Martha Stewart Living: Clearing the Air on Vacuums

This weekend our vacuum caught fire. It was pretty spectacular, really. I was vacuuming the dining room rug, and all of a sudden I smelled burning rubber, and noticed billows of smoke coming from the bottom of the machine. I quickly shut it off, unplugged it, opened the windows, and pushed the vacuum out on the deck.

Well, we said, we’ll have to buy a new one tomorrow.

Then, around lunchtime, I was catching up on my magazines and had chosen the November issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine, and lo and behold what should the Homekeeping column be about this month but buying a new vacuum cleaner!

And so, armed with excellent information about the best kind of vacuum for our circumstances (we’ll be moving to a house with almost all hardwoods, with only a few throw or area rugs here and there, and we have pets), we went off to the vacuum cleaner store. Based on the information in the article, we knew we wanted a canister, as opposed to an upright, and what level of air flow and "water lift" would serve us well, because of the amount of space we’ll be covering. We had chosen a brand, and the article also showed an attachment that’s a great choice for removing pet hair and dander from upholstery. And so, here it is, the vacuum we selected thanks to Martha and her staff and their great advice. It makes me actually look forward to vacuuming!

Newsstand Alert - Martha Stewart Holiday: Halloween

The Halloween issue of Martha Stewart Holiday is available, and this issue is double the fun! One half is the Good Things, flip the issue over and you’ll find the Bad Things.

Good Things include recipes for candy corn cookies, candy jar clip art labels, instructions for gourd people, adorable pumpkin treat bags, and some great ideas for ways to use pumpkins, beyond carving faces in them. How about using one as a drinks cooler? Or maybe to hold the candy for the little ghouls and goblins who come to visit on Halloween night?

In the Bad Things section, you’ll find ideas for creepy containers that can be used as votive holders, instructions for a garland of bats to hang on your mantel, turnip jack-o-lanterns that can add a bit of scare in places where a pumpkin won’t fit, and frightening food ideas, like tomato soup with mini mozzarella ball “eye balls.”

I made the pumpkin “pie” potpourri this past weekend, and am saving it to light this weekend when we have company for dinner. I made the holes in the sides of the pumpkin as diamonds instead the circles, and just used a little paring knife to cut them. I’m sure it will fill the house with the scent of Halloween!

The magazine is a collection of Good Things and Bad Things that have been featured in Martha Stewart Living magazine. I love these holiday collections, because they assemble all the fun recipes, crafts, and decorating suggestions in one place. No combing through back issues from the past fifteen years to find which ideas to use this year!

Martha Stewart Living Magazine: Healthy Advice

The October issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine includes transcripts of questions from her radio show (on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 112, visit marthastewart.com/radio for showtimes). I found one of these Q&As contained a particularly interesting and helpful piece of advice.

When asked for suggestions on how to improve time management skills, Martha replied with some fairly straightforward recommendations. First and foremost, she said, you need more energy, which can be gained through exercise and eating well. One guideline she offered, which I though was quite succinctly put, was “I try never to open a can, and that includes cans of soda.”

We all know that fresh foods are better for us, and trying to follow this piece of advice can help us move from intention to action. So many things we buy pre-made can be made in large batches and frozen—tomato sauce, broth or stock, pesto, or even something like cookie dough, could all be made ahead and frozen, and then taken out when needed. Now that Fall is here, a rainy weekend afternoon could be spent tending a simmering pot of chicken stock. Once the initial prep is done, this requires little more than and occasional skim and stir. The payoff in delicious food and better health is well worth it!

The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics

I bought the newly reissued Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics. I didn’t have the earlier version, and felt it was time I added this one to my collection. The book is a collection of over 1,100 recipes that were published in Martha Stewart Living magazine between 1990 and 2000. The new edition includes updated Pantry and Equipment sections, a new menu section, and nutritional analysis of “Fit to Eat” recipes.

One rainy night this past weekend, I picked a side dish from this book to go along with the pork chops and oven roasted Yellow Finn potatoes we were having. I chose Brussels Sprouts with Vinegar-Glazed Red Onion because I’m always looking for new Brussels sprouts recipes.

This one did not disappoint, and was an interesting change from the more familiar Brussels sprouts-with-bacon recipes (not that there's anything wrong with bacon! But something different is always nice). The sprouts were crisp and brown around the edges, and the sweet-tart onions contrasted beautifully with their sharp flavor. The whole dish came together in under 30 minute (including time to bring the water to a boil). Do make sure your sprouts are of a similar size to ensure even cooking.

Perfect for a rainy fall evening!

Brussels Sprouts with Vinegar-Glazed Red Onions

Recipe from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics

Serves 4

Kosher salt
10 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1. Cover and bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice-water bath. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook, uncovered, until tender but still bright green, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and plunge sprouts into ice-water bath to stop the cooking. Drain well, and cut in half.

2. Heat ½ tablespoon butter and ½ tablespoon olive in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Brussels sprouts, and cook, tossing occasionally, until they are brown and crisp on the edges, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a large bowl. Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

3. Add the remaining butter and oil to the same pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, tossing occasionally, until wilted and transparent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vinegar (stand back to avoid the fumes), and stir to loosen any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until the vinegar is reduced and the onions are glazed, about 30 seconds.

4. Add the onions to the Brussels sprouts and toss well. Serve immediately.

Note: Keep an eye out for The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics!

Newsstand Alert: Martha Stewart Living

The May issue is on newsstands now, and is celebrating my favorite color - pink! Here's what is inside:

In our first color issue, take a look inside Martha's Maine guesthouse decorated in floor-to-ceiling pink, right down to the last detail. Learn how to bake colorful desserts that are sure to please, and explore the benefits of the phytonutrients in the most colorful fruits and vegetables. And our decorating department has served up some of its favorite palettes -- ones you can be confident using in your own projects.