Holiday Favorites

Growing up in the 60's, I clearly recall the first time I watched Rudolph, or Charlie Brown, or the Grinch.  I would sit as close to the television as I possibly could and be totally absorbed in the annual holiday tales.  Fast forward to my 50th year on this planet and I still enjoy watching the classics just as much as I did when I was a wee lad.  As a matter of fact, I doubt I've ever missed a year of their network broadcast. 

While I own my holiday favorites on DVD, there's something that just says, 'Christmas' watching them on network TV.  My routine is still pretty much the same year after year.. I'll curl up on the couch or in my easy chair, snuggle under a nice warm throw, and enjoy the show.  Silently I still cheer when Rudolph saves Christmas, and I get a tear in my eye to hear Linus share the true meaning of Christmas. 

My musical theater days come to mind when I watch "White Christmas"  with Bing, Danny, Rosemary, and Vera.  I can picture myself in grand dance form, twirling about to "The Best Things, Happen While You're Dancing."  Or, dressed in a velvet Santa outfit for the final number, "White Christmas."  Musical movies of the 1950's were the BEST.  You know you want to sing it... go ahead... "sisters... sisters.. there were never such devoted sisters..." 

I stumbled upon a blog that makes finding your favorite holiday special or movie easy; "It's a Wonderful Movie."  This site has a calendar of all the air times for the various holiday specials and movies for this year.  It's a great resource for a holiday special sap like me!

What's your favorite holiday special or movie (or both!)?  Grab a cup of hot chocolate and share your favorites!

A Very Merry Beekman Holiday

If you're looking for unique gift ideas this year, look no further than the Beekman 1802 Mercantile.  With an expanded line of merchandise, Beekman 1802 is a 'go-to' destination for all of your cyber-shopping needs. 

The Beekman 1802 Mercantile is just one portion of the lifestyle and media company, Beekman 1802 , owned and operated by Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Dr. Brent Ridge. Devoted to the artisanal and the hand-made, Beekman 1802 inspires visitors of the site to celebrate each season through heirloom gardening, wonderful craft ideas, decorating ideas and excellent recipes to cook and enjoy. 
The Mercantile reflects the Beekman commitment to supporting local artisans and living in a more environmentally responsible way.  To learn more about Beekman 1802, visit their website. 

The cornerstone of the Mercantile is a full line of goat milk soap,  made from the milk of the [now famous] goats that call Beekman farm home. Each bar of soap is hand-made using the highest percentage of goat milk possible.

The Year in the Country goat milk soap collection offers one bar of the specialty soaps produced each month, inspired by the scents of each season.  The Year in the Country soap collection comes in a beautiful wooden box perfect for gift giving.  (to see Brent make goat milk soap with Martha Stewart, click here)

Do you like giving the gift of fine foods for the holiday?  The Beekman 1802 Mercantile has two delicious choices for the gourmet food lover on your holiday list.

 

The Beekman Generous Fruitcake is a new product this year. Each cake is hand-wrapped in brandy-soaked cheesecloth. As the cake is consumed, keep the remainder wrapped and continue to brush the cloth with your own brandy. The flavors will continue to develop. Baked at the Black Cat Bakery in Sharon Springs, New York (one of our favorite places in Sharon Springs), each fruitcake is a hefty 1.5 pounds of natural deliciousness!

Ingredients: dried figs, dates, dried apricots, golden raisins, dark raisins, dried cherries, dried pineapple, pecans, butter, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, salt, white flour, and Lairds Applejack, brandy.

The cheese lover on your list will love what we believe to be the best tasting cheese on the market.  Beekman 1802 Blaak is the first artisanal cheese produced from the goats at Beekman Farm. Blaak is an Italian-style semi-hard cheese made from a 60:40 mix of unpasteurized goat and cow milk giving the cheese a mild but distinctive flavor. In keeping with traditional cheesemaking practices, this rare cheese is aged for 4 months in our caves and is coated with ash at each turning to promote the ripening of the wheel. The resulting edible black rind gives the cheese its name and makes it a true conversation piece on your table.

Give a gift that will be enjoyed for many holidays to come.  The Beekman 1802 Christmas Sampler Throw is a beautiful 100% cotton throw measuring 60x48 inches features beautiful huck embroidery designs that are perfect for the holiday.  Each throw is hand-made and hand- tasseled. 

An item that is on MY own wish list this year is a beautiful historic weave silk scarf.  Each scarf features a tight weave of the signature Beekman Stripe pattern and is finished with a vintage honeycomb stitch. They were woven especially for Beekman 1802 on historic looms by the award-winning Thistle Hill Weavers in neighboring Cherry Valley. All I can say about these scarves:  I want, I want, I want!

A beautiful holiday card says so much.  The Beekman 1802 limited edition 2009 holiday card is the perfect card to share your well wishes.  The Beekman 1802 Holiday Card design, "Star", was inspired by a lone pine tree that stands near the Beekman barn. The design, from an antique plate, runs off the edge of the card as if the reader is looking up to find the "star" atop the tree.  Each card is hand printed on Cranes fine paper (the exact paper that William Beekman sold in his mercantile)  Cards come in a wrapped set of 10, with envelopes, and each measures  3.5 x 5 inches. 

These are just a few of our favorite things at Beekman 1802 Mercantile.  Stop by the store and see the full line of merchandise available this year.  You're sure to find the perfect gift!

The Decorating Begins

As always, the Friday after Thanksgiving is the day set aside to start (and with any luck finish) the holiday decorating inside the house. 

As mentioned in an prior post, I was going for a red/teal color scheme this year. With a touch of retro, I wanted to keep it simple and elegant. I think I'm headed in the right direction!

This year, we opted for a table top tree.  This 4 1/2 foot tree is so realistic looking and is charming in the corner of the family room.  With a mish-mash of teal, blue-teal, red, silver and white ornaments, it's just perfect.  I wish I could make a photograph of a decorated tree look good! 

In our kitchen eating area, we have a mantel shelf on the wall that tends to be the focal point of room decor as the seasons and holidays change.  Here, an antique pitcher is kept company with holiday plates from Martha Stewart Everyday (several years ago).  The garland is embellished with teal/silver/red ornaments.  I'm still debating if I need to add lights. 

I love my kitchen decorated for the holiday.  I prefer to use everyday kitchen items as part of the decoration.  On the antique Hoosier cabinet,  I filled a great serving bowl with stems of pine boughs and tossed in some color coordinated ornaments.  Festive, but simple.

The first year of the Martha Stewart Collection Holiday decorations included these big Kugels.  Here, the kugel hangs to the right of the Hoosier cabinet and is 'dressed' with a teal ribbon. 

I remember a very early Martha Stewart Living show when Martha made curtains from 'tea towels.'  I decided to use the concept with some great candy stripe towels I purchased from Macys (Martha Stewart Collection) last year.  A few simple cafe curtain rings and voila! - a festive holiday curtain.

We have an extensive collection of Jadeite which looks great with the teal/red colors.  Here, I used a clear domed cake stand to display snowmen (with red/teal hats!) on the table.  The dome keeps the cats away and keeps the artificial snow from blowing off the cake stand!

I still have a little bit of 'tweaking' to do before I can call the project complete.  I think we're well on our way for a holly jolly season!

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving.  Share, Eat, Celebrate!

Thanksgiving Hotline Starts Today!

Still planning Thursdays menu?  Baffled by what to do with giblets?  Groaning over making gravy? Never fear!  The Martha Stewart Living Radio Thanksgiving Hotline begins today, Monday, 11/23 and runs through Wednesday 11/25. 

A host of expert chefs will be available to help you with all of your Thanksgiving questions.  Check the full schedule here.  Martha will be taking listeners calls today, from 4-5 pm. Just call 866.675.6675 and ask Martha!

Martha Stewart Living Radio is available on Sirius 112/XM 157.  Click here for a 30 day free trial!

Behind the Scenes: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2009

Here is a fun look behind the scenes at the most famous parade in America!

A Coffee for the Season

Coffee.  I love coffee.  I love a GOOD cup of coffee.  During the holidays one coffee that is a 'must have' for me is the Starbucks Christmas Blend. 

Since I'm not a cream and sugar kinda guy (my coffee has to be straight up.. no additional flavors!), the taste of the coffee is important to me. Starbucks Christmas Blend has a taste that is perfect for the holidays. 

Christmas Blend is sweet and spicy, with a flavor derived from bright, sparkling Latin American coffees and smooth, full-bodied Asia/Pacific beans. But it’s the Aged Sumatran beans, carefully held for 3 to 5 years before roasting, that give it that delicious signature spicy taste.

As I write this blog entry, I'm enjoying my very first cup of Christmas Blend this season.  Let the celebrations begin!

Starbucks Christmas Blend is available at any Starbucks location. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of this holiday favorite, Starbucks Christmas Blend is available in a special 25oz size, perfect for when the whole family comes to visit. (it's a great value at under $20) And like other good things, it also comes in small packages – in this case, 8oz and 16oz.

Now, who needs a warm up? 

Martha Stewart on Nightline

The ABC News series, "Nightline" will feature a full interview with Martha Stewart on Thursday evening, following your late night news.  (check local listings for specific air times)

There is already a great deal of media buzz about this interview.  Martha gives some straight talk on the company she founded, the legal troubles that impacted the company, and the rebuilding of the brand.  Sadly, what ABC News released as a 'promo' for the interview, included Martha's comments regarding Food Network personality Rachael Ray, referring to her as more of an entertainer than teacher.  As you can well imagine, media outlets are having a field day with that little sound bite!

After reading the story recap on abcnews.com, I have no doubt this will be an interesting interview to watch. 

What I find bothersome is the never ending attempt to change Martha.  Many people refer to Martha as a 'snob,' 'cold,' 'calculating,' and 'impersonal.'  Yeah?  So? 

What I've learned from following Martha for a number of years is to not expect her to be all warm and fuzzy.  She takes her role as a teacher of 'good things' seriously and is driven to be successful at what she does.  Could she win more hearts if she appeared to be a bit more personable?  Perhaps.  But what I appreciate about Martha is the fact that she just is who she is, like it or not.  If the public focused less on the personality and more on the content, I think they'd have a better appreciation for her work. 

What drew me in to Martha many years ago was her instructive style.  I recall on the old Living show,  the precise step by step, how to instruction that made me WANT to follow the steps and achieve the same results.  I was hooked. This was the kind of information I wanted and found valuable.  I wasn't looking for a 'best friend' to walk me through the steps; I wasn't looking to be entertained. I wanted a teacher to teach me.  I found that with Martha.  But... that's just me. 

So, set your DVR, or tune in to the interview.  I don't think we'll learn anything new or hear anything 'shocking;' but I will always find it interesting to see a 'day in the life of Martha Stewart.'   

Ask Martha Expands on Martha Stewart Living Radio

Martha Stewart's highly successful radio show "Ask Martha" currently broadcast once a week, will expand to two days a week beginning the week of November 30. 

"Ask Martha" is the radio call-in show where listeners can speak directly to Martha on a full range of topics and get their answers to their questions on cooking, entertaining, gardening, home keeping and new projects that are in the works for MSLO. 

"Ask Martha" will air live Monday's and Wednesdays from 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm ET and will replay nightly at 7:00 pm 

"I look forward to spending more time talking to our wonderful Sirius/XM radio audience.  They always have the most interesting questions," said Martha Stewart.

"Ask Martha" is heard exclusively on Martha Stewart Living Radio, Sirius 112 / XM157 as part of the 'best of SIRIUS' package.

Emeril Lagasse to Join Martha Stewart Living Radio with New Show

During the special broadcast today of "Entertaining with Martha and Emeril," the hosts announced that starting the week of November 30, Emeril will host his first live call-in radio show, "Cooking with Emeril."  The twice weekly show will air exclusively on Sirius/XM's Martha Stewart Living Radio. 

Emeril will host the radio show from wherever he is in the country, introducing his listeners to the people, places and food he experiences during his many travels.  Listeners will be able to call in and interact with Emeril, to share recipes, tips, and entertaining ideas. 

Cooking with Emeril will air live on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm ET and will replay nightly at 7:00 pm. 

"This is going to be great - I can't wait to talk to people across the country and share the colorful places, chefs and food I experience in my daily life," said Lagasse.  "Food is the universal connector, and Martha Stewart Living Radio is the perfect arena to celebrate it and have fun." 

Listeners are invited to call or email their questions to Emeril when they are on the air to 866-675-6675 and radio@marthastewart.com

Holiday Inspirations

I’ve had numerous holiday themes throughout the years. Woodland (natural) themes, vintage themes, antique themes, Victorian themes, copper colored themes, red and white themes, and finally, blue and silver themes.

This year, my inspiration comes from a variety of sources.

Retro tablecloths from the 50s

Christmas cards from the 40s-50s

Festive red bells

Red/white candy striped packaging

People that take "retro" a bit far..

and two of the covers from the 2009 December issue of Martha Stewart Living.

This year, we’re going what I call “simple retro” for the holidays.

The color scheme for this year will be what you see here on the blog; teal and red (with some sparkle of silver). I love the color combination and it does scream mid century modern! My goal, however is to not to have the décor be garish or obnoxious. Rather, I’m shooting for a blend of ‘remember when’ and simple elegance with that retro flair.

In our home, holiday decorating takes place the day after Thanksgiving. David will likely be out shopping, I’ll have the movie “White Christmas” playing in the background whileI busy myself with putting up the tree, and putting up decorative touches around the house. My goal is always to have it done in a day, but it never seems to work that way!

I’ll keep you posted on progress after Thanksgiving. For now, I’m still working on my plan.

New Book Releases in 2010

Two new books from Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia are due to be released early next year:

Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts will be available March 30, 2010.  This next encyclopedia is an excellent follow up volume to the best selling Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts, which was published in early 2009. 

No one can deny the success of the Everyday Food brand from MSLO.  The second EDF volume, Fresh Flavor Fast will be available on February 23, 2010.  This soft-back cookbook will feature 250 recipes that are arranged by meal time. 

Still to come from MSLO is the next grand volume on entertaining that Martha has been working on for the last several years.  No word as of yet when the masterpiece will be published, but rumor has it, it will be available for the holidays next year. 

New! Martha Stewart "Marthawear"

If you haven't checked the "Shop" tab on marthastewart.com you may have missed the new "Marthawear" line that is now available for order. 

The new Marthawear line includes hoodies, t-shirts, aprons, various tote bags and an umbrella.  This merchandise is sold at the Martha Stewart Store located inside the Chelsea studio and is now available on-line at Martha's website. 

Prices range from $17.99 for the canvas totes to 19.99 for t-shirts.  Hoodies, either pull over or zip up, are a bit more expensive right around the $50.00 price point.  The beautiful "martha-blue" umbrella is available for 21.99.  Here are a few items that are currently available: 

Note:  the last tote with the wrap around logo is a 39.99.

Have an ultimate Martha fan on your holiday shopping list?  I'm sure they'd love one of these great gifts!

Martha Stewart Radio Thanksgiving Hotline

Once again, the Martha Stewart Living Radio “Thanksgiving Hotline” will go on the air November 23, 24 and 25, answering questions from callers and tackling holiday quandaries ranging from the traditional to the unexpected.

For this annual SIRIUS XM special, more than 30 of the world’s leading chefs and entertaining experts – including Martha Stewart, Emeril Lagasse, Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich, Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Bill Telepan– will join the Martha Stewart Living Radio hosts live in studio to reveal their juiciest Thanksgiving tips and personally answer questions and offer advice.

The Martha Stewart Living Radio “Thanksgiving Hotline” will air November 23, 24 and 25 from 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET on Martha Stewart Living Radio, SIRIUS channel 112 and XM channel 157 as part of “The Best of SIRIUS” package. Each full day of programming and interviews will replay nightly at 7:00 pm ET on both SIRIUS and XM.

This extraordinary “Thanksgiving Hotline” offers Martha Stewart Living Radio and SIRIUS XM listeners a rare chance to hear these culinary legends divulge their favorite Thanksgiving recipes for the main course, hors d’oeuvres, variations on the traditional turkey meal, desserts, wine pairings, specialty cocktails (including non-alcoholic suggestions) designed for the holidays and much more. They will also share their personal Thanksgiving memories and family traditions.

Martha and her team of Thanksgiving experts will also supply useful tips for cooking on a budget and share simple yet elegant suggestions to spruce up the table and spread holiday cheer.

SIRIUS XM Radio listeners can call 866-675-6675 or email their questions to radio@marthastewart.com.

Full lineup of scheduled guests:

Monday, November 23

7:00 am ET: Alex Guarnaschelli, chef, Butter
8:00 am ET: April Bloomfield, executive chef, co-owner, The Spotted Pig
9:00 am ET: Michael Anthony, chef, Gramercy Tavern
10:00 am ET: Thomas Keller, executive chef, restaurant owner, Per Se, The French Laundry, Bouchon
11:00 am ET: Gina DePalma, pastry chef, cookbook author
12:00 pm ET: Bill Telepan, chef/owner, Telepan, cookbook author
1:00 pm ET: David Burke, chef, David Burke Townhouse, David Burke Prime and Fishtail
2:00 pm ET: Amanda Freitag, executive chef, The Harrison
3:00 pm ET: Emeril Lagasse, chef, restaurateur of numerous restaurants including Emeril’s and NOLA, television personality, and cookbook author
4:00 pm ET: Martha Stewart, cooking, entertaining expert and founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

Tuesday, November 24

7:00 am ET: Mikey Price, executive chef/owner, Market Table
8:00 am ET: Lidia Bastianich, Italian chef, owner of numerous restaurants including Felidia, cookbook author, television host
9:00 am ET: Michael Lomonaco, executive chef, Porter House, television host, cookbook author
10:00 am ET: Nigella Lawson, television host, bestselling author
11:00 am ET: Johnny Iuzzini, executive pastry chef for Jean Georges, author, Dessert FourPlay: Sweet Quartets From a Four-Star Pastry Chef,
12:00 pm ET: Charlie Palmer, chef, restaurant owner of numerous restaurants including Aureole, Charlie Palmer Steak, cookbook author
1:00 pm ET: Anita Lo, chef/owner, Rickshaw Dumpling Bar; food/wine columnist
2:00 pm ET: Marcus Samuelsson, chef, owner, Aquavit, cookbook author; Isaac Mizrahi, leader in the design business for almost twenty years
3:00 pm ET: Frank Stitt, chef/owner, Highlands Bar & Grill, Bottega and Café Bottega
4:00 pm ET: Jean-Georges Vongerichten, chef, restaurant owner, television personality; Bernie Sun, sommelier, corporate beverage director for Jean-Georges’ four-star restaurant group

Wednesday, November 25

7:00 am ET: Franck Deletrain, chef, Cafe Centro
8:00 am ET: Pierre Schaedelin, executive chef, Benoit Bistro
9:00 am ET: Mario Batali, chef/owner of numerous restaurants including Babbo, Del Posto, Casa Mono, Esca, television personality, cookbook author
10:00 am ET: Paul Liebrandt, executive chef, Corton, New York City
11:00 am ET: Elizabeth Karmel, chef, cookbook author and founder, Girls at the Grill, website that provides backyard cooks with simple barbecue instructions and recipes
12:00 pm ET: Jonathan Waxman, chef, restaurateur, Barbuto, cookbook author
1:00 pm ET: Rick Bayless, James Beard Award-winning chef, Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, cookbook author, television host
2:00 pm ET: Anne Burrell, chef, television personality
3:00 pm ET: Joey Campanaro, chef and owner, The Little Owl and Market Table, television personality
4:00 pm ET: Allen Katz, director of mixology and spirits education for Southern Wine and Spirits of New York; Govind Armstrong, executive chef/owner, Table 8, cookbook author

All of the chefs contributed their own recipes for a special, free online cookbook, Martha Stewart Living Radio’s Thanksgiving Hotline Recipes, created for SIRIUS XM especially for the occasion.

This extraordinary collection of recipes and tips covers everything from turkey to desserts to wine selections, and is available for download at http://www.sirius.com/ and http://www.xmradio.com/.

A Day in the Life of Martha Stewart

Tune into ABC News - Nightline on November 19 when Cynthia McFadden from ABC shares the  day in the life of Martha.

Martha has recently been featuring 'day in the life' entries on her own blog and recently shared through Twitter and her blog entry for today that ABC was filming for the Nightline feature. 

Nightline, the late night ABC news show airs following local 11pm news in most major markets.  Check your local listings for specific air times. 

Home Depot Offers Christmas Light Recycling

Home Depot stores are making a great offer for their customers who are thinking eco-smart this holiday season! 

Bring in your old or broken incandescent Christmas lights and receive a coupon for $3 off the purchase of energy efficient LED lights! 

LED lights use 80% less energy than traditional lights while giving a deeper, brighter color glow to your holiday decorating.  The $3 off promotion is an excellent savings to help all customers make the switch to LED.

The Christmas light trade in ends on November 15.  Customers can trade in up to 5 strands of lights.  If you've thought about making the switch to LED, now is the time and Home Depot is the place!

Martha & Emeril Together - LIVE!

December Living - A Triple Play of Inspiration

The December issue of Martha Stewart Living is about to hit the newsstands and it's full of great ideas for the holiday season, cover to cover.  Actually, cover to cover to cover..  this issue is sporting a triple play of covers. 

It's all about glitter, dazzle and sparkle this holiday season. 

Known for it's holiday celebrations, this year Martha Stewart Living turns its Feature Well over to snow angels, pincone elves, peppermint houses, and yuletide treats in a sparkly, glittering, dazzling A-to-Z spectacular.  45 pages!  The complete guide to the holidays starts on page 159. 

In December, everyone has a sweet tooth, and a well-stocked cookie tin is a sure way to satisfy the craving.  Crispy, chewy, chocolatey, fruity - the food editors have come up with the perfect assortment of delicious treats. Get your cookie on beginning on page 92. 

So many seasonal recipes leave the cook stranded in the kitchen.  The December issue of Living has put some time saving twists on classic Hanukkah favorites, festive dessert dreidels made of marshmallows and more!  Flip to page 68 and 108 for all the inspiration.

This December, learn how to wrap everything!  Presents go from plain to charming when you add small embellishments.  The little touches can be as simple as a band of eye catching paper or special stitches from a sewing machine.  Look at page 144 for the start of 15 clever and beautiful ways to create extra-special packaging for gifts of all shapes and sizes.

The December issue of Living goes on sale November 16.  

Martha & Rachel Update

As reported Tuesday here on House Blend, Martha Stewart will be making an appearance on the Rachel Ray Show on Thursday, November 12. 

Word broke today, that Rachel will be making an appearance on the Martha Stewart Show, the very next day, Friday, November 13.

Could this pairing be a good thing? 

I'll certainly be watching both shows to see how these two giants in the business work together.

Tis the Season for Paperwhites

Paperwhites are an easy way to brighten up any space during these dull winter months. The blossoms are deliciously fragrant and are so simple to grow indoors. A few materials you probably already have around the house are all you need to get paperwhite bulbs blooming in just 2 weeks.

Purchse Paperwhite Bulbs.  This time of year they are available most anywhere garden plants or bulbs are sold. Unlike most flowering bulbs, paper whites do not need a "cooling period"--they're ready to "force", or grow, right out of the package. It's fun to stagger the plantings so that you have a new "crop" of blooming paperwhite flowers every few weeks.

Determine the best container for how many bulbs you'd like to grow. Containers can be anything that will hold your bulbs and about 2-3 inches of pebbles. I like to use clear glass vases and jars because it's neat to see the roots growing under the bulbs. Glass also makes it easy to see how much water is in your container. You can plant as few as one bulb, or as many as will fit in your particular container.

Most any type of decorative pebbles or gravel will work best for paperwhite bulbs. Place your pebbles or glass rocks/beads in the container(s). Arrange your bulbs with the flat bottom down onto the pebbles. The bulbs do best if they're crowded--almost, but not completely touching each other. Push down on each bulb just a bit until it has sunk into the pebbles about a half inch--this will help stabilize the paperwhite bulb once the roots start growing.

Add water to the container so that it's just barely below the bottom of the bulbs. Try to pour the water on the edge of the container, not directly on top of a bulb--its best to keep the tops and sides of the bulbs dry. You want the water to be really close, but not touching the bottom of the bulbs. The roots will "sense" the water and seek for it if it's right below the bulb. If the bulbs are sitting in water they stand a good chance of rotting instead of sprouting.

Place the container(s) with bulbs in a cool, dark place--like a closet shelf or a corner in the garage. Check on the bulbs each day and add water to the level right below the bulb bottoms as necessary. You'll start to see roots growing already on the second or third day, and the tops will start to pop up soon after!

After the roots start, keep the bulbs in the dark place for a week to ensure good strong root growth. Continue to water from now on, keeping the water at the same level discussed earlier.

Once the roots are well established, bring the containers out to a bright place, like a window sill or kitchen table. The paperwhites will sprout up and the leaves will turn green in no time, with blossoms appearing about a week after the bulbs were brought into the light.

To keep the blossoms going strong, display the Paperwhite flowers in a cool (~65deg F) area that is free of drafts. You'll have about a week of fragrant and beautiful white blossoms to enjoy!