Claudine, Oui c'est Francais

super eats for the super bowl

This Sunday is better known as Super Bowl Sunday to most people. I have to admit, I will watch it for the commercials and that's about it. But Super Bowl Sunday means that it is time to make my favorite Buffalo Chicken Wings and stuffed Jalapeno poppers. Both are old recipes from Martha Stewart and are from the old show. The spicier the better for both of these for me.

These are my favorite, the recipe isn't on-line anymore, so I was sure happy I had it in my "archive" library!

Martha Stewart's Buffalo Chicken Wings
Serves 2 to 4

2 quarts canola oil or Crisco
3 1/2 pounds chicken wings, cut into three pieces, wing tips reserved for stock
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup Frank’s RedHot Sauce
2 1/2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
Blue-Cheese Dressing (Marie's in my favorite)
Celery sticks

1. Heat 4 inches of oil in a deep fryer or medium stockpot over high heat until a deep fryer thermometer registers 400°. Line a baking sheet with paper towels; set aside. Add half of the wing pieces to hot oil, and fry until dark golden brown, 15 to 25 minutes. Transfer to prepared baking sheets to drain.

2. While wings are cooking, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add hot sauce, Tabasco, and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until hot. Lower heat, and keep warm until ready to use.

3. When the first batch of wings is finished cooking, transfer to an airtight container. Add half the sauce, and cover tightly. Shake container to fully coat wings. Repeat with remaining wings and sauce. Serve immediately with blue-cheese dressing and celery sticks on the side.

And just in time for the big day, Martha's show on Friday, February 1st  will be all you need to get ready for Super Bowl Sunday. A wonderful guacamole recipe, Pigs in a Blanket or if you want to try a different chicken wing, check out the Spicy Citrus Caramel chicken wings.

Then, get a crash course in football when two die-hard fans (of the New York Giants and the New England Patriots) sit down with Martha to explain all the details she'll need to know to enjoy the game this Sunday – watch for Martha in the stands as she’ll be at the game in Arizona! 

Good Things for Kids special issue

The newest special issue of Martha Stewart Good Things for Kids is just hitting the newsstands this week. In the small digest size, just like the Everyday Food magazine, it is the perfect size to throw in your purse and take to the craft store to pick up all your supplies.

There are some really cute ideas, and you don't have to be a kid to play along.

Idea #16 is to make magazine holders from cereal boxes, just cut it at a angle and cover with decorative paper or self-adhesive shelf liner paper and there you are. It is a much cheaper than buying them and the perfect place to store all of your Martha Stewart Livings

Idea #22, this one is super cute! A button bracelet. I may just make one of these for myself. All you need is elastic cord and buttons. Think of the possibilities and colors.

Idea #35 for button hair clips. A great party favor or even just a little gift for friends. Each can be customized with your friends favorite color.

Idea #36 as seen on the Martha show today, Monster Mittens. Really cute and I doubt I would loose a mitten if it was as cute as these are.

Idea #51 When I was little my dream in life was to be a "pom pom girl" I couldn't remember that they were called cheerleaders. I moved onto to wanting to be a "professional roller skater" since I loved the movie Xanadu (and secretly still want to be that roller skater) But these  Tissue Paper Pom-Poms would be the perfect thing for all ages. 

Idea #52 Flower Power, makes the cutest tissue paper flowers to add to barrettes, shoes or put on a pin and make a perfect little dash of spring for any day.

Idea #56, Key chain bracelet made of white circle tags and can be decorated with colored stickers in shapes and letters. Spell out your name and decorate with your favorite stickers. Supplies you can find at the craft or office supply store.

This special issue is on newsstands begin gin today. Make sure you pick you up and make some great things for your little friends or for yourselves.

Great Valentine's arraingment

This is one of my favorite Valentine's idea and oh so easy. Martha made it years ago first with Jelly Beans for Easter and then Conversation hearts for Valentines.

All you need is two vases, one that will sit inside of another one, the same hight but when you put them together you will have room to pour the candy in. Because I am nuts I had to slide each one in one at a time so the words were all sticking out. After you fill the space with candy, you can then fill the inside vase with water and then flowers and just like that you are done.... It is a big show stopper! Just try not to eat the candy, the orange and yellow are my favorite!

Everyday Food January/February

   The newest Everyday Food is the January/February issue. The first issue of the year is always a combined month, but don't let that worry you, it is chock full of wonderful recipes....

To start with, the cover recipe, Cayenne -rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa is great. It was the first thing I made from the issue. I love spicy, the spicy the better. I even kicked it up a bit more with a little extra cayenne.

Page 15, Two-Cheese Tortilla pizza with Arugula salad. I love Arugula, or Rocket if you are on the other side of the pond. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.

Page 27, Brown-rice bowl with shrimp, snow peas and avocado. This was delicious, and serve it in a new Martha Whiteware high sided bowl that you picked up on your last trip to Macy's. Perfect dinner!

Page 56, Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, a very fast and good soup. Great for when you want a lovely homemade soup and don't want to spend all day. And the recipe is for two, so double up if you want to have it in the freezer for that next time you catch a cold

Page 92, Seared-Chicken salad with green beans, almonds and dried cherries. Great and light, perfect for some left over chicken from the night before. This one was so good, I will make it again very soon.

  Page 95, Chopped salad with spicy pork and buttermilk dressing. Nice and creamy dressing and the Chipolte Chile powder pork loin is great. Again I kicked up the Chipolte a bit

Page 99. Couscous salad with roasted vegetables and chickpeas. I bought everything for this the other day but forgot the chickpeas, so I still need to make it. But I am sure it will be wonderful, since it has all my favorite things in it.

Page 109. Roasted salmon with white-wine sauce. I don't think there is anything you can do to salmon that I wouldn't love. This issue has a whole section on "getting hooked on salmon" I will make them all!

Issue is on the newstands now.....

Martha Stewart Book Club

Thank you Kenn for the great image!

It started out as a joke that we should have a Martha Stewart Book Club with some of my fellow Martha fans but then we thought it was a darn good idea!

Martha has new books coming out all the time and there is a few of us that have every single one, you know who you are.... The newest being the Martha Stewart Wedding Cakes. As I mentioned before it is a amazing book filled with some of the most beautiful cakes.  Even though it is a book of wedding cakes that can easily be altered to make as a single layer cake or maybe a two layer cake.  Next up is the Cookie book coming out in March but there are all the other great books that are on my shelves that I look at all the time.

So what would you want the Martha book club to be and what shall we do. I was thinking when we pick a cookbook, everyone makes something from it and then we in a blog and email forum talk about what we did and what we thought about it....

Are you game to join the Martha book club? Let me know in a comment, it will be fun!

Edited: We now have a Book Club blog, it is still under construction but check it out now right here. We are really excited at the list of participants and we will let you all know soon all about our first selection. Thank you Kenn & Claudine

Martha Stewart Wedding Cakes

The newest book in the library of Martha Stewart is a book all on wedding cakes. With one of my favorite cake designers Wendy Kromer the book is full of beautiful cakes.  Wendy has been one of the main contributers to Martha Stewart weddings with some of my very favorite cakes. The Damask cake and the Cherry Blossoms being just a few of them, they are all in this book. Of course I had to have the book because it is a new Martha book but also after taking my cake classes I love all things to do with cake decorating. You don't have to be a bride or a baker to enjoy the book. Use the book as an inspiration to design a regular 8 inch cake, or make a multi tiered cake for a holiday.

One of the best parts of the whole book is in the back where the Bakers' Guidelines are. A list of how much cake batter you need to fill the standard size cake pans. Also how much of each filling or frosting and it is even filled with tons of recipes. I can't wait to make some plans to start baking......