. The cut and loop construction makes the rug soft underfoot while extremely durable. The spider design is only available on random tiles, so you may have more than one eight legged creature to contend with when you fully assemble your rug.


The rug kits come in two color options, Ash on Raven (white on black) or Pumpkin on Raven (orange on black) and in three different sizes: 6 tiles (3'x5'); 12 tiles (5'x7'); or 30 tiles (8'x10'). Ranging in price from $95 (3x5) to $479 (8x10), this rug kit is a one time investment you can use year after year! With FLOR, the carpet is not attached to your floor itself! You can easily disassemble the kit after the Halloween holiday and store it away until next year.

Each rug kit comes with installation instructions, and a sufficient number of FLOR dots to assemble your cobweb masterpiece!

I received my Arachnophobia rug today and did a test assembly.. it looks GREAT! I'll be using my Arachnophobia rug in my kitchen area, where guests always gather. The carpet is soft, the design is charming and is sure to surprise our Halloween guests this year!

To see the Arachnophobia rug and other designs from Martha Stewart, visit FLOR and explore the possibilities!


Here's your chance to win a 5x7 Arachnophobia rug kit of your own!
Thanks to our friends at FLOR, readers of this blog have the opportunity to win a beautiful 5x7 arachnophobia rug kit! Here's all you have to do:

Leave a comment on this post telling us where you would use the Arachnophobia rug if you won. It's that simple!!! No major writing contest... we're just interested in your ideas! You must include your first name in your comment. Anonymous comments will not be considered.

A winner will be selected AT RANDOM on Monday evening, September 21. The winner will be announced in a blog post that evening with instructions on how to claim the prize. The winner will receive their rug directly from FLOR.

How easy is that?!


Leave a comment and enter your chance to win this spooktacular addition for your Halloween decorating!

Monday, September 7, 2009

48 Turkey Hill South Wins Westport Historic Preservation Award


The house at 48 Turkey Hill South--for many years the residence of Martha Stewart-- is among eight winners of the Westport Historic District Commission 2009 Preservation Awards.

The HDC said it recognized owners Chuck and Casey Berg “for enlarging this outstanding Greek Revival house in a sensitive and appropriate manner...The unobtrusive addition, which is at the rear of the house, does not detract from the original historic structure.”

Known as The Andrews-Thorpe-Howe House, c.1820 the HDC said, “This is an example of how an antique house can be successfully rehabilitated to accommodate the needs of a 21st century family.”
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Article Courtesy of WestportNow.com - Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Life Lessons in Gardening

Brent Ridge discusses gentleman farming at Beekman 1802

A couple of years ago Dr. Brent Ridge (pictured on the left) and his partner, Josh Kilmer-Purcell, bought an old estate in upstate New York and started turning it into Beekman 1802, a local foods/sustainable living project and website. Since then, Ridge has left his position as vice president of healthy living for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia to be on the farm full time. He’s been just as busy in his new role: Soon Beekman 1802 will start selling the first cheese from the farm and will hold a festival to celebrate area food producers. CHOW spoke to Ridge about becoming a self-proclaimed gentleman farmer, working sunup to sundown growing 150 varieties of heirloom vegetables, and what it’s like to leave life in New York City behind. —Roxanne Webber

How did you start the Beekman 1802 project?

We [both] grew up in rural parts of the country with backyard gardens, but we had been living in the city for a decade. We frequented the farmers’ market, and one summer about five years ago, we were craving heirloom tomatoes. They finally showed up [at the market], and we were so excited; we filled up a flat and it ended up costing $80. The next summer we grew tomatoes on the rooftop in the city, and it was very successful. Then we started looking for a country place upstate. We found the property, and it just so happened that our next-door neighbors were Landreth Seeds, the oldest seed company in America.

The idea of leaving the city to start a farm seems to be more and more romanticized lately. What is the reality of it?

Right now, [Josh] is still living and working in the city while I’m up here full time trying to get this running. It’s very expensive to start a farm; there are lots of regulations to go through. You can make a living off it, but you need to adjust what you think a living is. You may not be able to take time away from the farm, or have the money to go on vacation.

Are you happier with this lifestyle?

I would say that I feel more energized. With my careers practicing medicine and working in media there was always something driving me, a purpose. But I’ve never felt as energized as I do now. My day starts at 5:30 a.m. with feeding the pigs, and I literally work from sunup to sundown, and by 9 p.m. I’m in bed. I wake up every morning and even though I know I’ll be working all day, there is not an ounce of dread.

Have you sacrificed anything from your old lifestyle?

The one thing I’ve sacrificed the most is my grooming habits. I’m not nearly as polished as when I was working in media. We always take our shoes off before we come in the house, and the other day I happened to look down at the bottom of my feet and they were just black from working in the garden all day. Even if I have people coming over … I don’t have time to worry about how great I look.

How has the garden been this year?

In the Northeast, it’s been a terrible gardening season because we’ve had so much rain and only recently had some heat, so the garden is really delayed. That’s part of the joy of gardening and the learning experience. Our philosophy is seasonal living: If you have a tomato available 52 weeks a year, you don’t really appreciate it. So this year if the tomatoes don’t come, next year we’ll be ecstatic when they do.

How big is the garden?

The garden is about 52 raised beds, a little over half an acre. We feed ourselves off of that, and also have a partnership with a restaurant in town that uses our produce.

Why did you choose raised beds?

With raised beds you can get better soil, and you can cut down on maintenance because of less weeding. For us too, when the growing season is so short, they also help extend it a little, because that dirt will warm up faster than dirt in the ground.

How did you pick out which heirloom fruits and vegetables to plant?

We broke it down a couple of ways. We usually group by variety, and the beds are rotated each year. We also look at origin, which part of country they came from, to make sure we got varieties that came from nearby so we knew they’d do better.

How can you tell if an heirloom variety came from near you?

You have to do your research. It’s not like if you just go to the store and look at the rack you can tell. Ask your seed supplier, or get in touch with Seed Savers.

What are some of the varieties you recommend?

I would say go for the black cherry tomato. It’s easy to grow, and it’s very prolific. It makes a fruit about the size of a quarter in diameter, and is delicious. I think the purple pod bean is really nice. It’s a green bean, but when you first pick it, it’s got the most purple color, and makes beautiful purple flowers. I like the cosmo carrot; it’s purple on the outside and orange on the inside. I also love Chiogga beets. I never thought I liked beets because all I had known was pickled beets. Last year I started roasting them, and they are so delicious. There is also a wonderful icicle radish: It’s long and white, and it tastes just like a radish but has an unusual look.

Have you grown any really strange or interesting fruits or vegetables?

We grew this melon—you don’t eat it, it’s very tiny—called the Queen Anne’s pocket melon. It comes from Victorian England, and people would carry it around in their pocket as perfume. It smells very sweet and fruity.

What are some gardening books you’d recommend for people who are just getting started?

The Natural Garden Book by Peter Harper, Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener by Burpee, and Jerry Baker’s Backyard Problem Solver. There’s also one called The Gardener’s Handbook and Dictionary, by Jack Kramer.

What are some mistakes you’ve made?

This happens to us every year: We get overanxious and start our seeds indoors, think the frost is over and put the plants out, and then it comes. The first year we installed [the raised beds] we paid to have this “clean” dirt put in, then made the mistake of putting hay from the fields around the plants to protect them, and it just brought in all the weeds.

You have a herd of 100 goats. The notion of having a milk goat has also been romanticized lately. Is it realistic?

We are a certified Grade A dairy. Our caretaker, Farmer John, works hard. We do all of the gardening, and John is in charge of all of the animal husbandry. From February to autumn, they milk twice a day, and you have to take care of the animals, store hay, etc. That said, if you had one goat and wanted milk, you could milk it very easily yourself. You’d get maybe a gallon of milk a day at its peak. Even if you only had the one goat, you’d still have to breed it each year to “freshen” it [keep her producing milk].

Over the past year, raising chickens has become very trendy too. What should people know if they want to get into it?

It’s not cheaper to raise chickens for eggs. It’s much cheaper, even if you go to the farmers’ market, to buy eggs than to raise the chickens yourself. But they are fairly low-maintenance animals. Our chickens love when we feed them weeds from weeding the garden, so think about that too—it becomes very expensive if you are going to buy organic chicken feed.

What is the goal of your Beekman 1802 website?

We’re trying to highlight the importance of supporting local economies and each one of us becoming more sustainable. The more you can do in your own backyard the better. The reason we first put [the site up] was to sell soap [one thing they do with the 500 gallons a week of milk their goats produce], but [selling] was always sort of secondary.

What was your motivation for putting on the Harvest Festival in September?

When we moved up here, we knew virtually nothing about starting a farm, so we had to go get advice from our neighbors, and we really saw how our local farmers were struggling. We conceptualized the Harvest Festival as an opportunity to showcase all the local food producers in Schoharie County. Upstate New York has historically been really big in agriculture, but in the last 30 years a lot of [agriculture moved to] the Midwest. That’s sort of why it’s impoverished now, because it doesn’t have the agriculture to rely on anymore. The soil in Schoharie County is actually considered some of the most fertile in the world—the county supplied almost all the rations for the American Army during the Revolutionary War.

What can we learn from gardening?

I just think people should have in mind going into it that it’s not only great exercise physically and mentally, but it’s also a great exercise in delayed gratification. We really are a society based on instant gratification, and it has been really ruinous to us as a culture. And the thing with the whole financial meltdown was based on wanting everything we wanted when we wanted it. We didn’t want to wait and save up for the flat-screen TV, we wanted to buy it on credit. Waiting for things that work on a cycle really teaches you patience. We try to preach seasonal living and appreciating what you have when you have it. That’s really the core: delaying gratification and earning and working towards what you want. There are lots of life lessons to be learned in gardening.

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This interview originally appeard on chow.com, August 31, 2009. Photo credit: chow.com

Friday, September 4, 2009

Martha Stewart Crafts - Punch Around the Page

Martha Stewart Crafts recently introduced a new crafting tool, the "Punch Around the Page" paper punch set. The corner punch and the edge punch work together to create a beautiful border around the entire page. The possibilities are nearly endless for scrapbook pages, card making, or even when framing photographs.

The Punch Around the Page tools are available at Michaels and other independent retailers.

To learn more about using these great crafting tools, watch the video below from Martha Stewart Crafts:



Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Martha Stewart Show Season 5 Details


Homemaking icon Martha Stewart celebrates the handmade and the homemade in the fifth
season of ‘The Martha Stewart Show’ with more entertaining segments that are sure to inform and inspire. On the September 14th premiere of the nationally syndicated, Emmy-winning “how-to” program, distributed by NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution, (and honored with an additional statue this past weekend at The Daytime Emmy Awards),
Martha launches a new monthly segment, “American Treasures.” This unprecedented look at landmark locations across the country acts as an on-air companion to print stories that will appear in Martha Stewart Living magazine throughout the year. From historic homes and experimental architecture to botanical gardens and endangered sites, “American Treasures”
salutes national gems, many little known, that deserve to be celebrated, and seen. Skylands, Martha’s home in Maine, marks the first stop of the new series. Viewers will get Martha’s personal tour of this extraordinary home, whose previous owners were Edsel and Eleanor Ford.

Themed shows this season include: the Hamburger Show (9/18), which puts a spotlight on the best of this American classic; the Fragrance Show (9/30) featuring cosmetics icon Aerin Lauder talking about the inspiration for her latest perfume and a tour of Martha’s peony garden where she explains how perfume is made; the Tech Show (10/2), featuring experts from Facebook, Google, Yahoo, and Twitter co-founder Biz Stone; and the Halloween Show (10/30), where Martha celebrates her favorite holiday. On September 17th, Martha shares her “New Finds” culled during her trips over the summer months. On October 13th, Martha celebrates the release of her latest book – Martha Stewart’s Dinner at Home with the launch of regular cooking segments dedicated to menus that bring families together. Plus Martha previews the extensive
renovation of executive editorial director of decorating Kevin Sharkey’s new apartment which will be completed next September.

On October 16th, Martha will dedicate her entire hour to breast cancer health, treatments and awareness, the cornerstone of the Ford Warriors in Pink Program. This important initiative will culminate with the giveaway of two 2010 Ford Taurus' outfitted with Martha Stewart inspired items. One Ford Taurus will be awarded to an audience member and another to a lucky winner of the Ford Warriors in Pink Taurus Giveaway where consumers can enter at
www.marthastewart.com/warriorsinpink starting September 15, 2009.

Throughout the fall, Martha will be joined by headline makers, celebrities, renowned chefs, artisans, crafters and collectors, as well as accomplished viewers who will showcase their amazing talents in Martha’s studio. Some of the show’s upcoming guests include: chef Daniel Humm (9/14); Dr. Andrew Weil (9/16); tennis superstar Serena Williams (9/21); actress Julianne Moore (9/22); fashion designer Elie Tahari (9/22); FLN’s ‘Whatever, Martha!’ hosts and Sirius XM radio personalities Alexis Stewart and Jennifer Koppelman Hutt (9/22); actress Jennifer Garner (9/24); outgoing New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni (9/24); documentary filmmaker Ken Burns (9/25); actress Trudie Styler (9/29); Ted Turner tours his Montana ranch (10/5); sisters Nora and Delia Ephron (10/6) and more. In addition, viewers can look forward to frequent appearances from Martha's family of experts such as: chef Emeril Lagasse; Weddings editorial director Darcy Miller; pet expert Marc Morrone; Everyday Food tv hosts Sarah Carey, Lucinda Scala Quinn, and John Barricelli, and Everyday Food magazine
editor Anna Last.

Check your local listings for air-times.