The Official Martha Stewart Blog

December 1, 2020

Thanksgiving Photos from Our Employees and Partners 2020

I’m always so excited to see photos from our staff's Thanksgiving Day celebrations.

Every year before Thanksgiving, I send out an email to all our employees and business partners extending my very best wishes for a safe and lovely holiday. I also urge them to take photos of their table settings, their feasts, their families, and their friends. And, every year, I’m always thrilled to see the pictures and to read the many stories that accompany them - posting the photos is one of our favorite blog traditions.

Many of you have also commented on how much you look forward to seeing our annual Thanksgiving gallery, so here it is. enjoy.

: Marquee SVP of Marketing, Stella Cicarone, hosted Thanksgiving at her home. Here is her beautifully set table.

: Every year, Stella’s husband, Frank, their daughter, Sofia, and their son, Dallas, make a pumpkin pie.

: Special Projects Producer, Judy Morris, and her family celebrated with a deep fried turkey this year. Here’s her husband, Jim, checking on the bird – it looks great. They used my recipe, of course.

: Here is a view from above – the turkey was so easy to prepare.

: This apple pie was also made using one of my delectable apple pie recipes – cooked to golden perfection.

: Here is the apple pie on the table for photo opportunities – it didn’t last long.

: Judy’s eldest son, Jimmy, just returned from his first semester at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Also at the table – son, Billy, Jim, and son, Eddie.

: Heather Kirkland, who directs many of my special events, and her family, enjoyed a choice of five pies for their holiday dessert.

: Senior Director of Content, PR & Partnerships at California Closet Company, Inc., Emily Reaman, has a lot to be thankful for this year – this is her handsome five-month old son, Leo.

: Leo is growing fast – his mom says he’s already outgrown clothes for his age – this onesie is for 9-month olds.

: Emily, her husband, and her son enjoyed a very small Thanksgiving for three – here’s their table setting from above.

: And they didn’t cook a turkey this year. They decided to cook two Cornish game hens instead. Here they are all trussed and ready for the oven.

: And this is what they looked like after they were cooked – Emily says they were absolutely delicious.

: Cheryl DuLong, who works up at Skylands, my home in Maine, celebrates Thanksgiving a couple weeks early every year when she visits her son, Torrey Grant, and his fiancee, Michaela Sattaur in Syracuse, New York. Don’t worry – everyone was properly tested before the gathering.

: Cheryl is very talented and loves sewing and crafts projects. This year, she brought her son some handmade curtains for their living room windows – they are decorated with a Thanksgiving pilgrim theme for the occasion.

: Cheryl made this charcuterie board with salami, olives, cheddar cheese, gruyere cheese, and pepperoni.

: This is Torrey’s short ribs dish – it’s always a big request for the holidays. Before cooking, he marinates them for two days with tomatoes, rosemary, celery, and carrots, then slow cooks them. The tender meat is pulled off the bone and served with the sauce.

: Here’s Cheryl’s plate – filled with traditional turkey, Torrey’s short ribs, and all those well-loved sides – roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon, homemade dressing, mashed potatoes with truffle oil, and macaroni and cheese.

: For dessert, Cheryl’s rendition of pumpkin charlotte – a creamy, no-bake dessert that’s perfect for entertaining. Instead of the traditional lady fingers, she uses Milano cookies. It is always a big hit. On the right – Cheryl’s no-bake chocolate eclair cake made with vanilla wafers. The brioche in the back was made by Michaela using my recipe.

: Here’s a group photo at the family “Friendsgiving” – Danielle, Torrey, Dan, Adam, Cheryl, Gerry, Sharon, Michele, Michelene, and Michaela.

: Vanessa Arnold, Marquee’s Manager of Strategic Partnerships had her family dinner in Nutley, New Jersey – my hometown, and hers.

: Here’s the table with a couple of all-time favorites, sweet potato and marshmallows, and green beans.

: This year they decided late on a main course and were left with a surprisingly delicious choice of fresh Cornish hens instead of turkey.

: In this photo – Vanessa’s husband, Scott, her mother, Mary Ann, son Liam, and daughter, Hadleigh – taking photos and patiently waiting before “digging in.”

: Ulyana Urzua Bravo, Marketing Associate at Neuberger Berman, sent in this photo of a refreshing holiday cocktail – my Winter Solstice drink. Ulyana’s husband, Jeremiah, mixed the drinks for all to enjoy, and they did.

: This handsome young fellow is Henrik, the one-year-old son of my personal executive assistant, Shqipe Lulanaj. Shqipe says he loved tasting everything!

: Shqipe made her first charcuterie board for the occasion – it’s so beautifully and thoughtfully created.

: Danielle Viands is Senior Merchant at Motherhood & Pea in the Pod. She submitted this photo of her family’s dinner table at her parents’ home.

: The family started with some delicious appetizers before sitting down for their Thanksgiving feast.

: There was plenty to go around – here are some of dishes they enjoyed.

: Here are more fun family time photos from Danielle. In the top left image, Danielle, her sisters, and their mom all showed up dressed in the same color – it was not planned.

: Our own Marquee designer, Claire Basile, sends photos every year. This year, she shares her mother’s annual dessert – my Italian Ricotta cheesecake. It is one of their favorites.

: Anduin Havens, Marquee Video Creative Director for Martha Stewart & Emeril Lagasse, is shown here with her husband, Cedric, her daughter, Harper, and the elf statue at Jones Tree Farm in Shelton, Connecticut.

: Anduin put up a small white pine tree as part of her decorations. Her family is moving, so all of the ornaments are currently in storage – she made these on the Martha Stewart Cricut Explore Air™ 2.

: For dinner, they had this bacon-wrapped turkey breast. It was the perfect size for the three of them.

: And for dessert – this sour cream apple pie.

: Jacqueline Reshef, Vice President at Neuberger Berman, submitted this photo of her husband, Eitan, their seven-month-old twins, Lev and Eilon, and their dog, Malcolm. It was taken during a stroll in New York City – they only removed their masks for the photo.

: Here’s Richard D’Agostino relaxing by the fire in Amagansett, New York. Richard is the father of Lucilla D’Agostino, Chief Creative Officer at Big Fish Productions, which produced my show, “Martha Knows Best” Season’s 1 and 2.

: Here’s a closeup of their turkey piled high with roasted carrots, fennel, and pomegranate seeds.

: Friend, Elan Gabai, is holding one of the wooden place cards that the family makes into Christmas ornaments after dinner!

: And here’s Richard holding his place card marked with his favorite title, “Dad.”

: Executive Producer at Big Fish Productions, Taylor Lucy, shares this photo of her niece, Caroline, on her first Thanksgiving – quite a tired turkey!

: Taylor and her family had a pre-dinner backyard walk next to the James Farm Ecological Preserve in Delaware. Here she is with her sister, Marissa, her brother-in-law, Christopher, and the napping Caroline – she says, “a small glass of wine is not required, but recommended.”

: The main event – Taylor’s mom’s Simple Turkey rubbed with butter, salt, and thyme.

: And this is Taylor’s brother-in-law’s crowd pleaser – his Apple Torte!

: Stefanie Heiman, the National Business Development Manager for Motherhood Maternity + A Pea in The Pod, shares this photo of her three-year-old daughter, Eliana.

: Eliana helped make these creative turkey shaped rolls. The first round didn’t go so well; hence the darker, crispier turkeys, but they were all still devoured and loved.

: Here’s a photo from Jim McDermott, Marquee Director of Customs Compliance – a lovely photo of his wife Michelle, son Jimmy Jr. , and daughters Allison, Emily, and Sadie.

: They took a traditional dinnertime photo and then this fun “selfie” after their feast.

: And here’s Brandy, owned by Sabrina Blaustein, Brand Manager at Ben Sherman & Bruno Magli. Brandy is catching a post-turkey snooze!

: I think she has the right idea. I am so happy to see our employees enjoyed the special day! I hope you all did too. My Thanksgiving photos will be up soon – stay tuned. I hope you saw some of them on my instagram page @MarthaStewart48.

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Posted in: Cooking, Employees, Entertaining, Holidays, Miscellaneous

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November 30, 2020

Repairing Pots in the Greenhouse

As my outdoor grounds crew continues with fall cleanup around the farm, my gardeners are busy with tasks inside my greenhouse.

I love houseplants and I have a greenhouse full of beautiful potted specimens - orchids, succulents, begonias, ferns, and so many more. These plants are often brought into my home whenever I entertain. I also have thousands and thousands of pots in all different sizes. Unfortunately, every now and then, one of them will crack, or even break. The shards of those that cannot be repaired are saved and used to cover drainage holes in other containers. Others are fixed and used again.

Enjoy these photos.

: The central greenhouse at my Bedford, New York farm is home to hundreds and hundreds of beloved plants. I enjoy learning about and caring for the many rare and unusual specimens in my collection. My orchid collection takes up two long sliding tables.

: Begonias take up two other tables. These plants are considered cool temperature plants and do best in temperatures ranging from 58 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit. I am fortunate to have such a large temperature and humidity controlled space to house all these beautiful plants.

: On another side, a variety of ferns and other bold green specimens.

: Many of my smaller potted succulents are stored in another area of my large greenhouse where they can get lots of light. Most varieties need at least half a day to a full day of sunlight. Succulents are best planted in clay or terra cotta pots with proper drainage holes because the vessels dry quickly, and prevent water from building up.

: Underneath the sliding tables are hundreds and hundreds of stacked pots – terra cotta and clay pots, many made by master potter, Guy Wolff.

: And here are some some more containers – Guy makes all of them himself – they are just stunning. During a visit to my farm a few years ago, Guy said my collection is definitely the largest one he has ever seen of his pottery.

: Pots feel durable, but they are actually quite fragile. An entire piece of clay broke off this Guy Wolff container. Since this pot is handmade and expensive, it is worth the effort to extend its use. First, Ryan makes sure the pot is clean and completely dry before trying to glue it together.

: For this, Ryan uses a good, strong glue – one that can be used indoors and out and also be exposed to water. He applies glue on the pot side first, and then to the piece itself. This ensure there is coverage on both surfaces.

: Carefully, Ryan places the broken piece back into place. The broken piece should fit snug. Ryan checks that it is flush on both sides of the pot.

: Ryan carefully wipes off any excess glue from the front of the pot.

: This pot is fine drying upright, but for a pot that needs to dry on its side, place it in a bin of sand.

: This slightly larger pot cracked. For this one, Ryan starts by examining the crack and determining where it starts and ends. A large crack is easy to find, but for less noticeable ones, spray some water on the crack and then wipe the water away – the crack will be more visible.

: This repair will require some wire. Ryan wraps a length of wire around the top rim of the pot to see how much is needed.

: Use a malleable gauge wire. Wire is available at any hardware store. Copper wire also works well. Ryan cuts a piece that is about six-inches longer than the circumference of the pot’s top.

: Ryan wraps the wire around and begins twisting the wire taut at the ends.

: He uses grip pliers to twist the wires as tight as possible. Remember, always “use the right tool for the right job.” Ryan is also very careful to apply slow steady pressure so that the pot doesn’t suffer additional damage.

: Lastly, Ryan trims any extra ends.

: These are shards from broken pots that could not be fixed. Always save them to cover the drainage holes of potted vessels. These shards will allow water to drain out but keep the potting mix from escaping.

: Brian scarifies this topiary’s root ball before returning it to the repaired container – this means, gently disturbing the root ball to stimulate growth.

: More potting mix is added around the plant, and patted down.

: And finally, the repaired pot is now back in the greenhouse – its use extended for a little while longer. I hope these tips save a few of your pots in need of repair. And stay tuned to this blog – I’ll be sharing lots of Thanksgiving photos with you soon!

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Posted in: Greenhouse, Houseplants, Miscellaneous, Plants

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November 26, 2020

Holiday Memories: Thanksgiving at Skylands

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all have a very safe, healthy, and joyful holiday. Enjoy this weekend with close family and friends. Here is an encore post from November 2016.

Thanksgiving is among my favorite occasions, and this year, I enjoyed a quiet holiday with my family up at Skylands, my home in Maine.

We shared a lovely meal, complete with a traditional turkey, which came from Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, New York. We also had many favorite side dishes, including those from our new Martha & Marley Spoon Thanksgiving meal kit - roasted Brussels sprouts with pomegranate salad, my classic stuffing with herbs and dried cherries, and of course, my mother’s delicious mashed potatoes.

Here are some photos - enjoy.

: This is one of a pair of giant urns I had transferred to Maine from my Bedford, New York farm this summer. The two now flank the front entrance of Skylands. Each weighs several hundred pounds. For the holiday season, we filled them with festive evergreen branches and red winterberries.

: We all went for a good walk around Little Long Pond before our feast. Here are Jude and Truman with my French Bulldog puppies, Creme Brûlée and Bete Noir – the children love their visits to Maine. This serene pond sits just outside Acadia National Park, on the south side of the island close to Seal Harbor.

: Truman is a very athletic four and a half year old. He loves to run and explore. Bete Noir keeps up with him pretty well.

: We set our table first with brass chargers and candlesticks, and faux bois candles. The winter hybrid butternut squash in the center came from my Bedford garden.

: Kevin gave me this handsome taxidermy Bourbon Red turkey for my birthday one year. The Bourbon Red is named for its unique reddish plumage. The bird originated in Kentucky and Pennsylvania in the late 19th century, and was created by crossing Buff, Standard Bronze, and White Holland turkeys. It was first recognized as a turkey variety by the American Poultry Association in 1909.

: Our finished table set for six looks so beautiful all lit up in front of the leaded window.

: Here is a view from above – it’s a perfect setting for our feast.

: The taxidermy Bourbon Red turkey looks so stately guarding our Thanksgiving table.

: Truman made this paper headdress during a Mandarin class – complete with its own feathers, and the words “I’m thankful” in Mandarin.

: This is a very special eight-piece hostess serving set. It was designed around the same time Skylands was, and the beautiful tray underneath was a gift from my dear friends Memrie Lewis and Charlotte Beers some years ago.

: Both my grandchildren are great helpers in the kitchen. Truman loved to help taste test dishes as they were prepared.

: Here is our heritage turkey from Stone Barns Center in Pocantico Hills, New York. I get turkeys from Stone Barns every year. These heritage birds have less fat, and are prized for their rich flavor. Choosing heritage birds helps to protect the cultural legacy of the old breeds and to preserve genetic diversity for the future.

: We prepared many of our sides from the Martha & Marley Spoon Thanksgiving meal kit. Here is our Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Pomegranate Salad. This recipe calls for both roasted and raw Brussels for a mix of texture and taste.

: Here is my Classic Stuffing with Herbs and Dried Cherries that we also included in the Martha & Marley Spoon Thanksgiving meal box this season – it’s filled with onion, celery, sage, and dried cherries.

: I also prepared delicious stuffed butternut squash.

: And, everyone always loves potatoes.

: Here is a bowl of classic cranberry sauce – another big favorite, especially with the turkey leftovers.

: This is the finished turkey – roasted to perfection and golden brown, served on a bed of herbs.

: This is a cranberry curd tart my daughter, Alexis, made for our dessert. I love its rich red color. These beautiful orange Fitzhugh-patterned dessert plates were perfect for our tart.

: Here is a pretty top view of the cranberry curd tart – it was so delicious.

: A scrumptious Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings. The mashed potatoes were made using my mother’s recipe, which incorporates cream cheese for a rich and delicious taste. It’s the same recipe in our Martha & Marley Spoon Thanksgiving meal kit.

: Here is my first plate – everyone had more than one. We enjoyed a most wonderful dinner.

: This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my family and close friends, especially my daughter, Alexis, and her beautiful children, Jude and Truman. I hope you all had a warm and memorable holiday with your loved ones.