Disturbing

Valentines

EEMSL has some valentine ideas that I like. I would prefer to have found out from my subscription but whatevs. She always has her magazines in the store before I get mine delivered.

Heart Shape Pot Holders
I made some of these a few years ago with my mom. They were really cool. I like the idea of reinventing them for valentines. I also love the idea of giving breads for valentines. I am tired of sweets. Christmas wears out my interest in sugar for a long ass time. But a lovely savory bread (bacon, cheddar, apple) sounds divine! Although I admit, last year, I really wanted to make the cookies below. I have the stuff (stamps and all). Perhaps....Rosie and I are going to New York City for Valentine's Day this year so there may not be much time for baking, we shall see.

Organic versus conventional produce

We buy organic stuff, sometimes and now with milk, always. I feel like it's a waste of money at times for certain organic produce. Turns out, there's some truth to that. January's issue of EE's MSL (Evil Empire's Martha Stewart Living) overviews which fruits and veggies are "clean" if conventionally grown and "dirty" suggesting you should go organic. So this list is for my sister, Karel, too, who asked me about this issue very recently.

As usual, buying seasonal and local is best. Better for you, better for the environment.

"The Environmental Working Group found that consumers could cut their pesticide exposure by almost 90 percent by avoiding the most affected fruits and vegetables, and eating the least affected instead."

The Clean 15 (okay to buy conventional)
Onions
Avocados
Frozen sweet corn
Pineapples
Mangoes
Asparagus
Frozen peas
Kiwi
Bananas
Cabbage
Broccoli
Papayas

The Dirty Dozen (buy organic if possible)


Peaches
Apples
Sweet bell peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Pears
Grapes (imported)
Spinach
Lettuce
Potatoes

Cheese Plates

Sunday Suppers makes amazing meals. Here's a whole spread on cheese plates.

Delicious Winter Veggies

So the evil empire that is Martha Stewart did a few recipes on cabbage in this month's edition of her majesty's Living. Her "roasted cabbage" is simple and elegant. So, I bought a lovely head of cabbage and carved that puppy half, then in half again and so forth till I had eight wedges (core intact). Fired up the oven to 450. Placed the wedges on my devine Pampered Chef baking sheet and drizzled some olive oil, kosher salt and pepper on each side. I tried out my new white pepper courtesy of my mad trip to Penzey's Spices yesterday. Pop it in the oven for ten minutes, turn, and roast ten more minutes. Squeeze a little lemon over the top and eat. Healthy, delicious, and a new way (at least new to me) of making cabbage! The picture is from another blog- I of course didn't remember to take a photo.

Another idea to make tissue flowers for a garden party

More gift wrapping idears from MS

Unique packaging ideas

So I am annoyed at MS right now over a damn project she has in the December issue that requires a tool that doesn't exist. Like I want to DIY a knit wit? Whatever Martha. I did find an idea or two for packaging gifts that I like. Below are large cookies she stuffed into CD envelopes with a glassine window. Awesome, but now where to find the envelopes for cheap? WalMart?


























These seem easy enough if you are only giving people one cookie (for the naughties on your list)

Amy Atlas

Well, I found a 'sneak peek' of the new Martha Stewart Weddings for Fall (take your sweet ass time Martha!) which led me to Amy Atlas Events. Holy crap with her candy tablescapes. She has a blog too. De-light-ful!

Check out the faux bois blog post. Some of that loveliness might show up at an event soon. By soon, I mean 36 days away.

Cookies!

Totally doable with store bought cookies to make them a little extra special.

Cookie bags

How lovely are these? Directions from MS here.

Stamping cookies

"Add a surprising detail to iced sugar cookies using ordinary rubber stamps; the "ink" here is liquid food coloring. Choose one design or a few (you can also have stamps custom-made at an office-supply store). Make sure the royal icing is dry. Wet a piece of felt with food coloring; ink stamp on felt, blot on paper towel, then press gently on cookie. Dry one hour; seal treats in cellophane bags tied with twine." (Martha Stewart)

Pie Packages!

Here's the MS template for these pie boxes.

Paper Lantern Vases

Favors

Martha Pics

Preparing a guest room according to MS, and of course a groovy hanging decoration which also might make its way into the rehearsal dinner.

Whiskey Sour (a la MS)

Martha's Whiskey Sour are likely to make an appearance at our rehearsal dinner. There's a video on the link above.

"Serves 1

• 1 small lemon wedge
• Turbinado sugar, for rimming glass
• 1/4 cup bourbon, preferably Maker's Mark
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, preferably organic
• 1 cup ice cubes
• Oven-Dried Orange Slices

1. Rub the lemon wedge around the rim of a 12-ounce rocks glass. Place turbinado sugar in a shallow dish. Dip the rim of the glass in the sugar to coat; set aside.
2. In a large cocktail shaker, combine bourbon, orange juice, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and ice. Cover, and shake vigorously until all ingredients are well combined and cold. Pour into prepared glass, and garnish with orange slice."
   

Anal retentive much?

Do you think Martha helped organize the prison stores to this level of anal retention? The disturbing thing about it is that she doesn't do this nonsense herself, but her "team" of housekeepers is forced to do this nonsense. I hope she pays them really well.