I got one of Martha’s daily emails about a Grilled New England Seafood “Bake.” There’s something about New England in the summer…. I had to make it.  I was imagining myself on a rocky coast in front of a fire with the tide going out and the smell of salt water and seaweed in the air. Well, if I couldn’t really be there, at least I could pretend my dinner was from there.

Ready to bake

This fabulous little recipe is something you MUST make. I don’t say that very often, but I’m giving this one 100 stars.

You start with red potatoes. Martha says to use baby reds. I had regular reds, so I sliced them and parboiled them. The recipe does not say to parboil, but I just can’t see the potatoes getting done any other way, so definitely do that.

You put the potatoes on the foil. Then you add cod and shrimp and some sections of corn on the cob. Mix up some butter with garlic and dill (I melted the butter – Martha says to make it soft). Pour that on top. Put some lemon slices on top. Seal up your packets and stick them on the grill for 12-14 minutes.

Ready to eat

Mine were perfectly done. Martha says to dump them out into a bowl. We just opened the packets up on our plates and ate right out of them. Oh, it was wonderful. I can see making this with other ingredients – throw in some clams or mussels or maybe a lobster tail that’s been halved.  Sigh. This is making me hungry all over again.  It was really, really good.

I got one of Martha’s daily emails about a Grilled New England Seafood “Bake.” There’s something about New England in the summer…. I had to make it.  I was imagining myself on a rocky coast in front of a fire with the tide going out and the smell of salt water and seaweed in the … Read more →

I have not been a very big fan of kale in the past, but Lucinda has a recipe for Kale Slaw with Peanut Dressing in August Martha Stewart Living, so of course I had to try it since I trust Lucinda implicitly.

You slice the kale very, very thinly – and I think this is an important part of the recipe, so make sure you do it!

You cut up some red pepper and carrot and mix it with the kale and some peanuts.

The dressing is simple – oil, vinegar, peanuts, brown sugar and salt in the Cuisinart. It comes out pretty thick, like a thin peanut butter.

Toss it all up and somehow it becomes this amazing delicious salad. I could not get enough of this and had 2 helpings of it. The peanut dressing combined with the very thinly cut kale makes for a very tender and interesting salad.  I didn’t even know I was eating kale and I enjoyed this very much.

I have not been a very big fan of kale in the past, but Lucinda has a recipe for Kale Slaw with Peanut Dressing in August Martha Stewart Living, so of course I had to try it since I trust Lucinda implicitly. You slice the kale very, very thinly – and I think this is … Read more →

The August issue of Martha Stewart Living has a recipe for Barbecued Pork-Shoulder Chops (a Lucinda recipe). I could not find shoulder chops, so I used regular loin.

You start by rubbing the chops with garlic, sage and salt and letting it sit for 2 hours. Then you are supposed to pour lager over it. I substituted apple juice. Let that sit again, then grill with a barbecue sauce.

The chops were moist and very tasty. I’ve never actually put BBQ sauce on pork chops before and it was a good match. I didn’t feel as though I really tasted the garlic, sage or apple juice, but I think they all contributed to the depth of the flavor.

My mom (Big MarthaAndMe) likes to say that you can’t buy a good pork chop these days. They used to be juicier and more flavorful. I don’t remember chops any other way than they are today, but I do find that they always taste better if you do some kind of marinade with them before cooking. This was a pretty good one and one to keep in my bag of pork chop tricks.

The August issue of Martha Stewart Living has a recipe for Barbecued Pork-Shoulder Chops (a Lucinda recipe). I could not find shoulder chops, so I used regular loin. You start by rubbing the chops with garlic, sage and salt and letting it sit for 2 hours. Then you are supposed to pour lager over it. … Read more →

I love the piece in August Martha Stewart Living about Hawaiian quilt-inspired designs. We went to Hawaii last summer and I brought home a quilt and a quilted throw pillow cover. The quilt is the breadfruit pattern. It hangs on a quilt rack with a quilt from my grandmother.  I bought it at an amazing little artisan shop in a village outside of Akaka Falls. The throw pillow usually sits on a chair in my bedroom. I bought the pillow at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Fortunately, my bedroom is in a pastel floral style and these items work well there. I think that Hawaiian quilt patterns are beautiful, but they don’t work in every home.

The article suggests stenciling cushions for an outdoor chaise with this type of pattern and that would be gorgeous I think. Fitting these patterns into other decor is difficult I think. I love that I brought these pieces of the islands home with us and they remind me of our trip there.

I love the piece in August Martha Stewart Living about Hawaiian quilt-inspired designs. We went to Hawaii last summer and I brought home a quilt and a quilted throw pillow cover. The quilt is the breadfruit pattern. It hangs on a quilt rack with a quilt from my grandmother.  I bought it at an amazing … Read more →

I was in Mother Hubbard mode (bare pantry) just before vacation, but I ran out to the store to buy some things to eat in the day or two before we left. The trout in the fish department looked good, so I bought two.

I usually grill trout with some dill and lemon on it. I decided to give Martha a shot at cooking my trout and searched her site. I came up with Grilled Trout with Oregano.  Martha says to season the trout with salt and pepper (I must confess, I never put salt and pepper on fish when I make it, but I did try it this time) and place some lemon rings and oregano sprigs on the fish. I always grill fish on a little non-stick grill sheet that has round holes in it, so the fish doesn’t fall through the grill.

Trout cooks very quickly on the grill. When it was done, Martha directed me to sprinkle some olive oil on it. I would never do that on my own either.

The results? Very tasty, although I like it better with just dill and lemon. Seasoning with salt and pepper did give it some added flavor. I thought the olive oil was superfluous – this fish was already moist. It didn’t need extra oil. The oregano added no flavor since it just sat on top and was removed when we ate it. It did look very pretty though.

I was in Mother Hubbard mode (bare pantry) just before vacation, but I ran out to the store to buy some things to eat in the day or two before we left. The trout in the fish department looked good, so I bought two. I usually grill trout with some dill and lemon on it. … Read more →

I held back as long as I could, but finally gave in and made the Dark Chocolate Cookies (Martha Stewart Living, July issue).  I have a thing about dark chocolate. A big thing. I don’t really like milk chocolate and I definitely don’t like white chocolate, but dark chocolate is the nectar of the gods. This recipe had been singing its siren song to me since the issue arrived.

I got down to business. First, I made the dough. This is a sandwich cookie. You mix up the dough then Martha says to freeze it for 15 minutes.  Here’s the first problem. It needs to freeze for much longer. My cookies came out misshapen and smushed because they would not hold their shape. I kept putting the dough back in the freezer and trying again. The dough stuck to the rolling pin, to the counter, to the cutter, and to me. Teen Martha was in the room as I was working on this and laughed as I had a few choice words to say about Martha and her recipes as I was struggling.

Once I had finished cutting out my cookie rounds (most of which looked like footballs), they went into the freezer for another 15 minutes before baking.  It took one full hour from the time I started this recipe until I could put the cookies in the oven. And I must admit having the oven on for that hour on a hot July day simply added to my crankiness. Let me also say this – do not attempt to make Martha’s cookies unless you have a chest freezer.  Our fridge is a side by side, and cookie sheets do not fit in it. I had to trot down to the basement to the chest freezer with these cookie sheets.

Once in the oven, the cookies baked pretty much on schedule. The instruction to bake until they are firm on the edges is a good and useful one.

Now for the filling. Several weeks ago, in anticipation of this recipe, I bought a bar of dark chocolate. I went to get it out only to find Teen Martha had used most of it to make brownies. Sigh. I had 2 ounces, but needed 4. I ended up using some good quality semi-sweet chocolate to make up the difference.

The filling is easy to make. You heat cream, sugar and salt and then pour it over the chocolate and let it sit. You stir it and then let it cool. Very easy.

Once the cookies and filling were cooled, I assembled the cookies. The recipe says it makes 30. I didn’t count, but I think I got about 20 maybe.  Make sure you stick these in the fridge right after you assemble them because the filling tends to run out and make a mess.

The taste test? Very yummy. The cookies are not very crisp (not like an Oreo), but that was ok. The filling is creamy and chocolatey (and would be better if I had used all dark chocolate!). I enjoyed these, but this was an awful lot of work for about 20 cookies.  It took most of an afternoon. Too much time, not a big enough pay off. Now, if someone were to serve these to me, I would eat them happily, but I don’t think I’ll be making them again.

I held back as long as I could, but finally gave in and made the Dark Chocolate Cookies (Martha Stewart Living, July issue).  I have a thing about dark chocolate. A big thing. I don’t really like milk chocolate and I definitely don’t like white chocolate, but dark chocolate is the nectar of the gods. … Read more →

Faced with a zucchini in my vegetable drawer and no good ideas on how to use it, I turned to Martha’s site and ran a search for zucchini. I found a recipe for Risotto with Zucchini and Peas. I’ve made risotto with lots of different ingredients, but never zucchini. This was a basic risotto recipe, except you cook the zucchini in the pan first, then remove them before getting started with the onion, rice and then broth. You add the zucchini and peas in at the end.

I loved this recipe. I am on a quest to add more vegetables into our diet and sticking them in something fabulous like risotto is a great way to eat them without feeling cranky and deprived.  The risotto was creamy. The zucchini kind of melted into the background – you taste the peas more than it. I would use some water in place of some of the broth in this – it had a very strong chicken broth flavor. The kids weren’t around for this, but Mr. MarthaAndMe ate his happily. This has made me wonder what else I could add to risotto in the future.

Faced with a zucchini in my vegetable drawer and no good ideas on how to use it, I turned to Martha’s site and ran a search for zucchini. I found a recipe for Risotto with Zucchini and Peas. I’ve made risotto with lots of different ingredients, but never zucchini. This was a basic risotto recipe, … Read more →

Broccoli is one word I can never spell correctly! I always want to do one ‘c’ and two ‘l’s. Just because I can’t spell it doesn’t mean I don’t like to eat it though! It’s one of my favorite vegetables. I remember craving it when I was pregnant. And even when I was at a stage where I couldn’t eat cooked vegetables (they all had to be raw – my poor husband!) I still liked cooked broccoli.

I found myself with a nearly bare fridge one night and dinner rapidly approaching. I had just cleaned out the vegetable drawer which was in a distinctly non-Martha state – lots of rotten things hiding at the bottom.  There wasn’t much to choose from once the purge was over, so I turned to Martha for inspiration.  I got out Martha Stewart’s Cooking School cookbook and looked up every remaining vegetable I had left in the index, hoping for a brilliant idea. I hit the jackpot with broccoli.

I remember when the book came out and Martha did a segment on her show about cream soups that actually had no cream in them. Seemed a bit odd to me, but I never got around to trying it. The time was right.

Martha says to cook onions in butter then add flour and cook briefly. Add chicken broth and cook to a boil. This did make a very nicely thickened soup base that was very creamy looking. Next you add your broccoli to the soup and cook it in the soup, then use a hand blender to puree it.

This is totally different from how I’ve made broccoli soup in the past. I usually steam the broccoli then chop it up in the Cuisinart and add it to the soup. I like Martha’s method better for sure.

I did add some cream at the end (Martha said it was optional). I also felt the soup was a little bland, so I added some thyme and some grated white cheddar which livened it up a lot.

This soup had a smooth, creamy texture and a very nice fresh flavor to it. It was very easy and fast to make – you can get this done in half an hour or less. I was amazed that both kids ate it – and then asked for more! I almost fell off my chair. Broccoli is the one vegetable they will both eat, but even though they are 17 and 11, they normally insist on only nibbling at the tops of the florets and not eating any stem. This is a sneaky way to get them to eat more of it.  I’ll definitely make this soup again.

<p style=”text-align:left;”><a href=”http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://s7.addthis.com/button1-addthis.gif” border=”0″ alt=”Bookmark and Share” width=”125″ height=”16″ /></a></p>

Broccoli is one word I can never spell correctly! I always want to do one ‘c’ and two ‘l’s. Just because I can’t spell it doesn’t mean I don’t like to eat it though! It’s one of my favorite vegetables. I remember craving it when I was pregnant. And even when I was at a … Read more →

One of the items I inherited from my grandmother is an old cedar chest. We found it in her basement, covered in cobwebs.  It got my attention because it is on legs. As you can see, there is a piece broken off (but we have it, so it can be repaired).

When I got it home I opened it up to really investigate. I was completely stunned to see the original paperwork still attached to the inside of the lid. This is a Caswell-Runyan Treasure Chest made of red cedar. A little Googling led to me to discover this was a company founded by two women that was popular in the 1930s (my grandparents married in 1933 so this makes sense). The chest doesn’t have a patent number I can see (there may be one on the bottom, but I haven’t crawled under there yet).

I really like the design of this chest a lot and would like to have it refinished.  Martha would know how to do it herself, but this is so old and in need of so much work that I need to find a professional.

One of the items I inherited from my grandmother is an old cedar chest. We found it in her basement, covered in cobwebs.  It got my attention because it is on legs. As you can see, there is a piece broken off (but we have it, so it can be repaired). When I got it … Read more →

Thank you to Ron S. Doyle for picking MarthaAndMe for a Ripe Tomato Award! How cool is that?  Here is how Ron describes the award:

“Sharing Blog Awards was started by A Traveler’s Library as a way to acknowledge bloggers who have acknowledged your blog and then pay it forward to 15 other bloggers. And the magical number 15 is involved. Don’t ask why it’s magic—asking why is like asking a magician for his secrets—just trust in the mystery, be grateful, and pay it forward.”

I appreciate it very much Ron and I am definitely going to pay it forward. I’m going to award the MarthaAndMe Good Thing Blog Award to my 15 picks for blogs I love:

Ms. Bookish: Think you read a lot of books? Once you check out this site you’ll feel like a slacker. The sheer number of books that go through Belle Wong’s house is astounding. I like to hear what she’s reading, what she’s writing, and what she’s giving away.

Suddenly Frugal: Leah Ingram’s great blog with more money-saving ideas than you could ever imagine. There’s a book to follow it soon.

The Cookie Blog: A cookie a day keeps the Dr away. At least that’s what this blog’s message might be. Every day there is a new cookie. It’s heaven.

My Baking Addiction: I gain weight just looking at the delicious things on this blog.

La Dolce Vita: Fabulous recipes and gorgeous photos

The Perfect Pantry: Sneak peeks into other people’s pantries (love this!) as well great recipes.

Jeff and Martha: Jeff is cooking his way through Martha Stewart’s Cooking School book in one year.

House Blend: The scoop on Martha’s latest doings as well as recipes and great decorating.

Martha Moments: Scoops about Martha, but also a very thoughtful and beautiful analysis of her magazines, homes, etc.

Make and Takes: Cool craft projects made easy

Cooking with Amy: Great recipes and food writing

The Brown Eyed Baker: This one always makes me hungry with it’s amazing recipes and photos

Geezer Sisters: Ruminations by a woman of a certain age – sometimes funny, sometimes thought-provoking, always worth reading.

J the Travel Authority: She goes to all the places I want to visit. If only she would take me with her!

Martha Stewart Living Radio Blog: Truly awesome blog with great recipes and ideas. It’s beyond a blog – almost a magazine.

Thank you to Ron S. Doyle for picking MarthaAndMe for a Ripe Tomato Award! How cool is that?  Here is how Ron describes the award: “Sharing Blog Awards was started by A Traveler’s Library as a way to acknowledge bloggers who have acknowledged your blog and then pay it forward to 15 other bloggers. And … Read more →