Martha - April 2022

MARTHA STEWART

Swing Into Spring 100+ Smart Ways to Live Sustainably

EGGS-TRAVAGANZA! Stylish (and eco) ideas for a sweet celebration.

See page 78.

EASY HOLIDAY MENUS THE BETTER BACKYARD MARTHA’S FAVORITE EGG RECIPES VEGETARIAN DISHES

Plus Daffodil Cake APRIL 2022 $4.99 USA (CAN $5.99) MARTHASTEWART.COM

Free In-Home or Virtual Design Consultation | Visit a Showroom californiaclosets.com | 800.336.9195

Martha’s April GENTLE REMINDERS, HELPFUL TIPS, AND IMPORTANT DATES

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1

2

APRIL FOOLS’ DAY

RAMADAN BEGINS AT SUNDOWN

Nephew Carter’s birthday Weight training

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Make custard-egg sandwiches on shokupan for brunch with Alexis, Jude, and Truman (see page 15)

Start tomato seeds

Edge carriage roads

Sharpen and oil garden tools

Polish silver platters and trays

Early-morning walk with the dogs

Nephew Charlie’s and friend Martin Miller’s birthdays

Weight training

Yoga

Cardio and core

Weight training

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Go for a horseback ride

Make glazed carrots with saffron and lime (see page 85)

Add a layer of compost to vegetable beds

Decorate Easter eggs

Make Easter baskets for Jude and Truman

PASSOVER BEGINS AT SUNDOWN

Bake and decorate Easter cookies

TAX DAY

Plant peas Weight training

Yoga

17

18

19

EASTER

Wash and store heavy sweaters

Niece Sophie’s birthday

Nephew Kirk’s birthday

Weight training

Yoga

24

25

26

ORTHODOX EASTER

Attend National Association for Olmsted Parks and Olmsted 200’s Olmsted Birthday Gala in Central Park, NYC

Clean gutters

Weight training

Yoga

Go for a walk with Jude and Truman

Cardio and core

Weight training

20

21

22

23

Make lemony-yogurt salmon tartine with dill (see page 53)

Sow lettuce, spinach, and Swiss-chard seeds

EARTH DAY

PASSOVER ENDS AT SUNDOWN

Harvest asparagus

Niece Kristina’s birthday Cardio and core

Weight training

27

28

29

30

Take photos around farm for my blog

Plant perennial seedlings in flower garden

NATIONAL ARBOR DAY

Give dogs a bath

Plant more trees!

Cardio and core

| ECO WISE |

Martha started composting with her dad when she was a child and has done it ever since. To start a pile in your yard, combine a ratio of one-third green materials (fresh leaves and vegetable scraps) and two-thirds brown (dried leaves, twigs, and paper). Turn it once a week, and when it’s a rich, dark color, sprinkle it on your beds.

2

APRIL 2022

JOHN DOL AN

BLACK GOLD

Enjoy up to 40 glasses of filtered ice, daily.* Always have plenty of ice on hand. Bosch’s patented ice system removes over 99.9% of impurities, dispensing pure, freshly filtered ice — fast. In fact, it’s the industry’s fastest refrigerator ice maker.** *Based on single ice maker production rates during a 24-hour period, measured per IEC standards, when the ice bin was removed. Results may vary depending on operating conditions.

Based on filling 8 oz. glasses. **Based on single ice maker production rates during a 24-hour period, measured per IEC standard and manufacturer user’s manuals, for brands identified in US and Canada TraQline as freestanding French door bottom mount refrigerators.

© 2022 Bosch Home Appliances | www.bosch-home.com/us

APRIL 2022

78

LOVELY TOGETHER

For stunning Easter displays that last, combine dyed eggs with gorgeous ribbons in our easy craft ideas.

92

STARTING FRESH

When a family left the big city for the quieter suburbs, a brand-new house gave them creative freedom—and the space they craved, too.

98

NATURAL INSTINCTS

A Pennsylvania landscapedesign firm is transforming yards into eco-wise, lowmaintenance havens teeming with native plants.

4

APRIL 2022

84

Root Camp Vibrant and flavorful in drinks, sides, mains, and more, carrots power eight springforward recipes.

LENNART WEIBULL (QUICHE); NGOC MINH NGO (GARDEN); DANA GALL AGHER (MARTHA); COURTESY OF MANUFACTURER (SKIN CARE); YUKI SUGIUR A (TABLE SET TING); NICO SCHINCO (CAKE)

Contents

13

54 FROM MARTHA Best-Laid Plans 13 Our founder shares her favorite ways to use eggs from her farm.

GOOD THINGS

25

EVERYDAY FOOD

17 Sweet Easter ideas; a twist on Passover tradition; our latest, greatest furniture makeover; and more.

Easy Entertaining: Shake a Leg 49 Kick-start your Easter celebration with our simple herbcrusted lamb roast.

Healthy Appetite: Culture Club 52 A guide to gutsupporting yogurt, plus three tasty ideas for getting plenty of it.

GOOD LIVING Green Day 25 Easy, impactful ways to make your morning, noon, and night more eco.

Tastemaker: The Optimist 30 Beauty expert Indie Lee reveals her stylish and sustainable essentials.

Health & Wellness: Core Values 32 Four ways to achieve a strong, stable midsection.

(Step one: Exhale.)

30

Beauty: Coming Clean 36 Head-to-toe picks that tread lightly on the planet.

Gardening: Early Risers 38 Bloodroot flowers are a breathtaking harbinger of spring.

Sweets: Sunshine State 54 Brighten any gathering with a light, zesty daffodil cake.

What’s for Dinner?

Meatless Mojo 56 Vegetarian mains that’ll rev up your weekly rotation.

Departments

American Made: Kelp Is on the Way 41 A company in Maine offers locally harvested seaweed in delicious forms.

Martha’s Calendar 2 Editor’s Letter 6 Out & About 8

| ON THE COVER |

The Workbook 104

TREE OF LIFE Colorful blown and dyed eggs enliven blossoming dogwood branches in this spring display. For more ideas, see page 78. Photograph

by Dane Tashima.

Created and styled

by Silke Stoddard and Tanya Graff.

Recipe Index 105 Ask Martha 44 All your pressing questions answered.

Remembering 112

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

5

EDITOR’S LETTER

| LIVING IN MY LIFE |

Here, just a handful of our ideas that I’m excited about this month.

1

Spring Loaded AS I LOOK FORWARD to April, I’m filled with new hope

and energy. (And frankly, my winter coat and I have grown tired of each other.) This is a month about birth and renewal, and Mother Nature plays a st arring role. It’s time to crack open those windows, let the fresh air in, and hatch some good plans for spring.

In this issue, we celebrate all the season has to offer, starting with the colorful produce that’s beginning to flow into farmers’ markets. You’ll want to load up on carrots after seeing senior food editor Lauryn Tyrell’s vibrant ideas for the vegetable in “Root Camp” (page 84). We also make meatless Mondays—and Tuesdays, Wednesdays . . . and you get the pict ure— super-easy when you have our vegetarian “What’s for Dinner?” recipe cards in your back pocket (page 56). And Martha’s favorite egg dishes are dest ined to turn you into a morning person (“Best-Laid Plans,” page 13).

We have our sights set on living ever cleaner, greener, and healthier, too. You’ll find smart suggest ions for making daily routines more eco (“Green Day,” page 25) and gentler beauty goods (“Coming Clean,” page 36), and learn about a dynamic landscapedesign firm that’s rethinking the suburban yard into something altogether more beautiful and sustainable (“Natural Inst inct s,” page 98). Last, whatever holidays you observe, we bring you fun twist s on traditions throughout our pages. Without further ado, let’s hop to it!

2 Speaking of eggs, we have stunning Easter ideas by the basketful in “Lovely Together,” many of which you can make and use again next year. Page 78.

3 Assistant food editor Riley Wofford created and perfected these honey bunnies, a sweet riff on the hot crossed classic. Page 20.

4 Refugia is changing the look of many Philly suburbs by embracing native plants and creating eco-wise yards. Page 98.

5 I’ve got my eyes on the vegetarian meals in “Meatless Mojo” as well.

Being healthy and helping the planet never tasted this good.

Page 56.

Elizabeth Graves, Editor in Chief @ ebgraves

Letters & Comments elizabeth@marthastewart.com Subscription Help Call 800-999-6518

6

APRIL 2022

PORTRAIT BY LIZ BANFIELD

DANA GALL AGHER (SANDWICH); DANE TASHIMA (EASTER EGGS); NICO SCHINCO (BUNS, LET TUCE CUPS); NGOC MINH NGO (REFUGIA)

Martha shares her crowd-pleasing recipes for nature’s perfect food: eggs.

I want to make all of them, starting with this one. Page 13.

LIMITED E DI T I ON ART PR I N TS

©Minted, 2022 AS SHOWN: “Hemlock & Henna“ by Keren Toledano. 48” x 70”, printed on canvas with a premium ash wood frame. Recolored and Rotated.

SOURCE D F ROM I N DE PE N DE N T A RTISTS

BEFORE

Only at Minted.

Customizable Fine Art has arrived.

Introducing Customizable Fine Art. Work with a Minted fine art specialist to recolor, crop, and rotate limited edition fine art prints to fit your decor.

M I NTED.COM/A RT

Out & About WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO SEE, AND HOW TO REFUEL AND HAVE FUN THIS MONTH

| ON THE ROAD |

| CELEBRATE |

GREAT ESCAPES

Seder Surprises Sweeten your Passover (April 15 to 23) with these festive additions to the feast.

Spring-break romps aren’t just for undergrads. Soak up rays and old Florida glamour at the White Elephant Palm Beach (right), a luxurious new boutique resort in a renovated 1924 Mediterranean Revival landmark.

Then check out some sleek physiques at the nearby Norton Museum of Art sculpture garden.

Here, three more restorative, grown-up getaways.

Catch gospel concerts and “rosé and roses” at the Festival of Houses & Gardens through April 9, and relax on the roof deck at the Loutrel, a charming new hotel in the historic district.

NASHVILLE This March, the 112-year-old Hermitage Hotel unveiled a major refresh that includes Drusie & Darr by Jean-Georges, Chef Vongerichten’s first restaurant in the South.

JOSHUA TREE, CALIF. View wildflower season in Joshua Tree National Park from the Bungalows, three restored midcentury homes near the Frank Lloyd Wright– designed Joshua Tree Retreat Center. (Yes, you can use the pools.)

$48, marzipops.etsy .com.

Matzoh for Dessert New York City’s Li-Lac Chocolates, founded in 1923, offers matzoh coated in dark or milk chocolate, packed in a pretty purple gift box. $32 for 1 lb., li-lac chocolates.com.

A Sparkling Sip The perfect hostess gift, Laurent-Perrier Brut Champagne is fizzy, festive, French, and—the clincher— kosher for Passover. $70 for 750 ml, kosherwine.com.

| ON OUR BOOKSHELF |

Buckle in for armchair adventures and a smoking-hot cookbook. Africa: The Fashion Continent, by Emmanuelle Courrèges (Flammarion), celebrates designers, artisans, and other creatives who help give the land its vibrant style. In the Margins (Europa) collects four essays by Elena Ferrante, who waxes brilliant on the challenge for women authors to undo centuries of silencing and her belief “that every narrative should include, within itself, the adventure of its writing.” Novelist Anne Tyler’s French Braid (Knopf) follows the Garrett family on their “first and last family vacation,” a 1959 road trip, and tracks them all the way into the current pandemic. And The Wok (Norton), by New York Times food columnist J. Kenji López-Alt, serves more than 200 recipes for the do-it-all pan, from velvety breakfasts (creamy layered Whampoa scrambled eggs) to vegan lunches (stir-fried kabocha squash with sake and miso) to dynamic dinners (pepper steak). —Eleni N. Gage

8

APRIL 2022

Modern Macaroons Wheat-free coconut clusters are a traditional Pesach cookie.

To shake things up, pick from seven flavors of Danny Macaroons, including salted caramel, chocolate almond, and rainbow sprinkles.

From $49 for 12, goldbelly.com.

Note: Dates listed are as of press time.

CHI-THIEN NGUYEN/ELKUS MANFREDI ARCHITECTS (HOTEL); COURTESY OF PUBLISHERS (BOOKS)

CHARLESTON, S.C.

Ten Plague Pops Pestilence has never looked so cute: Marzipops’ marzipan lollipops represent each of the 10 curses Moses warned Pharoah about in the Passover tale.

MARTHA STEWART FOUNDER AND CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER MARTHA STEWART

EDITOR IN CHIEF ELIZABETH GRAVES

SVP, GROUP PUBLISHER DAREN MAZZUCCA

Editorial General Manager Meesha Diaz Haddad

Associate Publisher, Marketing Sandra Salerno Roth

Creative Director Abbey Kuster-Prokell Executive Editor Jennifer Tung

EDITORIAL

ART

ADVERTISING SALES

Copy Chief/Articles Editor Myles McDonnell Features & Garden Editor Melissa Ozawa

Art Director James Maikowski

NEW YORK Integrated Sales Directors Deborah Maresca, Susan Schwartzman, Taylor Theiss, Dina Treglia Sales Assistant Nicole DeVita

Home Editor Lorna Aragon Senior Editor Kathleen Renda Research Director Ann Sackrider

Senior Designer Emma Warren Design Production Manager Judy Glasser ST YLE Director Tanya Graff

MIDWEST Integrated Sales Director Brad Moore Sales Assistant Tom Russell

Associate Editor Claire Sullivan FOOD & ENTERTAINING Editorial Director Sarah Carey Deputy Editor Greg Lofts Senior Editor Lauryn Tyrell Assistant Editor Riley Wofford DIGITAL Senior Editorial Director Jennifer Cress Associate Editorial Director Gabriella Rello

PHOTO Director Ryan Mesina Editor Joanna T. García

WEST COAST

CONTRIBUTORS Hannah Dorough, Eleni N. Gage, Melañio Gomez, Fritz Karch, Ryan McCallister, Hannah Milman, Natalie Norman-Kehe, Jason Schreiber, Michelle Shih, Alexis Stewart, Silke Stoddard

Senior Food Editor Victoria Spencer Senior Editor Sarah Schreiber Associate Editor Nashia Baker Staff Writer Madeline Buiano

Integrated Account Director Janet Yano DETROIT Vice President, Group Sales Director Wendy Rosinski

PRODUCTION, CIRCULATION & FINANCE Production Director John Beard Production Manager Anna Belknap Director of Quality Joseph Kohler Color Quality Analyst Pam Powers Prepress Desktop Specialist Don Atkinson Consumer Marketing Manager Jennifer Watson Senior Business Manager Renée Scott Advertising Business Manager Zena Norbont

DIRECT MEDIA Associate Business Development Manager Alexia Vicario Executive Assistant Jill O’Toole INTEGRATED MARKETING Director, Marketing Allison Kelly Creative Director Lisa Kim

Senior Social Media Manager Christina Park

Associate Marketing Director Mara Weiss Marketing Coordinator Danielle Scichilone

Visuals Editor David Carr

MARTHA STEWART BRAND MANAGEMENT MARQUEE BRANDS Chief Executive Officer Neil Fiske President, Media Christian Martin EVP, Executive Director of Design Kevin Sharkey SVP, Marketing Stella Cicarone

Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Home & Design Mélanie Berliet Vice President & General Manager Angelique Jurgill Associate General Manager Cara DiBruno

SVP, Culinary Director Thomas Joseph

PRINTED IN THE USA

SUBSCRIPTION HELP: Visit marthastewart.com/myaccount; email us at mlvcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com; or call 800-999-6518. For editorial queries: Please write to Letters Department, Martha Stewart Living, 225 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10281; or email: ms.living@meredith.com. Visit our website for more information: www.marthastewart.com. © 2022 Meredith Operations Corporation. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. All projects described in this publication are for private, noncommercial use only. No rights for commercial use or exploitation are given or implied. Martha Stewart Living is a trademark registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. For syndication requests or international licensing requests or reprint and reuse permission, email syndication@meredith.com.

ON THE WEB

MarthaStewart.com DAILY INSPIRATION AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

FRESH IDEAS FOR A HAPPY SPRING

LENNART WEIBULL (EGGS); NGOC MINH NGO (GARDEN); MAT THEW WILLIAMS (CLEANING); CHRIS SIMPSON (PASSOVER); CORY GREEN (SAR AH)

| MUST-SEE VIDEO |

Everyday Food

Easter Crafts

Gardening Advice

marthastewart.com/easter

marthastewart.com/gardening

Dinner is infinitely more doable when you have Living editorial director of food and entertaining Sarah Carey in your corner. Her new videos spotlight versatile pantry staples that deliver maximum flavor. Watch and learn how she elevates inexpensive ingredients like chicken broth, spaghetti, and humble canned tuna to delicious new heights in recipes you’ll make again and again.

TUNE IN To watch new Everyday Food videos, simply hover your phone camera here (no special app required), or go to marthastewart .com/EDFyoutube.

Cleaning Tips

Passover Recipes

marthastewart.com/cleaning

marthastewart.com/passover

Let’s keep in touch!

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube. @marthastewart |

@marthastewart |

pinterest.com/marthastewart |

@marthaliving |

youtube.com/marthastewart

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

11

TAKE THE SCENIC ROUTE

Make moments that matter in hip & historic Frederick County, Maryland. Wander historic downtowns with locally-owned specialty shops, galleries, and theaters.

Venture outdoors in National & State Parks and experience our storied past at Civil War battlefields. Indulge in world-class restaurants and unwind at dozens of tasting rooms.

visitfrederick.org • 800-999-3613

From MARTHA TEACH AND INSPIRE

A SQUARE MEAL This dish was inspired by the famous eggcustard sandwich at chef Joanne Chang’s Flour Bakery & Cafe, in Boston. Martha makes her version on lightly toasted shokupan, or Japanese milk bread, and tops it with watercress. The fresh, crunchy greens complement the silkysmooth custard. Here, she serves it on a vintage plate.

Best-Laid Plans The hens Martha raises on her farm are nearly as productive as she is. She loves to gather their eggs and get busy whisking, poaching, and scrambling them into delicious dishes for her family. Turn the page for three favorite recipes that will be hits with your brood, too.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DANA GALLAGHER

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

13

FROM MARTHA

I

RULING THE ROOST Left: Every afternoon at around 3:30, eggs are collected from Martha’s chicken houses. Here, she checks in on her birds wearing a down vest of her own design (as is the china pattern below), a Jenni Kayne sweater, and Alo Yoga leggings. Below: To prevent her creamy scrambles from sticking, Martha cooks them in clarified butter on a thick Rudolph Stanish aluminum omelet pan from the 1960s, which distributes heat very evenly.

in 1968, in a small coop I created out of a plywood playhouse that Alexis had outgrown. We quickly became hooked on the taste and quality of the eggs the hens laid, and I vowed to always raise my own. Today, I have several hundred chickens, in almost every kind available to hobbyists for egg production. They produce eggs in multiple hues and many different sizes at my farm in Bedford, and I feed them organic grains and corn, supplemented with greens from my gardens and vegetable and fruit scraps from two local vegetable markets we collect from daily. This varied diet leads to large, hardshelled eggs with rich, yellow yolks and thick whites. My grandchildren can eat five or six in a sitting!

I especially like eggs for breakfast, but I make them for lunch and dinner, too. The recipes on these pages are delicious any time of day. The baked custard is so unlike a traditional one—it is light and very tender, but also firm enough to slice smoothly

14

APRIL 2022

STARTED R AISING MY OWN CHICKENS

into squares for sandwiches. The scrambled eggs cooked in clarified butter are moist and soft, and never dry or overdone when you take care to prep the plates before cooking and serve them immediately—even 10 seconds too long in the pan can overcook them. They should slide out easily, and mound beautifully on toasted English muffins or thick slices of bread. I love to serve them with smoked salmon or bacon.

When quail eggs (available at specialty groceries) are perfectly poached, the whites should be formed and the yolks still soft and creamy. I never believed you could poach eggs en masse before, but it can be done if they’re fresh and dense enough to hold their forms in barely simmering water.

These three dishes have become favorites in my home—loved by me, and devoured by my grandchildren. I hope you will give them a try.

Custard Egg Sandwich on Shokupan The cooled custard can be cut into servings and refrigerated in an airtight container. Reheat it in the microwave (for 30 seconds) or a 300-degree oven to room temperature or until just warm.

HATS OFF! Quail eggs have extra-thick shells and membranes, so Martha uses a small serrated knife to slice off their top quarters and carefully pour them out.

Softened unsalted butter, for pan and bread 12 large eggs

3/4 cup whole or 2 percent milk ¼ cup heavy cream Kosher salt (we use Diamond Crystal) and freshly ground pepper 2 cups watercress, tough stems trimmed 2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 18 slices (each 1/2 inch thick) shokupan (Japanese milk bread) or other white bread

1. Preheat oven to 300°. Bring a

kettle of water to a boil. Butter a 9-inch square baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk eggs thoroughly.

Whisk in milk, cream, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Pour into prepared dish. Place dish inside a roasting pan on center rack of oven; add water to come halfway up sides. Cover pan with a baking sheet and bake 30 minutes.

Uncover and continue baking until center is a bit wiggly, 3 to 5 minutes more. Remove dish from oven and water bath; let cool on a wire rack.

MADE WITH LOVE Martha layers tartines with small poached quail or bantam-hen eggs, sliced (not mashed) avocado, and smoked salmon. They’re favorites of her granddaughter, Jude.

2. Toss watercress with vinegar

and oil; season. Toast and butter bread. Cut egg custard into 3-by3-inch pieces. Place each on a slice of bread; top with salad and second slice. Serve immediately.

ACTIVE TIME: 15 SERVES:

MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 1 HR.

9

Martha’s Scrambled Eggs 3 large eggs

MAKEUP BY DAISY TOYE

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper Softened unsalted butter, for bread 1 English muffin, split 1 tablespoon Clarified Butter (for recipe, see page 105) Steamed asparagus and cooked bacon, for serving

Whisk eggs well; season with salt and pepper. Toast and butter English muffin; place on a plate and keep warm in a 200° oven.

Melt clarified butter in a small or medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggs and cook, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, until large curds form and are just barely set, about 2 minutes. Transfer immediately to muffin halves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve hot, with asparagus and bacon.

ACTIVE/TOTAL TIME: 5

MIN. | SERVES: 1

Avocado Toast With Poached Quail Eggs and Smoked Salmon Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 4 quail eggs 1 slice sourdough bread, toasted and buttered 2 slices smoked salmon

¼ small ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced 1 to 2 lemon wedges and flaky sea salt, such as Jacobsen, for serving

1. Prepare an ice-water bath.

Bring a small, deep pot of water to a simmer; season lightly with salt.

Cut tops off eggshells with a serrated knife, and gently pour eggs

into a small bowl. While swirling simmering water with a spoon, gently pour all the eggs in at once.

Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring once or twice, until whites are fully set and yolks are still soft, about 1 minute. Transfer to ice-water bath with a slotted spoon to stop cooking.

2. Remove eggs with slotted spoon,

drain on paper towels, and cut in half. Place 4 halves on toast, cover with salmon and avocado slices, and put remaining 4 egg halves on top. Squeeze lemon over top, sprinkle with flaky salt and pepper, and serve.

ACTIVE/TOTAL TIME: 15

MIN. | SERVES: 1

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

15

S P R E A D J OY. S P R E A D I T O V E R JUST ABOUT ANYTHING.

M A D E W I T H M I L K F RO M G R A S S - F E D C OW S T H AT G R A Z E O N T H E L U S H PA S T U R E S O F I R E L A N D.

Good THINGS FRESH IDEAS TO ELEVATE THE EVERYDAY

FOOD ST YLING BY RILEY WOFFORD; PROP ST YLING BY SUZIE MYERS

SURPRISE INSIDE We loaded up our faux eggs with holiday candy, but you can also tuck in tiny toys, paper fortunes, or even another hollow egg, nesting-style.

| CELEBRATE |

Hatch a Plan Here’s a fun Easter surprise: Make your own hollow chocolate eggs. Simply brush two silicone molds with streaks of colorful candy melts (available at crafts stores).

Let dry, then coat over them with melted cocoa ones.

Once the shells set, pop them out, fill them with treats, and seal the halves with melted chocolate. Your peeps will happily take a crack. For the how-to, see page 105.

TEXT BY LISA BUTTERWORTH

PHOTOGRAPH BY NICO SCHINCO

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

17

GOOD THINGS

BEFORE

1. Clean Dab a cleaner/degreaser, such as Spray Nine, onto a sponge and scrub the wood thoroughly to remove dirt and wax. Wipe with a wet rag; let dry. On surfaces that won’t be découpaged, apply a scratch cover, like Old English.

2. Prep Remove the handles. Measure the dimensions of the doors and determine how many pages will be needed to cover them. With a ruler and craft knife, trim the pages to fit.

3. Adhere Starting at the top left corner, brush découpage glue, such as Mod Podge, onto the door and the back of a page. Carefully position paper. Continue gluing pages, working in horizontal rows. Let dry.

Brush a thin coat of découpage glue over the paper.

Once it dries, poke a small hole where the doorknobs screw in, and reattach the hardware.

| RESCUE & REVAMP |

Blooming Brilliant Papering over problems isn’t exact ly Living photo director Ryan Mesina’s st yle. But when he sp otted a worse-for-wear 1930s mahogany wardrobe on the side of the road, he knew some découpage could disguise its scratches and pockmarks. Our man with a DIY plan pulled his favorite photographs from a 1921 horticultural guidebook, Wildflowers of New York, by Homer D. House; arranged them in a grid over the doors; and adhered them with Mod Podge. The result stores barware, and speaks volumes about Ryan’s love of gardening and unerring eye for upcycling potential.

18

APRIL 2022

PHOTOGRAPH BY FRANK FRANCES

PHOTOGR APHS BY RYAN MESINA (BEFORE, BOOK); ST YLING BY LORNA AR AGON

4. Seal

Create with Conf idence

Your one-stop-shop for custom decorating with window treatments, upholstery, bedding and more. Plus, f ree design advice to help you through every decision. Get started at calicocorners.com or visit a design shop near you.

GOOD THINGS

| RECIPE REMIX |

Hot cross buns are a sweet Good Friday custom, but hot cross bunnies are cuter by leaps and bounds. These riffs on the rolls start with a brioche-st yle dough flavored with citrus zest. After it rises, you divide it into smaller pieces to form the heads and ears, then arrange them on parchment-lined baking sheets, bake 20 minutes, and brush on a golden honey-butter glaze. For the last step, quick-mix an icing from confect ioners’ sugar and pink food coloring, and pipe on their adorable expressions. See page 105 for the recipe.

Nice Spread!

No Passover seder plate is complete without haroset. Our version of this crunchy, cinnamony apple chutney puts a twist on tradition by subbing in chestnuts for the usual walnuts.

The result is a rich, buttery flavor that balances savory and sweet, and pairs perfectly with matzoh. Save time by assembling it a day ahead—the acid in the wine will keep the cut fruit from browning— then relish every bite.

Chestnut Haroset Core and chop 2 sweet apples (1 pound total); we like to use Honeycrisp.

Toss them in a bowl with 1 cup chopped chestnuts (use the pre roasted variety, either canned or bagged, for much easier prep); ⅓ cup sweet red wine, such as Lambrusco; 1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon and sugar; and a pinch of kosher salt.

Cover and refrigerate overnight, and let the schmear campaign begin.

20

APRIL 2022

PHOTOGRAPHS BY NICO SCHINCO

PHOTOGR APH BY PETER ARDITO (HAROSET); FOOD ST YLING BY RILEY WOFFORD; PROP ST YLING BY SUZIE MYERS (FOOD), TANYA GR AFF (EGGS); CREATED BY NAOMI DEMAÑANA (EGGS)

Oh Hoppy Day

The How-to Intricate patterns are a snap with this no-mess method.

STEP 1 Cut a square of silk larger than the egg. Lay the fabric printside up, and place the egg in the center. Tightly wrap the material around the egg, and secure with twine or a rubber band.

STEP 2 Set the silk-wrapped egg on a remnant of white cloth snipped from an old T-shirt or bedsheet.

Swathe and fasten as in step 1.

Repeat for each egg.

STEP 3 Place eggs in an enamel or glass pot. Fill with water until covered, add 3 tablespoons white vinegar, and place over medium heat.

Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 20 minutes. Remove eggs, let cool, and unwrap.

(Note: These are not safe to eat.)

EGGS-PERT TIPS 1 | Wrap the silk around the egg as snugly as possible, or the final design will look smeared.

2 | Use only pure silk. Test your fabric by rubbing it lightly—it should feel smooth and warm.

3 | Wipe the dyed eggs with a cloth moistened with vegetable oil for a nice sheen.

| QUICK CRAFT |

Got Silk?

With colorful scraps of the material and this amazingly easy egg-decorating method, you’ll have your annual dyeing wrapped up in no time. Start by coddling—oops— swaddling a hard-cooked egg in a square of patterned silk, snipped from a thrift-store tie or scarf (you can also find inexpensive remnants and bundles of sari fabric for a song on Etsy), and tie tightly. Cover it up again, this time in a piece of white cotton cloth, and knot in place with twine (as shown, right). Then simmer all your eggs in a vinegar bath on the stove top for 20 minutes. As the liquid gently boils, the prints transfer onto each shell, creating a display that’s sure to make a last ing impression.

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

21

GOOD THINGS

Spicy Braised Cabbage

Scallion-Greensand-Ginger Sauce In a food processor, blend 1 cup dark scallion greens, ¼ cup each fresh cilantro sprigs and chopped peeled fresh ginger, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ cup vegetable oil until smooth, about 1 minute. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 days.

| GREEN THINGS |

Leftover Achievers By week’s end, even meticulous meal planners can find themselves with not-so-perky produce staring back at them from the crisper drawer. To avoid tossing ours, we cooked up three pack-a-punch recipes that amplify the flavors of often-overlooked items.

Braise a lingering half-head of cabbage in a zest y, chile-spiced tomato sauce that melts into a rib-st icking side dish or meatless main. Blend st ray scallion tops with fresh ginger and cilantro, making a bright, herby sauce perfect for sp ooning onto seafood or chicken. Or chop up a lemon that’s a little past its prime and whisk it into a tart, tangy salad dressing—and then raise a fork to your eco-minded resourcefulness.

22

APRIL 2022

Whole-Lemon Vinaigrette Zest 1 large lemon into a bowl; trim off remaining peel and pith and remove seeds. Finely chop �lesh of fruit, squeeze out juice, and place both in bowl with zest. Add 2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar, 1 tablespoon �inely chopped shallot, and ¼ teaspoon each fresh thyme leaves and red-pepper �lakes. Whisk in ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil; season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

PHOTOGRAPH BY NICO SCHINCO

PHOTOGR APHS BY PETER ARDITO (SAUCE, VINAIGRET TE); FOOD ST YLING BY RILEY WOFFORD; PROP ST YLING BY SUZIE MYERS

Preheat oven to 350°. Heat ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high.

Cut ½ head cabbage into 4 wedges; season with kosher salt and pepper. Cook, �lipping once, until charred, 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to a plate. Swirl 1 tablespoon oil, 1 sliced large shallot, and 2 halved Calabrian chiles in skillet. Cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in a 15-ounce can of tomato sauce and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Season to taste and nestle cabbage back into skillet. Bake in oven, �lipping once, until very tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with sour cream, fresh dill, and lemon wedges.

“Sustainability” is a Key Ingredient in All Our Products.

Don’t Just Take Our Word For It, We Have The Certifications To Back It Up.

To learn more about our certifications visit our website

ifyoucare.com

C R E AT E Y O U R S PAC E .

C REATE Y O U R MO ME N T S . belgard.com/rooms

When Dad was finally dethroned and a new board-game champion was crowned — these are the moments that we remember. And these moments are why we created Belgard Rooms to help inspire your next hardscape project.

Good LIVING HOME, STYLE, BEAUTY, HEALTH

Green Day Living sustainably doesn’t require sweeping changes in your daily routine. To help save energy, reduce waste, and keep our waterways and lands both healthy and clean, implement these small shifts and easy actions from top experts.

TEXT BY ELENI N. GAGE

RAISE A BAR Do the planet a solid and try bar formulations of shampoos, conditioners, body washes, and facial cleaners. They’re superconcentrated (so you use less), and many have zero plastic packaging. Even better, all-natural versions keep harmful parabens out of waterways. Neon Bars (shown) are handmade with 100 percent vegetable glycerin ($25 for 7 oz., neon-bars.com).

Start Smart

ST YLING BY LORNA AR AGON

To wash up with a clean conscience, swap a standard showerhead, which uses a thirsty 2.5 gallons of water per minute, for the latest high-efficiency version, and use 20 percent less H20 with nary a drop in pressure. (This switcheroo could save the average family 2,700 gallons a year!)

Just look for fixtures with an EPA WaterSense label, a guarantee that they’ll deliver a strong, suds-rinsing spray. Next, lower your water heater 20 degrees, from the usual default setting of 140 to a still-steamy 120, and you can save up to 10 percent on your annual energy bill. Then try to limit showers to 10 minutes or less, or bathe every other day.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY YUKI SUGIURA

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

25

GOOD LIVING

IN THE MORNING . . .

Pregame Like a Pro

Commute Better

If you’ll be on the go or at work, pack an eco “kit” with your lunch, including reusable flatware, stainless steel straws, and a cloth napkin. (For a head start on success, stash it the night before, or keep one in your desk drawer at the office.) To save money and minimize food waste, bring leftovers in a washable container.

Carpooling, taking a bus or train, and going hybrid or electric all help cut emissions, but for larger-scale change, pester politicians. Go to senate.gov/ senators/senators-contact.htm and house.gov/representatives/ find-your-representative to ID your congresspeople, then demand that bike lanes and public transportation be prioritized. In the meantime, riding with a friend or colleague even one day a week adds up to a month and a half per year when your car won’t use gas and cause congestion.

Lighten Your Laundry Load

Groom Well Use up what you’ve got, then try these eco upgrades.

1 | Washes Consider subscribing to Plaine Products to get shampoo and liquid soaps in metal bottles that you can send back empty for refills (from $20, plaineproducts.com).

2 | Razor Invest in Leaf Shave’s all-metal design, and the only money you’ll spend thereafter on hair removal will be for the recyclable blades (from $59, leafshave.com).

3 | Deodorant Bite’s aluminum case can be refilled with the brand’s inserts ad infinitum ($32 for a starter kit with 2 refills, bitetoothpaste bits.com). / EDITOR’S TIP /

“Aesop’s giant Body Cleansing Slab is my luxe steal.

It’s so concentrated that I cut it into three chunks, and it lasts for months. It smells like ylang-ylang, lime, and bergamot, and lathers into a rich foam.”

—executive editor Jennie Tung $23, aesop.com.

26

APRIL 2022

Wear What You Love Clothing in landfills can take centuries to decompose, so invest in fewer pieces, but of high quality: a jacket that elevates every outfit, timeless jeans. For discards, give to a local charity, swap with friends, or ship postage-free to Give Back Box (givebackbox.com), which donates them to nonprofits. Last resort: Cut threadbare togs into cleaning rags, and use orphaned or holey socks as dusting mitts.

ILLUSTR ATIONS BY ENYA TODD

If what you’re washing isn’t extremely dirty, stick to the coldest setting, as up to 90 percent of the energy used in a normal cycle goes toward heating the water. Use 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar to keep fabrics soft.

For low-impact detergent, swap liquids for dissolvable sheets, like Tru Earth dye-free strips ($20 for 32, tru.earth), Ecos Next plant-derived squares ($10 for 50, target .com), or EC30 solid “swatches” ($29 for 30, ec30clean.com); all come in recyclable boxes. To make drying more earthfriendly, toss in wool dryer balls to soften clothes and help air circulate, and hang as much as possible outdoors for sunwarmed freshness.

IN THE AFTERNOON . . .

Turn Over a Brew Leaf Clear Digital Clutter The cloud sounds weightless, but the data centers powering it devour massive amounts of electricity.

Even though your share might not take up tons of room, every little byte you can delete helps.

If you grab coffee on the run, know that many to-go cups are lined in plastic and therefore “mixed waste” (read: trash), and that the plastic lids are only recyclable in certain zip codes. Instead, carry a travel mug for your local barista to fill, or order your latte in an actual mug and take 10 minutes to stay and sip it. At home, go old-school with a moka pot, French press, or classic drip machine, and only use reusable or unbleached, compostable filters.

Do Right by Old Gear

1 | Constantly Curate Smartphones make it effortless to take and save photos and videos, but these eat up more memory than text. After a snaphappy event, bulkdelete duplicates or so-so shots. For help purging, download a photo-management app: Get Sorted is like Tinder for your camera roll—just swipe down to keep an image, up to delete.

(Free for 6 months, sorted.app.)

THWART POWER THIEVES Plugged-in electronics and chargers suck up energy 24/7, even if they’re turned off or not charging anything. To stop this stealth siphoning, plug your laptop, printer, etc., into a single power strip, and flip it off every night for an instant, all-in-one shutdown.

2 | Erase Emails To cull your inbox, immediately unsubscribe from junk and promo emails and unwanted newsletters. And once a month, delete in big batches: Sort by sender, select all, and click the trash can.

1.5 TONS

The amount of water needed to manufacture a desktop computer.

/ EDITOR’S TIP /

”A mail carrier at my local post office taught me this clever trick: When you’re returning something that came in a plastic mailer bag, just turn the bag inside out, stick on the label, and reuse it. Genius!”

Up-to-date equipment boosts productivity, but proper disposal of old laptops, printers, and smartphones (which contain heavy metals like lead and mercury, along with hazardous chemicals) is important.

Before trading up, try refurbishing what you have: The Right to Repair movement is making it easier— and legal, in the U.S.— for consumers to fix their own electronics.

For gadgets beyond saving, brands such as Apple have takeback programs, in which they’ll accept your device and recycle it, sometimes for trade-in credit.

Many big-box stores like Staples will accept e-waste; check e-stewards.org for options near you.

To see if you live in one of the 25 states (plus D.C.) with a municipal electronicrecycling program, go to ncsl.org. And reset items to factory settings before donating or dropping off.

—creative director Abbey Kuster-Prokell

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

27

GOOD LIVING

IN THE EVENING . . . / EDITOR’S TIP /

“When I know we won’t finish fresh fruit before it turns, I cut it up and freeze it to use in smoothies. I also love Bee’s Wrap—it’s great for storing leftovers, and with a sheet always in my purse, I can skip wasteful containers for my son’s uneaten food when we dine out.”

—editor in chief Elizabeth Graves From $6, beeswrap.com.

Wipe Right

40%

The amount of food purchased in the U.S. that goes uneaten.

Put Me Time Into Mealtime Dining mindfully reduces your carbon footprint, and nourishes your family in more ways than one.

1 | Shop With Care Shipping food across the globe has a high environmental cost.

To lower it, “eat with the season, and buy local first,” says Dan Barber, chef and co-owner of Blue Hill New York and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, restaurants that are renowned for their eco ethos.

Default to the Dishwasher

2 | Set the Scene Bring sustainability and style to the table: Reuse wine bottles as water carafes (try the ones from Mimi en Provence, which include a glass stopper), and give your loved ones a designated cloth napkin to use a few times before washing.

3 | Savor the Time Rather than rushing, light a candle (beeswax or stearin wax are best), play some wind-down music, and linger. A leisurely meal “gets you one step closer to slower living and less food waste,” says Ida Magntorn, author of The Sustainable Home (Pavilion).

28

APRIL 2022

When it’s time to degrime, throw in the paper towel and reach for reusables: A single If You Care rinse-and-wring compostable towel does the work of several standard rolls ($11 for 12, buy ifyoucare.com).

Wettex recyclable cotton-and-cellulose dishrags from Sweden can last years; disinfect them in the top shelf of the dishwasher (from $6 for 4, wettexusa.com).

Hands-down, this is the better choice: The appliance can use as little as one-sixth of the water you’d need to do the job yourself in the sink. For an even cleaner clean, forgo the heated drying and use a dye-free, phosphate-free detergent, like Seventh Generation pods ($13 for 45, walmart.com).

Have a Good (and Green) Night At day’s end, don’t automatically toss your clothes in the hamper.

If an airing out is all a piece needs, hang it behind the bedroom door or in the bathroom, where shower steam can loosen light wrinkles. For your evening ablutions, avoid disposable cotton swabs and pads for removing your makeup—the former account for up to 6 percent of ocean pollution—and opt for Last Object’s washable recycled-plastic versions. A single round can be used 1,750 times, a single swab 1,000 times (from $12, lastobject.com).

ADDITIONAL EXPERTS Elizabeth Brandt, national field manager, Moms Clean Air Force.

Genevieve Guenther, founding director, End Climate Silence.

Ashlee Piper, author of Give a Sh*t: Do Good. Live Better. Save the Planet.

(Running Press). Gemma Quinn, digital-decluttering consultant.

GOOD LIVING TASTEMAKER

PRO PLANET “Our packaging is recyclable curbside or through our mail-back program, and we just launched our first refillable product: Retinol Alternative Cream.”

The Optimist Indie Lee

6

Founder, Indie Lee South Salem, New York

“I’ll find a silver lining in anything,” says Indie Lee, and she means anything. In 2008, Lee was diagnosed with a brain tumor and given six months to live. When her doctor told her the cause could be environmental and asked what products she used on her skin, she was floored. “I was so careful about what I was putting into my body; I didn’t think about what I was putting on it,” recalls the former CPA. After successful surgery, Lee consulted experts and set out to make safer skin-care goods: “I started formulating like mad in my kitchen.”

Now she produces it all in a lab, and works with COSMOS, a global thirdparty certification, to vet formulas and stay true to her mission: educating and empowering people while making cleansers, serums, and creams free of potentially harmful ingredients—more than 1,300 of them, in fact. “But self-care is more than goop in a jar,” the energetic mom adds. She starts every day with a good-morning text to her BFF (“we’ve done this without fail since my diagnosis”), a walk with her two dogs (“I spend time outside daily; it’s grounding”), and meditation; then she heads to work with passion and purpose. “Before my surgery, I was just a passenger in my life,” she says. “Afterward, I stepped into my superpower.” —Melissa Ozawa

30

APRIL 2022

7 9 8 10

16 FRESH FACED “I think of makeup as optional. I want people to feel comfortable in their own skin.”

15

COURTESY OF THE DETOX MARKET (PORTR AIT); NATALIA KLENOVA/EYEEM/GET T Y IMAGES (COFFEE); SANJA BAL JK AS/GET T Y IMAGES (PEONY); COURTESY OF MANUFACTURERS (OTHERS)

2

1

3 Her Essentials

4

1 | Indie Lee Daily Vitamin Infusion “This serum is protective and nourishing.” $67 for 30 ml, indielee.com.

2 | White + Warren Recycled-Cashmere Ribbed Crewneck “A timeless, durable investment.” $345, whiteand warren.com.

5

3 | SodaStream Terra SparklingWater Maker “A cinch to use, and eco.” $100, sodastream.com.

WIN THIS For a chance to win this bottle, go to win.marthastewart .com on April 7. For details, see page 109.

12

14

11

4 | Suntegrity Impeccable Skin Sunscreen Foundation SPF 30 “The only tinted SPF that doesn’t irritate my skin.” $55 for 2 oz., suntegrity skincare.com.

5 | Portmeirion Botanic Garden Dinner Plates “Each one features a different flower.” $192 for 6, portmeirion.com.

13

COZY COOL “I love the hygge aesthetic. I have a vision board of modernfarmhouse looks for when I redecorate.”

6 | Indie Lee Restorative Eye Cream “I don’t apologize for my lines, but I don’t want tons more.

This helps moisturize that area.” $68 for 15 ml, indie lee.com.

7 | Waterman Hemisphere Fountain Pen “There’s a romance to writing with it.” $65, jetpens.com.

20 19

8 | Cuyana Leather Backpack “It’s comfy to carry, and holds lots.” $395, cuyana.com.

18

9 | The Alchemist,

by Paulo Coelho “I reread it annually and always learn something new.”

HarperOne; $17, bookshop.org.

17

21

10 | Branch Basics The Concentrate “It’s multipurpose

and safe for cleaning my whole house.” $49, branchbasics .com.

11 | Alicia Adams Alpaca Field Blanket “The colors are so me, and it’s soft and sustainable.” $495, aliciaadams alpaca.com.

12 | Nespresso Evoluo “I drink a cup of decaf with homemade almond milk.” $209, nespresso.com.

13 | Taos Aer Organic Lip Balm “So freaking hydrating!” $16, credobeauty.com.

14 | Larq Bottle PureVis “It has a UV light in the cap, which cleans it.” $95, livelarq.com.

15 | Converse Chuck Taylor AllStar Low-Tops “Easy to pack, easy to wash, and they go with anything.” $55, nordstrom.com.

16 | Peonies “My favorite flower: I love a pop of fuchsia.”

17 | Londontown Lakur Nail Polish, in Invisible Crown “It’s my go-to neutral.” $16, londontown usa.com.

18 | Tapestry, by Carole King “There isn’t a song on it that isn’t great.” $8, bn.com.

19 | Vapour High Voltage Lipstick, in Primal “I love a red lip. This is clean and stays on.” $30, vapourbeauty .com.

20 | Stonewall Kitchen Horseradish Mustard “It has a great zing.” $6.50 for 8 oz., stonewallkitchen.com.

21 | Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 “It’s a smooth ride, and so comfortable.” mbusa.com.

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

31

GOOD LIVING HEALTH & WELLNESS

Core Values The gold standard for a fit midsection is no longer a six-pack or cinched waist. It’s a balance of inner strength and all-around stability that, yes, makes you look lean—but more important, helps you move freely and avoid injury for years to come. Here are four simple ways to get centered.

TEXT BY LOUISA KAMPS

32

APRIL 2022

aside, nobody needs washboard abs to prove her might. In fact, physical therapist s, trainers, and sp orts scientist s agree that workouts targeting the abdominals—and neglecting the rest of the torso—may increase your risk of injury and back pain.

The more modern approach is to think holist ically about your core, starting with understanding its anatomy: The term doesn’t just refer to your waist line; it encompasses all the muscles in your back, hips, buttocks, pelvic floor (the hammock of muscles and ligaments that st retches from the tailbone to the pubic bone, supporting the bladder and uterus), and diaphragm (a dome-shaped muscle just below the heart and lungs that regulates breathing, digestion, and other vital funct ions). “A healthy core facilitates complex movement of the spine—bending forward, backward, and right and left, as well as twisting into different positions,” says Katy Bowman, MS, a biomechanist and the author of Diastasis Recti: The Whole-Body Solution to Abdominal Weakness and Separation (Propriometrics Press, 2016). “When it’s flexible and strong, we move with ease.” Consider these tact ics, and start transforming.

1

THINK 360

If you regularly do crunches, unfurl yourself and relax. Powering through too many can cause spinal disks to bulge and press painfully on your nerves. Instead, train your whole trunk at once. Our core muscles have dist inct funct ions (glutes rotate the hips and keep the pelvis st able, for example), but together they provide dynamic support all around the spine, like

PHOTOGRAPH BY MAURICIO ALEJO

ST YLING BY ANA G. GALL ARDO FOR TRIBU; PROPS BY FIDEL CASTANEDA

M

ARVEL SUPERHEROES

THE ONLY ONE WITH OUR

SHAPEWEAR FABRIC FOR LEADING VALUE BRAND

COMFORT & PROTECTION, GUARANTEED

†

Stay up to 100% leak-free in our softest, smoothest underwear.

Get a sample at Depend.com

THE ONLY THING STRONGER THAN US, IS YOU.™ †

Purchase by 3/31/22. Redeem within 30 days of purchase. See Depend.com/Guarantee for details. ®/™ Trademarks of Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. or its affiliates. © KCWW

® ®

KEEP LIFE SIMPLE

BRAND DOG FOOD

flexible guylines tethering a cell-phone tower, says Stuart McGill, PhD, a professor emeritus of spine biomechanics at the University of Waterloo, in Ontario, and author of Back Mechanic (Backfitpro Inc., 2015).

To keep them supple and strong, aim for 5 to 10 minutes of core exercises every other day, suggests Elizabeth Melville, a Milwaukee physical therapist.

Some safe, spine-neutral moves: Bird dogs—starting on all fours, extending your opposite arm and leg, and holding for five counts before switching—facilitate cross-body movements like pulling a heavy bin down from a high shelf. Bridges (lying on your back and pressing through your feet to lift your hips upward) also help send juice to your glutes for running, golfing, or hoisting your dog into a bath.

Planks (regular and on the sides) are unparalleled for stabilizing you all day long, whether you’re gardening or grabbing a gallon of milk from the fridge. Hold the planks for equal amounts of time (say, 30 seconds each) to fire up your obliques and abdominals evenly. If doing them from your toes is too challenging, drop to your knees.

UNCLENCH, ALREADY

helping dogs live their best life should be simple.

Made with real CHICKEN No fillers 100% complete & balanced EXPLORE OFFERS AT DOGCHOW.COM/OFFERS

Purina trademarks are owned by Société des Produits Nestlé S.A.

2

Sucking in your stomach is another old-fashioned move— and a recipe for back pain.

When you contract your abs too much, they can tug your spine out of alignment, curling you forward into a shrimp shape and impeding your airflow.

(Shallow breaths can also increase blood pressure and keep you in a state of chronic lowgrade stress—oof.) You may also be more likely to experience

34

APRIL 2022

GOOD LIVING HEALTH & WELLNESS

®

®

KEEP LIFE SIMPLE

3

RISE ON THE REG

To maintain a limber (i.e., functional) midsection, move as much as you can, says Bowman.

Standing up, even for a few seconds, has been shown to keep our balance systems tuned up so we maintain coordination, says Joan Vernikos, a former

NASA scientist and author of Sitting Kills, Moving Heals (Quill Driver Books, 2011). Walk around when you take calls, even if it’s just from the kitchen to the bathroom, or set timers on the half hour to remind yourself to get a groove on. If you have five minutes between meetings, sneak in a few reps of corestabilizing exercises: Both single-leg lifts (standing on one foot, slowly lift up your opposite knee to a 90-degree angle and hold, with your core braced and hips held level, then switch sides) and Romanian dead lifts (hinge forward at the waist, lifting one leg behind you with hips held square, until your torso is almost parallel to the floor; squeeze your glutes to stand back up, then switch sides) improve balance and strength.

4

NEW!

MIND YOUR SPINE

Whether standing at the counter chopping veggies or sitting down to dinner, tune in to your posture. The movement of your spine is optimized when the vertebrae stack up in a slight S shape. To facilitate good form, untuck your pelvis: Imagine it’s a mixing bowl of batter you’re tilting forward slightly to pour out. Then lift your rib cage and relax your shoulders, says Bowman. When sitting for long stretches, scoot forward so you aren’t using the back of the chair to hold you up. Slouching automatically turns off your trunk, so check your posture every 30 minutes or so to reset, pouring that batter and following the other cues above. They’re all small habits, but they amount to a strong core.

Made with real lamb No fillers 100% complete & balanced

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

35

Purina trademarks are owned by Société des Produits Nestlé S.A.

problems in your pelvic floor, such as incontinence.

To unlearn this tendency, Julie Wiebe, a clinical assistant professor in the physical-therapy department at the University of Michigan–Flint, suggests first practicing deep-diaphragmatic breathing: While sitting or standing, slowly expand your stomach with an in-breath, then imagine your pelvic-floor muscles relaxing downward at the end of your inhalation. Or try what she calls an “umbrella breath”: Place your hands high up on both sides of your rib cage and feel your ribs gently opening as you inhale and closing as you exhale. Next, Wiebe suggests combining one of these deep inhalations with a squat to reinforce the message—to your brain, your pelvic floor, and the rest of your core—that it’s possible to move in a way that’s flexible and relaxed. With enough practice, this sensation will become second nature.

Beyond teaching people to breathe better, Wiebe often shows them better ways to use this team of muscles in a balanced and responsive way with movements. For runners experiencing back pain or incontinence, for instance, she finetunes their stride so they lean forward slightly, with a more relaxed belly, to help reduce the impact on the joints that occurs with each footfall.

BRAND DOG FOOD

GOOD LIVING BEAUTY

1

2

COMING 4

CLEAN 5

TEXT BY CLAIRE SULLIVAN

6 7

9 8

36

APRIL 2022

FREE FOR ALL 1. OPI Nature Strong Natural Origin lacquer, in Once and Floral, $12, opi.com. 2. Sally Hansen Good. Kind. Pure. nail polish, in Rock Steady, $9, walgreens.com. 3. Tenoverten nail polish, in Eldridge, $12, tenoverten.com. 4. OPI Nature Strong Natural Origin lacquer, in Knowledge Is Flower, $12, opi.com.

5. Tenoverten nail polish, in Cornelia, $12, tenoverten .com. 6. Sally Hansen Good.

Kind. Pure. nail polish, in Smokey Quartz, $9, walgreens .com. 7. Zoya nail polish, in Cami, $12, zoya.com. 8. Zoya nail polish, in Eden (similar to shown), $12, zoya.com.

9. OPI Nature Strong Natural Origin lacquer, in Natural Mauvement, $12, opi.com.

PHOTOGRAPH BY YASU + JUNKO

PHOTOGR APHS BY PETER ARDITO (1, 4, 5); ANNA PALMA (2), COURTESY OF MANUFACTURER (3); ST YLING BY ELIZABETH PRESS (POLISH BOT TLES)

Adopting a greener beauty routine is a walk in the park these days, thanks to brands that are making big strides with sustainable ingredients and more thoughtful packaging. On these pages, we’ve plucked a bouquet of overperformers, from eco nail polishes to lipsticks with lighter footprints.

3

1

2

PRETTIER POLISH Since a 2015 study done by Duke University and the Environmental Working Group found that chemicals in polish can be absorbed through our nails and into our bodies, brands have scrubbed their formulas of potentially harmful ingredients. Look for ones that are “three-free” at a minimum, meaning they don’t contain formaldehyde, toluene, or dibutyl phthalates. A handful of companies have improved their packaging, too: OPI Nature Strong’s caps are 20 percent recycled plastic. Sally Hansen Good. Kind. Pure. brushes have plant-based bristles.

Tenoverten partners with the chemical-recycling program Chemwise so dregs from bottles don’t end up in waterways; just bring empties to its salons. And acetonefree Sundays Soy Polish Remover comes in a reusable glass bottle ($28, dearsundays.com).

GENTLER COLOR To dye your hair, each strand’s protective cuticle needs to be lifted in order to deposit new pigment underneath. Ammonia is commonly used to do that, but it can irritate your scalp if it contacts the skin, and the fumes can be harmful to your respiratory system. New to the green scene is Garnier Olia dye (available in 32 shades; $11, walgreens.com).

It’s ammonia- and cruelty-free, and formulated with four kinds of plant-based oils to ensure postblowout shine.

4 3

LESS-IS-MORE LIPS “Colorants are tricky because mineral, synthetic, and animal-derived pigments all have potential concerns, depending on how they’re sourced,” says Credo Beauty vice president of sustainability and impact Mia Davis. Two safe bets: The luminous shades in RMS Beauty’s Lip2Cheek Glow Quad (above) are made with certified-organic ingredients ($28, rmsbeauty.com), and Hourglass Red 0 Refillable Lipstick doesn’t rely on the crushed beetles (yes, beetles) typically required to create the rich French-girl shade ($40, hourglasscosmetics.com).

5

LOWER-WASTE WASHES Bars beat packaged cleansers any day of the week. Most come encased in paper, and their waterless makeup lowers their carbon footprint. Pamper your bod with Method Body Bar Soap, in Pure Peace (top); it soothes with rosewater and is wrapped in 50 percent–recycled paper ($20 for 4, amazon.com).

Glossier’s Body Hero Exfoliating Bar (middle) sloughs with biodegradable bamboo powder and moisturizes with sunflowerseed oil ($14, glossier.com).

Treat hands to Mrs. Meyer’s Rain Water Bar Soap (bottom); it lathers up like foam options, sans the harsh sulfates ($4, mrs meyers.com). And to wash your hair, do as we do every April and stockpile Aveda’s limitededition Shampure Nurturing Shampoo Bar ($19, aveda .com). It works—and smells— like a dream, and part of every purchase helps fund cleanwater projects where the brand sources ingredients.

SMART SCENTS The word fragrance covers (and hides) a number of ingredients on labels, some of which are potentially harmful, says Davis. Go for goods without it, like Dove Body Love Body Lotion Sensitive Care, which comes in a bottle made of 100 percent–recycled plastic ($7, target.com). Or to smell great sans the questionable stuff, opt for formulas with fragrant active ingredients: Maya Chia Revitalizer Beautifying Body Oil leaves skin subtly scented, courtesy of marula-fruit and pomegranate oils ($48, mayachia.com).

| RAVE REVIEW |

DARK ARTS “I’m always looking for a mascara that delivers inky, last-all-day pigment without irritating my sensitive eyes. L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Noir Balm mascara achieves that and more: It’s formulated with 99 percent natural ingredients that condition lashes and keep them from getting brittle by lunchtime. Swipe it on, and you’ll see what I mean.” —CS $12, walgreens.com.

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

37

GOOD LIVING GARDENING

Early Risers Yes, they have a dramatic name. But bloodroot flowers are actually delicate, enchanting, and very easy to cultivate. Floating above leaf-covered landscapes starting in March, their buds whisper a wonderful little secret: Spring is here.

TEXT BY MELISSA OZAWA

and the trill of warblers rings through the trees, be on the lookout for bloodroot. One of the first ephemerals to appear in woodlands each year, this native poppy relative gets its name from the red sap inside its rootlike rhizome. It emerges with its foliage wrapped like a protective cocoon around the stem, before unfurling like a butterfly’s wings when its flower opens.

Soon after, the luminous white or pink blooms attract local residents: Native bees zoom to their enticing yellow stamens, pollinating them, and later on ants help disperse their seeds. Here’s how to grow these fleeting beauties at home.

WHEN THE GROUND HAS THAWED

SA N GU I NA R I A C A NA DE NS I S

S . C ANADE NS IS ‘MU LTIPL E X’

S. CANADENSIS F. R OS E A

FIND A SHADY SPOT Bloodroot occurs naturally in dappled forests, so choose a location that gets partial sun in spring and more shade in summer after the trees leaf out. The soil should be moist, well-drained, and rich in humus (a nutrient-packed mix of decayed organic matter). In the fall, top-dress the area with compost, or mulch it with shredded leaves.

PICK PLANT PALS Bloodroot pairs well with other seasonal ephemerals like claytonia, hepatica, trilliums, dog-tooth violets, and jack-inthe-pulpits. It’s also a good companion for ferns, whose fuzzy fiddleheads start poking up around the same time.

PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR

Bloodroot can reach up to a foot in height. Look for it at nurseries that specialize in native varieties.

38

APRIL 2022

To start a new patch or share existing ones with friends, divide rhizomes in the fall, when they are dormant. Locate the “eyes,” or buds, and slice the rootstock so you have several on each cutting. Very important: Wear gloves for this job; the sap contains a poisonous alkaloid called sanguinarine. To plant bloodroot, bury each piece an inch or two below the soil, and mulch lightly with a layer of compost or composted leaves (avoid anything too heavy, which can cause the roots to rot).

PHOTOGRAPH BY RYAN MESINA

GOOD LIVING Clockwise from top: Fermented-seaweed salad, seaweed kimchi (aka “Sea-Chi”), readycut kelp, and frozen kelp cubes. The regenerative plant doesn’t require fresh water, fertilizers, or land to grow, and its forests can remove 20 times more carbon per acre than those on land.

THE DETAILS: From $8, atlanticseafarms.com.

MARTHA S T E WA R T

PROP ST YLING BY SUZIE MYERS; FOOD ST YLING BY GREG LOF TS

American Made

KELP IS ON THE WAY ATLANTIC SEA FARMS, Biddeford, Maine

Lobster isn’t the only delicious thing sourced from the clean, cold waters of Maine. During the crustacean’s off-season—roughly November through May—lobstermen and -women up and down the coast are busy hauling in lines of another glistening catch: ribbons of dark-green seaweed. These pros work with Atlantic Sea Farms, the first business to cultivate fresh kelp at scale on our shores (until recently, it’s been mostly imported, arriving dried or reconstituted using chemicals and artificial dyes). The female-led four-year-old company helps fisherfolk start farms and guides them through the growing-and-harvesting cycle, which removes carbon and nitrogen from the water and reduces ocean acidification. Beyond helping the environment, the process yields a superfood that provides magnesium, iron, calcium, and antioxidants, and is tasty whether tossed in a salad or blitzed into a smoothie—just ask chefs Dan Barber, Victoria Blamey, and David Chang, all fans. “Fresh seaweed has a very different texture and flavor from dried,” says CEO/president Briana Warner.

“It’s crunchy and bright-tasting, like a blanched green bean.” One bite, and you’ll join the wave, too. —Catherine Hong

PHOTOGRAPH BY NICO SCHINCO

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

41

GOOD LIVING

Any tips on shopping for a vintage or antique rug?

—Johanna Strasser, Rockford, Ill.

Ask Martha

If you’re in the market for a piece of the past, the first step is understanding the lingo. “Antique rugs are, by definition, more than 100 years old,” explains Arash Yaraghi, principal at the finerug emporium Safavieh. “Unmatched in craftsmanship and artistry, they come from the world’s most renowned rug-making centers, including Persia, Turkey, Morocco, and China.” These often pricey options are intricately hand-knotted out of naturally dyed wool, silk, and cotton; the denser the weave, the finer the quality. The term vintage describes rugs over 30 years old, often made in the same regions. They’re synthetically dyed and less expensive, says Joanna Mahserdjian, owner and founder of Upst ate Rug Supply, in Hudson, New York. If you’re trying to ID an est ate-sale or flea-market find, here are a few details to look for: An antique will be incredibly soft to the touch, and very malleable—“if you roll back a corner or side, it will move effortlessly,” Yaraghi says.

It’ll also be noticeably heavier than other rugs: “There’s simply more to them, and lifting one will bear that out.” Either type can be high-quality, however, so focus on choosing one that you find beautiful and best suits your room.

44

APRIL 2022

LET US HELP! Hover your smartphone above to submit questions, or email them to Ask.Martha @meredith.com. Please include your full name, location, and email address. Messages become the property of Meredith Operations Corp. and may be published, broadcast, edited, or otherwise used in any of its media. By submitting your questions to Ask Martha, you are agreeing to let us use your name and hometown in connection with our publication of your questions.

JOE SCHMEL ZER

When shopping for rugs of this kind, know the dimensions of your space in advance, and bring your tape measure along: These beauties don’t come in standard sizes.

Jo wears Shifting Sand in 34DD | Tatiana wears Café au Lait in 32DD | Lydia wears Mocha in 40DD

U N D E R STA N C E Bras and underwear that get you.

FEEL LIBERATED

SHOP

Unrestricting underwire, soft support, nearly invisible lightweight lace.

Meet ZOE FlexWire Sheer Lift Bra, D-G Cup – a bra to feel good in.

NOW Available at understance.com | 1024 Robson St, Vancouver, Canada

ENSURE

®

COMPLETE

GOOD LIVING ASK MARTHA | KITCHEN WISDOM |

Clean Greens The arrival of spring produce is an annual thrill, but a few varieties need some extra-thorough washing.

Here’s how we tackle them: LEEKS “They tend to hold

How do I wash my large dog when it’s cold outside?

SPRING ONIONS/RAMPS

—Janette Kwan, Charlestown, Mass.

Treat Rex to an indoor spa day!

Start by giving him a walk (his next won’t be for a while), and comb out any knots. Set some towels near a tub or walk-in shower, and put him in. First test the water on your wrist—you want it to be tepid, says Wendy Weinand, manager of services training and education at Petco.

Then soak him with a handheld shower attachment (or gently from a plast ic pitcher), lather with dog shampoo, and rinse.

Lay a towel on the floor for his paws; dry his body with another.

Holding up a third as a shield, let him shake it out—this sheds water at skin level—and brush out his coat (to separate his hairs so they’ll dry faster). Finally, be sure to keep him inside till fully dry, at least four to six hours.

The root ends can be very gritty. Rub off the dirt with your fingers under the faucet.

RADISHES Store the greens

and bulbs separately to help each last. Scrub bulbs under running water with a vegetable brush, like potatoes; wash the greens like other leafy veggies—swish them in water, then spin them dry.

| GREEN THUMB |

SPACE INVADERS Don’t let their good looks fool you: Invasive plants from the nursery can be a menace.

The quick growers displace native varieties, which are necessary habitats for local

insects and birds, says Chuck Bargeron, director of the Center for Invasive Species

and Ecosystem Health at the University of Georgia. Avoid these major offenders found at garden centers in some states (for a comprehensive list, visit invasive.org).

Cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica)

* Vitamins C & E and selenium.

Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)

Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii)

Use as part of a healthy diet. ©2021 Abbott 20218824/August 2021 LITHO IN USA

46

APRIL 2022

—Reporting by Tina Chadha

PHOTOGR APHS BY JILL LEHMANN PHOTOGR APHY/GET T Y IMAGES (DOG), MARCUS NILSSON (LEEKS); ILLUSTR ATIONS BY DANIELLE GOLINSKI

*

a lot of dirt,” says assistant food editor Riley Wofford.

Chop them up, float in cool water, and agitate (as shown below). Repeat with fresh water until it’s totally clear.

ENSURE COMPLETE ®

®

WITH COMPLETE, BALANCED NUTRITION , 30 GRAMS OF PROTEIN, AND NUTRIENTS TO SUPPORT IMMUNE HEALTH

Immune Health: Excellent source of zinc, vitamin A, and antioxidants*

Muscle Health: 30g of high-quality protein

Heart Health: Plant-based omega-3 ALA

Digestive Health: 4g Comfort Fiber Blends,† with prebiotic fiber *

Bone Health: Vitamin D and calcium

Available in 3 delicious flavors: Milk Chocolate, Vanilla, and Strawberry

Use as part of a healthy diet. * Vitamins C & E and selenium. † Contains 8g of total fat per 10-fl-oz serving. ©2021 Abbott 20217430/April 2021 LITHO IN USA

Everyday FOOD COOK, NOURISH, ENJOY

FOOD ST YLING BY GREG LOF TS; PROP ST YLING BY SUZIE MYERS

LEG OF LAMB WITH PISTACHIO STUFFING AND POTATOES

| EASY ENTERTAINING |

Shake a Leg This Easter centerpiece looks like a fancy roulade, but it’s simply a boneless leg of lamb folded over an aromatic pistachio-scallion stuffing and fit to be tied. The cut is less expensive than a rack and more flavorful—and roasted with potatoes, it’s practically a one-pan meal.

Now that’s glorious.

TEXT BY MICHELLE SHIH RECIPE BY GREG LOFTS

PHOTOGRAPHS BY NICO SCHINCO

Parboiling the spuds before roasting them results in crisp skins and creamy insides; in the oven, they soak up the spice rub from the meat and drippings.

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

49

EVERYDAY FOOD

“Dry-toasting and grinding whole spices for this rub is totally worth it. Coriander brings citrusy notes, cumin adds nuttiness, and mustard seeds are tangy.”

—deputy food editor Greg Lofts

Leg of Lamb With Pistachio Stuffing and Potatoes

1. Combine scallions, parsley,

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons), plus 2 tablespoons fresh juice

lemon zest, pist achios, and 1 tablesp oon oil in the bowl of a food processor; season with kosher salt and pepper. Pulse to a chunky paste. Toast coriander, cumin, and mustard seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

Transfer to a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle; coarsely grind. Stir together ground spices and garlic.

½ cup salted roasted pistachios

2. Pound lamb to an even 1-inch

1 bunch scallions, lightand dark-green parts only, cut into 2-inch pieces 1 bunch curly parsley, thick stems removed (2 lightly packed cups), plus more for serving

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 2 tablespoons coriander seeds 2 tablespoons cumin seeds 2 tablespoons mustard seeds 3 tablespoons minced garlic (from 1 head) 1 boneless leg of lamb (2½ to 3 pounds) 2½ pounds unpeeled russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into ¾-inch-thick rounds 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves, plus a few whole sprigs Flaky sea salt, such as Jacobsen, for serving (optional)

thickness and a roughly 8-by-12inch rectangle. Generously season both sides with kosher salt and pepper, then rub all but 2 tablespoons spice mixture on outside of lamb (side with fat); turn over and spread scallion mixture evenly over other side, leaving a ½-inch border. Starting at one long end, fold lamb in half to enclose scallion mixture; secure with twine at approximately 2-inch intervals. Let st and at room temperature at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 425˚. In a large

1 inch. Bring to a boil; generously season with kosher salt. Boil until potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a knife but st ill firm, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain; let cool until no longer steaming, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a roasting pan. Toss with remaining 3 tablesp oons oil and 2 tablesp oons spice mixture, and chopped rosemary; season and spread in a single layer. Place lamb on top; scatter rosemary sprigs in pan.

4. Roast 20 minutes. Reduce

temperature to 350˚ and continue cooking until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of lamb near center of roast registers 140˚, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer lamb to a cutting board; loosely cover with foil to keep warm. Flip potatoes and return to oven until crisp and golden brown in places, 15 to 20 minutes more. Drizzle potatoes with lemon juice. Slice lamb and serve with potatoes, sprinkled with parsley and flaky salt.

20 MIN. | TOTAL TIME : 1 HR. 30 MIN., PLUS COOLING | SERVES: 8 ACTIVE TIME:

saucepan, combine potatoes and enough water to cover by at least

Know When to Fold It

WINE & DINE Spring lamb has a mild, grassy flavor that goes well with zesty, lighter-bodied reds. Consider these varietals: BLAUFRÄNKISCH

(pronounced BlahwFRAHN-keesh) is similar to Pinot Noir; it has fresh-fruit notes and is lower in alcohol than Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes it especially foodfriendly. Try: 2017 Red Tail Ridge Winery Blaufränkisch ($23, redtailridgewinery .com).

ZWEIGELT

(SVEYE-gult) is a cross between Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent (a grape grown in eastern Austria). It’s spicy and peppery, with darkred-cherry flavors.

Try: 2019 Nittnaus Blauer Zweigelt ($16, nittnaus.net/en).

EASTER EXTRAS POUND IT FLAT Leg of lamb consists of a few differently shaped parts; the aim here is to get them to the same thickness so it all cooks evenly.

50

APRIL 2022

SPREAD THE FILLING This scallion-pistachio mixture tastes vibrant and keeps the meat extra-moist. But leave a border all around so it doesn’t spill out.

CLOSE THE DEAL Folding the lamb lengthwise, like you’re shutting a book, ensures a uniform pinkness inside and makes slicing easy.

For a hit parade of sides and desserts, hover your camera phone here, or go to marthastewart.com/ easterrecipes.

ILLUSTR ATIONS BY BROWN BIRD DESIGN

A roulade results in beautiful slices of meat wrapped around stuffing, but rolling it up can be challenging.

This simpler technique guarantees all the oohs without any ughs. Wham, bam, thank you, lamb.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. by invitation | tipsntrends, inc | info@tipsntrends.com

EVERYDAY FOOD

1

REGULAR Yogurt is made by heating milk, letting it cool somewhat and adding beneficial bacteria, then letting it rest until it’s thickened and tangy. The plain, unstrained kind is the ideal consistency for smoothies or to serve with spicy foods. Regarding fat percentage, 2 percent makes sense for most people, says Vanessa Rissetto, a registered dietitian and cofounder of Culina Health, in New York City: “Fat is an important nutrient that slows the digestion of carbohydrates and makes you feel satiated.”

Sheep’s-milk yogurt has three times the vitamin A of cow’s-milk; goat’s-milk leads in calcium.

Consider Bellwether Farms Sheep Milk Yogurt or Redwood Hill Farm Goat Milk Yogurt.

2

GREEK This ultra-thick variety is regular yogurt that’s been strained to remove more of the liquid whey; as a result, it’s higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates. “It can be especially helpful for people who are lactose-intolerant or looking to increase their muscle mass,” says Rissetto. She recommends 2 percent fat for this type, too, unless you like to top it with nuts or flax or hemp seeds; in that case, go with nonfat. Whisk it with a little vanilla as a substitute for whipped cream, or spread it on fish fillets and sprinkle with breadcrumbs before roasting.

PRO TIP Some yogurts are pasteurized (heat-treated) to extend their shelf life, which can kill probiotics. To make sure you get them, scan ingredient lists for “live active cultures.”

CULTURE CLUB When cruising the dairy aisle, go with your gut. Yogurt comes in many forms, from silky liquid to semifirm cheese, and all of them provide protein, calcium, B vitamins, and friendly bacteria that support digestion (aka probiotics). Swirl the fermented wonders into our quick, creative recipes, and feel good from the inside out.

3

LABNEH The low-calorie Middle Eastern staple is strained even more than Greek, is often seasoned with salt, and has a dense, spreadable texture similar to that of cream cheese. Mix it with minced garlic as a sandwich condiment, or roll it into balls and refrigerate them in olive oil and hearty herbs to serve with crackers.

TEXT BY LAURYN TYRELL RECIPES BY RILEY WOFFORD

52

APRIL 2022

PHOTOGRAPHS BY NICO SCHINCO

FOOD ST YLING BY RILEY WOFFORD; PROP ST YLING BY SUZIE MYERS

| HEALTHY APPETITE |

1

2

1. A Special Spud

2. A Fresh Start

Baked Sweet Potatoes With Edamame and Ginger Labneh

Fruit Salad With Cinnamon-Honey Yogurt

Edamame offers nine grams of protein per half-cup, while ginger and turmeric have powerful anti-inflammatory properties.

Preheat oven to 400°. Prick 2 Japanese sweet potatoes (about 1¼ pounds total) all over with a fork; place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast until very tender, about 1 hour. Heat 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil and ¼ teasp oon grated garlic in a small skillet over medium; cook, st irring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add ½ cup frozen edamame; cook, st irring, until warmed, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablesp oons labneh, 1 teasp oon fresh lime juice, and ¼ teaspoon each grated fresh ginger and ground turmeric; season to taste. Split open potatoes, season, and fill with edamame and yogurt mixture.

ACTIVE TIME:

15 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 1 HR.

15 MIN. | SERVES: 2

3

“The majority of dairy in the U.S. is fortified with vitamin D, which helps the body maximize calcium absorption.

But you can also be creative in pairing yogurt with good sources of vitamin D. Have it with eggs for breakfast, or use it in a marinade or sauce for a fatty fish, like salmon or tuna.”

“Berries and bananas are full of prebiotic fiber, which feeds the probiotics in yogurt,” says Rissetto.

In a bowl, whisk together ¼ cup plain yogurt, 1 teaspoon honey, ¼ teasp oon ground cinnamon, and a pinch of kosher salt. Toss with 1 cup halved st rawberries, ½ cup blueberries, and 1 sliced banana. Serve, sprinkled with more cinnamon.

ACTIVE/TOTAL TIME:

5 MIN. | SERVES: 2

3. A Power Lunch

Lemony-Yogurt Salmon Tartine With Dill Salmon lends heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids to this meal.

If you prefer a lean protein, swap in cooked chicken breast.

In a bowl, st ir together ¼ cup finely chopped red onion and 2 tablesp oons fresh lemon juice; season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Let stand 10 minutes, then st ir in ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, ⅓ cup finely chopped celery, 1 tablesp oon drained capers, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, and 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil. Flake 1¼ pounds cooked boneless, skinless salmon into bite-size pieces and stir into mixture; season to taste. Serve on toasted pumpernickel bread with sliced cucumber and radishes, and more dill and pepper.

ACTIVE TIME:

SERVES:

15 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 25 MIN.

4

—Vanessa Rissetto, R.D.

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

53

EVERYDAY FOOD

Daffodil Cake 1¼ cups sifted cake flour 1½ cups sugar, divided 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt (we use Diamond Crystal), divided 12 large egg whites, plus 6 large yolks 1½ teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh juice 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh juice 1 teaspoon cream of tartar Mixed-Citrus Glaze (for recipe, see page 106) Edible pansies, for serving (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Sift flour,

¼ cup sugar, and 1 teasp oon salt through a coarse-mesh sieve onto a piece of parchment. Beat yolks and ¼ cup sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until doubled in volume, 3 minutes.

Beat in both zest s and juices.

2. In a clean bowl with clean

| SWEETS |

Sunshine State Much like its namesake flower, daffodil cake is a cheerful sign that warmer days are ahead. Half the batter is ethereal angel food; the other half is enriched with egg yolks and the zest and juice of an orange and a lemon. After layering both in a tube pan and baking, you pour the tart, citrusy glaze on top to create a dessert that will rouse your taste buds—and run circles around any gathering.

TEXT BY MICHELLE SHIH RECIPE BY SARAH CAREY

3. Fold half of egg-white mixture

into yolk mixture; dollop into an ungreased 10-inch angel-foodcake pan. Top with remaining egg-white mixture. Run a knife through to release air bubbles.

Bake until top springs back when lightly touched, 35 to 40 minutes.

4. Invert pan onto its legs (or rest

on the neck of a wine bottle); let cool 1 hour. Run a knife around inside of pan and tube to release cake and unmold, then use it to release cake from pan bottom; remove. Place on a cake st and and pour glaze over top, letting it drip down sides. Let st and until set, about 30 minutes; decorate with flowers. Cake is best the day it’s made, but can be stored at room temperature up to 1 day.

20 MIN. | TOTAL TIME : 55 MIN., PLUS COOLING | SERVES: 10 TO 12

ACTIVE TIME:

54

APRIL 2022

PHOTOGRAPH BY NICO SCHINCO

FOOD ST YLING BY GREG LOF TS; PROP ST YLING BY SUZIE MYERS

Edible pansies are oh-so-pretty atop the glaze. For an even simpler (and speedier) finish, just dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar.

whisks, beat egg whites on high sp eed until foamy. Beat in remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1 cup sugar; beat to stiff peaks.

Transfer to a large, wide bowl.

Sift one-third of flour mixture over top; gently but thoroughly fold in. Repeat twice more with remaining flour mixture.

BUNNIES ON CUPCAKES? NO PROBLEM. YOU GOT THIS.

IT’S GONNA BE GREAT ™

Scan the code to hop over to this fun and festive recipe for Bunny Butt Cupcakes.

EVERYDAY FOOD | WHAT’S FOR DINNER? |

Meatless Mojo Rotating vegetarian meals into your nightly menus does your health— and the planet—a big favor. Load lettuce cups with hoisin tofu and shiitakes, simmer a fresh take on lentil stew, toss scallions and peas with spaghettini, and more. The future is flavorful.

LETTUCE HELP For ease of eating, choose a variety with big, pliable leaves, like Boston or sweet, tender Bibb (shown here). For crunch, try green-leaf or iceberg.

CRUMBLEDTOFU-AND-SHIITAKE LETTUCE CUPS

56

APRIL 2022

PHOTOGRAPHS BY NICO SCHINCO

FOOD ST YLING BY GREG LOF TS; PROP ST YLING BY SUZIE MYERS

TEXT BY HANNAH DOROUGH RECIPES BY LAURYN TYRELL

Cauliflower-and-Lentil Stew With Onion Relish

Hummus, Avocado, and SpringVegetable Flatbreads

Spaghettini With Charred Scallions and Peas

Crumbled-Tofu-and-Shiitake Lettuce Cups

1 red onion, finely chopped (about 11/4 cups) and divided 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger (from a 2-inch piece) Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Hummus, Avocado, and Spring-Vegetable Flatbreads 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and well drained Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1 cup thinly sliced sugar snap peas (3 ounces)

1 teaspoon garam masala or berbere spice blend

2 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb

1 cup red lentils, rinsed and picked through

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

4 cups cauliflower florets, cut into bite-size pieces (from 1/2 head) 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced fire-roasted tomatoes 3 cups packed baby kale

½ teaspoon finely grated lime zest, plus 3 tablespoons fresh juice 1. Place ½ cup onion in a small bowl of ice water. Heat oil in a pot over medium-high; add remaining onion and ginger and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Add garam masala; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Add lentils, cauliflower, tomatoes, 3 cups water, and 1 teaspoon salt to pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until lentils are cooked through and soup has thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in kale; cook until just wilted, about 1 minute.

Season to taste. Drain reserved onion and place in a bowl with lime zest and juice and ½ teaspoon salt; toss to combine. Serve stew with onion relish spooned over top, drizzled with oil.

ACTIVE TIME:

25 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN. | SERVES: 4

½ cup sauerkraut, preferably red, such as Hawthorne Valley 4 whole-wheat flatbreads, such as naan

3/4 cup store-bought hummus 2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced Fresh herbs, such as mint and parsley leaves, and toasted sesame seeds, for serving

1. In a saucepan, bring quinoa, 1½ cups water, and a pinch of salt to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 15 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

2. Preheat broiler. In a bowl, toss together snap peas, fennel, and oil. Fold in ½ cup cooked quinoa (save the rest for another use) and sauerkraut; season with salt and pepper. Place flatbreads on a baking sheet and broil, flipping once, until toasted, 3 to 4 minutes.

Let cool slightly, then spread about 3 tablespoons hummus on each. Season avocados. Pile each flatbread with vegetable mixture, avocados, herbs, and sesame seeds; drizzle with oil and serve.

ACTIVE TIME:

Spaghettini With Charred Scallions and Peas 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

20 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 35 MIN. | SERVES: 4

Crumbled-Tofu-and-Shiitake Lettuce Cups 1/3 cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

3 tablespoons sambal oelek or chili-garlic sauce, divided

1 large bunch scallions, chopped (2 cups)

5 tablespoons unseasoned rice or white vinegar, divided

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 pound extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed to remove excess moisture

2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup fresh shelled peas 8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 12 ounces spaghettini 4 ounces Pecorino Romano, grated (1 cup), plus more for serving 1 teaspoon julienned lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh juice

1. Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet or braiser over medium-high. Add scallions; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and beginning to char, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, peas, and asparagus. Add ¼ cup water, cover, and simmer until vegetables are crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook per package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain. Add pasta to skillet along with ½ cup pasta water and remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Stir vigorously, adding more water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, to create a silky sauce. Remove from heat; stir in cheese, zest and juice, and more pasta water if needed. Season and serve, with more cheese and pepper.

ACTIVE/TOTAL TIME:

20 MIN. | SERVES: 4

2 tablespoons cornstarch

¼ cup vegetable oil, divided Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 2 cups chopped shiitake caps (from two 3.5-ounce packages) 1 cup chopped bell pepper Lettuce leaves, steamed sushi rice, and peanuts, for serving

1. Stir together hoisin, 1 tablespoon water, and 2 tablespoons each sambal oelek and vinegar. In a separate bowl, mix remaining 1 tablespoon sambal oelek and 3 tablespoons vinegar.

2. Crumble tofu and toss with cornstarch to evenly coat. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over high until shimmering.

Add tofu; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until edges crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and shiitakes; season. Cook, stirring often and breaking up any browned bits, until golden, 5 to 6 minutes.

Return tofu to skillet along with hoisin mixture; cook until thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in bell pepper; remove from heat. Serve in lettuce cups with steamed rice, peanuts, and vinegar sauce.

ACTIVE TIME:

25 MIN. | TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN. | SERVES: 4

© 20 2 2 M ER ED ITH O PER ATI O N S C O R P O R ATI O N . ALL RI G HTS R ES ERVED

Cauliflower-and-Lentil Stew With Onion Relish

PROMOTION

notebook YOUR ESSENTIAL PLANNER

CRUNCHY, CREAMY AND BURSTING WITH FLAVOR!

Events Ideas Products Offers

ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN $5,000

HOP TO IT Everybunny loves a bright springtime delight. Make the season sweet and special with Bunny Butt Cupcakes. These fun-for-the-family treats are bright both in flavor and color with adorable décor.

Hover your smartphone here to visit livingbydesignshowhouse.com, where you can enter for a chance to WIN $5,000 to upgrade your home.

With two tantalizing textures and real chicken or fish as the first ingredient, cats go crazy for BLUE Bursts! Made with natural ingredients and NO corn, wheat

Plus, visit the site to take the full, interactive “Living by Design” Virtual Showhouse home tour, and see how twenty of today’s leading home designers and experts brought their vision to life.

or soy, they’re packed with wholesome goodness you’ll feel good about giving.

Your cat will love these tasty treats from Blue Buffalo, featuring real chicken or fish as the first ingredient.

They’re crunchy, creamy and bursting with flavor!

BlueTreats.com

PRO DU CED BY

NATIONAL MEDIA PARTNER

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Open to legal residents of the United States, 18 years or older. Begins 09/10/2021 at 12:00:01 a.m. ET and ends 05/23/2022 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET. Prize/Odds: Total ARV of all prizes $5,000. Odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible entries received. Subject to Official Rules located at www.livingbydesignshowhouse.com/sweepstakes which will redirect you to the sweepstakes webpage. Sponsor: Embello, Inc., 943 7th Street, Suite 10, Santa Monica, CA 90403

This smooth, rich flavor is the go-to touch every dessert needs.

With the beloved taste of McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract in every bite, It’s Gonna Be Great™.

TH A E R D E O O O PE R N S !

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

E X P E R I E N C E T H E F I R S T- E V E R

“LIVING BY DESIGN” VIRTUAL SHOWHOUSE

Tour this luxury showhouse to see what’s new and next in home design

PARTICI PATI N G S P O N SO RS

3 D VISUALIZ ATIO N

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Open to legal residents of the United States, 18 years or older. Begins 09/10/2021 at 12:00:01 a.m. ET and ends 05/23/2022 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET. Prize/Odds: Total ARV of all prizes $5,000. Odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible entries received. Subject to Official Rules located at www. livingbydesignshowhouse.com/ sweepstakes, which will redirect you to the sweepstakes webpage. Sponsor: Embello, Inc., 943 7th Street, Suite 10, Santa Monica, CA 90403

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

OUTDOOR ENTRY, FOYER & MUDROOM

1

Bobby Berk @bobby Design Expert & Emmy-nominated TV Host Bobby’s covered porch design includes transitional, classic furnishings that are pulled together with a neutral color palette and balanced by potted plant life. It beautifully leads into the foyer, where he incorporated graphic black elements, striking decorative pieces, and details that highlight his personal design style. In the mudroom, clean-lined cabinetry becomes a study in solid and void forms, while contrasting black and light oak finishes offer a unique take on the minimalist design.

2

1. Chateau™ de Chantilly Rose of Sharon A Monrovia exclusive from the enchanting Chateau™ series.

Large, exquisite, white flowers cover the stems from top to bottom, each featuring a deep red-violet center. An excellent shrub that offers show-stopping blooms throughout summer. monrovia.com

2. Carrier Infinity® System Control (Black) The Infinity® System Control is designed for homeowners who understand the value of precision comfort and enjoy an easy-to-use, intuitive user interface. With wireless connectivity, occupancysensing capabilities and built-in smarts, the Infinity System Control puts you in command of comfort and energy savings like never before. carrier.com

3. Custom Mudroom Custom mudroom shown in Shadow Black and Natural finishes.

Push-to-open slab front doors and drawers for a seamless look. californiaclosets.com/mudrooms

3

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

GREAT ROOM 1

Shea McGee @studiomcgee Interior Designer, Author, & TV Personality Taking cues from the home’s peaceful setting, Shea focused on bringing the feeling of the outdoors in when creating the great room. Centered around conversation, the layout of the design encourages gathering, with a fireplace and piece of art replacing the usual TV focal point. Each element works together to inspire a feeling of warmth, from the wood built-ins flanking the fireplace and natural stone carried from the exterior to the travertine and bouclé textures incorporated throughout the furniture and styling selections.

1. Saxon Black Chandelier The Saxon Black Chandelier is a delicate, but overscaled chandelier at 63 inches in diameter. Its shape and the Zanzibar black finish are nods to a bygone era, but its slender lines that arc gracefully make its profile modern. This fixture is also offered in a silver Granello finish. curreyandcompany.com

2. Utica in Harvest This is a classic, woven fabric in a small check pattern.

It’s perfect for upholstery, bedding & pillows. calicocorners.com

2

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

KITCHEN & PANTRY 1

Breegan Jane @breeganjane Interior Designer & Lifestyle Expert

2

This kitchen and pantry are an ode to what Breegan loves, including striking neutrals and interesting textures. With a focus on sustainability, her spaces feature earth tones, durable materials, and statement pieces. The kitchen design dons a classic brass-and-black design, along with an expansive island ideal for entertaining family and friends.

1. Jurassic™ Velociraptor Ribbon Fern An unusual and unusually hardy fern from the Hubei Province of China. Best grown in partial shade where it will form a burly, finely textured, compact clump, but also ideal for a container on a shaded terrace, or even in the home near a bright but not sunny window. monrovia.com

3 2. Sea Change by Shari Margolin Minted artist Shari Margolin shares, “Living at the beach has been a wonderful experience. The ocean looks different every time I see it, especially when viewing it from overhead. I’ve really enjoyed exploring my little home through aerial photography and hope it brings you a sense of enjoyment as well!” Available in a variety of sizes, frame, and formatting types starting at $38. minted.com

3. Custom Pantry Custom Pantry shown in Natural finish with classic shaker doors featuring glass inserts. Features include gold hardware and accessories. Wine X’s support beverage bottles, and upright dividers provide platter storage. Open pantry drawers offer added visibility. californiaclosets.com/pantry

4

4. Martha Stewart 14-Piece Cutlery Set with Ashwood Block The Ruxton 14-Piece Cutlery Set comes complete with an 8” chef’s knife, a 7” santoku knife, a 5” utility knife, a 3.5” paring knife, 6 steak knives, and kitchen shears, covering an expansive range of food prep needs. Also included in this set is an ashwood block to store the knives and sharpening steel so you can preserve the peak condition of the knives. Each of the blades is forged from high-carbon, taper-ground stainless steel, then fitted with a triple-riveted handle for balance and control. martha.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

DINING & WINE ROOM

1

2

Nina Magon @ninamagonstudio Luxury Interior Designer

1. Light and Reflection by Robert Deem In this painting, Minted artist Robert Deem studies light’s various degrees of reflection and the color refractions that occur when it glances from one surface to the next. It features one of the dining room windows in the Single Brothers’ House, which is an 18 th century National Historic Landmark located in Old Salem, NC. Available in a variety of sizes, frame, and formatting types starting at $38. minted.com

This luxurious space was inspired by Nina’s love for visiting classical European cities mixed with her forward-thinking approach to contemporary design. A play on materiality is demonstrated with traditional plastered walls mixed with reflective chrome and brass finishes in this uniquely lavish space. She juxtaposed modern with classic elements to achieve her elevated vision.

2. Martha Stewart Wine Co. 2020 Belfiore Cabernet Sauvignon Veneto (Italy) From a rich history of wine appreciation and powerful symbols of love comes Belfiore Cabernet Sauvignon Veneto.

This Cabernet Sauvignon pours to show a dark ruby red color with a garnet reflection. Enjoy this wine’s intense perfume of raspberry and freshly cut grass, along with its structure that’s full-bodied, harmonious and velvety. marthastewartwine.com

1

LOUNGE & BAR 2

Mat Sanders @thematfinish Interior Designer 1. Winged Phoenix™ Hardy Schefflera This magnificent and extremely hardy foliage plant adds sensational tropical flair to the garden or containers. New leaves emerge soft green and age to a deep silvery green.

A truly stunning, vigorous, evergreen shrub with strong branching and thick, arching stems forming from the base.

Greenish white flower clusters produce showy purple fruit. monrovia.com

2. Martha Stewart Barware and Glassware Collection Bring modern polish to home entertaining with the timeless designs of the Barware Collection from Martha Stewart. Choose glassware, serving pieces, and accessories in sparkling glass or gleaming stainless steel with satiny gold-tone accents. macys.com

Mat infused his signature fun and fearless style into the lounge and bar. This bold, disco-inspired hangout features a sunken jungle lounge, custom floor-to-ceiling chrome, geometric bar shelving, and a show-stopping dance floor. His creative vision was to turn the idea of a classic game room into a social atmosphere where guests can’t resist getting up to groove!

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PRIMARY BEDROOM 1

2

Mikel Welch @mikelwelch Interior Designer, Influencer & TV Personality Mikel wanted to create an inviting, tranquil primary bedroom that’s designed to feel like a resort suite.

The limestone wash effect on the walls imparts elevated texture, while the stone fireplace provides dramatic scale to accentuate the wooden ceiling beams.

1. Hovering Union by Misty Hughes Minted artist Misty Hughes introduced this second piece in her ongoing Neutrino series, inspired by the organic and the celestial in textural beauty.

Available in a variety of sizes, frame, and formatting types starting at $38. minted.com

2. Riverrock Table Lamp The Riverrock Table Lamp convinces the eye it is made of stone but it is fashioned from art glass in a blue stone finish. The finial fastening the off-white shantung shade to the blue lamp has a similar organic shape to its body. curreyandcompany.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PRIMARY BATH & CLOSET

1

Marie Flanigan @marieflaniganinteriors Author, Interior Designer & Influencer

2

Marie’s secret garden-inspired primary bath and closet celebrate the luxury and art of getting dressed. The custom wallcovering and the intricate lattice detail climbing from the walls to the elliptical dome ceiling beautifully emphasize thoughtful detail and refinement. The colors, texture, light, patina, and depth combine to create a serene and layered primary support suite.

1. Custom Walk-In Closet Custom closet shown in Luxe Matte Dove finish with Gold Aluminum Frame doors and clear glass inserts. Features include gold fluted hanging poles, shoe fences and hardware, shoe shelf lighting, and wardrobe shelf lighting. californiaclosets.com/custom-closets

2. Montauk in Swan by Jaclyn Smith This linen and rayon blend fabric is perfect for window treatments, light use upholstery, bedding and pillows. Available in over a dozen colors. calicocorners.com

3

3. Calm Forest No. 20 by Cait Courneya Minted artist Cait Courneya was inspired by the calm colors of fall in the forest. She loves to play with white space and form, and strives to create a calm balance in all her works. This piece was created as part of a series and looks great paired with its sister print, Calm Forest No. 18. Available in a variety of sizes, frame, and formatting types starting at $38. Frame shown in the styled space is vintage. minted.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

NURSERY & BATH

1 2

Anne Sage @citysage Author, Interior Designer & Influencer

This nursery expertly blends elements that are traditional and contemporary. A soft, neutral palette envelops the room in tonal warmth while layered patterns and textures add personality.

Luxe built-ins provide storage to keep toys and gear organized.

The kids’ bathroom evokes a youthful aura thanks to topographyinspired wallpaper and playful tile, but still feels cool no matter the age of its inhabitants.

3

1. Tropical Semi-Flush The Tropical Semi-Flush fixture is made of brass in a vintage brass finish with life-like leaves attached to the long stem to imply movement.

This detail gives the semi-flush extra sophistication. Currey & Company also offers small and large floor lamps, and single-leaf and four-leaf sconces in the tropical family of fixtures. curreyandcompany.com

4 2. Spotted III by Sweta Modi Minted artist Sweta Modi created a wall mural design to take a wall from blank to beautiful. Each mural is printed on panels of premium matte woven material that are easy to install and remove, no experience required. 6’ x 8’ for $190, 10’ x 10’ for $370, 15’ x 12’ for $645. minted.com

3. Fairfax Swivel Chair With its sleek, tailored styling, the Fairfax Swivel Chair is ideal for a family room, office or nursery. It features sloped track arms, a loose back pillow and a loose seat cushion. Calico furniture is designed to be part of your family for years to come and confidently offers a Lifetime Warranty on frame and foundation and a 10-year Warranty on seat cushions. calicocorners.com

4. Custom Nursery Custom nursery closet shown in Linen finish with classic shaker door and drawer fronts. The nursery features floor-to-ceiling cabinets in Linen finish with classic shaker door fronts with gold hardware.

The credenza under the window features Luxe Matte Dove finish with classic shaker drawer fronts and gold hardware. californiaclosets.com/kids-closets

5

5. Carrier Smart Air Purifier This Carrier Smart Air Purifier includes a HEPA filter that captures 99.97% of airborne particles sized 0.3 microns. Smart Auto Mode automatically adjusts between 18 fan speeds based on the air quality level in the room—delivering cleaner air more efficiently. The built-in air quality monitor continuously samples incoming air and measures levels of irritants and pollutants. Control from anywhere with the Carrier Home app. carrierathome.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

CRAFT ROOM

Brittany Jepsen @houselarsbuilt Designer & DIY Influencer

Brittany designed the ultimate craft room with everything a maker’s heart could desire. She started with a colorful floral wallcovering to capture the essence of adornment.

She balanced the space with custom organization systems and selected abstract artwork that not only complemented the bright palette but also modernized it. This uniquely styled space is a perfect blend of traditional and whimsical.

1, 2 & 3. Custom Craft Room Custom craft room shown in Natural finish with coordinating classic shaker fronts. Features include contemporary crown molding, gold hardware, cubbies, hanging rods utilized for ribbon storage, and a center island with storage on the ends. californiaclosets.com/craft-areas

4

1

2

5

4. Sculpt by Beth Vassalo Minted artist Beth Vassalo explains that, “Simple shapes, abstraction, color, and minimalism inspire my daily art practice and this piece is no exception. This design came about through experimentation with form, composition, and color. It went through a few combinations and variations until it finally came together in red.” Available in a variety of sizes, frame, and formatting types starting at $38. minted.com

3

5. Studio Velvet in Cactus This is a shimmery, drapery-weight velvet for window treatments, bedding or pillows. Available in dozens of colors. calicocorners.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

KIDS’ DEN

Lori’s vision for the kids’ den was to create a space that was as sophisticated as the rest of the home while being a hub for homework, playtime, and relaxation. The sunken living room invites friends and family to pile in for a movie night or board games and provides a dedicated area for homework and crafts. Lori thoughtfully designed this space to stay organized and spark creativity.

2 1

Lori Paranjape @mrsparanjape Interior Designer & Influencer

1 & 2. Custom Family Work Space Custom family room storage shown in Capri finish with slab front doors and drawers. Features include onyx aluminum frame doors with clear glass inserts, as well as push-toopen hardware and workstations at chair and bar stool heights. californiaclosets.com/ family-room

OFFICE 2

Rajni Alex @rajnialexdesign Interior Designer 1 Rajni created a high-end office worthy of an executive.

Knowing that people are spending long hours in their home offices, she used modern furnishings, a neutral color palette, and minimal styling to create a serene environment.

This sophisticated space showcases textural surfaces, including limewashed walls, paneled ceilings, rift-cut oak millwork, and wool-and-silk floorcovering.

1. Custom Office Custom office shown in Natural finish with push-to-open slab front doors and drawers.

Features include shelf lighting and a combination of open and concealed storage. californiaclosets.com/home-office

2. Luciole Chandelier With an avant-garde style, the Luciole Chandelier is a handsome interplay of dark and light: an oil-rubbed bronze finish on its metal and the tubular bulbs extending from them are the contrasting elements. The Luciole is hung with aircraft cable. curreyandcompany.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

GUEST BEDROOM, CLOSET & BATH 1

2

Corey Damen Jenkins @coreydamenjenkins Author, Interior Designer & TV Personality An elegant respite for visitors, Corey’s guest bedroom and bath is designed to be an oasis of peace, restoration, and solitude. The space was inspired by a fashion runway show, celebrating the combination of persimmon, blush, olive, cream, and gold colors that drove the selection of fabrics in this maximalist escape. The adjacent, neoclassical-style bath boasts black-and-white marble and a show-stopping vanity flanked by stately, custom pillars.

3

1. Ramiro in Coral Reef

by Jaclyn Smith This is a sophisticated floral and vine pattern printed on slubbed cotton. Available in multiple colorways. calicocorners.com

2. Custom Wardrobe Custom wardrobe shown in Luxe Matte Dove finish with top and bottom molding treatment. Features include gold aluminum doors with Petal Pink and White backpainted glass inserts, as well as gold hardware. californiaclosets.com/wardrobe

3. Apollo Mirror The Apollo Mirror is a contemporary gold leaffinished decorative mirror shaped like a circlet of laurel leaves. Each leaf is handcrafted and applied creating this stunning and unique form.

Apollo is also available as a chandelier and as two unique wall sconces. curreyandcompany.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

TEEN BEDROOM, CLOSET & BATH

1

Kelly Finley @joystreetdesign Interior Designer Kelly’s goal for the teen bedroom and bath was to bring touches of urban flair to the home’s suburban location. She utilized earth tones and natural materials to create a relaxing retreat for a young adult to enjoy and grow in for the next several years. A custom bed and sofa beckon in the corner while a bold wallcovering and eye-catching framed art counter the room’s more rustic design elements.

1. Girls Support Girls by Amanda Houston Minted artist Amanda Houston believes in the power of women supporting other women, and learning this from a young age.

With a young daughter of her own, she hopes to inspire girls with the importance of encouraging one another, regardless of who we are or where we come from so we can all live the lives we were created to live. This art print is meant to serve as a daily reminder that we are all in this together. Available in a variety of sizes, frame, and formatting types starting at $38. minted.com

2. Birkin Philodendron This easy-going tropical plant from South America adds a wonderful, big-impact accent to contemporary or bohemian living spaces.

Green new leaves develop white variegation over time, while occasionally producing leaves that are solid green or almost solid white. monrovia.com

2 3

3. Martha Stewart Organic Cotton 6-Piece Bath Towel Set in Bright White The Organic Cotton 6-Piece Bath Towel Set is crafted from non-GMO verified, 100% certified organic cotton. These towels are made responsibly and are sustainable by design. Choose between eight neutral and refreshing colors for easy updates in any bathroom or powder room. martha.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

GUEST BEDROOM, CLOSET & BATH 2

Vanessa Deleon @vda_designs Interior Designer & Influencer

1

Flaunting marble surfaces and a light color scheme, Vanessa created a clean, organic guest bedroom and bath for visitors to catch up on much-needed R&R. The bath ensures getting ready is a breeze, thanks to an adjoining bar area complete with coffee supplies and stocked wine cooler. A custom walk-in closet affords elevated storage, encouraging guests to unpack and present their wardrobe in style. The outdoor balcony provides a place to sit while taking in lush views and soaking in the fresh air.

1. Banks Velvet in Organza This is a performance velvet that’s great for families with kids and pets because it looks beautiful and cleans up easily.

Available in dozens of colors. calicocorners.com

3 2. Paradox Chandelier The Paradox Chandelier is a three-tiered silver chandelier with clusters of slender wrought iron arms reaching up toward wooden candle cups. The prevailing silver leaf finish gives this 28-light fixture a very modern feel, while the tiny gold-leaf globes that stud the arms give a contrasting warmth. curreyandcompany.com

3. Custom Walk-In Closet Custom closet shown in Natural finish. Features include gold hardware, gold shoe fences, and Washed White slab drawer fronts. californiaclosets.com/walk-in-closets

4 4. Vineyard 3-Piece Deep Seating Rocking Chair Set With a balance of supportive seat cushions and soft buttoned back pillows covered in durable performance fabric, the Vineyard Deep Seating Rocking Chair provides the ultimate spot for relaxation. Paired with a coordinating side table, this 3-piece set is perfect for any outdoor space. polywood.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PORCH LOUNGE & POOL SURROUND

Sabrina Soto @sabrina_soto Author, Interior Designer & TV Personality Sabrina’s porch lounge and pool surround offer an escape after a long, busy day. Whether relaxing poolside, reading outside on the sofa, or entertaining family and friends, she dreamed up a space that is as luxurious as it is comfortable.

Sabrina incorporated clean lines and sophisticated elements throughout her design, allowing it to act as a cohesive extension of the home’s interior.

Accessories and upholstery pieces mimic a classic living room arrangement, evoking a cozy, approachable vibe.

1

3 2

1. Braxton Deep Seating Sofa The Braxton Deep Seating Sofa seats three and pairs comfort and style with soft pillow back cushions and a charming cross back design. This all-weather sofa strikes the perfect balance of straight lines and curved details for a style that is both traditional and timeless.

Group with a coordinating Newport End or Coffee Table, or combine with the rest of the Braxton Collection to create a cohesive outdoor space. polywood.com

2. Coastal 3-Piece Wheeled Chaise Set Lie back and relax in the Coastal 3-Piece Chaise with Wheels Set, fitted with a breathable fabric sling for optimal comfort. Conveniently equipped with wheels, you can easily move your all-weather chaise lounges to wherever the sun takes you, and the coordinating side table is the perfect place to set your drinks.

Whether poolside or on your patio or deck, this set will look great for many years to come. polywood.com

3. Carrier Infinity® 26 Air Conditioner with Greenspeed® Intelligence This energy-efficient AC unit offers enhanced cooling, extra energy efficiency, and ultra-quiet comfort where it matters most—in your home.

Greenspeed intelligence is created by pairing adaptable-speed technology with the Infinity® System Control. The unique, variable-speed compressor of this unit allows it to literally adapt its output to the needs of the home. carrier.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PORCH LIVING & DINING 2

1

Saudah Saleem @saudahsaleeminteriors Interior Designer

1. EDGE 39” x 78” Dining Table Add contemporary style to your outdoor space with the sleek design of the EDGE 39” x 78” Dining Table. This modern dining table has sleek legs supporting a plank-style tabletop. It pairs perfectly with six EDGE Dining Chairs. Use other pieces from the EDGE Collection to create outdoor dining and living areas that give your space a sophisticated look. polywood.com

The porch living and dining areas showcase a curated mix of pattern and rich color, welcoming guests to spaces that are both classy and approachable. From the fire pit and curved high-back chairs to the statement chandeliers and sculptural dining seating, the areas bring the comfort of the indoors outside and were designed for fostering memorable moments with family and friends.

2. Martha Stewart Baccarat Martharita Pitcher This creative collaboration between Martha and the Baccarat design team gives a modern update to the jewel-like pattern.

Serve guests with impeccable style by bringing this luxurious pitcher to the table. martha.com

CABANA & OUTDOOR DINING 2

Cliff Fong @cliffspot Interior Designer & TV Personality

1

1. Tectonic™ Eruption Begonia An exotic and unusual oversized begonia from the forests of Northeastern India. Deeply cut, emerald-green leaves have lightly-bronzed undersides. Adds bold texture and contrast to any lightly shaded setting. An extraordinary specimen for containers, a large terrarium, or as a houseplant. monrovia.com

2. Classic Adirondack Chair With its timeless style, the Classic Adirondack Chair is the perfect addition to any porch, patio, or backyard. Sink back and relax into a comfortably contoured seat and rest assured that unlike real wood you’ll have none of the maintenance. polywood.com

Cliff ’s unique aesthetic brings the indoors outside for his cabana and outdoor dining spaces. He curated pieces that are often used indoors and that can also be used outside in a covered area. He also beautifully incorporated custom pieces that could be specially made for outdoor use. Ginko gold-leaf chairs add an unexpected twist, injecting a more glamorous sense of style. An additional sitting area is punctuated by traditional Adirondack chairs that are perfect for taking in views of the picturesque property.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

WELLNESS SPACE & MEDITATION DECK

Michel Smith Boyd @michelboyd Interior Designer & Luxury Influencer The wellness areas are intentionally more minimal, with applied layers of tile, wallcoverings, and warm wood tones to inject warmth in the otherwise utilitarian spaces. Michel’s use of green contributes to the transcendent nature of the introspective space. Heading outside, the meditation deck beckons with plush, cocooned seating while aqua accents project a spa-like atmosphere.

2 1

1. Bailey Chandelier From the Bunny Williams collection, the Bailey Chandelier is a large chandelier with a two-tone finish: contemporary gold leaf on the interior and French black on the exterior. Ambient light radiates between the ribbons of wrought iron in a warm glow cast by the gold interior and the nine bulbs inside. curreyandcompany.com

2. Carrier Infinity® High Wall Indoor Unit The new 40MPHA indoor unit features either built-in Wi-Fi® that gives you control from virtually anywhere or compatibility with third-party thermostats when the 24V Interface is installed.

The high wall also offers a relative humidity sensor to customize the humidity level for more comfortable air and an occupancy sensor that senses a person in a room and can direct airflow either toward or away from that person. carrier.com

ARCHITECTURE

Christopher Brandon @brandonarchitects President, Principal Architect Designing the floor plan and the home’s exterior, Christopher and the Brandon Architects team created a Cape Cod-style home inspired by the local vernacular of Bedford, NY. The exterior of the home features clean and classic symmetry, which is deliberately broken on the home’s outer wings, resulting in purposeful balance with a focus on its interior.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE 2 1

3

Fernando Wong @fernandowong_old Landscape Designer & TV Personality Fernando drew inspiration for his landscape design from the home’s architecture. The plants in front of the home create a formal walkway with a sense of enclosure, framing the entry with a row of flowering trees leading around a small rose garden. He also incorporated climbing hydrangeas and hedges to encase the pool area, along with other plants to add pops of color and visual appeal.

1. Velvet Viking™ Japanese Maple Low, spreading branches on a beautifully mounded, weeping small tree. Rich, red, lacy foliage stays red throughout the growing season, developing more vibrant red tones in the fall.

A delicate appearance yet exceptionally tough and cold tolerant. Thrives in full sun of cooler regions.

Excellent spotlighted in a container. monrovia.com

2. Seaside Serenade® Newport Hydrangea A showy reblooming hydrangea with very sturdy stems. Outstanding in cut flower arrangements.

Bloom color ranges from blue to deep pink. Great for containers, flowering hedges, or a small garden specimen. A Monrovia exclusive. monrovia.com

5

4

3. Nitty Gritty™ Peach Rose Not just a pretty face, this very durable, own-root, fuss-free groundcover rose produces an abundance of lovely blooms while offering excellent disease resistance and a selfcleaning, easy-to-care-for habit. The peach-colored double blooms provide exquisite warm season color, adding great low-maintenance curb appeal to the landscape. monrovia.com

4. Jurassic™ T-Rex Wood Fern Upright fronds ranging from dark to light green form a bold and striking statement in a shaded garden. Especially handsome when grouped to frame a garden element or spotlight plant. Use to add height and dimension to a low border or brighten a woodland understory. monrovia.com

5. Little Darling® Lilac What’s better than a fragrant lilac? One that blooms twice a year!

Large clusters of darkpurple buds open to classic lilac-hue flowers.

Blooms heavily in spring, with a second, lighter bloom set in fall. Compact, with a nicely rounded shape, perfect for containers and flower beds. Monrovia Exclusive. monrovia.com

April “When we work with love we renew the spirit; that renewal is an act of self-love, it nurtures our growth.”

—bell hooks, All About Love

PHOTOGRAPH BY RON VAN DONGEN

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

77

FLOAT A FRESH IDEA

To double down on symbols of spring, hang dyed eggs from flowering branches, like the dogwood shown here.

We ordered blown-out eggs, which come with small holes on each end, and got straight to the fun: Tinting them in happy hues, hooking ribbon onto floral wire, and pulling it through each egg and back to create a loop on top and a wispy tail beneath. If your fabric is wide and textured enough, you may not

LOVELY TOGETHER 

Which came first, the ribbon or the egg? Whatever the answer, the two materials partner beautifully in spring centerpieces, graceful garlands, and sustainable surprises you can pull out year after year. If you’re looking for Easter décor that’s both elegant and easy to DIY, the hunt ends here.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DANE TASHIMA | TEXT BY ELENI N. GAGE CREATED BY SILKE STODDARD AND TANYA GRAFF

78

need to tie a knot under the egg to hold it in place; just snip the ends as desired. For the detailed how-to, see page 108.

THE DETAILS: Living Creations handblown white free-range eggs, $18 for 12, livingcreationsstore.etsy .com. Best Pysanky singlecolor dyes, in Petal Peach, Vanilla Cream, Harvest Orange, and Green, from $1.25 each, bestpysanky .com. McCormick assorted food color and egg dye, $6 at supermarkets. Studio Carta loose-weave cotton ribbon, in Blush, Peach, and Chartreuse, $12 for 5 yd., studio cartashop.com. Natural Twig tiny bird nests (similar to shown), $35 for 9, saveon-crafts.com. White vase, available by special order, henrystreetstudio.com.

DRESS UP FOR BRUNCH

Welcome friends with hard-cooked eggs in their satiny Sunday best.

Cut a 20-inch length of ½ - or 3/8 -inch-wide ribbon, lay it across a compartment in an empty egg carton, and dot glue at the halfway point. Rest the bottom of an egg on the dot; pull up the sides of the ribbon, hugging the shell; and knot it, securing with another

dot of glue if needed.

Make a bow and trim the ends to fancy, fluttering lengths. Assemble your “packages” in a bowl along with plain eggs. Extra credit: Add a few naturally patterned quail eggs for scale and variety.

THE DETAILS: Shindo 118 Silky satin ribbon, 9 mm, in 63 and 73, $4.25 a meter; and 121 polyester double-face satin ribbon, 9 mm, in 79, $1.50 a meter, sicen.shindo.com.

79

STRING THEM ALONG

These garlands are truly to dye for. Tint blown-out eggs in different shades of a single color for an ombré effect, or combine a few serene colors that complement your space.

The key is using ribbon that’s just slightly thicker than the diameter of the holes in the eggs, so they stay put, no knots needed.

Form a hook out of floral wire, thread the ribbon onto it, and gently feed it through, one egg at a time, slowly sliding each one down to make room for the next. (To avoid breakage, rest completed sections on empty egg cartons as

80

you work.) Finish with a bow, and give a mantel, sideboard, or banister some lovely drip.

THE DETAILS: Living Creations handblown white free-range eggs, $18 for 12, livingcreationsstore.etsy.com.

Shindo 146 cotton herringbone tape, 9 mm, in 52, $3 a meter; and 100 rayon grosgrain ribbon, 10 mm, in 308, $2.25 a meter, sicen.shindo .com. Best Pysanky singlecolor dyes, in Petal Peach, Vanilla Cream, Harvest Orange, and Green, from $1.25 each, bestpysanky .com. McCormick assorted food color and egg dye, $6 at supermarkets. White bowl, available by special order, henrystreetstudio.com.

PLAY WITH PLEATS

Think outside the basket, and nestle sweets into papier-mâché egg boxes adorned with millineryinspired flowers. These blossoms are no-sew; just fold a length of ribbon in accordion pleats and clamp each end with a binder clip. Tie the bundle in the middle with a thinner ribbon, release the clips so the sides open into a farfallepasta shape, and glue the side edges together to create a ruffled circle.

Once it’s dry, pull a thin

ribbon through the center as a “stem.” Then trim the box with matching ribbon, plant the flowers on top, and fill ’er up. For the full how-to, see page 109.

THE DETAILS: 32° North unfinished Easter-egg containers, 4½", in White, $5 each, vintage-ornaments.com.

Shindo 100 rayon grosgrain ribbon, 30 mm, in 308, $5 a meter; and 100 rayon grosgrain ribbon, 15 mm, in 366, 359, and 7, $2.50 a meter, sicenshindo.com. Quality Growers aspenwood excelsior (similar to shown), in Chartreuse, $12 for two 4-oz. packages, gettycrafts.com.

81

82

LEND A HANDLE

Everyday vessels can set a verdant Easter scene.

Fill a serving bowl, planter, or compote with soil, moss, and spring blooms.

Then grab some flexible wooden strips used for basket-weaving. Cut them to length (ours measure 40 inches), cover one side with double-sided tape, and adhere a ribbon of the same width.

Flip it over and repeat, then bend it into an arc and stick it into the moss, securing it to the container’s sides with removable adhesive dots (which peel right off post-holiday). Knot extra ribbon on one side, and you’ve created a masterpiece of a centerpiece.

For the detailed how-to, see page 109.

THE DETAILS: Suzanne Moore’s N.C. Basket Works maple basket strips, ½", $5 for eight 5-foot strips, ncbasketworks.com. Shindo 100 rayon grosgrain ribbon, 12 mm, in 366, 359, and 7, $2.25 a meter, sicen.shindo .com. Heather Taylor Home Marianne large plaid tablecloth, in Sage, $258, heathertaylorhome.com.

Sferra Festival dinner napkins, in White, $65 for 4, sferra.com. Carolina Irving Daughters Anna dinner plates, in Viridian, $55 each, ci-daughters.com. Tory Burch Embossed Flower salad plates, in Green, $158 for 4, toryburch.com. Marcie McGoldrick porcelain utility crock, $145; large footed porcelain bowl, $108; and small footed porcelain bowl, $58, all in White, marcie mcgoldrick.com.

ART DIRECTION BY ABBEY KUSTER-PROKELL; ST YLING BY TANYA GR AFF

GET SNIPPY

Plastic Easter grass has a way of sticking to your carpet for months— and languishing in landfills forever. These placeholders are infinitely more eco. Fill a bowl with ribbon remnants used in our previous projects, or snip lengths into three-tosix-inch “blades.” (For faster groundcover, pack the vessel with cotton batting first.) Another green touch: Thread a large needle with a skinny ribbon and weave it through the holes of a hemstitched napkin.

It’s totally charming— and brilliantly temporary.

83

Ancient and adaptable, the humble carrot is just the workhorse to lead us into the bright light of spring. It was likely first cultivated in the 10th century in what's now Afghanistan; the orange variety emerged in the Netherlands in the 17th century, and became a pop-culture icon in the paws of Bugs Bunny in the 20th. Here, the taproot stars in a fresh bunch of recipes, from splashy cocktails to a poppy-seedspeckled cake.

CARROT PALOMA

LIQUID SUNSHINE A vivid-orange cocktail is hard to resist—and this color-saturated spin on a paloma is utterly seductive. Fresh-squeezed oroblanco grapefruit, which is sweeter than ruby red and in season now, is the main feature, but carrots, which can be juiced in a blender, provide the brilliant hue and vegetal notes. Shake it all together with ice and tequila to get the (garden) party started. P.S.: The juice will last three days in the fridge, and don’t toss the carrot pulp left over after juicing: Freeze some in resealable plastic bags and break off pieces to fortify fruit smoothies.

84

PHOTOGRAPHS BY

Lennart Weibull TEXT BY

Christian L. Wright RECIPES BY

Lauryn Tyrell

GLAZED CARROTS WITH SAFFRON AND LIME For all the recipes in this story, see page 106.

NATURAL WONDERS Cooking carrots to a tender crunch on the stove top with butter and a little sugar is a classic preparation. In this riff, crushed saffron adds a floral dimension, and lime juice—lively and more fragrant than lemon—wakes everything up. Never mind that the vegetable is a nutrient missile of vitamin A, potassium, and fiber for your body—you’ll really be delighted by its flavor. The dish’s mix of shapes and colors, from pale yellow to deepest purple, looks stunning on the dinner table, too.

85

SEASONAL GREETING Roasted carrots have impressive range. Our go-to technique is to toss them in honey, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper and pop them in a hot oven until they’re slightly soft and caramelized. They’ll last five days in the fridge and more than earn their keep—as a side, in a grain bowl, on a sandwich . . . and as the foundation for this salad, which is filled out with avocado, feta, and the first tendrils of spring. The secret weapon is a final dusting of sumac, a spice worth seeking out for this dish, as well as to sprinkle into rice, eggs, and even coleslaw. It offers citrusy flavor, like a squeeze of lemon without the added moisture.

CARROT, AVOCADO, AND FETA WITH SPRING GREENS

86

ROASTED-CARROTAND-SALSA-VERDE SANDWICHES

SUBLIME SUBS Call these sandwiches a happy accident—they're unintentionally vegan and beyond satisfying.

The carrots, roasted with red onion and the Moroccan spice mix ras el hanout, are an earthy, meaty companion for a vibrant salsa verde. This version of the sauce combines garlic, capers, jalapeño, and fresh herbs such as mint and cilantro, plus lime juice for pop and rice vinegar for mild acidity. Slather it onto a lightly toasted baguette, and layer on the carrots, crunchy cucumbers, and a tangle of arugula. The combination will make your heart zing.

87

BAKED CARROTAND-LEEK PILAF

SHOW-OFF PILAF In this homage to Yotam Ottolenghi’s baked rice with confit tomatoes, carrots and leeks bring color and concentrated flavor. It’s also a great oven-to-table way to feed a crowd, whether accompanying the season’s grilled lamb or as a meat-free main. First you cook down the vegetables in the oven, with cinnamon to boost their natural flavor and thyme for savory balance. (Be sure to taste as you go; sweetness varies depending on where carrots are grown, so you might have to adjust the seasoning.) Then crank up the heat, add basmati rice and boiling water, return the baking dish to the oven, and let casserole kismet happen.

88

ORANGE CRUSH Carrot-ginger soup and tomato bisque are lunchtime hall-of-famers on their own. Here they join in umami bliss, and puréed sweet potato lends rich creaminess. You cook the vegetables together in the oven, a step that condenses their flavors and adds depth and complexity without the step-by-step layering many soups require. The rest is just as simple. Simmer it on the stove with chopped onion, oil, salt, and water, then blend it with a bit of butter (or not, for a vegan version). A swirl of olive oil and grind of black pepper before serving are just the last delectable detail.

CREAMY CARROT, TOMATO, AND GINGER SOUP

89

CARROT-PARMESAN QUICHE

24-KARAT GOLD This fabulous four-cornered quiche is just the centerpiece for an Easter or spring-equinox brunch. You can blind-bake the puff pastry the day before, and the filling is a mix of carrot purée and eggs cut with garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan to skew it more savory. A tumble of parsley salad (with a tart, mustardy lemon dressing) pulls the dish together because—wait for it—carrots and parsley are part of the same Apiaceae family! Expert tip: Place the ribbons of carrot and radish slices in an ice bath to perk them up and extend the life of the salad once it’s dressed—a clever party trick to keep in your back pocket.

90

SWEET SPOTS

ART DIRECTION BY JAMES MAIKOWSKI; PROP ST YLING BY TANYA GR AFF; FOOD ST YLING BY REBECCA JURKEVICH

Classic carrot cake takes cues from a lemon–poppy seed loaf in this elegant hybrid.

It has all the warming spices (cinnamon, cardamom, ginger) of a traditional recipe, but the tiny, satisfyingly crunchy seeds replace nuts and raisins in the batter. And instead of a thick cream-cheese frosting, it’s topped with a delicate Meyer-lemon glaze. Slice it for dessert, or store it in an airtight container for a few days at room temperature. Breakfast has never looked better.

CARROT–POPPY SEED CAKE WITH LEMON GLAZE

91

BUILT TO THRILL A floor-to-ceiling glassfront cabinet in the kitchen helped sell the Grovers on the home. Stretching 10 feet high, it showcases African woven-grass baskets, walnut- and pearwood vases, and unglazed ceramic pots from China, all from Bloomist. The rug is from ABC Home, the dining table is from Shoppe Amber Interiors, and the dining chairs are from Design Within Reach.

92

STARTING

FRESH When a family moved from an old town house in New York City to Connecticut, they embraced the turnkey convenience of a brand-new home. Working with a designer who shared their comfort-first style, they played up its woodwork and wide-open rooms, creating an easygoing abode that feels like it was built just for them.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DANA GALLAGHER TEXT BY CATHERINE HONG

T

HE ALLURE of new-build construction wasn’t

lost on Brooklynites Kathy and Jon Grover.

The couple and their two school-age daughters were living the hectic city life in a 1930s town home and owned a 200-year-old country getaway cottage when they started house-hunting in the Connecticut suburbs four years ago. They craved more space, but were also eager to leave behind “the constant upkeep—and sometimes critters!—of historic homes,” says Kathy, a former advertising creative director. Touring dozens of freshly finished residences, they swooned over the soaring ceilings and pristine floors, but too many options were “cookie-cutter and soulless. They felt sterile,” says Kathy.

Then the family stepped into this inviting modern farmhouse in Westport, built by locals Bret and Barbara Stern of Favorite Homes CT. Open-plan and welcoming, it features swaths of white-oak woodwork, from the paneling and built-in cabinet in the kitchen to the fireplace surround in the primary bedroom. The warm, Scandinavian-style feel sealed the deal for the Grovers, who took advantage of the beautiful blank canvas and completed the interiors before moving in. For that they turned to Brooklyn-based designer Holly Waterfield, a longtime friend of Kathy’s whose pared-down, elegantly informal aesthetic they had long admired. Almost from her first walk-through, Waterfield knew what to do: “The woodwork gave us the starting point. It set the cozy, rustic tone, and guided the color and furniture choices.”

94

To highlight the oak’s organic appeal, Waterfield had almost all of the walls repainted from gray to Benjamin Moore Simply White, a shade that also showcases the overhead fixtures the developers installed, which the Grovers kept for their visual oomph. Because the scale of the rooms was so different from those in the family’s former city residence—their clapboard town house was only 15 feet across at its widest—she chose generously proportioned pieces to fill them. Sprawling, stretch-out sofas in white linen had always appealed to Kathy but seemed totally impractical. Waterfield convinced her to take the plunge: “I always tell clients with kids and pets that white upholstery isn’t out of bounds. Order an extra set of slipcovers, and machinewash and bleach when necessary,” she says. Now all the Grovers,

including dog Ziggy, happily kick up their feet (and paws) to relax on the pair in the family room. Also inviting: vintage rugs in the kitchen and dining room, which feel plush underfoot and lend one-of-a-kind character that contrasts with the home’s sleek furnishings.

Once they’d moved in and gotten settled, the family constructed a second residence on their property: an unapologetically wellappointed chicken coop in the backyard. Jon, who owns a filmediting company, proudly points out the shed’s heating system and extra indoor perches, which allow Henneth Paltrow, Elizabeth Warhen, Victoria Peckham, and the rest of the flock to roost in temperature-controlled bliss. “It’s pretty comfy,” he says. Clearly, around here, everyone gets their dream house.

CLEAN CUISINE The 12-foot paneled island is topped with honed quartz and lit

by Rejuvenation pendants. Lowbacked stools in leather and maple from Lostine tuck completely under the counter for a seamless view from the house’s great room.

Opposite: Kathy and Jon Grover hang with their daughters, Thea and Lucy, and rescue dog, Ziggy, on a backyard daybed swing.

95

FULL CIRCLE Relaxed linen-upholstered sofas from Cisco Home create a super-casual vibe in the family room. A mesh sculpture by artist Maureen Hoon is displayed on a 60-inchdiameter ebonized-oak coffee table from Shoppe Amber Interiors; the striped and tasseled square Injiri pillows were handmade in India. A sheepskin throw softens a solid-teak side chair from France & Son. The three-armed brass light fixture is from Apparatus, and the hazy striations on the ABC Home rug add subtle pattern and camouflage stains.

96

ART DIRECTION BY RYAN MESINA; ST YLING BY PHILIPPA BR ATHWAITE

NESTING MODE Clockwise from top left: Lucy, 14, and Thea, 12, gather eggs from the backyard chicken coop. White-oak woodwork frames the fireplace in the primary bedroom, which is furnished with Cisco Home Beaumont chairs, a Moroccan rug from RH, and a handblocked bedcover from Les Indiennes that all share the same soothing blue-and-white palette. The Grovers originally planned to paint the dining room’s existing smoke-gray wall white, but changed their minds when the vintage ABC Home rug was delivered and laid under their McGee & Co. black-stained oak chairs and pedestal-base oak table. “It all worked so well together, we just left the color as is,” says Kathy.

97

NATURAL

INSTINCTS In the suburbs of Philadelphia, a passionate landscape designer is transforming traditional cookie-cutter lawns into sustainable, low-maintenance havens that teem with life. Stroll through three of his projects, and learn how he’s bringing wild beauty back to the neighborhood.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY NGOC MINH NGO | TEXT BY JENNIFER JEWELL

GREENER GRASS

In landscape designer Jeff Lorenz’s urban backyard, an upcycledwooden-slat garden house sits in a no-mow sedge lawn alternative.

98

SMART WATERS

The native perennials in Lorenz’s side garden are adapted to the region and need no additional irrigation. A permeable graveland-flagstone path helps absorb excess water from storms, which prevents flooding, a common problem in the area.

G

Van Zandbergen were not gardeners when they moved from Philadelphia to the city’s Main Line in 2019. But the property they bought for their family in the dead of winter had a big surprise in store: an immersive nativewildflower meadow that wrapped around the entire house. It emerged their first spring there, and rolled out successive waves of flowers and foliage through the fall—just as Jeff Lorenz and his team at Refugia, a local landscape-design firm that specializes in native plants, had planned. That winter, when friends with conventional front lawns asked the couple if they were going to keep the meadow, they said they weren’t sure—it depended on how much time, money, and upkeep it would require. Lorenz, who had helped coax the plot along all year, promised them it was low-maintenance and well worth the beauty and connections with nature it would provide. They decided to give it a chance.

REG AND CHRISTINE

SEASONAL SHIFT

By late summer, Peter and Denise Mahal’s backyard erupts in clouds of white when two kinds of boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum and E. serotinum) bloom. Joe-pye-weed seed heads and yellow goldenrod add streaks of color.

EYE-CATCHING OASIS The Van Zandbergens’

front yard is a sea of brightyellow Ratibida pinnata, pale-purple and scarlet bee balm (Monarda media and M. didyma), and clouds of silvery mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum).

100

Lorenz founded Refugia in 2015, determined to change people’s perception of the suburban yard. There are more than 40 million acres of turfgrass across the U.S. today, much of them maintained by gas-powered mowers, watering systems, and synthetic fertilizers. This monoculture, a symbol of America since the mid20th century, contributes to the decline in plant and animal biodiversity around the world. Instead of lawns, Lorenz cultivates local plants, or ecotypes, which he describes as “connected through evolution to the climate, geology, soil, and hydrology of their exact spaces.” In other words, they’re precisely as nature intended. His own yard in urban Narberth (shown on the previous pages) is a vibrant example: It has a diverse array of plants, from berries to blooms, that looks beautiful year-round, helps sequester carbon, and is adapted to endure increasingly extreme weather.

To monitor the impact of these important gardens, Refugia established its ecological Greenway Network—an

SOARING SUCCESS

A regal native dogwood (Cornus florida) in the Mahals’ front meadow attracts year-round and migrating birds. Below: Purple New England aster (Aster novae-angliae) mingles with Shenandoah switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’).

interconnected group of more than 120 native-plant landscapes in the Philadelphia area. His first project was for Peter and Denise Mahal, a couple of bird lovers in leafy Berwyn (shown above and at right). Refugia layered in plantings to mimic the woodland that their subdivision likely removed, and six years later, mature trees invite songbirds to perch, tall shrubs serve as roosting sites, and groundcover and leaf litter provide safe spaces for sparrows to forage. In the fall, goldfinches start snacking on the seed heads of echinacea. The Mahals take it all in during walks on the meandering paths in their yard. “The garden completely transforms every few weeks,” Peter says.

Ten miles away, the Van Zandbergens have embraced their unmanicured surroundings. Flowers, birds, and butterflies beckon their two tween daughters outside, and friends and even strangers stop by to see what’s happening in the meadow. Greg gushes about its benefits, and visitors often leave with a bouquet picked by his girls. Now when people ask, “Will you keep it?” he answers with a smile and a sweep of an arm: “Isn’t it obvious?”

101

2

3

4

SCENIC STOPS 1. Each Refugia Greenway Network garden features a sign identifying it as a space that is “restoring nature to neighborhoods.”

2. A migrating monarch feeds at pale-purple bee balm (Monarda media) mixed in with bright prairie coneflowers (Ratibida pinnata). 3. Virginia mountain-mint flowers (Pycnanthemum virginianum) keep a honeybee busy. 4. Yellow wands of Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’ arch over blue mistflower (Eupatorium coelestinum syn. Conoclinium coelestinum).

102

ART DIRECTION BY RYAN MESINA

1

INNATELY TALENTED These are just a sampling of the diverse native plants that thrive in Refugia’s Pennsylvania gardens.

BUTTERFLY WEED (ASCLEPIAS TUBEROSA)

‘LITTLE HENRY’ SWEET CONEFLOWER (RUDBECKIA SUBTOMENTOSA ‘LITTLE HENRY’)

GOLDENROD (SOLIDAGO SPECIOSA)

MUHLY GRASS (MUHLENBERGIA CAPILLARIS)

RATTLESNAKE MASTER (ERYNGIUM YUCCIFOLIUM)

TENNESSEE PURPLE CONEFLOWER (ECHINACEA TENNESSEENSIS)

‘AUTUMN BRIDE’ CORAL BELLS (HEUCHERA VILLOSA ‘AUTUMN BRIDE’)

HUBRICHT’S BLUESTAR (AMSONIA HUBRICHTII)

ASTER SPP.

JOE-PYE WEED (EUPATORIUM DUBIUM)

BLUE WOOD ASTER (ASTER CORDIFOLIUS SYN. SYMPHYOTRICHUM CORDIFOLIUM) WHITE SNAKEROOT (AGERATINA ALTISSIMA)

‘PROUD BERRY’ CORALBERRY (SYMPHORICARPOS ORBICULATUS ‘PROUD BERRY’)

103

The Workbook | RECIPES AND HOW-TOS FROM THIS ISSUE |

In this chic Easter setting, a serving dish or planter can be easily fashioned into a “basket.”

To get the details, see page 109.

104

APRIL 2022

PHOTOGRAPH BY DANE TASHIMA

Recipe Index STARTERS, SALADS, SOUPS & SIDES Baked Carrotand-Leek Pilaf 107 Baked Sweet Potatoes With Edamame and Ginger Labneh 53 Carrot-andParsley-Leaf Salad 108 Carrot, Avocado, and Feta With Spring Greens 106 Chestnut Haroset 20 Creamy Carrot, Tomato, and Ginger Soup 107 Fruit Salad With CinnamonHoney Yogurt 53 Glazed Carrots With Saffron and Lime 106 Spiced Roasted Carrots and Onion 107 Spicy Braised Cabbage 22 MAINS Avocado Toast With Poached Quail Eggs and Smoked Salmon 15 CarrotParmesan Quiche 108 Cauliflowerand-Lentil Stew With Onion Relish recipe card

Hummus, Avocado, and SpringVegetable Flatbreads recipe card Leg of Lamb With Pistachio Stuffing and Potatoes 50 LemonyYogurt Salmon Tartine With Dill 53 Martha’s Scrambled Eggs 15 RoastedCarrot-andSalsa-Verde Sandwiches 107 Spaghettini With Charred Scallions and Peas recipe card

BEST-LAID PLANS

1 to 2 teaspoons vegetable shortening, or as needed

PAGE 13

12 ounces dark-cocoa candy melts, such as Wilton Candies, such as jelly beans and milk-chocolate eggs, for filling

From MARTHA

1. Melt colored melts in a heat-

Best-Laid Plans Martha's hens are nearly as productive as she is.

She loves to gather their eggs and get busy in the kitchen whisking, poaching, and scrambling them into delicious dishes for her family. She shares three favorite recipes that will be hits with your brood, too.

13

Clarified Butter 1 stick unsalted butter

Place butter in a small saucepan and melt over low heat. Remove from heat; allow milk solids to sink to bottom. Skim any foam from surface, then carefully pour off clarified butter, leaving solids behind. Clarified butter can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

ACTIVE/TOTAL TIME: 10 MIN.

BEVERAGES Carrot Paloma 106 DESSERTS

MAKES: 8 TABLESPOONS

GOOD THINGS PAGE 17

Carrot–Poppy Seed Cake 108 ChocolateSurprise Easter Eggs 105 Daffodil Cake 54 Honey Bunnies 105 OTHER Clarified Butter 105 Meyer-Lemon Glaze 108 Mixed-Citrus Glaze 106

Crumbled-Tofuand-Shiitake Lettuce Cups recipe card

ScallionGreens-andGinger Sauce 22

Custard Egg Sandwich on Shokupan 15

Whole-Lemon Vinaigrette 22

Chocolate-Surprise Easter Eggs You can find egg molds at confectioneryhouse.com or kitchensupply stores.

2 ounces yellow, blue, or pink candy melts (or a combination), such as Wilton

proof bowl (or separate bowls, if using multiple colors) according to package instructions until completely melted and smooth.

Consistency should be loose but spreadable; if too thick, stir in shortening, ¼ teaspoon at a time, until proper consistency is reached. Using a food-safe paintbrush, brush insides of clean, dry 2½-inch or 4-inch egg molds with light-handed, wide brushstrokes of colored melt.

Refrigerate 5 minutes, or let set in a cool place about 30 minutes.

2. Melt cocoa melts in a heatproof

bowl according to package instructions until completely melted and smooth. Let cool until warm and pourable but no longer hot to the touch (if too hot, it will melt the brushstroke design). Working one at a time, pour 1 to 2 tablespoons cocoa melt (depending on size of mold) into each mold, over colored brushstrokes. Use a clean foodsafe brush to gently brush chocolate into an even layer over bottom and up sides of each egg until completely covered, taking extra care when brushing over colored brushstrokes. Let set, then repeat 2 to 3 more times, until you have a nice, thick layer.

(This will make the eggs sturdier and keep them from breaking during assembly.)

3. Scrape edges of molds with a

sharp paring knife to create clean edges; reserve any remaining chocolate to remelt for assembly.

Refrigerate 5 to 10 minutes (to set and make easier to remove).

4. Meanwhile, reheat reserved

chocolate until smooth and brushable. Gently pop each egg half out of its mold, then fill one half with candies and brush edges with reserved chocolate.

Press second egg half at seam

until connected. Repeat with remaining eggs. Scrape seams of eggs with paring knife again to create a smooth oval. Handle with care and store in a cool, dry place up to 1 week. | TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN., PLUS SETTING | MAKES: EIGHT 2½-INCH OR FIVE 4-INCH EGGS ACTIVE TIME: 45 MIN.

Honey Bunnies BUNS

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for brushing

½ cup whole milk, warmed to 110°

¼ cup granulated sugar 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (a ¼-ounce packet) 1½ teaspoons kosher salt (we use Diamond Crystal)

½ teaspoon grated lemon zest ½ teaspoon grated orange zest 2 large eggs, beaten 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting GLAZE

3 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 tablespoons honey ICING

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted Pink gel-paste food coloring, such as AmeriColor 1. Buns: Brush a large bowl with

butter; set aside. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the doughhook attachment, combine warm milk, granulated sugar, yeast,

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

105

The Workbook salt, citrus zests, eggs, and melted butter until sugar and yeast have dissolved. Add flour and beat on low speed until a soft, sticky dough forms, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and beat until dough is smooth and tacky, about 4 minutes more.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to bring together into a ball. Place dough ball in prepared bowl and turn to coat with butter.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

about 30 minutes. Serve, or store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 day. | TOTAL TIME: 3 HR. 50 MIN., PLUS COOLING | MAKES: 12

ACTIVE TIME: 1 HR.

SUNSHINE STATE

3. Preheat oven to 350°, with

racks in upper and lower thirds.

Bake, rotating pans and rack positions halfway through, until buns are golden brown and bottoms sound hollow when gently tapped, 18 to 20 minutes.

4. Glaze: Meanwhile, in a small

saucepan, heat butter and honey over medium-high, stirring, until smooth and melted. Brush glaze generously over tops of buns. Return to oven until glaze is no longer sticky, 3 to 5 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

PAGE 54

106

APRIL 2022

Coarsely ground sea salt, for rim

sugar, saffron water, lime juice, and a large pinch of salt. Cook, shaking pan occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly and coats carrots, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; add lime zest and a drizzle of oil. Season to taste; serve warm or at room temperature.

ACTIVE TIME: 15 MIN.

| TOTAL TIME: 20 MIN.

SERVES: 2 TO 3

2 ounces fresh grapefruit juice, preferably oroblanco (from 2 grapefruits) 2 ounces blanco tequila Agave nectar (optional)

Mixed-Citrus Glaze 2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar, plus more if needed 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed

½ teaspoon grated orange zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh juice 1 teaspoon orange-blossom water (optional) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Pinch of kosher salt

Whisk together all ingredients to create a thick but pourable glaze.

If too thick, whisk in more lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time; if too thin, more confectioners’ sugar.

Use immediately.

ACTIVE/TOTAL TIME: 10 MIN.

| MAKES: 1 CUP

Run a lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass; coat rim in salt.

Place carrot, grapefruit, and lime juices and tequila in a cocktail shaker. Taste; add a squeeze of agave if desired. Fill halfway with ice and shake until outside of shaker is frosty, about 10 seconds.

Fill prepared glass with ice, strain cocktail into glass, and garnish with lime. Serve immediately.

ACTIVE/TOTAL TIME: 5 MIN.

| MAKES: 1

Glazed Carrots With Saffron and Lime If using purple carrots, blanch them separately to keep the color from bleeding into lighter ones.

¼ teaspoon saffron threads 2 tablespoons plus a pinch of sugar 2 tablespoons boiling water Kosher salt 2 bunches small carrots, peeled (12 ounces) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

ROOT CAMP

1½ teaspoons grated lime zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh juice

PAGE 84

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling 1. Crush saffron in pinch of sugar

with a mortar and pestle or your fingertips, until broken up. Place in a small bowl with boiling water; let bloom about 5 minutes.

5. Icing: In a bowl, whisk together

confectioners’ sugar and 1 to 2 tablespoons water until smooth and thick enough to pipe (if too thick, add more water, a few drops at a time). Using a toothpick, add a few dots of food coloring to icing; mix to create a light-pink color. Transfer to a piping bag or resealable plastic bag with a very small hole snipped in one corner. Pipe ears, eyes, and noses onto bunnies. Let stand until set,

1 ounce fresh lime juice, plus wedges for rim and serving

2 ounces fresh carrot juice (from 2 to 3 carrots)

2. Turn dough out onto a lightly

floured surface. Divide into 1-ounce pieces, then divide half of them in half to create ½-ounce pieces. Gently shape larger (1-ounce) portions of dough into tight balls to form bunny heads.

Form smaller (½-ounce) pieces into 2-to-3-inch logs to resemble bunny ears. Arrange ears on two parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing each pair 2 inches from next, angled in slightly toward bottom. Place a bunny head slightly overlapping bottom of each pair of ears. Loosely cover; let stand at room temperature until soft and pillowy, about 1 hour.

completely smooth, then strain, pressing lightly on solids to extract as much juice as possible. Refrigerate, covered, up to 3 days.

2. Fill a large skillet about half-

Carrot Paloma If you don’t have a juicer, you can make the carrot juice in a high-speed blender: Blend 12 ounces chopped peeled carrots and ½ cup water until

way with water. Bring to a boil over medium heat; season generously with salt. Add carrots in a single layer; cover and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

Drain; transfer carrots to a plate.

3. Return skillet to medium heat

and add butter. When foam subsides, return carrots to skillet with remaining 2 tablespoons

Carrot, Avocado, and Feta With Spring Greens If you don’t have avocado or sunflower oil, substitute 1 tablespoon each of extra-virgin olive oil and vegetable oil for the dressing.

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 2 tablespoons avocado or sunflower oil Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1 recipe Spiced Roasted Carrots and Onion (recipe follows)

½ avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced 2 ounces feta, such as Valbreso, crumbled ( ⅓ cup) 1 cup packed spring greens, such as pea tendrils, mâche, or watercress, or a combination 2 tablespoons salted roasted sunflower seeds Dried sumac, for serving

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange roasted carrots and onion on a platter with avocado, feta, and greens. Drizzle with vinaigrette; season and top with sunflower seeds and sumac. Serve.

ACTIVE/TOTAL TIME: 15 MIN.

| SERVES: 4

Spiced Roasted Carrots and Onion Ras el hanout is a mix of warming, peppery spices. You can also try harissa, berbere, or garam masala.

½ teaspoon ras el hanout 1 teaspoon honey 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small clove garlic, chopped 2 tablespoons capers, drained 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped 1 cup packed fresh herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, and mint

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

2 bay leaves

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for serving

1 small red onion (5 ounces)

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

large bowl, whisk together ras el hanout, honey, and oil. Cut carrots in half lengthwise, then again crosswise. (If there are extra-thick pieces, halve them again lengthwise, so all are about the same size.) Cut onion in half through its root, then cut each half lengthwise into thirds, making sure to keep root intact. Toss carrots and onion with oil mixture; season with salt and pepper.

2. Spread vegetables in an even

layer on a rimmed baking sheet, cut-sides down. Roast, undisturbed, until cut sides are golden brown and vegetables are tender, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool completely, then serve, or refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days.

(Return to room temperature or gently rewarm before serving.)

ACTIVE TIME: 10 MIN.

1 small sweet potato (6 ounces), peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces (1 cup)

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

½ teaspoon sugar

1. Preheat oven to 450°. In a

1½ pounds carrots, peeled and sliced a scant ½ inch thick (3½ cups)

12 ounces carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (2½ cups)

1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, drained (juices reserved for another use)

1 pound large carrots (about 4 total), peeled Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

3 medium leeks, white and light-green parts only, halved lengthwise, cut into ½ -inch pieces, and washed well (2¼ cups)

Kosher salt (we use Diamond Crystal) 2 seeded demi-baguettes (each 10 to 12 inches), split horizontally 2 small Persian cucumbers, cut into ½ -inch-thick slices Spiced Roasted Carrots and Onion (see recipe, left) 1 cup baby-arugula leaves

Pulse garlic, capers, jalapeño, herbs, lime juice, vinegar, sugar, oil, and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender or mini food processor until well combined. (You should have about ¾ cup.) Lightly toast baguettes. Spoon salsa verde generously over cut sides of bread, then pile bottoms with cucumber slices, roasted carrots and onion, and arugula. Top with top halves of bread, cut in half, and serve.

ACTIVE/TOTAL TIME: 20 MIN.

| SERVES: 4

| TOTAL TIME: 30 MIN.

SERVES: 4 TO 6

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt (we use Diamond Crystal) and freshly ground pepper 2 cups basmati rice, rinsed and drained well 2 ⅔ cups boiling water 1. Preheat oven to 375°. Arrange

leeks, carrots, cinnamon, thyme, and bay leaves in a 3-quart baking dish (such as a 9-by-13-inch).

Pour in oil, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and toss. Bake until vegetables are soft and beginning to caramelize, about 1 hour. Remove from oven; stir vegetables, then sprinkle rice evenly over top without stirring together.

2. Increase oven temperature to

450°. Sprinkle ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper over rice, then pour boiling water over.

Carefully cover dish tightly with parchment-lined foil and bake until rice is cooked, 30 to 35 minutes more. Remove from oven and let stand, covered, 10 minutes.

Uncover, gently fluff with a fork, and serve.

ACTIVE TIME: 15 MIN.

| TOTAL TIME: 2 HR.

SERVES: 8

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

½ white onion, finely chopped ( ¾ cup) 1 tablespoon unsalted butter Crusty bread, for serving 1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a

3-quart baking dish (such as a 9-by-13-inch), toss carrots, sweet potato, tomatoes, and ginger with ¼ cup oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until liquid has evaporated and vegetables have caramelized slightly, about 1 hour.

2. In a medium saucepan, heat

remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Add roasted vegetables with any accumulated juices and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender and let stand until no longer steaming, about 5 minutes.

Add butter and blend until completely smooth. (If too thick for your taste, you can add more water, a few tablespoons at a time, until desired consistency is reached.) Season to taste and serve with crusty bread, topped with more pepper and oil.

ACTIVE TIME: 15 MIN.

30 MIN. | SERVES: 6

Baked Carrot-andLeek Pilaf

Roasted-Carrot-andSalsa-Verde Sandwiches The salsa can be made up to three days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container; bring it to room temperature before using.

| TOTAL TIME: 1 HR.

Baking rice in a large casserole is a simple, low-stress way to feed lots of people. For a quick primer on washing leeks, see page 46.

Creamy Carrot, Tomato, and Ginger Soup For an extra-silky texture, you can strain the soup through a fine-mesh sieve after puréeing.

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

107

The Workbook kept at room temperature, loosely covered, up to 1 day.)

2. Reduce oven temperature to

Carrot-Parmesan Quiche Unsalted butter, softened, for brushing Unbleached all-purpose flour, for dusting 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry (14 ounces), such as Dufour, thawed 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup) 1 teaspoon kosher salt (we use Diamond Crystal), divided 8 ounces carrots (about 3), peeled and thinly sliced into rounds (1½ cups) 1 clove garlic, minced

375°. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium. Add onion and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add carrots and garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ½ cup water and bring to a boil; then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until carrots are completely soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a blender and let cool 10 minutes. Add milk and blend until smooth (you should have 2 cups). Transfer mixture to a bowl and whisk in cream, eggs, cheese, remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, and pepper.

Whisk until smooth (you should have about 3½ cups).

3. Pour filling into crust and bake

until center is just set, about 35 minutes (if browning too quickly, tent edges with foil). Let cool completely on a wire rack. Top with salad just before serving. | TOTAL TIME: 2 HR. 5 MIN., PLUS COOLING | SERVES: 8 TO 10

ACTIVE TIME: 40 MIN.

1 cup whole milk

¾ cup heavy cream 4 large eggs, room temperature 1½ ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano, finely grated on a Microplane (1 cup)

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper Carrot-and-ParsleyLeaf Salad (recipe follows), for serving 1. Preheat oven to 400°. Butter a

9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet; line with parchment, leaving an overhang on both long sides. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 12-by-16-inch rectangle. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Trim edges to about a ½-inch overhang; prick dough all over with the tines of a fork.

Line with parchment; fill with pie weights or dry beans. Transfer to oven; bake 20 minutes. Remove weights and parchment (if it sticks, bake a few more minutes and try again). Continue baking until golden and set on bottom, 8 to 10 minutes more (if browning too quickly, tent edges with foil).

Immediately prick bottom where puffed excessively to flatten.

Let cool 10 minutes. (Crust can be

108

APRIL 2022

Carrot-and-Parsley-Leaf Salad Soaking the sliced vegetables in ice water helps them stay crisp and sturdy once dressed.

3 carrots (8 ounces total), peeled 3 radishes (2 ounces total), trimmed 1 tablespoon grainy mustard 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1 cup fresh parsley leaves 1. Using a mandoline or vegetable

peeler, carefully slice carrots lengthwise to create long, thin, malleable ribbons. Place in a bowl of ice water. Thinly slice radishes; add to ice water. Let stand 10 minutes, then drain. Dry well.

2. In a bowl, whisk together

mustard, lemon juice, and oil.

Season with salt and pepper. Toss carrots, radishes, and parsley in dressing, then lift out of bowl and serve immediately. | TOTAL TIME: 20 MIN. MAKES: ABOUT 3 CUPS

ACTIVE TIME: 10 MIN.

mixture, then beat in poppy seeds just until combined.

2. Transfer batter to prepared

pan, smoothing top with an offset spatula. Bake until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool 20 minutes in pan on a wire rack set inside a baking sheet. Remove cake using parchment, transfer directly to rack, and let cool completely. Pour glaze over top; sprinkle generously with poppy seeds. Let set completely, about 30 minutes; transfer to a serving platter. Cake can be stored, covered, at room temperature up to 3 days. | TOTAL TIME: 1 HR. 25 MIN. | MAKES: ONE 81/2-BY-41/2-INCH LOAF ACTIVE TIME: 20 MIN.

Carrot–Poppy Seed Cake 1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan 1½ cups unbleached allpurpose flour 1¼ teaspoons baking powder

¼ ½ ½ ½ ½

teaspoon baking soda teaspoon ground cinnamon teaspoon ground cardamom teaspoon ground ginger teaspoon kosher salt (we use Diamond Crystal)

½ cup packed light-brown sugar ½ cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs, room temperature

Meyer-Lemon Glaze For a slightly more tart icing, use equal parts Meyer and regular lemon juice.

1½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh Meyer-lemon juice

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and 3 tablespoons lemon juice until smooth, adding more lemon juice, ½ teaspoon at a time, until icing is thick and pourable.

ACTIVE/TOTAL TIME: 5 MIN.

| MAKES: ABOUT

11/2 CUPS

1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup carrot juice (store-

LOVELY TOGETHER

bought or fresh) or water PAGE 78

2 cups shredded peeled carrots (from 1 pound) 3 tablespoons poppy seeds, plus more for sprinkling Meyer-Lemon Glaze (recipe follows) 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a

standard loaf pan (8½ by 4½ inches) and line with parchment, leaving an overhang on both long sides; butter parchment. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and salt until combined. Beat butter and both sugars with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat 3 minutes more. Add vanilla, carrot juice, and carrots; beat until well combined, about 2 minutes.

Reduce speed to low, add flour

HOW-TO

Hanging Egg SUPPLIES Floral wire, 7 inches long Blown-out egg (dyed, if desired) Ribbon, 14 inches long Empty egg carton (optional)

into an arching handle for vessel.

Cut a piece of ribbon from each color, each same length as strip.

1. Bend wire at one end to create a tiny hook. Push it through the holes in each end of an egg, working from bottom to top.

4. Thread tapestry needle with a length of green ribbon. Pull through hole in middle of “flower” to create a “stem.”

HOW-TO

2. Catch one end of ribbon with hook and pull it slowly through egg, pinching fabric to help it fit, until ribbon is halfway through, extending past each end. (It can help to rest the egg in an overturned empty egg carton, so both hands are free to thread.)

Ribbon Flowers SUPPLIES Rayon grosgrain ribbon, 5/8 inch or 1¼ inches wide 2 mini binder clips Green and pink ribbon, each 1/8 inch wide White glue Tapestry needle Adhesive dots or double-sided tape (optional) Unfinished Easter-egg containers

3. Remove wire from end of ribbon at bottom of egg. Push wire up through both holes again, until it reaches other end of ribbon on top. Catch it with hook. Pull top end of ribbon back through egg, forming a loop.

1. Cut a piece of ribbon that’s double the length of its width (so for a 5/8-inch ribbon, cut to 1¼-inch long; for a 1¼ -inch ribbon, cut to 21/2 inches long). Fold into accordion pleats, and secure each end with a mini binder clip.

5. Use glue, adhesive dots, or double-sided tape to adhere a length of ribbon around edge of box. Arrange ribbon flowers on top and drape stems along box, securing ribbons with glue or adhesive dots.

THE DETAILS: Shindo 100 rayon grosgrain ribbon, 30 mm, in 308, $5 a meter; and 15 mm, in 366, 359, and 7, $2.50 a meter; and 146 cotton herringbone ribbon, 3 mm, in 52 and 79, $2 a meter; and 12 mm, in 52 and 79, $2.75 a meter, sicen.shindo.com. 32° North unfinished Easter-egg containers, 4½”, in White, $5 each, vintage-ornaments.com.

HOW-TO

SUPPLIES Deep serving bowl, tureen, or compote

ILLUSTR ATIONS BY BROWN BIRD DESIGN

THE DETAILS: Living Creations handblown white free-range eggs, $18 for 12, livingcreationsstore.etsy.com. Best Pysanky single-color dyes, in Petal Peach, Vanilla Cream, Harvest Orange, and Green, from $1.25 each, best pysanky.com. Studio Carta looseweave cotton ribbon, in Blush, Peach, and Chartreuse, $12 for 5 yd., studio cartashop.com.

Potting soil, spring blooms, and moss 2. Tie center of ribbon “package” with pink ribbon, pulling it tightly and double-knotting. Remove clips.

Maple basket strip, ½ inch wide Ribbons, in 2 colors, each ½ inch wide Double-sided tape and removable adhesive dots

3. Add a thin line of glue along edges of the two ribbons below pink knot. Press edges of ribbons together firmly. Repeat with ribbons above pink knot. Let dry completely.

4. Gently move aside some soil to place a few adhesive dots on inside walls of vessel where handle will touch sides. Bend strip back into handle shape, and position inside vessel so it sticks to dots.

Reposition soil and cover with moss, mounding it generously, as shown on page 82.

THE DETAILS: Suzanne Moore’s N.C. Basket Works maple basket strips, ½", $5 for eight 5-foot strips, ncbasketworks .com. Shindo 100 rayon grosgrain ribbon, 12 mm, in 366, 359, and 7, $2.25 a meter, sicen.shindo.com.

WIN THIS CONTEST DETAILS MARTHA STEWART DAILY Official Rules NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Subject to Official Rules available at win .marthastewart.com online. There will be one Daily Giveaway Sweepstakes per day.

Entries for each daily sweepstakes must be received by 11:59 p.m., E.T. each day. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia, 21 years or older. One entry per email address per day.

Online entry only. Void where prohibited.

Sponsor: Meredith Operations Corporation.

Vessel Handle

4. Tie loose ribbon ends underneath into a knot to secure.

3. Bend strip into a U-shape, in opposite direction from the way it naturally tends to curve. (This will help it hold its curvature.) Attach tape to underside of handle and adhere one length of ribbon over tape. Flip handle over and repeat with other ribbon color.

1. Fill vessel loosely with potting soil to within an inch of the top.

Move aside some of soil in center of container, and position blossoms in place. Pat soil down firmly and add additional dirt as needed so flowers remain upright.

2. Using scissors, cut basket strip into a piece long enough to bend

MARTHA STEWART LIVING (ISSN 1057-5251) is published monthly except combined in January/February and July/ August by Meredith Operations Corporation, 1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 503093023. Periodicals postage paid at Des Moines, IA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2); NONPOSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address changes to Martha Stewart Living, P.O. Box 37508, Boone, IA 50037-0508.

(Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40021219, GST #89311617BRT.) Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Martha Stewart Living is a member of the Alliance for Audited Media. SUBSCRIBERS: If the postal authorities alert us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within two years. Your bank may provide updates to the card information we have on file. You may opt out of this service at any time. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Occasionally, we make a portion of our mailing list available to carefully selected companies that offer products and services we believe you may enjoy. If you would prefer not to receive these offers and/or information, please send a note along with your address label to Martha Stewart Living, P.O. Box 37508, Boone, IA 50037-0508, or call 800-999-6518 (U.S. and Canada) tollfree. PRINTED IN THE USA.

MARTHA STEWART LIVING

109

ADVERTISEMENT

www.Alphapals.com

Great Gardens Start with ®

NEW FINDS

• C OMES IN

•

30+ CO LO RS !

•

DRrototiller.com

SHIPPING

$20 off Orders $150+ excluding Rolex Brand Promo Code RP4MS22 | Thru 5/31/2022

FREE Catalog!

Call Toll-Free 888-213-0253

COCKTAIL ANYONE?

Old World Budapest inspires space-age skincare.

BUDAPEST COCKTAIL ADVANCED CONDUCTION FOIL MASK (MSRP: $25)

Budapest Cocktail™ infuses skin with potent anti-aging actives. The unique three-layer, thermogenic mask helps deliver glow-inducing elements deep into skin for a revitalized complexion—like the belles of Budapest.

$

Now only $39.99 MSL39A

20% OFF SITEWIDE at ilona.com with code BUDAPEST (offer ends 5/01/22)

To advertise, contact Devin at MI Integrated Media, 860-542-5180 or devin@mi-ms.com

Manufacturer’s Coupon

Pain Keeping You From What You Love?

2

$

Get Fast

Relief

OFF F d D c A sl .

Pain Relief and Hydrating Skin Repair

081543900-021014

MS422

INDEPENDENT PHARMACIES

R

INTENSIVE FOOT THERAPY – L D l c ,f s - c gf p l f d d g sk p w NO s d ff c s.

NEUROPATHY – R Q ck l f f s gp d NO s d ff c s.

gOl g, gl g, m ss w

l : Ws s m P d cs . w ll m s f f c v l f sc p pl s $0.08 dl g p v d d d c s m v c mpl d w ms f s ff . I v c s p v g p c s f s ffic s ck c v p s dc p sm s s w p q s.A ppl c m c s f d. p v dw p d, x d s c d. s m m s p s l s x s v l 1/100¢. R p d c f s c p s xp ssl p dM l : D p . W s P , PO B x 42400, Bl As , OH 45242.

© Oceana/Patrick Mustain

33 billion pounds of plastic enter the ocean every year

Our ocean sustains life. But now they are being filled and killed by plastic pollution.

33 billion pounds every year. Join the campaign to save the oceans. Oceana.org/plastics

© Oceana/Danny Ocampo

“One of my most memorable trips with Alexis was when she was 5 years old. We ventured west to Yosemite National Park, where we experienced the splendors of the giant sequoias, and the mountains and vistas of one of nature’s most incredible creations.

We hiked for miles, and even climbed to the top of Vernal Fall. It was a proud day for all of us.”

—Martha 1970

112

APRIL 2022

COURTESY OF MARTHA STEWART

Remembering

High blood pressure * minor joint pain ?

TYLENOL won’t raise blood pressure ®

®1

®1

the way that Advil, Aleve, or Motrin sometimes can. ®1

#1 Doctor Recommended OTC** Pain Relief Brand for those with high blood pressure. *TYLENOL is indicated for the temporary relief of minor pain of arthritis. Do not use for more than 10 days unless directed by a doctor.