A Great Teacher....Martha Stewart

Martha choosing a new chow puppy.....

Good Morning....It is September 15th.....The fourth season of the "Martha Stewart Show" starts today!...& I am so excited!....Another year of wonderful ideas, from the woman who has elevated "homemaking" to an art form!....I was in my late twenties when I first became aware of Martha Stewart. I was on vacation in Palm Springs, my husband was playing golf,... & I was shopping. I was browsing through a bookstore, when I noticed a book titled "Entertaining". It was a big & beautiful....& was written by a woman who shared all my same interests,... home, cooking, decorating & of course entertaining!...I remember not being able to put it down, so instead I bought it, $50!!!..... And from that afternoon on,... the author of that book, Martha Stewart, would be a huge influence on my life!.....

Martha & her amazing sewing & craft room.....

Over the years, I have watched her videos, bought her magazine & every book she has written. I remember when her show came on once a week on Sunday afternoons...I taped & watched each one, learning more & more about keeping a home, starting a garden & even frosting the perfect sugar cookie! If Martha did it, I would too!!!.....And then came her daily television show,... I know you all remember the ones that were taped at her beloved Turkey Hill home & property. At my house her show came on fairly early in the morning, so after getting my girls to school & taking my daily walk, I would come home to a cup of coffee & Martha!....Her show was usually followed by a call from my friend Carol, who was already off to the grocery to pick up whatever ingredients she needed in order to prepare the dish Martha had just taught us!

Martha surrounded by vegetables....

I'm sure many of you, have some of these same memories....We listened, we learned & we tried projects & recipes & techniques, that never would have occured to us if it hadn't been for Martha!....I have to admit, again like many of you, that I can now say I have become a fairly efficient homemaker..... I feel comfortable in the kitchen, & can entertain with the best of them, .....I can confidently plant a vegetable garden, paint furniture & even cover every inch of the Christmas tree with tiny white lights.... without any cord showing!....Martha was & continues to be an inspirational teacher,..... & I look forward to continuing my education. Later today, my school year begins again.....I am so looking forward to seeing what this talented lady has in store for us this season!......Join me & we'll find out together! Happy viewing!

Note #1: I have included Martha's recipe for "Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust".....one that is new to me too!.....but not for long...Am going to bake one up this afternoon! Makes one 10-inch pie
Cheddar Crust
1 1/2 pounds (about 3) Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges
2 pounds (about 5) Cortland apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch thick wedges
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg, beaten
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Divide dough into two pieces. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each to a 13-inch circle.
Fit one circle into a 10-inch pie plate; transfer plate to a baking sheet. Put other circle on another baking sheet. Refrigerate dough until cold, at least 30 minutes.
Stir together apples, sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves. Spoon into bottom pie crust. Dot filling with butter. Cover with top crust. Fold edges over; crimp decoratively to seal. Cut a steam vent. Chill in freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.
Brush with egg. Bake pie 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Tent with foil; bake until juices are bubbling, about 45 minutes more. Let cool at least 1 1/2 hours before serving

Note #2: I also thought I would include the instructions for Martha's sweet little Halloween "candy boxes".....so easy, so cute!

Candy Box How-ToUsing heavyweight paper, download template and print.
1. Using a straightedge and a craft knife, cut out template. Cut slits along solid white lines; crease along dotted lines using template as a guide. Make holes at white dots using a 1/8-inch hole punch.
2. Form template into box. Using a glue stick, adhere bottom and side flaps in place, leaving top open. Fill box with candy of your choice.
3. Cut an 8-inch length of 1/4-inch-wide ribbon, and knot ends to form a loop. Thread looped end up through top flap without the tab, and then up through top flap with the tab. To close box, tuck tab into slit at top of box.
First Published: October 2007

Note #3: Please remember to join me in my "Recipe and Tablesetting Exchange"!!.....Just click the button at the top of the page for more information!....Lots of ideas & recipes to be had!