Ready for Some Fresh Thinking?

While in the middle of making cookie dough this afternoon, there came a knock at the door. It was our mail-person, Michelle, who presented me with the haul of mail for the day. Within the stack of mail, I found the January issue of Martha Stewart Living.

After a hectic holiday season full of projects, decorations, lights and bits of scotch tape on the floor (which you will find until St. Patrick's Day), it's always refreshing to put a focus on getting organized once again. Despite my best efforts every year from Halloween - New Year's, I can't quite keep the house in quite the 'order' I'm used to. (to see my project room right now would make any professional organizer shudder!)

The January issue of Living is all about 'fresh thinking.' Despite it's small size this month (only 144 pages), it's full of great articles and photography.

Looking to maximize your closet space? there is a range of clever and easy organizing ideas to make the most of the storage you have. Ever wonder how Martha 'does it all' and maintains her great appearance and vigor? You'll find all her health secrets in her monthly column, "From My Home to Yours." Get a glimpse behind the scenes at some of MSLO staffers offices in an interesting articled titled, "Creativity at Work."

There's much more in this issue of Living. Go beyond the expected uses of citrus when cooking breakfast, lunch or dinner. Take a look at a year of flowers - a calendar of a dozen seasonal bouquets. Anticipate being 'full' from all the holiday goodies? Try a dessert of meringues in the coming new year.

A new year, and another resolution to get fit. Dr. Brent Ridge shares his insight on how exercising actually affects your body in his monthly column Doctor/Patient. It's an article you don't want to miss.

Cooking, entertaining, gardening, homekeeping and more all in the January issue. Watch for it!

Help in the Kitchen From Martha and Costco

With holiday preparations in full swing we could all use some help in the kitchen. Martha Stewart has you covered with great selection of food products available at Costco.

Wanting ham for the holidays? Look no further than your local Costco for Kirkland Signature/Martha Stewart Ham. First introduced last year to rave reviews, this ham can’t be beat. These bone-in hams are slow cured and then lightly smoked over applewood chips. Each artisanal ham comes with simple reheating, glazing, and carving instructions. If you traditionally serve ham at holiday time, this ham is the perfect choice.

When the wrapping paper and scotch tape frenzy leave you with little time for a simple supper, try these great Martha Stewart alternatives:

Beef Chili with Beans ……This beef chili brings together black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, and hearty chunks of beef. Tomatoes, smoky ancho chilies, and a touch of lager round out the chili’s deep flavors and give it plenty of personality. Make it a southwest supper that is quick, easy, and tastes like you had it simmering for hours.

Chicken Slab Pie ……All-natural chicken, carrots, leeks, mushrooms, peas, and pearl onions
simmered in a creamy sauce—are brought together in these rustic, double-crust pies. This chicken slab pie takes the traditional pot pie and kicks it up a few notches.

Turkey Soup …… Brimming with hearty chunks of turkey, tender noodles, mushrooms, carrots, and onions, this turkey soup is delicious served piping hot on its own or with some crusty bread.

After dinner, who doesn’t love a good dessert? Try Martha’s Apple Raspberry Slab Pie …… A rich, buttery crust encases a filling of apples, raspberries, and a hint of spice to create this apple-raspberry slab pie. Serve it warm or at room temperature with your favorite ice cream.

Planning a holiday party? Martha makes it easy with these quick appetizers:

Olive Bruschetta …… This olive bruschetta blends the tangy, slightly salty flavors of olives with the sweetness of roasted red peppers and cipollini onions. It makes a wonderful alternative to traditional pasta
sauce.

Pork Meatballs …… These tender pork meatballs feature floral lemongrass and spicy habanero chiles. Serve them on bibb lettuce leaves with a chili-lime dipping sauce or on a mini baguette with shredded carrots, sliced cucumbers and pickles, nd cilantro sprigs to create a Vietnamese-style sandwich.

Mushroom Dip …… Classic flavor of rich, savory bacon mingles with earthy mushrooms in this creamy dip. When entertaining, serve a bowl of Mushroom Dip with an array of fresh vegetables.

Whether your entertaining, hosting the holiday, or just looking for something quick to prepare during a busy week, Kirkland/Martha Stewart products make meal time taste just like you made it yourself… and all you had to do is heat it up!

For more information on these and other Kirkland/Martha Stewart food products, visit the shop page at marthastewart.com.

Tis the Season to be Decorated

A fairly decent picture of the Christmas tree in the family room

The kitchen garland with the overhead lights off and all a-glow. I love the LED lights. They cast a wonderful shade of blue light.

The garland with a bit of extra lighting.. it's adorned with blue and silver ornaments.

Not A Creature Was Stirring... Not Even Sirius

I had to share this picture of our youngest, Sirius. One of his favorite things is burrowing into a pile of laundry fresh from the dryer. Here, he found a nice warm fitted sheet to tunnel into and fall asleep. How could you not love this cat?

Cookie Week

Just in time for holiday baking to begin, tune into the Martha Stewart Show during the week of December 8th for numerous recipes of everyones favorite holiday treat: Cookies!

Tune in to catch recipes for: Walnut cookies; Orange pinched macaroons; Spiced cardamon cookies; Ski cookies; Chocolate thumbprint cookies; Classic sugar cookies; and lemon-raspberry sandwiches.

After you bake batch after batch you'll also want some clever packaging ideas! Martha has you covered this week!

Also, handmade gift ideas continue with affordable and charming gift ideas for the loved ones on your gift list this year. It's a "can't miss" week of shows!

Which Should It Be?

About two months ago or so, MSLO sent a survey to readers of Martha Stewart Living asking for opinions on which cover should be used for the January 2009 issue. With the January issue soon to arrive in mailboxes, I'm curious to know what you think... which cover would you select and why?

Martha Stewart Collection Packaging Receives Recognition

Doyle Partners, a New York based design firm has won recognition in the highly prestigious competition for creativity in graphic design from Communication Arts Magazine. Communication Arts recently published the winners in the 2008 Design Annual.

Stephen Doyle, Creative Director and Brian Chojnowski, Designer secured their place in the Annual publication for their design work in the packaging for the Martha Stewart Collection, available at Macy's. Stephen Doyle, married to MSLO Chief Creative Officer, Gael Towey, is also credited with the design of the Martha Stewart circle logo which has unified the Martha Stewart brand across multiple media platforms.

According to the designers, "The idea was simple: Why not turn the stacked cardboard boxes holding Martha Stewart Collection kitchenware into wallpaper? Creating artwork from the actual product drawings allowed us to forego expensive, elaborate product photography and print the boxes while the products were being manufactured."

Congratulations to Doyle Partners for the recognition of their outstanding design talent.

A Message of Hope

Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old. "Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. "Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.' "Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?"
VIRGINIA O'HANLON

VIRGINIA,

Your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.