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Tag Archive for 'martha stewart'

Last Minute Mother’s Day, DIY Style

Published on May 10, 2013 in Decor, DIY, Eat & Drink and Seasonal. 7 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

What’s up kids??  Happy Friday!  So, Mother’s Day is this Sunday, and if you’re anything like me, you still haven’t made brunch reservations, haven’t made it to Hallmark yet, and are just now thinking about what to get Mom yet this year. #whoops.  WASSUP, Jayne!

My mom just told me she’s coming in town this weekend, and I’m stoked!  It’s been awhile since Sister Christian and I have kicked it, so I’m looking forward to a mini-girls weekend. I’m sure she’ll get hopped up on 1 glass of wine and say some super hilarious, inappropriate stuff…  I can’t wait.  Anyhow, in addition to prepping a lush little guest room for her (which we’ll talk about next week), here’s what I’m DIY throwing together in the 11th hour to pamper my Ma.

Can’t go wrong with taking Mom for a mani-pedi!  Pretty sure Jayne let out a little pee when I told her this was what we’re doing when she gets in on Saturday.  If you really wanna kick it DIY, you can give mom a pedi at home.  But unfortunately, I don’t own a chisel or a belt sander, so we’re gonna have to go out.  Bahahahahha.  Just kiddin – love you mom!

Stocking her room with peonies, which are just now coming in season.  I found mine at Whole Foods last night and the upstairs already smells like heaven.

Yo.  I may be 32, but that doesn’t mean I’m too old to make a homemade card.  I pin so many gorgeous abstract prints and paintings – like the above by Luli Sanchez – so why not print one of those on card stock at home and scribble a nice diddle in the middle??

I default to quiche, always, for a.m. entertaining.  It’s JYEST so good, it’s easy to make ahead of time, and you can throw whatever you want in there.  It’s like a party (!) So, the photo above is from Smitten Kitchen’s Over-the-Top Mushroom quiche which…  if I had the time…  I would totally make.  That girl has NEVER led me astray. But in the interest of saving time, I’m going to use my old faithful Martha Stewart quiche recipe as a base:

Then, follow Martha’s directions below…

And OBVI, have some mimosas at-the-ready when everyone arrives.  I’m going to add a few sprigs of mint as a garnish.  Super fresh and makes it look like I worked harder than I really did.

It’s Spring, and everyone loves basil…  right??  Why not pot a few basil plants in pretty containers – like vintage tea tins – to use as centerpieces?  They can double as party favors for guests to take home after you stuff ’em fulla quiche and mimosas. Whatwhat.

Happy early Mother’s Day to all of you!

xoxo,

Photo Credits:  Miles Redd & Oscar de la Renta Tabletop | Pedi Pic | Peonies | Bubbly Bar | Tea Tins (Clockwise from top left) 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 |

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Recipe Of The Week: Butternut Squash Lasagna

Published on February 19, 2013 in Eat & Drink. 1 Comment Tags: , , , .

There comes a point in every woman’s life when it’s time to put the big girl pants on and attempt to cook a recipe from Martha Stewart.  And that’s exactly what I did recently when we had the neighbors over for din din (another benchmark to being all grownz up).  Martha’s Butternut Squash and Sage Lasagna was the main dish (paired with a Tuscan Kale salad, thankyouverymuch), and what can I say, it was delish!  Cheesy and bubbly with a nice golden brown crust.  And even with it being a *gulp* Martha Stewart recipe, it was pretty easy to make.  Ch-check it out:

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces (I used three pkgs of butternut squash from the mecca that is Trader Joe’s)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 pound whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated (2 cups)
  • Freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup loosely packed fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 1 1/4 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
  • Fresh Lasagna Noodles, (you will need only 1/2 of the batch), cut into 4-by-13-inch strips and cooked, or store-bought dried noodles, cooked
  • 4 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese (1 1/4 cups)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss squash, oil, and 1 teaspoon salt on a baking sheet. Season with pepper. Bake until light gold and tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool. (Again, I just threw in the packages one at a time and cooked for 11 minutes each.  Be careful – the bags get super hot.)
  2. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Combine ricotta, cream, yolks, mozzarella, and a pinch of nutmeg in a medium bowl. Season with salt.
  3. Melt butter in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. As soon as it starts to sizzle, add sage, and cook until light gold and slightly crisp at edges, 3 to 4 minutes.
  4. Place squash in a medium bowl, and mash 1/2 of it with the back of a wooden spoon, leaving the other 1/2 in whole pieces. Gently stir in sage-butter mixture and stock. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Spread 3/4 cup of ricotta mixture in a 9-cup baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1/2 of the butternut squash mixture over noodles. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1 cup of ricotta mixture over noodles. Repeat layering once more (noodles, squash, noodles, ricotta). Sprinkle Parmesan over ricotta mixture.
  6. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until cheese is golden and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Now – what did the neighbors think?  I think they dug it……………..

Happy cooking!

xoxo,

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