Martha's Calendar is Back!

One of the features that I loved about Martha's magazine is the monthly calendar she published in every issue of Martha Stewart Living.  Although I didn't exactly mourn its loss, I was sad when they stopped publishing it.  I liked seeing what she was up to.  But never fear - it's coming back! 

In the April issue (on newsstands March 16th), you'll be able to see all the fun activities that Martha has on her calendar.  It will include her some of her day-to-day activities, upcoming events and her speaking engagements, as well as some timely homekeeping tips and reminders.

I can't wait to find out if she's going to go to the Brimfield Antique Show in May.  I'll be there, along with 5,000 vendors and countless deal-seekers and antique lovers.

Mad About Eddie

We all know and love Martha, but what some of us might not know is that Martha Stewart spends each and every day surrounded by creative, talented people who have contributed to the empire that she’s built.

At Mad About Martha, we’re taking you behind the scenes at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia to introduce you to some the finest minds in style, fashion and food.

This week, we’re talking to Eddie Ross, Senior Style Editor of Martha Stewart Living Magazine and his own style blog, eddieross.com. Eddie, who has a passion for fashion and an eye for design has been inspiring lifestyle in the pages of Living Magazine for 2 1/2 years.

Look familiar? You might recognize Eddie from Season 2 of Bravo’s Top Design.

With a degree from the Culinary Institute, Eddie began his career as a food editor on the television show Martha Stewart Living. After running his own catering company for two years, Eddie returned to publishing, landing at Living Magazine, where he spends his days flexing his creativity by styling the pages of Living for readers on any budget.

Q: Eddie, we all love Martha! What’s the best editorial assignment you’ve had working for Living?
A: This is a hard question, because I’ve had the opportunity to go to so many amazing places to look for great pieces, but I think my personal favorite is the first assignment I ever had at the magazine. I did a shelf bracket story in a September issue, and since it was my first piece I just really wanted it to shine.

Q: What’s your favorite part of being a style editor?
A: In the style department, you have your hands in every aspect of the magazine. From crafts and decorating to cooking and gardening, there are so many different types of style out there. One of my favorite things to do is work on flower arrangements, but I also love that when I’m looking at furniture and antiques, there is really something for all of our readers, whether they like new or old items and no matter what they’re willing to spend.

Q: What’s a typical day in the office like for you?
A: Well, when we get to work in the morning we review assignments and then I spend most of my day on-the-go: visiting the marketplace and attending press events to pick up ideas for propping and styling shopping photo shoots for the pages of the magazine.

Q: When you were growing up, did you always want to be in publishing?
A: Absolutely. I’ve always wanted to work for a magazine. When I was in culinary school, I didn’t even know that a position called ‘style editor’ existed. I just think the idea of creating lifestyle is great.

Q: What do you hope Living readers learn from you?
A: Well, there are just so many resources out there for people who are interested I design. I like to spread the message that you don’t need a huge budget to create a beautiful lifestyle. Sometimes all it takes is a coat of paint to make a unique piece of furniture your own. My advice is when in doubt, just paint it.

Q: We’ve read your blog and know that our readers are dying to know, what made you start blogging?
A: My partner Jaithan and I started the blog after Top Design just as a diary of our weekend life. I love what I do and I hope my blog inspires people to live a better life. I love hearing feedback from readers about how they’ve been motivated by some of my ideas and designs.

Q: Eddie, what advice would you give to brand new bloggers?
A: Do what you love. Find something you’re passionate about and know that there are also other people out there who are interested in the exact same thing.

Not only is Eddie a genius behind the pages of Living, he’s an expert trend spotter. You can check out some of Eddie’s purchases in the “Object of The Day” column on his blog, where he highlights specific items that he’s found in his travels. I love the Wedgwood Tea Set from the Antiques Garage on 26th Street and just might have to pay a visit there myself.

What are some of YOUR favorite antiques?

Martha on the Today Show

Even though she just kicked off her newest season of her talk show this week, Martha is making the talk show rounds and appeared on the Today Show Monday morning, making pasta from the September issue of Martha Stewart Living. 

Miss the epi?  You can catch it right here.  One of these days, the shows are going to allow enough time in the segment so it doesn't seem rushed.  Until then...

Photo from Martha's blog.

Martha Stewart Living, June 2008: Roasted Fingerling and Tomato Salad wtih Green Beans and Arugula

Summer is waning, at least here in the Pacific Northwest, but for those of you who live where it's summer until late September or early October (or later), here's a wonderful salad that straddles the seasons. It's got some heft in the form of the potatoes, but still relies heavily on the summery greens and tomatoes we all love.

Another great thing about this salad is that it can be put together in stages. I have about four thousand children (OK, not really, only four--there seem to be so many more of them when I'm trying to get them all in the car), and finding a large block of uninterrupted time in which to cook is hard. This salad can be made in stages, which means you can do part of it, tend to some kids, do some more, tend to some kids, and so on until you're ready to eat and all the kids are in bed. Really, it's ideal.

The potatoes and tomatoes are roasted with some olive oil, garlic and thyme, and then tossed with arugula and blanched green beans in a red wine-Dijon vinaigrette. I cut the potatoes and tossed them and the tomatoes with the garlic and olive oil puree, scattered them with thyme (I didn’t even have to pull it off the stem! Talk about easy!) and popped them in the oven. This is about the only piece of this recipe that really can’t be left to languish; once the potatoes are cut up, they need to head for the oven promptly lest they turn that sad grayish color that potatoes do turn. But since the prep for this step is mostly done with a sharp knife and the blender, it can be completed in the time it takes one three year old to eat a banana and a bowl of animal crackers.

Next I topped and tailed the green beans, which can sit out with no ill effects. I made the dressing. Again, a patient component that will wait until you’re ready. When the potatoes and tomatoes were done roasting, I pulled them out and let them cool their heels on the stove for a little while, during which time I read “Hungry Pig” (aloud--not to myself) and explained fifteen times that, yes indeed, the sun was going down. I think I may have had a glass of wine in there too.

I blanched the green beans, shocked them, and let them drain while I rounded up the last kid from a water balloon fight and saw him headed for a bath. He was allowed to watch George of the Jungle and then off to bed.

Finally, dinner time! I tossed the arugula and green beans with the potatoes and tomatoes (and I confess, I used more like three to four cups of arugula for four people versus the two in the original recipe, and 6 ounces of green beans, rather than the 3 ounces called for), and served the dressing on the side.

And there you have it, an excellent dinner, prepared in between getting four children ready for and into bed. Nothing suffered from standing or sitting, and it all tossed together at the last minute to seem as though it was meant to be done that way.

Roasted Fingerling and Tomato Salad with Green Beans and Arugula
from Martha Stewart Living, June 2008
serves 4-6

For the Salad
5 garlic cloves
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ pounds Russian banana fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
1 pint cherry tomatoes
4 stems fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 ounces green beans
3-4 cups baby arugula

For the Dressing
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme
½ shallot, minced
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Make the salad: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Puree garlic and olive oil in a blender until smooth. Toss with potatoes, tomatoes, and thyme on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until potatoes are golden and tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly. Or quite a bit.

Prepare an ice-water bath. Cook green beans in a large pot of boiling water until bright green and just tender. Transfer to ice-water bath. When cool, drain beans in a colander and let them sit as long as necessary. They won’t mind.

Make the dressing: Combine vinegar, mustard, thyme, and shallot in a small bowl. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until emulsified. Set aside until needed.

When all children are in bed, and you’ve had ten minutes to relax, toss potato mixture, beans and arugula with dressing (or you can do as I did and toss the vegetables together and serve the dressing on the side). Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or at room temperature. If there’s going to be a gap of an hour or two between the preparation of all the components, and the actual serving, I recommend keeping everything separate and tossing it all at the last minute. Arugula gets so pathetic looking when it sits too long in dressing.

Photograph by The Modern Apron

Making A Mark...Bringin' Back the Stencil!

Martha knows how to make me happy! With Fall just around the corner, I was so excited to get my September MS Living...and to make it even better, it was a Decorating Issue!

Making a Mark, one of the issue's feature stories, surprised me a little bit. I haven't really seen stenciling in the decorating world since probably the late 80s / early 90s. And at the time, I was consumed with it - I wanted to stencil my room, my desk, my notebooks...anything! In fact, one of my favorite movies at that age was called Back Home about a young girl who had been sent to America from England during WWII so that she would not have to live through the bombings. Once the war was over, she comes back to England only to find that she does not fit in anymore. A great history lesson and message about growing up. Yeah. Except the only thing I really remember about the movie? When she runs off to hide in an old abandoned house and decides to decorate it with a stencil kit she was given as a gift. My decorating obsession started early...can you tell?

So you shouldn't be surprised to hear that I was super excited at some of these fantastic stenciling projects!

GARDEN PRINT STENCILED TABLETOP

Tools and Materials
Table painted with latex paint
Drafting tape
Small sheet of glass (palette)
Palette knife
5 to 7 ounces acrylic paint in green, gray, and white
Floral stencil kit
Natural sea sponges

Stenciled Tabletop How-To

1. For a rough guide, mark a uniform border with drafting tape 3 inches from table's edge.
2. Prepare palette with each paint, blending with palette knife to create additional shades of green and gray if desired. Place large peony stencil 6 inches from table's edge; secure with tape if desired. Use sponge to apply white paint to stencil. Let dry 2 minutes. Stencil 2 more peonies, equidistant from each other and from table's edge.
3. Starting with 1 peony, incorporate leaves and smaller flowers, positioning stencils so stems conform to round garland shape. Using a different sponge for each color, paint according to above procedure. Flip stencil if desired for variety. When using multiple colors with 1 stencil, cover areas not in use with tape.

Faux finish and sealing instructions
Sources
Designer Floral Display Stencils: Large flowers, $96; medium flowers, $92; foliage, $80; or $240 for set, stencil-library.com

STENCILED ROLLER SHADE

Tools and Materials
Roller shade
Vine stencil
Ruler
Drafting tape
Pencil
Small sheet of glass (palette)
Palette knife
5 to 7 ounces acrylic paint in white
Natural sea sponge

To Mark Stencil Spacing
1. Measure widths of roller shade and stencil using ruler. Determine how many stencil repetitions will fit across shade, leaving even spaces between each column and on outer edges.
2. Using strips of drafting tape, block off measured space between each column and on outer edges. The stencil should fit snugly into columns.

To Stencil Vine Pattern
1. Place stencil in far-left column, shifting it 1 to 2 inches below shade's bottom edge for a wraparound effect. Using pencil, mark the registration holes at stencil's top edge (pencil marks can be erased once paint is dry).
2. Prepare palette with paint. Use sponge to apply paint to stencil. Let dry 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Shift stencil up, aligning it with registration holes and marking new ones. Paint as in step 2. Repeat until column is complete.
4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 for remaining columns, flipping stencil over (make sure reverse is dry) so adjacent motifs mirror each other.
Sources
4 1/2-by-18-inch Spencer Eddy House vine stencil, $33, mbhistoricdecor.com

And my very favorite... STENCILED WALL CLOCK

Tools and Materials
6 sheets of 11-by-17-inch vellum, printed with full clock template
Transparent tape
Drafting tape
Level
1 copy each of Roman numeral and dotted-arc templates
2 sheets of 11-by-17-inch waterproof paper
Cutting mat
Craft knife
Japanese hole punch
Small sheet of glass (palette)
Palette knife
5 to 7 ounces acrylic paint in dark green
Natural sea sponge
Arabic numeral stencil
Battery-powered clock mechanism

To Make Vellum Overlay
1. Arrange vellum sheets to create full template, and attach with transparent tape.

2. Affix vellum overlay to wall with drafting tape (making sure the top is secure). Use level to ensure numbers III and IX are aligned.

To Make Stencils
1. Affix Roman numeral templates to a sheet of waterproof paper; secure to cutting mat with drafting tape. Cut out I, V, and X with craft knife, and cut into 3 stencils. Remove template, and discard.

2. Affix dotted-arc template to a sheet of waterproof paper; secure to cutting mat with drafting tape. Use Japanese hole punch to make each perforation. Remove template, and discard.



To Stencil Dotted Arc
1. Align dotted arc stencil under vellum. Secure stencil with drafting tape, and tape vellum out of the way.

Prepare palette with paint. Use sponge to apply paint to stencil. Let dry 3 minutes.

2. Release vellum. Move stencil along arc, until only a few painted dots register on 1 end of stencil. Secure stencil and vellum with tape. Paint as in step 1. Repeat until dotted circles are complete.

To Stencil Numerals
1. Slide Arabic numeral stencil under vellum, and position the 1 stencil for "10." (It's easier to stencil the first number of a pair before adding the second.) Secure stencil and vellum with tape. Use sponge to apply paint to stencil. Let dry 3 minutes.
2. Stencil remaining 1, then stencil numbers 2, 3, 4, and 6, finishing with 5 and 0. Tape and release vellum as needed, leaving top secure.
3. Slide Roman numeral stencil under vellum.

Stencil Xs, then Vs, then Is. Let dry 3 minutes.

To Hang Clock Mechanism
On wall, mark center dot, indicated on vellum. Remove vellum. Follow manufacturer's instructions to hang clock mechanism.
Sources
Sheer trace vellum, $13.95 for fifty 14-by-17-inch sheets, by Borden & Riley, from Village Supplies
Japanese paper screw punch with 3 mm tip, $44, plus 1 to 5 mm tips, from $7.60 each, nycentralart.com
1 3/4-inch script number stencil, $11, designerstencils.com
Galileo 30 clock mechanism, $99, timeworksclocks.com

Now get out there and start stenciling away!

*images & instructions from marthastewart.com

Star-spangled Frustration

The “Red, White and Blue Ribbon Stars” craft featured in the July issue of Martha Stewart Living immediately caught my attention. I don’t have any Independence Day decorations, and the garland pictured in the magazine looked like a perfect way to jazz up the cabinet in my entryway.

I went to Michael’s and picked up some patriotic ribbon. I brought it home and stared at it for about an hour. I could not for the life of me decipher the instructions in the magazine. I decided that the problem was that the double-sided tape recommended in the instructions was just not strong enough to hold the ribbon down, so I moved on to scrapbook glue dots and eventually to my trusty glue gun, which helped a bit, but I still couldn’t make a convincing star shape.

I brought the magazine and supplies to my mom’s house. She’s a bow-tier extraordinaire, so I figured she could make me some stars in no time. Nope. She was even more perplexed than me.

We eventually decided to make five loops individually (like five tight “awareness ribbon” shapes) and then assemble them into a star, hot-gluing them together in the center. We covered up the mess in the middle with paper circles like the ones in the magazine.

I’m not totally happy with the outcome. The stars are a bit heavy, so the garland doesn’t sit nicely. It definitely looks homemade. And I should have planned the length/star ratio better. Oh well, I guess it’ll make my entryway look festive for the next few weeks.

Have you tried this craft and figured out the star-folding secret? Let me know!

*Top image from MarthaStewart.com

Potluck a la Martha

It's prime potluck season, and the June issues of Martha Stewart Livingand Everyday Food are loaded with easy, unique, portable dishes.

For this summer's first potluck invitation, I turned to both magazines for new twists on classic cookout favorites: potato salad and loaf cake.

Red Bliss Potato Salad with Blue Cheese, Bacon and Chives
Serves 4 to 6
from "Martha Stewart Living", June, 2008

• 1 1/2 pounds Red Bliss potatoes
• 3 tablespoons coarse salt
• 1 1/2 ounces Danish blue cheese, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, plus 1 teaspoon for garnish
• 8 bacon strips, cooked until crisp and crumbled

1. Place potatoes and the salt in a medium saucepan. Cover with water, and bring to a simmer. Cook until a knife pierces through potatoes with little resistance, about 12 minutes. Drain, and let cool slightly. Halve potatoes.
2. Meanwhile, mix blue cheese, buttermilk, vinegar, and mustard in a bowl until well combined.
3. Combine potatoes, dressing, chives, and almost all of the bacon in a large serving bowl. Garnish with blue cheese, chives and remaining bacon.

I wasn't able to locate Red Bliss potatoes, so I substituted red creamers which worked fine.

This is a perfect make-ahead dish, as the dressing does better when it has time to set for a few hours in the refrigerator.


Coconut-Pineapple Loaf Cake
Serves 10
From "Everyday Food", June, 2008

• 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks in juice, drained well

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread coconut on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted, tossing occasionally, 6 to 10 minutes; set aside. Butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch (8-cup) loaf pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low, and alternately add flour mixture in three parts and sour cream in two, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix just until combined (do not overmix).
3. Using a rubber spatula, fold pineapple and 1 cup coconut into batter. Spoon into prepared pan, and smooth top; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup coconut. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 65 to 70 minutes (cover pan with foil halfway through). Let cake cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. (To store, keep at room temperature, wrapped in plastic, up to two days.)

As you can tell from my photo, I should have been a bit more careful with toasting my coconut. If you get overzealous like I did, you should probably cover the cake with foil for the entire baking time.

While yummy on its own, I think this cake would be really great with this hot buttered rum sauce recipe.

...and that's a Good Thing!

When my Martha Stewart Living appears in the mailbox, I am so excited to see what Martha has to teach me this month. But the column that I read first, and the pages I fold down so I can read them again and again is, of course, Good Things.

And I am loving the Spring-y Feel that Good Things has for the month of April.

Hen-Shaped Egg Cozies!

I may not own any egg cups, but don't think that's going to stop me from making these adorable chick cozies. Maybe it will prompt me to actually buy some egg cups.

Magazine Holders with Handles

I have so many magazines just piled into a corner of my studio...yikes! I think it's about time to pull 'em out, grab some magazine holders (with the lovely brass hook sash lift I attach with Martha's tutorial) and organize the heck out of my dozens and dozens of glossies.

Bucket Umbrella Stand

Even though our rain has already ended for the season, I still want to show off my cute, cute, cute umbrellas. And if we do have a freak rain I'll have a place to put my wet umbrella without ruining my wood floors.

Scalloped Bouquet Wrapper

With the way things have been a-bloomin' around here, flowers are a perfect gift to say "Happy Birthday," "Feel Better" or "Happy Spring!" And I love this idea to dress up flowers from your own garden or flowers from your local florist. How have I not thought to use my scallop scissors on the flower wrapping?? It's Genius!

Happy Spring!

*images from Martha Stewart.com

Celebrating Valentine's Day with Martha Stewart

If you ask me what my favorite holidays are, I can give a quick answer, though not necessarily in order of preference: Valentine's Day, Halloween and Christmas Eve/Day. But then again, there isn't a holiday I don't love to celebrate, right down to our annual Chinese New Year fete. What can I say? Any excuse to entertain. :)

Considering my love for the color pink, the fact that I adore Valentine's Day should really come as no surprise. Besides the fact that it celebrates love and adoration, the retail market is flooded with all sorts of must-have pink and red things for your home and kitchen. This year, Valentine's Day is going to be particularly special for us, but you'll just have to wait until it gets closer for that scoop.

Martha Stewart is a big fan of holidays too. Although we all know that her favorite holiday is, hands down, Halloween, she's no slouch when it comes to Valentine's Day either. Her newest issue just hit the stands yesterday -- here's what is in store for you:

February 2008 -- Martha Stewart Living’s Special How-To Issue

“I am sure I’m not the only one who has wondered if the way I chop an onion or divide a perennial is the most efficient. Now, our editors and several outside authorities have come to the rescue with 66 techniques everyone needs to know. But as practical as this issue may be, we haven’t forgotten the importance of Valentine’s Day.”
– Michael Boodro, Editor in Chief

How-To: A Special Section
Martha Stewart Living editors share the best way to iron a shirt, chop an onion, brighten whites, and handle more than 15 other everyday tasks expertly (p. 61).

Treasured Chests
Create these easy-to-make containers by following the step-by-step instructions provided (p.162). Label templates and further ideas and details can also be found at marthastewart.com/jewelry-boxes.

Valentine’s Day
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with elegant but simple menus for two (p. 74) including beef wellington tarts and white-chocolate semifreddo express heartfelt sentiments with felt fortune cookies, Good Things (p. 48) plus many more clever ideas.

Fresh Thinking
Discover innovative ways to transform ordinary supermarket bouquets into strikingly unusual floral arrangements (p.130).

Cocktail Franks on a Baguette with Onion-Tomato Relish

There are certain phrases that just don't seem synonymous with the doyenne of domesticity, Martha Stewart, and "yellow mustard" and "cocktail franks" are two that come to mind. But believe it or not, in a recent issue of her Martha Stewart Living magazine, she had a recipe that included both and it was pretty darn tasty to boot. Although it won't be making our holiday table, Cocktail Franks On a Baguette with Onion-Tomato Relish is definitely different enough for company and presents nicely. It was one of the starters I served at our recent holiday dinner with The Neighbors.

Aside from heating up the cocktail franks and making the onion-tomato relish, the recipe has very little active time and comes together quite quickly. I loved the relish and the tang that the yellow mustard added, and let's face it, they were pretty darn cute to boot. An empty plate at the end of the course signaled a hearty thumbs up all around, and this one is definitely a keeper for us.

When reading through the recipe, I was planning on toasting the baguette so it had a little bit of crunch, but when I was in the midst of getting dinner ready, I was totally in the weeds and didn't have time, so I made it as written; it was probably better that way anyway. Martha knows her stuff, what can I say? Only thing I changed in the recipe was to double the amount of tomatoes to give the relish a more even balance between the tomatoes and onions, and would definitely go that route the next time. And yup, there will be a next time. Enjoy!

Cocktail Franks On a Baguette with Onion-Tomato Relish
Serves 6
Ficelles are thin baguettes, named after the French word for string. If you can't find one, use a baguette.

1 tablespoon canola oil (I skipped and used Pam spray instead)
12 cocktail franks, separated if needed (I used 15)
1 ficelle or other thin baguette, split open lengthwise
Onion-Tomato Relish (recipe follows)
Yellow mustard, for serving

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add franks and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown and heated through, 6-8 minutes.

2. Spread cut sides of bread with relish. Place franks on top of relish. Serve with yellow mustard.

Onion-Tomato Relish
Makes about 1 cup

2 tablespoons canola oil
3 medium yellow onions (about 1-1/2 lbs total), finely chopped (about 2-1/2 cups)
1/3 cup canned diced plum tomatoes, with juice (I doubled)
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons coarse salt
pinch of cayenne pepper

1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add tomatoes; cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.

2. Stir in sugar, vinegar, salt and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring occassionally, until onions are soft and mixture is shiny, about 20 minutes (if the onions begin to brown, reduce heat to medium-low). Serve warm or at room temperature. Relish can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Martha's Secret to Fluffier Mashed Potatoes

In a recent issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine, Martha let us in on her secret to fluffier mashed potatoes:

After boiling and draining the spuds, return them to the pot. Stir over low heat for several minutes, until all the moisture has evaporated, and then mash
as usual.

You heard it here, folks. No excuses now.

Photo from MarthaStewart.com.