Martha Holiday at JCP!

I have such mixed feelings about writing a Christmas-themed post in September, but I couldn't resist sharing the news about the new Martha Stewart holiday decorations that are now available to order at jcpenney.com. (Stores will be receiving the merchandise shortly.) Despite what some of you may have been reading in the papers, JC Penney is still very much a partner with Martha Stewart Living and the Martha Stewart products will continue to roll out and fill the shelves at JC Penney. In fact, Martha's Halloween products are already in stores, including beautiful paper silhouette lanterns and paper tealight wraps. I created a gallery of some of the new ornaments and chose a silver motif, which I'm partial to, although there are more colourful options available. The ones shown are all made of silvered glass, which is so beautiful and catches the subtle sparkle of Christmas lights. The stocking shown is made of velvet with a pretty embroidered detail illustrating a forest scene with two red cardinals. Click here to see more of the line!

Martha Stewart's Cakes - Out Today!

Be sure to check book stores today for the latest Martha Stewart cookbook, which is all about cakes! This beautiful volume completes a series of dessert books by Martha (Cookies, Cupcakes, New Pies & Tarts) and is the one I've been most looking forward to. Every week I treat myself to a slice of cake from the bakery at Pusateri's Delicatessen in Toronto. There is just nothing like cake! It satisfies in a way that no other dessert can and it conjures up so many fond memories of special occasions over the years, from birthdays to weddings to holidays. This new book contains more than 150 cake recipes gathered from the pages of Martha Stewart Living and Everyday Food, all assembed in one book with beautiful photographs and clear, concise instructions. You'll find a cake for every occasion! Order it here from Amazon.

 

AND DON'T FORGET...

 

Gathering Fancy Foliage

If anyone in north Toronto happened to see a man in a navy trench coat randomly snipping leaves from the city planters that line the sidewalks with his fingernails, I can assure you it was me. I've been noticing so many beautiful and interesting leaves lately - not above my head (autumn has yet to paint the trees in those striking reds and golds) but more or less at eye level. Toronto is lucky to have thousands of public planters along its sidewalks and streets to help liven up the sea of concrete. They are planted with beautiful and unusual specimens, some of which you can see below. I have yet to identify them, although many of them look to be members of the coleus (Solenostemon) family. It was Margaret Roach who trained my eye to appreciate unusual foliage and I'm ever grateful for that. The textures, patterns and colours of these leaves are marvelous to study up close. If any of you know what the specimens are, please indicate them in the comments section. {PROJECT: Rather than save the leaves, scan them as I have done and then print the image on semi-gloss paper and keep them in a folder or a scrapbook. Once you identify them, make a label with the names of the plants.}

 

Halloween Clip-Art

I have a folder on file filled with dozens of clip-art templates from past issues of Martha Stewart Living and I just finished downloading the most recent Halloween templates from the October issue of Martha Stewart Living. Two stories from the October issue, in particular, feature stunning designs: Nature's Canvas (which features beautiful pumpkin-carving designs) and Irrisistible Ink, which takes the idea of the impermanent tattoo to new heights of imagination. As always, the designs are inspired and artistic: the brainchild of Crafts Editorial Director Marcie McGoldrick. Below are photographs of the finished projects. Click here to get the clip-art templates for the pumpkins and here for the tattoo designs.

 

 

The October Issue

The iPad edition of the October issue is ready for download and the print version is making its way to subscribers as I type this! I must say, I love the cover! We get a double hit of Halloween this year with Martha's all-new special Halloween issue (now on stands) and this glorious October issue with 31 more fun ideas for Halloween. Watch for this issue on newsstands soon.

Who Wants Seconds?

Dr. Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell are poised to release their second cookbook this week and I couldn't be more excited about its subject: desserts! Their first offering, The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook, which was published in 2011, was a tremendous hit, sold internationally with excellent reviews from critics and readers alike. The ‘heirloom’ function of the book, which is designed to be interactive, makes it extremely special among cookbooks. Amidst the pages are envelopes for readers to keep and collect their own cherished recipes and my copy is now stuffed with several of my mother’s handwritten family recipes for some of her most treasured (and delicious) dishes: my great grandmother’s plum pudding, my grandmother’s christmas cake, my aunt’s cherry squares and my uncle’s tabouleh, plus many more of my own favourites gathered over the years from friends.

That so many of the recipes I’ve held on to and love are recipes for desserts is no coincidence. Desserts, for me, have the biggest impact on my childhood food memories: chocolate icing on my birthday cakes, the warm apple filling in my grandmother’s pie at Thanksgiving, and all that Christmas baking!

The Beekman 1802Heirloom Dessert Cookbook, which comes out on Tuesday, contains Brent and Josh’s favourite dessert recipes, compiled with the help of food editor Sandy Gluck, formerly of Everyday Food magazine. The photographs, by PauletteTavormina, look as decadent as the desserts themselves: moody, rich and enticing. The book is organized seasonally (Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring) with recipes that make the most of the season's freshest ingredients and contains the same treasure-keeping envelopes for amassing your own collection of family heirloom recipes with blank pages for additional notes and instructions.

Among the recipes are peach cobbler biscuits, banana pudding with vanilla wafers, one-bowl chocolate almond cake, baked manhattan ice-cream cake (can you imagine?!), plum upside-down cake, creamsicle pound cake, German chocolate cake and oatmeal cream pies with ginger cream. Dig in!

 

 

Martha at the Newsstand

Frequent visitors to the newsstand may have noticed Martha on the cover of two recent magazine issues. In Green Door magazine Martha opens up about her latest book, "Living the Good Long Life" and shares some of her philosophies about aging gracefully and healthily. In Flower magazine, a beautiful collection of flower arrangements from the book "Martha's Entertaining" is showcased with some of Martha's practical tips about making the best bouquets.