Cottage Days

Hi everyone! I have just a few brief moments to let you know that I'm enjoying some time away at the family cottage this week. The weather, thankfully, has been beautiful and we've been swimming a lot, exploring the natural surroundings and spending lots of quality time with family and friends. I should be back to a regular routine next week. In the meantime, please enjoy these beautiful photographs of a hummingbird feeding on the deck at the cottage, taken by our friend Sharron - a talented photographer. Hummingbirds are magnificent animals. They are the smallest bird on the planet and yet can see and hear better than humans with a heart rate of over 1,200 beats per minute! See you next week!

New: Martha Stewart CraftStudio for iPad

New from Martha Stewart is a digital craft application for iPad that is available for free, for a limited time only! The Martha Stewart CraftStudio app allows you to personalize cards, invitations, thank-you notes, scrapbook pages, keepsakes, and more. Browse through an array of colored and patterned “paper” backgrounds, import your own photos, and embellish with an abundance of stickers, stamps, glitter, textured borders, fonts, and punches. Tap to share your works of art with family and friends. The app comes with four sets of themed designs: Everyday, Birthday Party, Doily Lace, and Nature. Get inspired with additional packs (available for in-app purchase) featuring seasonal and occasional motifs, including: Elegant Celebrations, Spring, The Great Outdoors, Vacation Adventure and Summer Fun. Share your creation digitally, print it out with AirPrint technology, or upload it to Snapfish to be printed professionally. Click here to get the app now!

Next Year's Calendars

At the risk of sounding redundant, mark your calendars for the release of next year's Martha Stewart calendars! Beginning July 1, the 2013 Martha Stewart Calendars will be available for purchase, with some exciting new additions to the collection of themes: a Kids' Projects calendar, a Food Glossaries calendar, a Gentle Reminders planner and a Flowers planner. Cookies and Cupcakes are back by popular demand, with all new photographs and recipes! For those of you who did not get this year's calendars, I can testify to their quality. They are made in Germany by TeNeues using the finest quality paper and printing techniques. For lovers of Martha Stewart Living imagery, these are must-haves. They also feature several languages (always fun to learn how to say the days of the week in German!) and the holidays of various countries around the world: truly a global offering. As an added bonus, each calendar comes with special features, such as detachable recipe cards, baking instructions and craft templates. Here are the covers!

These are the four wall-mounted grid calendars: Food Glossaries (available September 1), Cupcakes (available July 1), Kids' Projects (available July 1) and Cookies (available July 1).

These are the two journal calendars being released on July 31. Flowers, which includes a guide to flower arranging, and Gentle Reminders, which includes helpful homekeeping tips.

Guest Blog: Summer BBQ Season is On!

Just in time for National BBQ Day on June 23, I'm happy to bring you a guest blog courtesy of Steam Whistle Brewing (one of Canada's best breweries) and Steve Adams & Team Cedar Grilling, a group of BBQ masters who take part in the annual Canadian BBQ Grand Championships each summer. Together, they've provided several mouthwatering recipes that use beer as an ingredient in some wonderful BBQ favourites. I hope you enjoy them! ~Andrew

In 2006, Steve Adams, leader of Team Cedar Grilling approached Steam Whistle Brewing about partnering together when he took his competition BBQ Team to that season’s BBQ Festivals and championships. Team Cedar Grilling was looking for the best beer to pair with their creations as well as use this key ingredient in winning recipes, and had their eye on Steam Whistle Pilsner for its all-natural ingredients and perfect balance of malty sweetness and hoppy bitterness that offered a clean, refreshing taste. The result is a collection of delicious barbeque recipes that either include or pair exceptionally well with Steam Whistle Pilsner.

               Score 6 fresh chicken legs (skin on) with a sharp knife making 3 deep gashes

Steam Whistle Brine

1 cup Steam Whistle Pilsner

3 cups ice cold water

3 tbs brown sugar

3 tbs kosher salt

mix all brine ingredients and dissolve in Ziploc bag

add chicken legs to brine bag, make sure chicken is completely covered with brine

refrigerate brining chicken for 3 hours

rinse chicken with cold water and pat dry

Jerk Paste

1/8 cup Steam Whistle Pilsner

2 to 6 Scotch Bonnet peppers, stemmed and seeded (2 for mild, 3 for medium and 4 for hot)

1 bunch scallions, trimmed and roughly chopped

1/2 small onion, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1 tbsp coarsely chopped peeled fresh ginger

1/2 tbsp fresh thyme

1/2 tbsp chopped fresh marjoram

1 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp lime juice

1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1 tbsp white vinegar

1 tbsp brown sugar

Process jerk ingredients until smooth

Directions

Score chicken legs

Brine for 3 hours

Rub jerk paste into chicken pieces

Preheat BBQ

Cook over medium indirect heat until chicken pulls apart easily

Squirt fresh lime over finished chicken and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt.

Indirect setup - Indirect grilling is a barbecue cooking technique in which the food is placed to the side of the heat source instead of directly over the flame with the barbecue lid closed.Smoking option: Wrap wood chips in tinfoil, poke foil pack several times with a fork. Add package to the direct heat side of the BBQ

Honey Pilsner Glaze-created by Steve Adams, Team Cedar Grilling

1/4 cup Steam Whistle Pilsner

1/4 cup Honey

1/4 cup Brown sugar

1/4 cup Yellow mustard

1/2 tsp Garlic powder

Fresh ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil

Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes stirring constantly

Remove from heat and set aside

Serving Suggestions

1) Marinate chicken pieces or wings for 1-2 hours and BBQ over indirect heat until cooked

Serve Honey Pilsner Glaze on the side

2) Use as a glaze on roast ham in the last hour of cooking (add pineapple or raisins if desired)

3) Use as condiment on grilled sausage, hamburgers, hotdogs or sandwiches 

Indirect setup - Indirect grilling is a barbecue cooking technique in which the food is placed to the side of the heat source instead of directly over the flame with the barbecue lid closed.Smoking Option: Wrap wood chips in tinfoil, poke foil pack several times with a fork. Add package to the direct heat side of the BBQ

Steve Adams Team Cedar Grilling

½ cup Steam Whistle Pilsner beer

2 Ib lean ground pork

½ cup bread crumbs

1 egg

2 cloves minced garlic

¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 tbsp dried mint

½ tsp salt

6 large fresh hamburger buns 

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Mix thoroughly with a fork.

Form into 6 equally–sized burgers.

Cover and refrigerate until the grill is prepared.

Preheat grill to medium and lightly oil grill bars with vegetable oil.

Grill burgers on both sides until completely cooked, about 10-15 minutes.

Top Barley Sandwich with creamy feta, sliced tomato, sliced red onion and Greek Sauce.

Greek Sauce

Mix together ahead of time

1 cup container of plain, unflavored Greek yogurt

½ cup diced cucumber

1 clove minced garlic

½ tsp salt

½ squeezed lemon

refrigerate unused sauce

Serves six

Try This?

Add sliced black olives and garnish with fresh mint leaves. Serve extra Greek Sauce on the side.

Looking Back To Move Forward: Vol. 6 (June)

In her letter to readers in the March, 2012, issue of the magazine, Martha Stewart Living editor-in-chief Pilar Guzman makes an intriguing comment about looking back to former issues of the magazine in order to move forward. She writes: "...we will feature images on this page that inspire us from the magazine's archives. Sometimes it's important to look back in order to move forward." As a longtime subscriber, I felt like playing along! I'll be raiding the archives each month to showcase my favourite issue. Here is my selection for June.MY FAVOURITE JUNE ISSUE: 2001
"Learn something new everyday." This is a mantra that Martha Stewart has always espoused and the information contained in Martha Stewart Living magazine has always lived up to this guiding principle. The June, 2001, issue of the magazine is one of the most informative summer volumes the editors have produced to date. From identifying the good bugs in your garden from the bad to installing summer screens to detailing a car, the issue imparts knowledge and wisdom on every single page. It's beautiful to look at, too! Vintage dish towels, ice cream bombes and cooking crabs never looked so good!

One of the biggest selling features of Martha Stewart Living magazine - at least for me - is the information it contains and the knowledge I gain from its pages. The knowledge sticks because of its delivery method: inspiring, creative presentations of ideas and the history behind so many 'everyday' objects and routines told through captivating editorials that hold interest. These are the elements that make me a collector, that entice me to save every single issue and that keep me returning to former issues long after publication. Click here to read the other volumes of this column and see my other favourites so far.

I've never tried (or made) an ice-cream bombe, but the process fascinates me, and the end results look so astounding - not to mention delicious. I first learned about bombes because of the 2001 June issue of Martha Stewart Living. Click here to read about bombes and how to make them.

I count this cover as one of the best Martha Stewart Living has ever produced. It's among my top-five favourites.

Martha in Modern Dog Magazine

Dog lovers should look for Martha in the summer issue of Modern Dog magazine, which is on newsstands now. In the exclusive interview, Martha talks about her rigorous schedule, her entrepreneurial achievements and the joy that pets have always brought to her life. You can read the interview here.

"For me, it’s always a reincarnation when you get the next pet. You always remember things about the beloved one who’s gone. They are different—but the same. Especially when the new pet is the same breed. I’ve had a lot of pets. All my friends say they want to come back (in their next life) as one of my pets. My pets live on 150 acres, with good food and a yard that is fenced and safe. They are happy animals."

Two Father's Day Fabric Crafts

Browsing through Martha's Handmade Holiday Crafts book, I came upon two easy Father's Day crafts that struck my fancy. I thought I'd share them here, for all the crafters among you!

NECKTIE ENVELOPE
The most iconic Father's Day gifts are classic for a reason. Even if your dad doesn't wear a tie very often, there are all kinds of special occasions that may call for him to wear one, such as weddings or a formal dinner party. Choose a tie in his favourite colour or pattern and then personally deliver it in a handmade envelope made of shirting fabric. This way he can use it to store the tie in his drawer or take it with him if he is traveling. For instructions and templates, click here.

SOCK ACCESSORY HOLDERS

A set of protective pouches should help keep Dad's electronic devices and personal accessories, such as cellphones, iPods, small digital cameras and eyeglasses, safe and sound. This simple project is great for older children who may want to practice their sewing skills. Argyle and striped socks are especially handsome, but any type of pattern or colour will do. Choose socks with a high cotton content (over 80%) for the best results.

What you'll need:

One adult sock per pouch, disappearing ink fabric pen, scissors, sewing machine or needle and thread. Turn the sock inside-out. The cuff will be the open end of the holder. Lay the device or accessory next to the top of the sock and measure to 1/2 inch below the bottom for a seam-allowance. Mark a line with the disappearing-ink fabric pen. Cut out with scissors. Machine-sew a seam. Alternatively, you can sew the seam by hand using a needle and thread. Turn right side out.

Martha's Craft Space Collection at Home Depot

Some exciting news for fans of Martha Stewart's furniture lines: starting this summer, her line of craft furniture will be available at select Home Depot stores and at HomeDepot.com! It is currently availalbe online through the Home Decorators Collection. It will be so nice to see these versatile storage pieces in the stores! The multifunctional tables, hutches, cabinets and consoles work together to create an inspired workroom for hobbies and crafts.

Martha uses the furniture herself in her 'homekeeping room' in one of the buildings on her property in Bedford. The pieces shown above (three-drawer flat-file cabinet, storage hutch and craft table) keep Martha's homekeeping supplies in order.

Everyday Food's Summer Spectacular!

I'm not really a summer person, to be frank. While heat-lovers and sun-bathers rejoice, I'm usually running for cover under a big shady tree, looking for any excuse to get cool. But summer is a pleasure thanks to the season's spectacular food, as Everyday Food editor-in-chief Sarah Carey rightly notes in her introduction to the magazine's summer issue, which is on most newsstands next week. Summer food is not just comforting and delicious, it is fresh and ripe and succulent. The July/August issue of Everyday Food does a remarkable job celebrating the best of the summer season.

The editors came up with two covers for their summer issue: both included in the same edition. The main cover features a favourite treat from my childhood: the tri-coloured popsicle in red, white and blue. I believe its commercial name is 'The Rocket' but this homemade version is probably a thousand times more flavourful. Flip the cover and you are greeted by a sleek, almost metallic cover with skewers of meat and vegetables fresh off the grill!

The issue offers its best variations on easy weekday staples, such as broiled fish with summer salad, pork with mozzarella and tomato (top left), zesty pork sandwiches and backyard jerk chicken. But my favourite section is the feature on ice-cream truck desserts! How wonderful to have recipes to make your own icy confections when ever the urge strikes: a delicious fudgesicle, a brownie ice-cream bar, lemon ice and sundae cones using homemade ice cream, dripping with chocolate and nuts. This issue does summer right! Be sure to get a copy if you don't yet subscribe.

VIDEOS, RECIPES SERVED DAILY:

Starting this month, Everday Food readers have the chance to subscribe to how-to videos by editor Sarah Carey. Sign up for the video newsletter here and receive daily, exclusive videos of Sarah preparing fresh dinner ideas from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living. With each video you learn a great new recipe plus versatile cooking techniques and kitchen shortcuts that make mealtime a breeze!

Summerfling: The July Issue

K.D. Lang's hit "Summerfling" came to mind the moment I received the July issue, its lyrics perfectly conjuring the carefree breeziness of summer's essence: "Early morning mid July/ Anticipation`s making me high/ The smell of Sunday in our hair/ We ran on the beach with Kennedy flair/ Sweet sweet burn of sun and summer wind/ And you my friend, my new fun thing, my summer fling." This July issue (my new fun thing) covers all the bases, working effortlessly to provide inspiration in each of the magazine's core-content areas; there are crafting, cooking, gardening and decorating stories, all beautifully conveyed in photographs that make you want to throw open the windows, run barefoot through the grass to an inviting lake or partake in a delicious meal cooked alfresco on the grill. Simple summer pleasures, indeed! Below are some highlights from the issue.

Martha's "Home Office" Coming to UK

The Brits are currently in celebration mode with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, but the Martha fans among the UK revelers may want to keep their Union Jacks waving until July! That's when the Martha Stewart Home Office line with Avery and Staples will debut in England. Today, Martha's company announced the hiring of Ann Casey Bukawyn as the Executive Vice President of Global Licensing. The introduction of the Home Office line to the UK is the first of many new merchandise initiatives planned for international launch later this year. Tasked with broadening Martha's global branding and merchandise distribution, Bukawyn will help to expand the prevalence of the Martha Stewart imprint on home merchandise sold outside the United States and Canada. MSLO's international business encompasses television programming in 86 countries and magazines distributed in more than 20 countries, including Mexico, Germany, Korea, Turkey, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Dubai. Watch for more international Martha Stewart product launches in the coming months!

The New Lifestyle Quarterlies

Anyone who knows me, understands how much I love a good magazine. This blog is mostly devoted to Martha's publishing ventures, despite her amazing work in television, radio and merchandising. Her magazines are my truest love. Lately, I've been exposed to some wonderful new lifestyle magazines - beautiful quarterly publications that focus on lifestyle subjects, such as crafting, collecting, cooking, entertaining, decorating and gardening. Below are the new quarterlies that now call my coffee table home. Each magazine has published less than 15 issues so far and each one is gorgeously designed, printed on high-quality paper in full colour. I highly recommend each of them!



SWEET PAUL:

The printed version of this hugely popular online magazine is sold exclusively at Anthropologie stores and it's well worth locating a store to pick up a copy. Sweet Paul is almost completely free of advertisements, making it more like a charming book of seasonal recipes, craft ideas and DIY decorating than a newsstand paperback. It is essentially the male version of Martha Stewart Living! A must-read!

UPPERCASE:

This quarterly is a Canadian publication out of Calgary that now has readers and contributors from all over the world. It's subheading sums up its manifesto nicely: "A magazine for the creative and curious." Inside there is a multitude of articles and photo essays on collecting, crafting, stationery and textiles with features on artists and designers from around the world. There is also a wealth of online design sources in each issue. Uppercase is meant for anyone artistic and imaginative.

WILDER QUARTERLY:

This new magazine is on it's third issue. Described as a publication for those enthralled by the natural world, Wilder Quarterly is a visually-stimulating new magazine aimed at modern day growers and gardeners. The Brooklyn-based print publication features everything from local farmers and foodies to architects and amateur urban gardeners.

KINFOLK:
Kinfolk touts itself as "a guide for small gatherings" and it delivers in spades. Based in Portland, Oregon, the magazine takes a deeply philosophical approach to gathering friends and family for casual meals. In place of recipes and how-tos you will find thoughtful essays and stunning photographs that examine the essence of why we entertain. Kinfolk is a truly inspiring publication!

PURE GREEN:
Another Canadian offering, Pure Green is a Toronto-based publication that has published two print issues to date. It began as an online magazine several years ago. It contains features about urban gardening, decorating and cooking with beautifully-illustrated decorating features, growing guides and new recipes in each issue.

ANTHOLOGY:
"Living with substance and style" is the modus operandi of this San Francisco-based magazine. Anthology has published seven issues to date. It is primarily a home decorating magazine and seems to have its sights keenly set on the future of decorating: unfussy, incorporating the things we love, modern but never cold with an appreciation for the vintage and the heirloom. It is a beautiful magazine that I have found to be very inspiring to my own design sensibilities.