Decorating Eggs for Easter? There's an App for That!

Find great ideas by the dozen in this brand-new app with signature Martha Stewart style. This spring, go beyond the familiar and create extraordinary eggs. With the swipe of your finger, browse a gallery of 101 eggs, each one more charming than the last—and fun to make for both kids and adults. See one you want to make? Tap it to reveal detailed how-tos, complete with step-by-step photos or video.

Make eggs embellished with flowers, lace, or monograms. Eggs awash in swirls, speckles, or spots. Eggs that look like animals (including the Easter bunny!)—and many more. Sophisticated or cute, surprising or classic, all these eggs are easy and impressive. It’s everything you need to celebrate spring. So what are you waiting for? Time to get cracking!


The app includes:

— Egg Basics: Everything you need to know to get started. How to blow out eggs so you can save them year after year. How to dye the eggs in the prettiest hues, complete with our detailed formulas, and lots of tips for getting great results.

— Techniques and How-Tos: The eggs are divided into 20 techniques. Pick your favorites, or try them all. Every single egg is accompanied by easy-to-follow how-to instructions and photographs or videos.

— Sources: Most of the techniques call for simple supplies—if you don’t have them already, you can find them at the grocery store or craft store. But if you do need a special supply, we’ll tell you exactly where to find it.

— Fun functions: E-mail your favorite eggs to friends to say Happy Spring!

Hallmark Home Unveils 2011-2012 Slate of Programs

Crown Media Networks, part of the television portfolio that includes Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel, today presented its cable television networks’ 2011-2012 slate of original programs, including the new Q4 lineup for the network’s successful Hallmark Channel Home lifestyle block. The second season of Hallmark Channel Home, Hallmark Channel’s entertaining and informative daily lifestyle programming block, will premiere in September. The block is headlined by the seventh season premiere of “The Martha Stewart Show,” the Emmy(R) Award-winning, daily series featuring a Who’s Who of innovators and top personalities and inspiring ways to live life to its fullest – from cooking, crafting and collecting to decorating, gardening and even pet care, no one does it better than Martha.

Also returning for its second season on Hallmark Channel is “Petkeeping with Marc Morrone.” A contemporary Dr. Doolittle, Morrone is Martha Stewart’s Go-to guy for all things pet related.

Joining Hallmark Channel Home is Emeril Lagasse in “Emeril’s Table,” a new daily cooking series featuring the celebrated chef and restaurateur with a table full of enthusiastic guests in each episode.

Martha follows up her popular and successful primetime holiday and interview “Martha Stewart Presents” specials with all-new Halloween and specials in primetime on Hallmark, celebrating the seasons as only this style and cultural maven can.

The following shows are produced by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in association with Hallmark Channel:

NEW SERIES:

“Emeril’s Table” Hallmark Channel Original Series World Premiere Premiere Date Q4 TBA

Emeril Lagasse kicks it up even more when “Emeril’s Table” joins Hallmark Channel Home beginning Q4. Emeril, who entertains people with his food expertise as well as his enthusiasm, says, “I am looking forward to bringing Hallmark Channel Home viewers a cooking program that will inspire them to create truly delicious menus for their family and friends.” “Emeril’s Table” is sure to be the hottest reservation in television. Emeril’s media empire, products and eating establishments are said to exceed more than $150 million in sales annually. The chef-proprietor of 12 restaurants around the country earning critical praise and top ratings, author of some 15 cookbooks, and food correspondent for ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Emeril is one of the most popular and successful chefs in world. 52 30-minute Episodes

RETURNING SERIES:

“The Martha Stewart Show” (Season 7 premiere) Hallmark Channel Original Series Premiere Date in October TBA

Martha Stewart is back for a seventh season of her mega-popular, Emmy Award-winning show and her second as anchor of the Hallmark Channel Home daily lifestyle programming block, after making Hallmark Channel her exclusive home a year ago. The new season will find Martha introducing fresh inspirations and will feature A-list celebrities, culinary icons and luminaries of the fashion world, both renowned and newly discovered – all before a live studio audience. A brand new assortment of theme shows will also be in the offing, focusing on all varieties of baking, crafting, gardening and decorating. In addition to chefs and fashion connoisseurs, those dropping by Martha’s place will include seasoned artisans designers, artists, authors, collectors and experts from all walks of life. 140 60-minute Episodes

“Petkeeping with Marc Morrone” (Season 2 premiere) Hallmark Channel Original Series Premiere Date in January TBA

Marc Morrone is a modern-day Dr. Doolittle who knows how to talk to the animals – and about them, too. He is Martha Stewart’s go-to guy in the world of four-legged and winged beasts, from dogs to cats, rabbits to ferrets, parrots to canaries, and he is bringing his wisdom back to Hallmark Channel in all half-hour episodes which reveal what viewers need to know about caring for their pets. Through dialogue, demonstrations and Marc’s personal and professional experience, he shares valuable tips and insights for enjoyable petkeeping. 20 30-minute Episodes

SPECIALS:

“Martha Stewart Presents: Halloween Special” Hallmark Channel Original Special World Premiere Premiere Date OctoberTBA

It will come as no surprise that no one does Halloween better than the Grande Dame of domesticity herself. In fact, this special is a virtual how-to guide for doing Halloween Night right. Martha shares tips on sensationally spook-tacular ways to decorate your home with the proper monster-fied motif, transforming pillowcases into trick-or-treat bags, making scary cupcakes, Halloween cocktails, great costume makeup, and much more. There are also likely to be a few surprise guests dropping by on their way home. Though technically it’s a night to celebrate the deceased, Halloween comes alive during this prime time hour with Martha. She creates more Halloween party ideas than you can shake a witch’s broom at. One word of warning: this celebration of all that screams and goes bump in the night is strictly BYOP (Bring Your Own Pumpkin)!

“Martha Stewart Presents: Christmas Special” Hallmark Channel Original Special World Premiere Premiere Date TBA

Martha Stewart’s Christmas program is the gold standard of holiday specials. Martha Stewart and holidays continue to be synonymous, since she remains the one whom more Americans turn to than any other for tips and tricks on how best to celebrate the season ofgiving. In Martha’s annual holiday extravaganza, she will be welcoming several friends we all know. We don’t yet know who those special guests will be, but last year, Martha opened her home to Claire Danes and Jennifer Garner. There will also be Christmas crafting galore in this Holiday Open House, along with unique holiday gift-giving and decorating ideas, recipes, discussion of handmade items, and some baking of traditional cookies and cakes. Viewers emerge from an hour with Martha and her friends with holiday inspiration aplenty. Pour yourself a glass of eggnog, sit back and enjoy.

A surprising absence from the lineup was "Mad Hungry" with Lucinda Scala Quinn and "Martha Bakes," the latest television production from MSLO.  No official word if these two quality programs will return with the new lineup.

Label Art

I've always enjoyed and appreciated good design in packaging.  From soup cans to seed collections, a well designed label can serve as art in your home, office, or in your potting shed. 

Last year, while visiting the Beekman 1802 store in Sharon Springs, New York, I purchased several of the heirloom seed collections.  I was taken with the labels that Josh Kilmer-Purcell had created.  They have a vintage look and feel while still being modern and fresh. 

I knew that the seeds would be put to good use in the garden, but I also wanted to do something with the labels.  They were too beautiful to just set aside or cut out and save in my garden planner.  I decided to turn them into art. 

I found a frame that would hold a mat cut with three 4x6 openings.  The labels themselves were slightly smaller, so I added an additional mat backing, centering the labels in each of the cutouts. 

Presto!  Instant art! 

There was a small space just outside of our project room and next to the shelves that hold my massive magazine collection. The piece fit perfectly. 

Look around.  Where might you find works of art?

To order your own set of heirloom seeds (and labels!) visit the Beekman1802 online store. 

Fabulous Beekman Boys Season 1 DVD Update

In a recent post about the Season 1 DVD release of "The Fabulous Beekman Boys," I indicated that the DVD set would be available in May.  This information was based on availability through Amazon.com. 

The DVD set is now available through the Discovery Store and is currently in stock.  To order the set, click HERE.  The set includes all 10 episodes from Season 1 as well as the holiday special and more all for just $19.95. 

Have You Taken Your Temperature?

The temperature of your garden soil is key to successful seed germination in your garden. As different types of seeds germinate at different temperatures, measuring the soil temperature can guide your vegetable planting schedule.

Bill Mansour, retired vegetable crops specialist for the Oregon State University Extension Service, recommends the following method for taking an accurate temperature reading of your garden soil.

Use a probe thermometer, available at garden supply stores.

Insert the thermometer to two inches into the soil for early season and small, seeded vegetables including arugula, fava beans, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kale, leeks, lettuce, many of the oriental greens, onions, parsnips, peas, radicchio, radishes, spinach, Swiss chard and turnips.

Insert the thermometer four inches for warm season vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, cucumbers, squash, corn and melons.

Take the temperature at the same time each day for several days in a row and average them out. The best time to take the temperature is mid-day. If you can't take the soil temperature each day, agricultural weather reports give out soil temperature information taken mid-day.

"You can have fun graphing the maximum, minimum and mean temperatures and get a feel for how soil temperatures fluctuate daily," said Mansour.

"Start thinking about planting cool season crops when soil temperature averages at least 40 degrees and warm season crops when the average is 50 degrees or more," he advised. "But remember, you also have to consider is the risk of killing frost after your seeds emerge."

Martha Stewart Living Announces New Editor for Flagship Magazine

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. today announced that Pilar Guzmanhas been named Editor in Chief of the award-winning, monthly magazine Martha Stewart Living. Ms. Guzmanwas founding Editor In Chief of Cookie, a highly regarded, intelligent magazine for modern parents that ceased publication in late 2009. In addition to overseeing editorial for Martha Stewart Living, she will be responsible for the creation of monthly digitized editions of the magazine.


Prior to joining MSLO, Ms. Guzman co-founded Momfilter.com, a website devoted to modern parenthood. Before founding Cookie, which Advertising Age magazine named "Launch of the Year" in 2007, and serving as the magazine's editor in chief, she was senior editor at Real Simple and executive editor of One,an architecture and design magazine. Ms. Guzmanhas also been a contributor to a number of different publications, including The New York Times House & Home and Dining sections, I.D., Metropolis, Wallpaper, and Marie Claire, and was the design and architecture editor and columnist at City magazine. She launched her career in journalism writing a travel guide to Italy before working as a food critic and lifestyle writer for the New York Daily News.

Ms. Guzman will work closely with EVP Creative Director Eric Pike and will report to the Chief Creative and Editorial Director, Gael Towey. She will also collaborate with the company's digital team on Living's expression on the MarthaStewart.com website. In addition, Ms. Guzman will represent the magazine in appearances on the Emmy-winning daily TV series "The Martha Stewart Show" on Hallmark Channel.


"I have long been a fan of Martha Stewart and the iconic lifestyle brand that is Living. In its unparalleled rigor and creativity, Martha Stewart Living is an inspiration and I am excited to work with this amazingly talented team," said Ms. Guzman.

A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Ms. Guzman is the author of Time for Dinner, a family dinner cookbook that was published last fall by Chronicle Books. In 2008, she was one of Crain's "Top 40 Under 40" and The New York Post included her on its list of "New York's 50 Most Powerful Women."

Fabulous Beekman Boys Season 1 DVD

If you're a fan of "The Fabulous Beekman Boys" (and who isn't?), you will soon be able to relive every moment of the first season with a new DVD that will be available on May 31st.  

The ground breaking series became an instant hit with viewers as they watched Brent and Josh live through their (first) year of sacrifice with nearly every struggle imaginable as they build their business, Beekman1802.com while maintaining their 10 year relationship. 

The Season One DVD is now available for pre-order. 

April Living

The blue sky of spring is the inspiration behind the April issue of Martha Stewart Living - now arriving in subscribers mailboxes. 

The issue is filled with wonderful blues (which happens to be my favorite color... next to Jadeite green).  The cover alone caught my eye instantly and inspired me to consider blue and white as a theme for Easter this year.  It turns out feeling blue is a happy thing.  The shade that's always in style offers endless decorating possibilities.  powdery or brilliant, neutral or intense, blue can open up just about every room in the house. 

If you're looking for great Easter inspiration, the April issue delivers just what you need.  A colorful, candy-filled egg hunt for kids doubles as a relaxed Easter brunch for the adults.  No-mess egg decorations and a sunny lemon pastry are part of the good times. 

Herbs.  Take a fresh look at herbs.  See how six basic hers stand out in 12 great recipes.  you'll never wonder what to do with leftover basil again!  Also.. a few hints and tips for growing your own - perfect how-to as we round the corner (in my neck of the woods) to gardening season. 

Easter toys are highly collectible and a great article entitled "Rabbit Tales"  takes you hopping along  through a history of bunny toys, trinkets, and housewares.  You may remember a few of these from your childhood!

One of my favorite articles in this issue is Martha's step-by-step guide to getting the grimiest of kitchen appliances sparkling again.  Grab a sponge, and get the stove "Martha clean." 

The April issue hits newsstands on March 14 and will also be available for the iPad on the same day.

April Everyday Food

The month of March is just getting started, but the April issue of Everyday Food arrived in my mailbox yesterday filled with great recipes and ideas for spring.

Get ready to eat, with excellent recipes for three ingredient side dishes that can accompany your favorite main fare. The recipes are easy to prepare and equally as easy on the budget.

Keeping the food budget in line is something we all strive to do and a great section in this issue, “5 weeknight dinners, 5 ingredients, 5 dollars per person (or less)” is a great way to eat well, and keep your grocery bill manageable.

April means spring and Easter. Put the ham on hold this year with a great Easter menu of salmon with brown sugar and mustard glaze, salt and pepper rolls, asparagus and green beans with chili-orange oil, balsamic red onions, and a deliciously moist simple lemon cake for dessert. Sounds like a wonderfully light alternative to the traditional holiday feast.

Leftover bread? This issue of Everyday Food gives you great ideas on how to “use it up” to avoid waste.

Desserts couldn’t be easier with a section on gooey, chewy bar desserts. From chocolate to citrus, a variety of bar desserts are fast, fun, and easy to make.

For iPad owners, don’t forget that Everyday Food is now available for download, with great how-to videos, and all the excellent content you’ll find in the ‘hard copy’ of the magazine.

The Fabulous Beekman Boys Return for Season 2

It won't be long, now!  The Fabulous Beekman Boys, Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge will be model walking (well, at least Josh will...) back into your home on Tuesday, March 22nd at 10 p.m. on Planet Green. 

It's another season of challenges, drama, good times, and our favorite llama, Polkaspot. 

Check your local listings to find Planet Green through your cable or satellite service provider. 

Martha Stewart's New Pies and Tarts

New Pies and Tarts book set to release March 22

Filled with seasonal fruit, piled high with billowy meringue, or topped with buttery streusel, pies and tarts are comforting and foolproof. In Martha Stewart’s New Pies and Tarts, the editors of Martha Stewart Living include 150 recipes: Some are savory, some are sweet; some are simple enough for a weeknight, while others are fancy enough for special events. Throughout, readers will find plenty of fillings and crusts, basics, and techniques for creating flavors and textures for every taste—from down-home classics that come together easily with fresh berries and stone fruits to modern tarts layered with chocolate ganache or finished with a wine glaze. There are also individual hand pies, savory comforts like quiche and potpie, holiday-worthy desserts for nearly every occasion, and much more.


Chapters feature pies and tarts for everyone: Classic (Lattice-Top Blueberry Pie, Pumpkin Pie), Free-form (Apricot-Pistachio Tart, Apple Butter Hand Pies), Sleek (Caramelized Lemon Tart, Chocolate Mousse Tart with Hazelnuts), Dreamy (Frozen Chocolate–Peanut Butter Pie, Butterscotch Praline Cream Pie), Rustic (Cheddar-Crust Apple Pie, Blackberry Jam Tart), Layered (Rainbow Puff-Pastry Tarts, Chocolate Pear

Tart), Dainty (Roasted Fig Tartlets, Cranberry Meringue Mini Pies), Artful (Peach-Raspberry Slab Pie, Pumpkin and Ricotta Crostata), Holiday (Neapolitan Easter Pie, Gingerbread-Raspberry Snowflake Tart), and Savory (Leek and Olive Tart, Summer Squash Lattice Tart).

As is expected from Martha Stewart, this book is at once a feast for the eyes and the palate, as well as a practical teaching tool. Each dish is accompanied by a lush, four-color photograph. Throughout the book are simple instructions for decorative crusts and finishing techniques (latticework, cutouts, classic edgings). A complete Basics section of tools, pantry staples, and dough recipes (pâte brisée, cream cheese dough, press-in cookie crusts, puff pastry), plus plenty of tips and make-ahead tricks, help readers along the way. Whether making an effortless, free-form galette or the perfect latticework pie, bakers of all skill levels will look again and again to Martha Stewart’s New Pies and Tarts.

Vanessa Holden Leaves Martha Stewart Living

West Elm, a member of the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. portfolio of brands, today announced that Vanessa Holden, editor-in-chief and creative director of Martha Stewart Living, will join the brand as senior vice president and creative director. Ms. Holden will oversee all facets of the home furnishing brand’s expression in the west elm catalog, on westelm.com, and in the brand’s store environments.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to have Vanessa join our team,” said Jim Brett, president of west elm. “Over the past year, we’ve worked carefully to enhance and diversify the west elm merchandise offering and our customers have responded positively. Vanessa is the author of our next logical chapter. She brings a wealth of experience in the art of storytelling through words and images that will make our catalog, our website and our stores a richer experience for our customers.”

“For me, west elm is the most exciting, vibrant lifestyle brand in the market right now,” said Vanessa Holden. “The opportunity to build out a compelling, rich and immersive brand experience for the west elm customer is incredibly exciting. I look forward to helping grow the brand in all dimensions.”

Boundless Beauty Now Available for Subscribers

Martha Stewart Living magazines first special digital issue originally created for the iPad is now available for FREE to subscribers for their computers. 

Click HERE to gain access to this first spectacular digital special issue.  Note:  You must be a subscriber to one of the Martha Stewart Living family of magazines to gain access to the issue.