Part of what I’m trying to do with this project is to channel Martha. It’s one thing to do recipes and projects created by MSLO, but another to find a way to live Martha in your own life with your own ideas. I feel as though the longer I work on this project, the more Martha I become.

Last night I decided to make the Bok Choy Salad from July Martha Stewart Living. This was super simple – chop up some bok choy, add cashews and mix up a very quick Asian dressing. But what to have with it?

I was in the mood for potstickers, so I sniffed around Martha’s site to look for a recipe. I didn’t see one that met my needs, so I made my own. I defrosted some ground turkey and mixed in chopped garlic and scallions and grated ginger and added tamari sauce. I had some wonton wrappers in the freezer so I did a quick defrost. They were a bit misshapen  – not round or oval, but a weird shape from being bounced around in the freezer, so I made do. Instead of your typical half moon potsticker, I smushed them up into little beggar’s purses and cooked them. I love making potstickers – sear the bottom, then add water and cover it so the steam cooks them. Very fun and quick.

I also whipped up a lo mein dish. I had a chunk of leftover chicken and also some leftover broccoli from the composed salad from the day before. I boiled some soba noodles and added those ingredients as well as some scallion and bean sprouts. I had a bottle of stir fry sauce (Martha would be horrified) and dumped that on.

This was a very quick meal. The bok choy salad was ok, but I’m giving it a thumbs up because it was nice to have some raw veggies in an Asian meal. The lo mein was good and very fast since everything was already pre-cooked. The potstickers were heaven. You would never guess they were made with turkey and they had a wonderful ginger and garlic flavor. The bottom were crunchy and the tops soft. Simply perfect!

Part of what I’m trying to do with this project is to channel Martha. It’s one thing to do recipes and projects created by MSLO, but another to find a way to live Martha in your own life with your own ideas. I feel as though the longer I work on this project, the more … Read more →

In the July issue of Martha Stewart Living, Martha has a recipe for Composed Salad of Roasted Broccoli, Romaine, Chickpeas and Walnuts.

Sound complicated? It was. This salad had 6 components, all of which required separate work (2 baking sheets, one saute pan, three spatulas, a collander, a cutting board, a knife,  a Cuisinart, measuring spoons, and a jar for mixing up the dressing, not to mention 3 bowls for serving and a platter).

First I roasted the broccoli with oil. Next I cooked a shallot and the chickpeas. Then I candied the pecans (my substitution for walnuts). Then I made the goat cheese puree and the vinaigrette. Whew.  It was a lot of work. Next I washed the lettuce and tried to put it all together like Martha’s photo. By this time I felt like I had cooked an entire meal and all I had was a salad.

Now, the real question is how did it taste? The family’s reaction to this one was a lot of head scratching. We each took a big lettuce leaf and piled the other ingredients on, then cut it up and tried to mix it or toss it on our plates. Once you get that done, it does taste pretty good, but it wasn’t out of this world fantastic by any means. And it was messy because things fall of your plate as you’re trying to mix it. My teen’s assessment? “Dumb.”

In the July issue of Martha Stewart Living, Martha has a recipe for Composed Salad of Roasted Broccoli, Romaine, Chickpeas and Walnuts. Sound complicated? It was. This salad had 6 components, all of which required separate work (2 baking sheets, one saute pan, three spatulas, a collander, a cutting board, a knife,  a Cuisinart, measuring … Read more →

original condition

I inherited two old wooden dry 4 quart measuring crates (used for measuring things like apples) that were owned and used by my great grandfather, Washington Columbus Thompson (quite a name, right?).  Wash used to take these to market – and the story goes that he slept all the way there and the horse knew the way. I’ve been pondering what to do with them and looking to Martha for inspiration.

First, they needed to be cleaned since they had been sitting in a crawl space for about 40 years. A friend suggested I vacuum them, which sounded nuts, but actually was a great idea. I got all the loose dirt off this way. Next, I used some Murphy’s Oil

after cleaning

Soap diluted with some water and just wiped them down. Wow! Were they dirty! You can’t really tell in the photo, but they really cleaned up quite well. The sink was full of absolutely black water when I was done.

The next question was what would I do with them. I could use them to put a plant in (in a plastic pot), but for now I decided to put them under a table in

inside

our family room. I might stick poinsettias in them during the holidays, but for now, they are visible and are an interesting item to display.

I inherited two old wooden dry 4 quart measuring crates (used for measuring things like apples) that were owned and used by my great grandfather, Washington Columbus Thompson (quite a name, right?).  Wash used to take these to market – and the story goes that he slept all the way there and the horse knew … Read more →

We spent the 4th with my parents and did chicken on the grill. I made Martha’s classic barbecue sauce, from July/Aug Everyday Food. What’s funny is Martha had another classic BBQ sauce recipe in June Living but I never got around to it. This one was slightly simpler – requiring a 2 hour cook time as opposed to a 3 hour cook time, and fewer ingredients.

I always make my own barbecue sauce, but I always start with ketchup and usually add mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic salt and Worchestershire. Simple and easy and my kids like it.

Martha’s recipe starts with canned tomato sauce and includes onion, garlic, ground mustard, molasses, Worchestershire, vinegar and salt and pepper. It was easy to make and had to simmer for 2 hours. I tasted it after it had cooked and was not happy. There is no sugar in this recipe at all and it really needed some. So I dumped in brown sugar and that helped a bit. It still tasted very spicy to me – I guess from the ground mustard.  I hoped it would mellow a bit as it sat for a few days until the 4th.

On the 4th my dad did the grilling. My parents had their own barbecue sauce and we had Martha’s on organic chicken breasts. The verdict? Thumbs down. The kids did not like it at all and said it tasted too tomato-y. I thought it was just not good in general and I agree it tasted very tomato-y yet somehow a bit bland at the same time. I’ve got a big container of this left and am not sure if I will freeze it or just dump it. It was a disappointment for sure.

I typed this post then went downstairs to get the camera so I could get the photo. I made breakfast while I was there. I opened the fridge to get the eggs, and the big container of Martha’s barbecue sauce fell out and exploded all over the kitchen. What a mess! So I guess that is payback for dissing the sauce!

We spent the 4th with my parents and did chicken on the grill. I made Martha’s classic barbecue sauce, from July/Aug Everyday Food. What’s funny is Martha had another classic BBQ sauce recipe in June Living but I never got around to it. This one was slightly simpler – requiring a 2 hour cook time … Read more →

We spent the 4th with my parents and did chicken on the grill. I made Martha’s classic barbecue sauce, from July/Aug Everyday Food. What’s funny is Martha had another classic BBQ sauce recipe in June Living but I never got around to it. This one was slightly simpler – requiring a 2 hour cook time as opposed to a 3 hour cook time, and fewer ingredients.

I always make my own barbecue sauce, but I always start with ketchup and usually add mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic salt and Worchestershire. Simple and easy and my kids like it.

Martha’s recipe starts with canned tomato sauce and includes onion, garlic, ground mustard, molasses, Worchestershire, vinegar and salt and pepper. It was easy to make and had to simmer for 2 hours. I tasted it after it had cooked and was not happy. There is no sugar in this recipe at all and it really needed some. So I dumped in brown sugar and that helped a bit. It still tasted very spicy to me – I guess from the ground mustard.  I hoped it would mellow a bit as it sat for a few days until the 4th.

On the 4th my dad did the grilling. My parents had their own barbecue sauce and we had Martha’s on organic chicken breasts. The verdict? Thumbs down. The kids did not like it at all and said it tasted too tomato-y. I thought it was just not good in general and I agree it tasted very tomato-y yet somehow a bit bland at the same time. I’ve got a big container of this left and am not sure if I will freeze it or just dump it. It was a disappointment for sure.

I typed this post then went downstairs to get the camera so I could get the photo. I made breakfast while I was there. I opened the fridge to get the eggs, and the big container of Martha’s barbecue sauce fell out and exploded all over the kitchen. What a mess! So I guess that is payback for dissing the sauce!

We spent the 4th with my parents and did chicken on the grill. I made Martha’s classic barbecue sauce, from July/Aug Everyday Food. What’s funny is Martha had another classic BBQ sauce recipe in June Living but I never got around to it. This one was slightly simpler – requiring a 2 hour cook time … Read more →

I’m working my way through the items I inherited from my grandmother and I have been asking myself, What Would Martha Do, to help me find creative display methods.

I’m puzzled by a few items. Maybe you can tell me what you think Martha would do with them.

First up is this tea towel. It’s made of a very nicely textured linen and it is hand stitched. It’s likely my grandmother stitched it (or maybe her mother). It is slightly yellowed, but is generally in very good condition. I would never use it for dishes. It’s rather large to frame. Any ideas?  The only thing I can come up with is to make it into a throw pillow, but I’m not sure where I would put it. What do you think Martha would do? I think it is beautiful and would like to find a way to use it.

Next up is the picnic basket.  It is a regrettably bright yellow color, but it’s very old, with a hinged top. My mom remembers my grandmother using it when she was a kid for family picnics. It seems to me that stripping this would be a Herculean task because of the woven wood. I don’t think you could ever get in between the strips of wood to clean it all off. So what would Martha do? Paint it another color (white? blue?)? And what would she do with it? I can see Martha placing this in a guest bathroom and filling it with towels and toiletries. That sounds great, but it won’t work in my house since we have one bath, the kids have a bath and there is a small half bath downstairs.  Tell me what you think Martha would do!

I’m working my way through the items I inherited from my grandmother and I have been asking myself, What Would Martha Do, to help me find creative display methods. I’m puzzled by a few items. Maybe you can tell me what you think Martha would do with them. First up is this tea towel. It’s … Read more →

Something very cool that I inherited from my grandmother is a set of crystal butter knife rests. Unfortunately, there are only 3, so maybe someday I will run across some others to buy. I don’t know why I am so fascinated with these, but they strike me as charmingly old fashioned. It must have been uncouth to rest your knife on your plate. The idea was to keep the butter knife from touching the tablecloth and staining it (and after seeing the damask tableclothes my grandmother had that need serious ironing and care,  I understand).

My grandparents wintered in Florida for over 20 years, and they went to the beach every day. In the beginning, they loved to collect shells and I brought home a big bowl full of perfect shells from their house that they had found. I have no idea what to do with these though. We have lots of shells that we have collected ourselves, but these are in amazing condition. I already have some shells on display in a bathroom. Any suggestons of what to do with these?

I have to tell my favorite story about my grandfather. Because they went to the beach every day for many years, they soon had more shells than they knew what to do with.  My grandfather soon hit upon the idea of taking shells he found and sticking them partially in the sand near where he was sitting and then he would sit and wait for someone to find it. He used to love to see their excitement and joy at finding a perfect, beautiful shell and for him that was much more entertaining that taking yet another shell home.

Something very cool that I inherited from my grandmother is a set of crystal butter knife rests. Unfortunately, there are only 3, so maybe someday I will run across some others to buy. I don’t know why I am so fascinated with these, but they strike me as charmingly old fashioned. It must have been … Read more →

Since my grandmother passed away, I’ve been sorting through the items I inherited and looking for ways to use them or display them. I have made some progress.

Yesterday I went to the jewelry store with a pile of old clip on earrings, many ivory which my grandmother bought in Africa, as well as some sparkly costume jewelry earrings. They are going to convert the earrings to posts so that my daughter and I can wear them. I also took a little ivory carving of a group of elephants. It had two little holes in the back of it and the jeweler said it must have been a pin. He’s going to attach it to a tie bar for my son, so that he can have a piece of jewelry as well. I’ll post photos once I get it all back. The jeweler did warn me that many of the earrings are made with lead, so they aren’t something you want to wear on a daily basis (yikes!).

I have a big box of doilies and dresser scarves (many of which my grandmother made) which I’ve been pondering. I decided to search Martha’s site for inspiration. I found this project which involves stiffening doilies and hanging them in a window. While that is a great idea for winter, it isn’t a year round display that works for me. I decided instead that I would frame a doily, but that project gave me the idea to stiffen the material first. So off I went to Michael’s where I bought some liquid fabric stiffener (which oddly enough they do not keep in the fabric/sewing area) and painted it on the doily, which I had placed on parchment.  It turned out very stiff. I can’t seem to find a frame though. I need a big square one. I guess I’ll need to do some online searching for that.  I think I’ll put a dark background behind it so that the doily pops.

Since my grandmother passed away, I’ve been sorting through the items I inherited and looking for ways to use them or display them. I have made some progress. Yesterday I went to the jewelry store with a pile of old clip on earrings, many ivory which my grandmother bought in Africa, as well as some … Read more →

I’ve been cooking from the July/August issue of Martha Stewart’s Body and Soul Magazine. Next up – Chicken Salad with Grapes, Avocado, and Almonds Over Spinach. This salad has several of my favorite things – avocado, almonds, spinach and chicken. Obviously, I had to make it!

This was very simple. I cooked the chicken, cut up grapes, toasted some sliced almonds, cut some corn off the cob and washed my spinach.  I did not make my dressing in the bottom of the bowl (I like to control how much I use) and as always, Martha’s dressing needed sweetening, so I added some honey to it.

This was a truly fab salad. I loved it! We had it for dinner with yesterday’s Strawberry Muffin recipe. It was perfect for dinner – very filling and you didn’t feel like you were just grazing on a pile of greens. It had substance and flavor and I loved it.  I did not think I was going to like grapes in a salad, but they fit in quite nicely with the other ingredients. The recipe says this feeds 4, but 2 of us ate this and we had tons and tons left.  Mr. MarthaandMe, who is not a big fan of spinach, ate this without complaint. There was so much in it, I don’t even know if he noticed it was a spinach base.

I’ve been cooking from the July/August issue of Martha Stewart’s Body and Soul Magazine. Next up – Chicken Salad with Grapes, Avocado, and Almonds Over Spinach. This salad has several of my favorite things – avocado, almonds, spinach and chicken. Obviously, I had to make it! This was very simple. I cooked the chicken, cut … Read more →

I haven’t cooked anything from Martha Stewart’s Body and Soul magazine to date, so it was time. The July/August issue has a recipe for strawberry muffins (no link on Martha’s site).

I often make blueberry muffins in the summer, usually with a streusel topping. I have tried to make strawberry muffins by substituting strawberries for blueberries, but somehow the muffins always turned out soggy and not so good. I was ready to see if Martha had a solution.

The recipe was a basic muffin recipe, but it uses some whole wheat flour, which got points from me. The key to this recipe is to cut up the strawberries, sprinkle the sugar on them and then mash them, before adding them to the batter. I never would have thought to do that. You don’t get big hunks of pulpy berry this way and it fills the muffin with the fruit flavor.

As always, mine took longer to bake than they should have, but I was really pleased with the results.  The muffins were very moist and not dry at all. They were sweet but not too sweet. We ate them with salad for dinner and they didn’t need any butter. Overall, they were very good. I’m definitely going to make these again and remember the technique of mashing the berries.

I haven’t cooked anything from Martha Stewart’s Body and Soul magazine to date, so it was time. The July/August issue has a recipe for strawberry muffins (no link on Martha’s site). I often make blueberry muffins in the summer, usually with a streusel topping. I have tried to make strawberry muffins by substituting strawberries for … Read more →