Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The First Glimpse of the Fabulous Beekman Boys


Friends, Followers, and Fans of Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge can get their first look at the newly released trailer for their upcoming series "The Fabulous Beekman Boys," on Planet Green.  Unfortunately, the trailer can't be embedded into a blog post; but click here to view it. 

Time and time again I have sung the praises of these two unique men, their beautiful and inspirational farm, their wonderful products, and their journey of seasonal living at the Beekman.  Knowing these two, the show is certain to be entertaining. 

During our visit last fall, David and I watched in amazement (and amusement) as the film crew scurried around filming this and that.  It will be interesting to see how it's all put together as the series unfolds. 

Since David and I took part in the secret Beekman handshake and were sworn to secrecy (see that pitch fork Josh is holding??), you'll have to stay up to date on the series through the Fabulous Beekman Boys Planet Green website.  My lips are sealed.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Hallmark Channel and Martha Stewart: Furthering the Partnership?

Broadcasting and Cable and other media outlets reported today that MSLO and Crown Media (parent company of the Hallmark Channel) are holding preliminary talks regarding the formation of a new lifestyle cable channel to be jointly owned by both companies.

Spokespersons for both MSLO and Hallmark did not comment on the story.

In January of this year, The Hallmark Channel and MSLO announced a multi-year strategic partnership to move The Martha Stewart Show out of syndication and over to cable beginning with the series 6th season in September. Earlier this month, both companies announced a second deal that gave Hallmark access to the vast Martha Stewart program library of evergreen content. Programming began today, providing viewers a seven hour block of “classic” Martha television with episodes of “From Martha’s Home,” “From Martha’s Kitchen,” and “From Martha’s Garden.” All three shows utilize content from the former “Martha Stewart Living” television series and originally aired on the Food Network and HGTV.

With the current television block of programming, Martha Stewart will now capture approximately 1/3 of the Hallmark schedule.

This is not the first time there has been speculation about a Martha Stewart branded cable channel. Last year, a random selection of viewers, readers and consumers of Martha Stewart branded services were surveyed on the likelihood of their viewing habits if a Martha channel existed. Results of that survey were for internal use only and were not published.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Ready to Garden...

The winter snow has finally melted away, the grass is starting to turn green, and the early spring flowers are starting to bloom. Let the gardening fun begin!

The good gents at Beekman 1802 are also ready for the gardening season with the introduction of a great new soap that any gardener will appreciate.


The Beekman 1802 Wild Poppy Seed After-The-Garden Bar is chocked full of poppy seeds which help to scrub and exfoliate your hands and knees (and the rest of your body too..) while several essential oils will help remove stains from your hands.

The large bar can be used as is, or sliced into smaller portions for individual washings. I’m just about to place my order for several bars to share with my gardening friends.

Interested in heirloom gardening? Beekman 1802 makes it easy with seven great seed collections. Working with the D. Landreth Seed Company, you can now grow the same heirloom vegetables and flowers that are found in the beautiful 52 raised beds at the Beekman. Each collection is beautifully packaged (the labels alone are suitable for framing) and will be shipped right to your door.


The seed collections include:

Beekman Heirloom Tomato Seed Collection
The 1800-1850 Beekman Heirloom Vegetable Seed Collection
The 1850-1900 Beekman Heirloom Vegetable Seed Collection
The 1900-1950 Beekman Heirloom Vegetable Seed Collection
The Beekman Flower Collection
The Beekman Heirloom Vegetable Collection
The Beekman Historic Landreth Zinna Collection

For more information on all the great products available from Beekman 1802, stop by the website.  While there, don't forget to pick up your April soap! No fooling.. it smells wonderful! 


If you’re a regular customer of JCrew, you might see some familiar faces in their “Naturals” catalog campaign. Brent and Josh stepped out of their muck boots and work clothes to model in the April JCrew catalog. You’ll also find Andrew Beckman, senior garden editor for Martha Stewart Living and several other “Natural” men. JCrew grew a good crop for this catalog!


One final garden note (for today): I have long been an admirer of Margaret Roach since I first read her book “A Way to Garden” several years ago. After leaving her role as editorial director for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and co-host of “Homegrown” (with Andrew Beckman) on Martha Stewart Living Radio two years ago, Margaret started a garden blog named after her book.

The New York Times refers to awaytogarden.com as the “Best” garden blog available. I couldn’t agree more. Not only do you get great gardening information, you’ll also have a laugh or two as you follow Margaret in her seasonal journey. Got an Urgent Gardening Question? Margaret has a wonderful forum where you can ask questions and will quickly get help from many other members of the forum. It’s a great place to visit and learn.

For those of you who miss Margaret on the radio, as I do, you can now listen and learn with her new radio segments on AM1020 WHDD and RobinHoodRadio.com. To listen to the podcast, click here.  Welcome back to radio, Margaret!

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Martha Stewart's Stitch Fest

Join the experts from Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Singer, Husqvarna Viking, and Pfaff for Stitch Fest, a sewing party celebrating the launch of Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia Of Sewing and Fabric Crafts.


Event Details
Thursday, April 1st, 2010
6 to 9 p.m.
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia
Starrett-Lehigh Building
601 West 26th Street, 9th floor
New York City

Stitch Fest

$30 admission to Stitch Fest includes your own copy of Martha's new book, plus cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. The fun-filled evening will showcase a wide array of creative projects straight from the Encyclopedia's pages -- from fabric crafts and easy sewing projects to embroidery, dyeing, and applique demonstrations.

Tote Bag 101

$200 admission to Stitch Fest, PLUS Tote Bag 101 -- the evening's hands-on Introductory Sewing Workshop (taught by one of Martha's favorite sewing instructors). Bring home the custom tote bag you make in class, Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts, a pair of Martha Stewart Crafts Scissors, AND the Singer sewing machine you learned on! All materials included. 

For ticket details, log into the special event page on marthastewart.com.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

A Classic Celebration

With the wonderful news that 'classic' Martha Stewart programming will be returning to the Hallmark Channel in just a couple weeks, I dug through my archives to find the audio to a commercial for the Martha Stewart Living television show that I don't recall ever seeing on the air. 

Since many of us are 'celebrating' the return of classic tv moments with Martha, I thought I would share the audio with you.  To keep it interesting, I added a few images too. 

Hallmark Channel To Run 7 Hour Block of Martha Stewart Programming

Hallmark Channel has acquired an exclusive license for domestic television rights to extensive lifestyle programming from the library of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. The content will form a new seven-hour daytime block of home and lifestyle programming that the network will launch weekdays beginning Monday, March 29 and will precede the September premiere on Hallmark Channel of exclusive original episodes of the Emmy® Award-winning, popular daytime home and lifestyle series “The Martha Stewart Show.”

Announcement of the deal, which underscores the network’s commitment to the lifestyle genre generally and the Martha Stewart brand in particular, was made today by Bill Abbott, President and CEO, Hallmark Channels (Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel) and Charles A. Koppelman, Executive Chairman of MSLO.

Beginning March 29 (11 a.m. – 6 p.m. ET/PT), Hallmark Channel’s lineup will include episodes from the library programs “From Martha’s Kitchen,” “From Martha’s Home” and “From Martha’s Garden.” Other titles in the library, but not yet scheduled, are “Petkeeping with Marc Morrone,” early seasons of “Everyday Food,” “Martha Stewart Living” and assorted specials. Episodes of the series will also be presented in shorter blocks on Saturdays and Sundays (6 a.m. – 9 a.m. ET/PT) beginning April 3-4.

“In addition to being genuinely informative and entertaining, this daytime programming block will showcase the diverse creativity that has long defined the Martha Stewart brand,” said Abbott. “As we evolve our daytime lineup into a lifestyle and home orientation, this timeless content will serve as the ideal launch pad for and the perfect segue into the premiere of ‘The Martha Stewart Show’ in its new home on Hallmark Channel.”

Koppelman stated: "This new arrangement provides an ideal home for our evergreen and ever popular library of Martha Stewart-branded how-to television programming. The agreement underscores the value of MSLO’s library that has been developed over these years. The library includes many popular classics featuring Martha and MSLO's talented experts that our loyal fans as well as newcomers will be delighted to find with this additional programming block on Hallmark Channel."

Monday, March 15, 2010

Martha Stewart and the Fraternity Makeover

This latest video posted to YouTube by Macy's takes Martha on one tough assignment:  makeover a fraternity house.  It's quite funny. 

Monday, March 8, 2010

April Issues Welcome Spring

The April issue of Martha Stewart Living is a true celebration of spring!

April marks the first "Best" issue.  In a special 32 page section, the editors of Living reveal their best secrets and sources, follproof recipes, clever decorating tricks, handy homekeeping tips, and all the "Good Things" made even better!

The Tastemakers
Meet the expert culinary artisans who are putting a modern spin on traditional methods and turning out extraordinary food across America.  You'll get a taste of fresh ricotta, dry-cured Surryano ham, and salt-and-chocolate caramels, just to name a few. 

Creating Beautiful Easter Eggs
The new egg-decorating techniques found in this issue result in eye-popping patterns that are surprisingly simple to replicate using stencils, stickers, and very easy to follow how-to. 

Spring Menu
From a crisp start to a sweet finish, the springtime menu found on page 126 highlights the best and brightest from the farm stand, including the season's freshest ingredients:  artichokes; asparagus; moist, tender braised leg of lamb with potatoes and olives; and a spectacular but easy Meyer lemon crepe cake.

Shade Gardening
Gardeners, David Culp and Michael Alderfer have spent 20 years building, planting and refining a hillside shade garden.  In this issue, view the transformation form spring to summer to fall.

The April issue of Martha Stewart Living goes on sale March 15.

To celebrate the first ever "Best Issue," The Editors of Martha Stewart Living will be hosting a special reception at the offices of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia on March 11, before the issue hits the newsstands.

 
There will be a cocktail reception, tasting, and demos from the chosen "Tastemakers" featured in the April issue.  The event will feature Fleisher's Meat, Salvatore BKLYN, Sullivan Street Bakery, McClure's Pickles, and Mad Mac Macaroons and Madeleines.


The April issue of Everyday Food is all about smart and delicious food.  Everyday Food never fails to provide some of the best information and recipes for the home cook.  Here's what you'll find inside this issue: 

Five Meals for Under $50
A week of dinners under $50 total sound far-fetched, but thanks to EDF's clever strategies, you can serve dinner for four without stretching anything but your dollar. 

Big Batch Cooking
Thinking big when it comes to food saves time and money.  With just three basic recipes-whole roasted tomatoes, simple white rice and easy pork shoulder - made in freezable quantities, you can make nine delicious meals in a snap, including spinach, ham and rice casserole and pork-shoulder ragu. 

Easter Dinner
This Easter, celebrate with a special springtime menu that's a cinch to make.  Pair roasted lamb with plenty of seasonal vegetables, and finish the meal with dreamy chocolate macaroons with ice cream. 

Easy as 1,2,3
Made-from-scratch sweets don't get any easier than this.  From baked raspberry custard to applesauce cake to cherry-almond brownies, each delectable dish is mixed and baked in just three simple steps. 

The April issue of Everyday Food can be found on the newsstand March 22

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Martha Stewart Collection at Macy's Expands

This March, Martha Stewart introduces a new collection of Martha Stewart Collection mattresses that will be available exclusively at Macy's and macys.com.

The Martha Stewart Collection offers nine beautiful new mattress styles that provide superior quality and comfort at great price points. Mattress categories are designed to offer a wide range of features including open-coil, encased coil, or luxury memory foam, and come in various plush or firm comfort levels, distinguishing this collection from any other mattresses at Macy's.

Available in Twin, Twin Extra Long, Full, Queen, King, and California King, options also include 5-inch low profile or standard 9-inch box springs, and queen split foundations. Further defining affordable luxury, prices range from $1,069 - $4,369.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Unveils New Opportunities

At an upfront event being held today at its New York City headquarters, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia unveiled several new cross platform opportunities for Marketers.


MSLO has given the green light to a new, unscripted series, “Help me, Martha!” in association with Mark Burnett Productions. The hour-long program will feature Martha Stewart and a new cast of home and lifestyle experts tasked with solving some of life’s most difficult challenges in and around the home, at work or at play. No release date or distribution information was given at the event. It is anticipated the new show will be part of the additional original programming for the Hallmark Channel. "The Martha Stewart Show" moves to the Hallmark Channel in September, 2010.

As part of the company’s digital strategy, MSLO gave marketers a first look at its vision for a digital magazine, scheduled to launch in late 2010. This special issue publication, entitled “Boundless Beauty,” will provide users with touch-optimized navigation and will be able to support video as well as audio content. It will demonstrate the beauty of everyday living using innovative digital media to inform and inspire with extraordinary imagery that can be distributed on digital tablet devices.

Martha Stewart, Founder, MSLO; award-winning television producer Mark Burnett; and Janet Balis, MSLO EVP of Media Sales & Marketing, come together in New York for MSLO's Upfront presentation to marketers and to announce a new eight-episode, unscripted series "Help Me, Martha!" The hour-long program will feature Martha Stewart and a new cast of home and lifestyle experts tasked with solving some of life's most difficult challenges in and around the home, at work or at play. Photo credit: Nick D./Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (PRNewsFoto)

MSLO is developing its healthy living space, where its popular Body+Soul Magazine and its wholeliving.com website have been experiencing increasing strength among consumers. To better align the magazine with the website and the related Whole Living radio show on Martha Stewart Living Radio, Body+Soul will change names to “Whole Living” effective with the June 2010 issue.

To mark Martha Stewart Living Magazine’s 20th anniversary in December 2010, MSLO will kick off a year of celebration in the magazine, along with new retail events and special television programming on Hallmark Channel. The multiplatform celebration will look back over the past two decades of American living, and look forward with innovative ideas for the years ahead.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Bookstore Watch List

I’m running out of room for my ever growing collection of books. Does this stop me from buying more? Absolutely not!  There are several upcoming releases I want to add to the collection.

The Sono Baking Company Cookbook

Release date:  March 9

Warm pecan-studded sticky buns; banana streusel muffins; passion fruit mousse served atop a thin layer of sponge cake and garnished with fresh raspberries; decadent chocolate cake layered and iced with smooth, elegant chocolate ganache; red velvet cupcakes; and foccaccia flavored with fresh herbs and topped with tomato, mozzarella, and pesto—these are some of the mouth-watering recipes that John Barricelli shares in The SoNo Baking Company Cookbook.

A regular on The Martha Stewart Show and host of Everyday Baking, John Barricelli is a familiar face to home bakers. When he opened the SoNo Baking Company & Café in South Norwalk, Connecticut in 2005, the New York Times gushed, “This new bakery is superb and proves it daily,” and since then it has become a hot spot for discerning pastry aficionados across the Northeast.

The SoNo Baking Company Cookbook is for both first-time and experienced home bakers who can find everything they need here. With these foolproof recipes for breads, specialty cakes, delicate pastries, and much more, you can now create your baking repertoire including new variations on old favorites. With John’s simple-yet-elegant recipes and his easy-to-follow directions and techniques—including how to make the best brownies and the lightest meringues—The SoNo Baking Company Cookbook will be used in your home kitchen for years to come. John will teach you what dough should feel like, what batter should look like, and what bread should smell like when it's baking in the oven so that you become a confident intuitive baker.

A third-generation baker, JOHN BARRICELLI graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and worked at River Café, Le Bernardin, and the Four Seasons Restaurant. He then owned and ran Cousin John's Café and Bakery in Brooklyn for ten years. John worked at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, becoming a featured chef on Everyday Food, and in 2008 he became host of the spin-off Everyday Baking. In 2005, John opened the SoNo Baking Company and Cafe in South Norwalk, Connecticut.

Giada At Home:  Family Recipes From Italy to California

Release date:  March 30

I admit it... I'm a Food Network junkie.  One of the shows I enjoy is Giada At Home, starring Giada De Laurentiis. Since her debut on Food Network in 2002 with the hit program Everyday Italian, Giada De Laurentiis has been enticing Americans with her updated twists on Italian favorites. Her dedication to ease, healthfulness, and—above all else—flavor have won her a permanent place in the hearts of home cooks. In Giada at Home, she shares a personal look into how she cooks for those dearest to her, with simple recipes inspired by her television show of the same name.

Born in Italy, Giada was raised in Los Angeles by a gregarious Italian family. While her grandmother, aunt, and mother brought her up on generations-old recipes, Giada also became enamored with the bright and clean flavors of California’s abundant seasonal fruits and vegetables. Giada at Home presents recipes from both traditions, all with Giada’s signature style. She shares classic Italian recipes passed down through the years, like cheese-stuffed dates wrapped in salty prosciutto, creamy risotto with the earthy and deep flavors of mushrooms and gorgonzola, and lamb chops basted with honey and balsamic vinegar. New family favorites include grilled asparagus and melon, game hens roasted with citrus and herbs, and a sorbet made with pomegranate and mint, all bursting with fresh, vibrant flavors.

No meal would be complete without the company of family and Giada particularly enjoys bringing her loved ones together over meals. For the first time, she incorporates her go-to brunch recipes—what she cooks when setting up a feast on her back patio for everyone on weekend mornings—from Jade-approved Panini, with gooey mozzarella, luscious raspberries, and a sprinkling of brown sugar, to Todd’s favorite pancetta-studded waffles scented with cinnamon.

No matter which recipe you choose—classic or contemporary—Giada at Home makes gathering the favorite people in your life for fabulous weeknight meals and family celebrations delicious and easy.

GIADA DE LAURENTIIS is the Emmy-winning star of Food Network’s Everyday Italian, Giada's Weekend Getaways, and Giada at Home; a contributing correspondent for NBC’s Today; and the author of four New York Times bestselling cookbooks. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris and worked at Wolfgang Puck’s Spago restaurant in Los Angeles before starting her own catering company, GDL Foods. Born in Rome, she grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives with her husband, Todd, and their daughter, Jade.

Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts

Release date:  March 30
 
I don't sew (although I want to learn); but this next craft encyclopedia is a must have for my Martha library.
 
Whether you just bought your first sewing machine or have been sewing for years, Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts will open your eyes to an irresistible range of ideas. A comprehensive visual reference, the book covers everything a home sewer craves: the basics of sewing by hand or machine, along with five other time-honored crafts techniques, and step-by-step instructions for more than 150 projects that reflect not only Martha Stewart’s depth of experience and crafting expertise, but also her singular sense of style.

Encyclopedic in scope, the book features two main parts to help you brush up on the basics and take your skills to a new level. First, the Techniques section guides readers through Sewing, Appliqué, Embroidery, Quilting, Dyeing, and Printing. Following that, the Projects A to Z section features more than 150 clever ideas (including many no-sew projects), all illustrated and explained with the clear, detailed instructions that have become a signature of Martha Stewart’s magazines, books, and television shows.

An enclosed CD includes full-size clothing patterns as well as templates that can be easily produced on a home printer. Fabric, thread, and tool glossaries identify the properties, workability, and best uses of common sewing materials. And, perhaps best of all, when you need it most, Martha and her talented team of crafts editors offer you the reassurance that you really can make it yourself.

The projects are as delightful as they are imaginative, and include classic Roman shades, hand-drawn stuffed animals, an easy upholstered blanket chest, a quilted crib bumper, French knot-embellished pillowcases and sheets, and Japanese-embroidered table linens, among many others.With gorgeous color photographs as well as expert instruction, this handy guide will surely encourage beginners and keep sewers and crafters of all experience levels wonderfully busy for many years to come. 

Barefoot Contessa Recipe Journal

Release date:  April 6
 
A recipe journal?  How fun is that?  I love the idea of having a journal to log recipes and other cooking related information.  Ina Garten is bringing a beautiful journal to life this spring.  Along with the journal, is a complete index of the recipes found in all the Barfoot Contessa cookbooks.  For the index alone, I'd buy this book!  Another great Barefoot Contessa cookbook, "Barefoot Contessa:  How Easy Is That?" is scheduled for release on 10/26.   
 
The Bucolic Plague
  Release date:  June 1
 
Josh Kilmer-Purcell will release his third book "The Bucolic Plague:  How two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers: An Unconventional Memoir" on June 1. In a recent House Blend interview, Josh talked about the upcoming book: 

 “The Bucolic Plague will launch in June of 2010 from HarperCollins. It details the first two years of us owning the Beekman, and how we birthed the company. I think people will be very surprised at the drama and challenges Brent, myself, and our relationship faced soon after we purchased the Beekman. Although we share a lot of what we do and think on our website, we don’t really speak much about our relationship. I hope people will find my reflections honest and helpful - and not exhibitionist." 
 
Armistead Maupin recently wrote:  "I gobbled up this book like-well, like goat cheese on a cracker. Kilmer-Purcell's genius lies in his ability to blindside the reader with heart-wrenching truths in the midst of the most outlandish scenarios. He makes you laugh until you care." 
 
That brief review alone, makes me anxious to read this book.