I hope some of you have had the chance to visit The Bedford. The 194-seat dining destination was inspired by my own 1925 farmhouse in Westchester, New York. We opened the doors less than 12-weeks ago, and so far we've received so many wonderful responses to the menu and the décor. And now, we've added pieces from my own Holiday Collections available at Martha.com - faux bois dinnerware, winter garlands and wreaths, faux pumpkins, and so much more.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
The Bedford by Martha Stewart is doing great. Our menu features French-inspired cuisine along with some of my own favorite recipes – all with the freshest, locally sourced ingredients. If you’re in the area, I do hope you take time to visit. Click here to make your reservations!
This year, it just seemed right to decorate the restaurant using products from my Holiday Collections at Martha.com. On this wall, we hung my exclusive LED Pre-Lit Oak & Acorn 24-inch Wreath – inspired by the natural leaves falling all over my Bedford, New York farm right now.
On this table, we have one of my Faux White Pumpkins. This wide 13-inch pumpkin comes in a set of two. The other is tall and measures 10.75-inches in height and 8.25-inches in diameter.
Here, a variety of autumnal faux pumpkins flank my Faux Bois Planter also available on Martha.com in three different sizes.
This Faux Green Pumpkin looks so real, but is actually made from Styrofoam, plastic, glue, and cement – it is sure to last many seasons. It also comes in two sizes – wide and tall. Take a look on Martha.com.
Everything looks so beautiful and inviting when grouped together.
Helping to put up all the decorations at The Bedford are two of our engineers, Ibrahima Sarr and Rey Concepcion. they had such a fun time decorating.
We decorated this mantel with pumpkins and my Glittered Birds – sweet, woodland birds in antique brown and a bit of shimmer. These birds are available in sets of two and are each four-inches tall.
This is my Faux Winter Maple 26-inch Wreath in soft, tonal hues. This generously sized wreath can be hung in a variety of places.
Here are the wreaths hung on the windows. I love hanging wreaths on the windows of my home where guests can see them from the inside and the outside.
Here are more wreaths hung on the glass fronts of our china cabinets.
And here is a wreath hung around a sconce – also something I like to do in my own home.
Perched in some of the wreaths are my charming Faux Snow Bird Clips. These delightful birds come in sets of three and each bird is outfitted with a fastener clip, so it can be secured onto almost any bough or branch all season long.
Inside the cabinet – lots of my Martha Stewart Faux Bois Dinnerware. The elegant, rustic wood embossed pattern pieces are a great way to show off all your holiday meals. In addition, the glazed stoneware plates and bowls are also microwave- and dishwasher-safe.
On this mantel, we hung wreaths over a draped Faux Winter Maple Garland. Each one is 5-feet long – put two together to fill a larger space if needed.
This Faux Maple Leaf Garland is secured along the picture rail – so perfect for accenting a mantel, a door, a staircase, or along any ledge. It also features bendable wiring for easy wrapping and manipulating to the desired shape.
The wreaths look great wherever they are placed, and because the LED lights are battery-operated and managed by a push-button, the wreath can be incorporated effortlessly into any holiday home without the need for cords or plugs. And above, my Copper Tri-Ply Cookware – durable copper with 18/10 stainless steel tri-ply construction for faster heat conductivity, heat retention, and temperature control.
My LED Pre-Lit Oak & Acorn 24-inch Wreath is great for fall and winter decorating. The leaves and acorns are gilded for a glamorous effect, then intertwined with LED lights for a soft, ambient glow. So start your seasonal festivities off on a brilliant note with all my decorations from Martha.com. I know you’ll love them for many years to come.
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, I personally test many of the recipes we offer in our delivery meal-kit service. Everything is delivered right to my door and each meal is ready in 40-minutes or less. They're perfect for lunch in between television and photography shoots, or my many scheduled Zoom calls and conferences. If you haven’t yet tried Martha & Marley Spoon, please go to the web site by clicking on the highlighted link for more information. Our meal-kit delivery service features so many inspiring recipes and cooking ideas and you can customize your menu and choose the recipes you like best. It's a wonderful way to enjoy good, nutritious food without the added stress of shopping for ingredients.
Enjoy these photos.
The first thing we do is take out all the ingredients from our Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon box and place them on the counter where everything is easy to see. All these ingredients are fresh and pre-portioned, so there is no waste.
While the oven is preheating to 425-degrees Fahrenheit, Elvira prepares the grains combining the 5-grain blend, water, and a teaspoon of salt in a saucepan and cooking for about 15 to 17 minutes.
Each meal comes with a large recipe card, which lists the ingredients and each of the six steps plus large photos to help show each stage of the process.
On the other side, a full sized image of the meal once it is cooked and ready to serve.
Next, Elvira prepares the dressing.
She juices one lemon into a small bowl. Here she is using my citrus press from Macy’s – I love this tool because it gets every drop of juice from the fruit with just a squeeze of the handles.
Into the same bowl, she adds three tablespoons of oil…
… And two teaspoons of maple syrup.
Then she whisks up the liquid and seasons to taste with salt and pepper.
Next, she halves the fennel and cuts into 1/2-inch thick wedges.
She halves the squash, scoops out the seeds…
… And also cuts it into 1/2-inch thick pieces.
The squash is topped with maple syrup and Chinese five spice and roasted until caramelized and tender.
And the fennel is also roasted until tender and brown.
The walnuts are roasted next for about seven minutes.
Elvira tosses the spinach with a drizzle of oil and then tops it with the 5-grain blend and roasted vegetables.
Here she adds the delicious and sweet squash.
Once the cooked ingredients and spinach are all mixed together, she adds the blue cheese, walnuts, maple vinaigrette, and lemon wedges. And that’s it.
Isn’t that a wonderful looking salad? And it looks just like the photo!
This fall salad is a big hit. It was made for four servings – and every bit of it was devoured – so good. Go to the web site and see how you can sign up for Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon right now. You’ll love every dish.
One of the responsibilities of being a homeowner is to make sure all the necessary appliances are always in good, working order.
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, my stable team does quite a bit of laundry - at least a couple loads a day to wash all the saddle pads, horse blankets, towels, etc. To keep up with all the laundry, I have a washer dryer set dedicated to just these items. Recently, we determined these machines were due for replacement - they were several years old and starting to malfunction. Thanks to Speed Queen, we now have a new residential washer and dryer with large drum capacities and special cycles specifically designed for heavy duty loads.
Here are some photos, and some useful laundry tips, enjoy.
There’s a big delivery arriving at the stable and the horses are curious to see what it is. Here is handsome Bond watching all the activity from his stall.
Just outside – our new washer and dryer from Speed Queen. Speed Queen was founded in 1908 in Wisconsin by Joe Barlow and John Seelig as Barlow & Seelig Manufacturing. As young entrepreneurs, they started out by taking existing machine designs and improving them. In 1922, Speed Queen was the first company to introduce washers with nickel-copper tubs. And in 1928, they renamed the company “Speed Queen.”
Speed Queen makes a variety of residential and commercial products, from 25-pound capacity tumblers to 250-pound washer-extractors,
and dryers. These units are models FF7 and DR7 front loading machines.
The stable laundry room is located in the basement of my stable office building. Because the stairwell is narrow, we needed a powerful washer and dryer that would fit through all the doorways and down the stairs. When shopping for appliances always map the route to the room where the appliance will go and measure the spaces exactly.
Here is our new Speed Queen washer on the left, and a matching dryer on the right. Another good tip when purchasing a new washing unit is to make sure the doors are hinged on the most convenient sides. Our washer opens out to the left while the dryer swings open to the right. Doors are not in the way when unloading and loading.
On the day the machine was installed, my stable manager, Helen Peparo, set aside some saddle pads to wash. These pads are placed on the horse’s back and under the saddle – they can get quite dirty after a ride. As with anything that needs washing, never skip the prep work—take a look at the labels for any washing instructions.
Helen was eager to test out the new machines. Speed Queen’s Pet Plus cycles are specially designed for removing hair from fabrics.
Speed Queen’s washers take all kinds of detergents – liquid, powder, and pods. I only use the gentlest unscented liquid detergents for all the washing done here at the farm.
Speed Queen’s washer panel has easy to read options and allows one to customize the cycle for specific needs and times. Always be sure to configure the correct washer settings for a load. A regular cycle is best for sturdy and dirty items, while the permanent press setting is fine for the average load. Use hot water for white loads, warm water for the average load, and cold water for bright colors.
Helen moves the saddle pads into the dryer. Most dryers have settings that allow one to choose how dry the items would be. The permanent press setting has a cool-down cycle at the end to reduce wrinkling. On air fluff, the dryer circulates air but adds no heat.
This dryer has a large drum capacity for a large load of towels or horse blankets. The dryer also includes a Pet Plus feature for removing hair as well as anti-static capabilities. To prevent the dryer from overheating, always clean the screen or filter after every use, and remove accumulated lint from behind the dryer.
Here’s Helen ready to tack up one of my handsome Friesians with a clean saddle pad.
Once Hylke is secured and safe outside the stall, Helen starts to prepare him for a ride. All the horses are well exercised – they are ridden every day and spend most of their time in large pastures here at the farm.
Hylke remains very still – he is such a good boy. The saddle sits on the saddle pad as well as a non-slip pad so nothing slides during the ride and both rider and horse are comfortable with the equipment.
This was a very mild autumn day – it hit 70-degrees by the afternoon. Helen takes Hylke out for a short ride.
And then all the horses are turned out in my Run-In paddock, the largest here at the farm. These boys are more interested in grazing than posing for the camera.
The Friesian is most often recognized by its bold black coat color. Bond’s coat stands out in front of the changing foliage. Friesians also have long, arched necks and powerful sloping shoulders, compact, muscular bodies with strong hindquarters, and low-set tails.
My Fell Pony Banchunch is on the left and Rinze, the patriarch of the stable is on the right – such beautiful horses enjoying a lovely autumn afternoon.
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