Fresh picks, pg 46

I bought carrots, an apple and a lemon to execute the unconventional method of juicing in this part of Food & Gathering, only to watch the carrots wither in the fridge. It seemed like such a waste of vegetable matter, and I felt guilty using 3 carrots for one juice that I would slurp in 3 gulps. Then, equally guilty when I didn't end up using them. Slightly better when I just went to a juice bar and bought a juice, which I've never done. It was also the first time I'd patronized this neighborhood establishment, which also has bibimbop, if you're so inclined. If you can figure out their name from their sign, you're smarter than me.

Shrimp with tomatoes, rice and spinach, cardboard insert

I'm starting to get really faithful in the kitchen testers and recipe developers at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. I can't believe how many of these recipes I've ever glazed over in my readers as an MSL reader, and thought I didn't feel like making that. From now, I'm going to try them even if they only sound remotely good. Case in point, last night's dinner. It was so good and easy to make. It would be a great weeknight dinner, and only required picking up shrimp at the fish market.

Spring reads, pg 68

In the Good Living section of the May 2014 issue of Martha Stewart Living, there are 3, home/craft/style books recommended. The 1st, The Inspired Home: Nests of Creatives by Kim Ficaro and Todd Nickey, is a clever book on how to organize your home based on the way you accumulate things. If you're a collector, or a minimalist, for example. I really appreciate this, because I don't know about you, but I can't stand looking through home and garden magazines and thinking, "these other people's homes are pretty, but what would I do with all my stuff?"

The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers by Livia Cetti is about making paper flowers. Perfect for the art teacher in your life!

3rd, and the only one available at the Brooklyn Public Library, is Buvette: The Pleasure of Good Food by Jody Williams with Julia Turshen. I'm so lucky that the one I'll actually get to look at in person is the cook book! I'll be sure to let you know how it is when I'm off the waiting list! The dishes featured in the magazine look just up my alley. Scallops with nutty brown butter, anyone?

Bittersweet, pg 4

Every issue of Martha Stewart Living features a book of the month for it's Living Book Club. This month was Bittersweet by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore. This was one of the projects I was the most excited about, because I'd get to read a whole book, something I haven't done since I had a baby 14 months ago. I've spent every free second over the last 4 days reading this, pushing off other chores, to get it done. I can't say I recommend it to anyone except teenagers, who might be naive to the historical context of the plot twists, and might brush off the surfacey symbolism as juicy detail, but I was grateful to have an excuse to read something other than Goodnight Moon for once. 

(Image via mirandbw.com)

Drip dry glasses, pg 26

Does anyone else remember that episode of Desperate Housewives where Orson shows Bree his method of cleaning stemware with vinegar and Bree gets all hot & bothered and decides then and there that Orson is the man for her? Martha suggests a much quicker method in the May 2014 issue of Martha Stewart Living. Dripping the glass dry upside down. I've been using my wine glasses quite a bit lately while trying to drink the rest of the Lillet style cocktails I bought last week. It's so sweet that I can only drink 1 a day.

Saving vegetable scraps, pg 50

This is something I've always wanted to do, but never been able to save enough scraps for stock. I've been cooking so much lately, I've got plenty saved up. I plan on using the stock I make to cook beans and poach eggs!

Oven baked blueberry pancake, pg

I liked the idea of this, but I'd use a smaller cast iron skillet next time, to make the pancake a little thicker, or double the recipe. It's a great method for pancakes for a crowd, though!

Quiche Party! page 54

Ok, Martha doesn't suggest hosting a quiche party, just making quiche from the May 2014 issue of Martha Stewart Living. The quiche recipe is huge, though, and I knew we'd have trouble finishing it, just the 3 of us, so I invited some other mommies & babies over to help. I made the version with 2 pie plates full; one with cheese and tomatoes and one with bacon and scallions.

I forgot to take photos until the end.

Easy does it, pg 40

This page is called "Beauty & Style, Tastemaker." It's written by Ariane Goldman, the brains behind Hatch clothing, which are for pregnant women to be able to wear after they pop out the baby. A lovely idea, which I was first introduced to by Joanna Goddard on her blog, but alas, I couldn't see the practicality of spending so much on one piece of clothing, ever. This article, though has some nice ideas to try, 9 of them, that are Goldman's favorite things.

1) Everyday dishware. I'm a little confused by this. Are everyday dishes her favorite thing? Or these particular everyday dishes, Seagate Handmade. I collect Fiesta Ware, and don't own formal place settings because we didn't register for them for our wedding and didn't inherit any, and so far, have never needed them.

2) Wardrobe staple. This is a pair of her Hatch drawstring pants, which retail for $208. Since the most I've ever spent on pants is $88 for a pair of jeans from Banana Republic, I won't be indulging in these, but I'll try to find a similar style. I like the idea of them. Maybe they have something like this at American Apparel, since they carry a lot of lounge wear.

3) Make up trick. Goldman recommends dapping some gold eye shadow in the corner of your eyes to give you a glow. I like it!

4) Soap. This shower gel is $50. I agree that you have to shell out some extra dinero for quality and a lack of scary preservatives and sudsing agents, but you can do it for about $12. Are you really better after showering with $50 soap?

5) Colors. Mixing coral red and pink flowers in a bouquet and I agree. This color combo screams "summer!"

6) Mode of travel. A bike. Specifically, a really awesome bike. Here is where I finally agree that you should invest. Although I don't have a bike, I live in Brooklyn and really should get one. I'm thinking a Brooklyn Cruiser is in order for me, though, with one of those terrifying child seats. Our life would be so much easier.

7) Libation. Goldman recommends Lillet, an aperitif wine. I asked for it at a local wine store and they didn't have it, but sent me across the street to the liquor store, where she said they had something even better. I relayed this to the proprietor and he said, "why, yes, there is something better." He sold me a bottle of Cocchi Americano. I've been making myself an afternoon cocktail the way Goldman suggests, over ice with a slice of orange.

8) Linens. I have no idea who John Robertshaw is, but he made some pretty napkins. I have fiesta brand napkins, which we've never used, but I thought I'd post a picture of the totally awesome dish towels I got in my April Pop Sugar Must Have box.

9) shoes. I think I'd be shocked if I went through all of these posts and calculated how much I've spent on Tunis blog. A few things I absolutely cannot buy. Shoes for $425 are one of those things. I loved the raffia looking style of them, though, so I got these crochet Toms in natural instead. I probably wouldn't have bought them if it weren't for my Martha Stewart project, but my trusty pair of converse were on their way out, so it was time for some new kicks anyway. This is my first pair of Toms and I can't believe how comfortable they are. They needed no breaking in whatsoever.

Spaghetti with tuna and caper sauce, cardboard insert

Not a single one of these recipes has been bad. Some we just enjoy more than others. When I made Polenta with white bean ragu on Monday, Ryan said he wanted to eat it all week. That was a let down because there was only enough for one more night. This recipe won't make it into our recipe box.

Polenta with white bean ragu, card board insert

Here's another example of a project I didn't want to undertake. Polenta, beans, celery. It sounded like a bland carb festival. It was so so good. The flavor was beautiful. We can't wait to eat it again tonight! The polenta, I'm sure is going to be a glutenous blob after having sat in the refrigerator overnight, so I think to reheat it, I'll cut it into 2 slices and pan fry it in a large cast iron.

Ball jars, pg 140

The last page of Martha Stewart Living used to always be a cookie recipe. I wonder when they quit that? Now that I think of it, there also used to be a dessert of the month, and that seems to be gone, too. These are especially disappointing because there was a serious dearth of desserts in this issue. Only 3, 4 if you count the buttermilk shakes, which they qualify as a beverage.

The May 2014 issue of MSL has a short article about Ball Jars. When we were planning our wedding in 2010, Ball jars were all the rage for wedding decorations, from holding flowers, candles, individual cakes, etc. They have a rustic-chic charm that worked well with everything DIY that's so in vogue. People on wedding message boards were constantly looking for the green and blue varieties, which look extra pretty with candles. One dealer of vintage glass jars warned that these old ones shouldn't be used with candles, because they can get too hot and burst. I believe this because I had a glass candle holder that exploded once. If jars are still being used by brides, I'm sure they're tickled to know that Ball rereleased the green and blue jars. No glass shards all over your wedding guests!

In the spirit of Ball jars and wedding, we put together this cute homage to both. The center is the topper from our wedding cake, the left is the seashells we collected from our honeymoon to Key West, and the right is Ryan's boutonniere.

Made in the shade, pg 74

I'm not sure how to approach the parts of the May 2014 issue of Martha Stewart Living that are articles. I feel like I need to do more than just read them and comment on them, but they this piece about Epimediums, a plant that does well in the shade is in the "Good Living" section and classified as a "glossary." I suppose what I'll do is learn about these blooms, then try to use them in a sentence at some point today. I'm taking my daughter to Spanish class and then the grocery store in Manhattan later, so that will be my opportunity to sneak it in.

The information is fascinating, though. These plants root themselves in underground shrooms in forests. I've seen them in the wild, but didn't know what they were.

Great lengths card, pg 26

Since I'm doing everything in this issue, I have to do even the silliest things. This project is meant for kids, and I have a kid, but when I tried to trace her hand, she just wanted to grab the paper and tear it into a thousand little pieces. I think my husband will appreciate my effort, though, and get a kick out of it when he sees it on the fridge.

The halfway point!

It's May 15th. That means I have 16 more days to finish this project. I think I'm on a pretty good pace. I've mentioned before that there are a lot of things in the May 2014 issue of Martha Stewart Living that I was really excited about, and others not so much. I'm saving a lot of those not so much projects for last and really dreading them, mostly the whole, baked trout. I've never cooked a whole fish before, so I plan on heading to the fish market and getting help so that they can hold my hand while I do it.

There are 56 articles, pieces, and stories in the issue, and I've done 23 so far. Actually more, because I've made all but 2 of the 10 hummus recipes on one page, and I plan on posting them all together.

I'm also interested on figuring out how much money I spend on this project. A lot of things I would have bought any way, like food, but I also am going to buy myself flowers 4 times this month.

How much do you actually do from magazines? When you buy one or receive one in the mail, do you just read them, or do you follow the advice, make the projects, etc?

Skin Care Regimen, pg 34

I wasn't concerned about how I cleaned my skin until I read this page. Well, not concerned so much relieved that someone could finally tell me how to do it correctly. There is a flow chart that clarifies the order in which to use products. It basically goes like this:
Clean (with a cleanser)
Tone (toner)
Treat eyes (eye cream or serum)
Special Rx (your zit cream or whatever)
Boost ("serum")
Hydrate (Moisturizer)
Protect (Sunscreen)

I've been putting things on and cleaning them off in an order that would be counterproductive. I also only remember to use them...when I don't forget. Since I've been doing things properly for a couple days, I've noticed my skin is BRIGHTER! Like, pregnant glow, but not pregnant. Thank God. It's difficult to keep my Breathe Right strip on at night, because my face is greasy.

Farro and Kale Salad with Feta, pg 136

This was full of delicious flavor, but next time, I am going to double the amount of kale, or add another vegetable, like carrots. 2 cups of kale didn't go very far and this was very grain heavy. I also mixed it too much and my very soft feta sort of coated the farro like a dressing. 

Buttermilk shakes, pg. 30

I thought from the get go that this recipe sounded fantastic. And it was. It was so good that we're going to buy more buttermilk tomorrow and make them again. 1 cup of buttermilk and 1 cup of sorbet make the perfect, post dinner, dessert size serving. I chose strawberry sorbet, because Strawberry Buttermilk is one of my favorite flavors of Jeni's Ice Cream (next to Cherry Goat Cheese), and tomorrow we're going to try it with peach. I can't recommend this concoction enough!

Occasionally, there is a "best of" piece of the Good Things, and this needs to go in there.

Glasses are compliments of my sister, Monica.

Pillows with a punch, pg 28

Ok readers, I'm going to ask you; better or worse?

Watercolor cards, pg

Since the pretty cones for the flowers on the front of the May 2014 Martha Stewart Living are too good to use in one place, they also created Mother's Day card versions. Cards are so expensive and just end up getting thrown out anyway. While I love a good, witty greeting card, I appreciate a heart felt message, too, so generic, blank inside cards encourage me to let it out to loved ones. Spoiler, Mom's in my life; you're getting one of these in the mail this week. I also appreciated another opportunity to use the new printer.

Roasted Rhubarb & Beets, pg 43

Beets are my 3rd favorite vegetable, following avocados and brussels sprouts. Since Rhubarb is in season, why not combine them with beets in a savory side? Why not? Because it didn't work so well. The rhubarb cooked much faster and turned first into a syrupy sludge, then a crispy, black disc. They didn't taint the baby, orange beets though, so nothing was lost.

Fabric Flowers, pg 36

There are over 70 projects in the May 2014 issue of Martha Stewart Living, and some I'm more enthusiastic about than others. The fabric flowers project is the one that I'm definitely the least excited about. If I were ambitious about making more than one flower, or had any place to put them, I wouldn't be putting this project off like I felt like doing. I figured I should bite the bullet and get it over with for the sake of completing the project.

This project wasn't without hurdles. There aren't any fabric stores in my neighborhood, so I used a pair of grass stained cotton pants that my daughter spent too many days at the playground in.

This was my first opportunity to use our new printer, to print the pansy template.

Since I didn't have a long piece of fabric, I had to cut 4 and sew those together.

It actually came out cute, and not as dingy as the pants were, but I still have no idea what to do with it. I think I'm going to use it as a gift-topper.

Blooming Beauties, pg 82

It must be Spring. There are a boatload of articles about flowers in the May 2014 issue of Martha Stewart Living. I've always wanted to buy myself flowers, but thought it seemed like a waste of money, so I'm glad to finally have the purpose! I'll be buying them 3 times this month.

This article involves tips for arrangements. The one I like the best is called "Make Multiples" on page 84. It features daffodils in several small containers, clustered together. 5 different varieties of daffodils are used, which reminds me of seeing them grow wild, arranged by nature. The stylist for this photo used, in addition to small vases, a couple of coffee cups. A pretty vase is nice, but why bother when it's the flowers you want to see. I used various bar ware, and bought my flowers at Spina, a local florist/coffee shop. Yes, multitasking storefronts are big business in NYC. My personal favorite is my laundromat, which is also a pinball arcade and a watch repair. Small business owners can share the rent. I digress, onto a cute arrangement:

Tahini is the new black, page 45

Or at least the new peanut butter. I might be sick of tahini after trying everything on this featured page. I've been eating peanut butter my whole life, though, and still think about it on the same level as good chocolate and cheese, so we'll see.

The first thing I made was the Cauliflower Spinach Dip that's steamed and then processed like hummus. It's the most beautiful, minty shade of green and was delicious with pita chips. I brought it to a mommies and babies picnic in Central Park.

There are 10 total suggestions for tahini on this page
Cauliflower Spinach Dip (made Friday, May 2, 2014)

Tahini drizzled over roasted vegetables (May 4, 2014)

Tahini Cookies (May 5, 2014)

Tahini has a sandwich spread for chicken salad (May 5, 2014)

Tahini and honey as a sweet & savory dip for apples (May 9th)

Tahini over new potatoes with chives (May 7th, this is the point at which I'm saying, "another thing with tahini...")

Tahini drizzled over kale. I bought my favorite kale salad from a local Italian restaurant and used it for this (May 11th)

Tahini over roasted fish. I used catfish from our local fish market, Metropolitan Fish Market in Williamsburg. After I drizzled the tahini over it, I topped it with carmelized red onions. (May 14th)

Red lentil hummus (May 19yh) I've gone through a whole jar of tahini and now have to buy more!

Tahini deviled eggs ( May 20th ) I'm not very good at peeling eggs, but I'm really good at piping them through a pastry bag!

And we're done!

Salad Pairings, pg 30, Baked potatoes with assorted toppings, insert

I love salad ingredients that complement each other well, I don't think herbs get enough attention. When was the last time you read the ingredients of a salad on a menu and saw chervil or tarragon listed? You don't have to drown your salad in oil and vinegar for flavor when you can boost it with another green. Since I had lots of parsley left over from the Herb Roasted Chicken that we made, I paired the remaining sprigs with leaf lettuce and drizzled a little yogurt ranch to toss it. We ate it with baked potatoes. We really dug black beans on our potatoes.