Thursday 15 August 2013

Martha Stewart Living - July / August 2013

I just noticed so many magazines just did a double month issue over the summer but then again the editors need a holiday as well... I put the most useful and fun things from the issue for your viewing.

Well isn't Martha just the smarter but less frivolous version of Marie Antoinette? I mean they're both privileged women who love pastoral pursuits as leisure and got sent to prison.  
I bet those two would have tons to talk about over lunch.

This month we are invited to see her beehive. 
I must say I have never tried honey straight off the hive. 
If it is anything like fresh eggs then I am missing out.





Not going to lie - I have wanted one myself.  
Fortnum and Mason have a beehive on their roof just a mile away so it gave me ideas but I can barely handle my lavender pots.









Childhood summer memories were filled with popsicles - 
those E numbers were sooo good weren't they folks?
But these are some healthy but yummy alternatives.

How clever to use coconut water instead - hydrating with potassium!

Remember those sunburns when you were a kid because 
Slip slap slop wasn't invented yet?


I am always telling people not to forget the ears and bottom of feet!
So is Martha.  Nothing worse than sunburned feet.



I love how these friendship bracelets never went out of fashion but 
I forgot how to make them.


Here is a reminder.
A lovely project for you or the kids or even together to do?






Gardening editorials are usually not so useful as I don't have a patch of grass but this feature could be useful for those with only a courtyard or to put inside the house.






One of the plants I will always insist on having is lavender because the bees just adore it.  
Anyone see the Vanishing of the Bees?
If not, you can click on the link.
It's about the importance of bees and their hidden role in our lives besides honey and bee stings.

I put this in just because.
Not the best I have seen from Martha's team but I suppose a good way to deconstruct a bouquet and disperse them throughout the house instead of the living room hoarding all the flora.

I always love finding new flavour combos that work and this one was interesting - good idea and talking point for a dinner party.  
Pistachio ice cream with olive oil with sea salt.



But for those inclined to make ice cream from scratch or have something to do with the kids while they are bored at home.  
These look amazing!
There are a lot of recipes here and they were all so good I put them all here.  You just have to like at least one of them!













I don't have a pet as much as I would like one because I am not yet ready for responsibility.
Before I was very much in the dog camp but my freighbor 
( that's half neighbor half friend ) had a beautiful Bengal cat.  
 Unfortunately, he passed away a month ago while crossing a road and got hit by a speeding car.  
I never thought I would shed a tear over a cat but Leo was special.  That cat made me change my mind about felines and now I love them.  So I looked at this feature about cats with special interest.


RIP Leo...





If I was ready for a cat it would be a tie between the Persian and the British Shorthair.

PS for all you cat lovers out there - have you seen
 Sad Cat Diaries?  It is HILARIOUS!!



A little health tip from Martha.



By the way, the UK has such a problem with Vitamin D deficiency that apparently the National Health Service is pondering whether or not to keep advising people to stay out of the sun!


A simple BBQ tip.


I am a simple girl and I adore hydrangeas. 
I saw some hydrangeas that had both colors from the same bush which I would love to recreate and now I know how.


I love tomatoes as a side dish and a main dish. 
I was so obsessed with them that for most of my twenties I had bruschetta for breakfast.



The way this is presented is a work of art and 
would make a great lunch.

This is one of my favorites salads ever.

I thought this was a great gardening feature that was easy on the eye but also very informative for budding green thumbs out there.























Want a dinner or lunch that is a genuine team effort?
These might be great for the family to make together and that way the chef of the house doesn't have to alter the recipe who doesn't like a certain ingredient.


This makes a lovely accompaniment.

This is to dip the roll in.



Well I know this review is a little late but I hope you all got a relevant tip that you might be able to use.
Have a lovely weekend x

36 comments:

  1. Thank you for this wonderful post, and the hours of great summer entertainment and reading. You always find the best things for us! x

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    1. Oh thanks Maitai - I buy them anyway so I thought it's better to share them than delete on the iPad! x

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  2. I too thank you for browsing and picturing this magazine for us and me.
    If I remember correctly, I have bought 1-2 MS magazines in my life. That experience did not turn me into a MS fan, neither did this one.
    But she " touches " many women. There is a Swedish blogger, who is all nuts about MS - everything - totally nuts, she has saved every single MS magazine ever published and belongs to the MS- circle ( ? ).
    True, there is text in this magazine, ads too.
    Not a magazine I would buy, but then I buy only few these days.

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    1. Oh there are many bloggers dedicated to her for sure! But as always I appreciate your honesty :) But dont you like ice cream? those recipes were great and something fun to serve at a sunday lunch or a dinner party dont you think? I buy her mags bc she is the polar opposite of me!

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    2. I DO like ice cream, you remembered. But I am perfectly satisfied with plain vanilla ice cream ( Finnish ), and if there are berries, like cloudberries available, I´m in heaven : ).

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  3. Looks like bees are the new chickens and butterflies too!

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  4. Cats are wonderful.

    One loves summer rolls.

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    1. I did think you might like them! perhaps you were tempted by another one looking at all these cute purring faces?

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  5. We had a Blue Persian called Fat Kitty when I was a child. He was a hilarious cat, and got hit by a car (and survived). He ended up with one corner of his mouth permanently in snarl mode after his reconstructive facial surgery so always looked quite annoyed with the world. He used to jump up behind me on the sofa at night at give me a head massage with his paws sort of kneading my scalp while I watched tv. What a great cat he was... haven't had another since, but now you've reminded me about him, maybe I should get the kids a cat...we are more a dog family though.
    Your comment about Martha/ Marie Antoinette made me laugh -especially looking at the photos of Martha in full pristine white bee keeping garb. We had bees as a child too, it was quite hard work harvesting the honey, but really delicious. I do though think you can get a good honey from gourmet shops without the work involved.... xx

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    1. Fat Kitty sounds perfect for me - did you train it or did he come trained? I never got the appeal before but I now get it. Can you not get both a cat and dog? That would be so much fun! How cool you had a hive though. But I will take your work for it and keep buying honey instead. I do wonder about Marie Antoinette at times - she might have been on real housewives of versailles though and martha does work xx

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    2. Do you mean, trained to use the litter box? Because you know that a cats job is to train it's human. Kitty's use clean litter only, unless "he's" ill and requires a vet visit.

      When "he's" hungry, what he's hungry for, when he's bored, what will entertain him. They are lovely creative furry entertainment and cuddle buddies.

      We are dog people right now, daughter is cat allergic.

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    3. I have now just viewed Cat Diaries. Can't breathe. Laughter is choking me. Call... the... authorities.

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    4. Isn't it hilarious? always puts me in a good mood - I loved - my bowl is half empty, this may be my last entry...

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  6. I really love the exotic cat, maybe cause he looks so grumpy !

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    1. there is something funny about grumpy felines i must admit!

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  7. I f-ing love Martha. Your comment about her and Marie Antoinette made me laugh out loud (hate writing lol)
    You two should become best friends and then invite me over for some bruschetta
    X

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    1. I am very conflicted about both women but I admire them all the same. I like complicated women. IF they come over for brunch i will invite you of course!

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  8. This was great! It must take a ton of time to do this, but I love your comments so much! Like reading with you better than the magazine! I loved the cat feature. So sorry to hear about Leo. We have a neighbor cat who has endeared himself to us. We have indoor cats, but just love this outside guy. Sometimes they just have amazing personalities! I have a friend who has one of those gray British shorthair and they are adorable and smart!
    Have a great weekend!

    xx
    Kim

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    1. Thanks Kim - you're too kind. Leo was a funny one bc he was both indoor and outdoor but it is the perils of having a cat in central London. Those shorthairs are pulling at my heartstrings I must say. Have a great weekend xx

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  9. Thanks for sharing the mag!
    I used to have honey straight from the beehive as a child. My gran used to collect it. It was still warm. She used to mix it with calamansi or calamondin, which was our lemon, then with warm water. It was a treat :) But she didn't own the beehive--it was just in the garden. Can't believe Martha has her own! Well, why shouldn't I believe that? I love popsicles and can't believe I haven't had one and summer's nearly over! Aww...friendship bracelets! I used to wear them until they start disintegrating. That's another way to try pistachio ice cream. Knew about sea salt being mixed with ice cream, but not olive oil. I find pistachio ice cream very rich so I'll try this. My youngest sister used to eat toamtoes like apples. I find that with cherry tomatoes. I don't get people who don't like tomatoes!
    Anyway, I'm yapping away. Have a lovely weekend! xxx

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    1. Yes she covered a lot this summer didn't she? I am thinking of making some of those bracelets myself with a color combo I like...That way I can really stack 'em. I do want a beehive but knowing myself I might be on the headlines news by women who let loose a swarm and attacked central London!! Have a great weekend xx

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  10. So relieved to hear that you like us felines! The bees are creeping me out, but the cats are gorgeous...Sad Cat Diaries is soooo funny! I feel sad about poor little Leo. My own kitty ( a massive Maine Coon) is too lazy to venture out. He likes the comforts of home, but I suppose his diary would say that I'm his jailor and I abuse him with vigorous petting!!

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    1. Yes I got converted 3 years ago when I met Leo. He was so sweet and independent all at the same time. I watch sad cat diaries when I need a lift - the voice is brilliant. I bet you are a very unique authority and your kitty lives in a lax monarchic state!!

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  11. For years I devoured everything Martha... watched her show religiously... now it's stopped here in Australia?? Love her or hate her... she is an inspiration and I have to say I've learnt a lot from her. I have stopped buying her mags ... I buy too many others and I've kinda gone off all that domesticity!!! Thank you for this overview - love the ice-cream recipes, the melanoma info and the tips for gardens and pots... Loved it all xxx

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    1. You are like the more chilled out humourous Martha! They never showed it here and it shows bc British women don't have that influence nor guilt from not being like her. I however am contaminated bc I know what the possibilities are :p I do love ice cream and thought the recipes were top notch and her gardening tips are really simple and concise - her editing is getting better for sure! Hope you are well xx

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  12. Wow-so many tips here. First off, sorry to hear about Leo-what a gorgeous cat. Our Jack (half dog half cat it seems) is almost 13. He is definitely a part of the family. He is a 'blue' so he has gray fur and initially blue eyes that have turned golden. Pretty boy! As for the other tips-I like one about how to trim a hedge for best growth. All those ice cream recipes made me hungry. Such interesting mixes of flavors. Delish! I like a little sweet and salty combo myself sometimes.
    Great post!
    xx, Heather

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    1. Yes Leo was gorgeous...funny enough he was a bit dog as well!
      This issue was a good balanced one where even I took away from it and might use some of her tips! xx

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  13. We knew there was something missing when we tried to read elle decoration yesterday - your pithy and witty commentary!

    It's just not the same without you.

    Ok. Those cats? That persian? Tell us that reincarnation isn't real because those cats were definitely around before. The expressions alone......#haughty

    And yum re bees and honey and icecream.

    *sighs*

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    1. Oh elle decor is coming right up TG! Oh yes they not only have 9 lives but that is just for one round apparently so that makes 81 all together ;)

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  14. I love tomatoes in different colours. When the supermarkets have punnets of tomatoes in different colours, I always buy them, even though they are spensive.

    Vitamin d is important, and judicious sun exposure is the best way to get it.

    I like woofies but my fella likes cats and I have become more partial to them. There is a friendly cat around the corner

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    1. Love tomatoes - although due to histamines I now need to take DAO when I OD on them...Cats are a slow burner, sometimes cats are bitches though and dogs can be so desperate so I like a mix of those two!

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  15. I love me some Martha! Thanks for taking the best bits of the mag and adding your commentary - you always make me laugh! I'm off to eat ice-cream and I'm bookmarking the summer rolls for when the weather heats up x

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    1. I gotta eat the ice cream now as it is starting to cool down here already! x

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  16. Great review! I have 2 bee hives ( and beekeeper to help) and it is more complicated than Martha is showing! I get so much honey-- you are all welcome to some. The pollination of fruit trees and veg is just amazing, too.

    My cat Cleo lives outdoors and in the barn, is 17 and has never been injured. She is friends with the chickens and protects them; I have seen her chase a fox from the yard. She is part Maine coon cat so has long white whiskers.

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    1. Thanks Lane! I knew Martha was leaving something out...Mind you I bet she has a full time beekeeper! I do worry about bees and do try and plant things they like even though I only have pot plants outside the house.

      How lucky Cleo is...She must be the lion king around your area :)

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