There's no time like the present to start a new organizing project.
Here at my busy Bedford, New York farm, I try very hard to keep things clean and well-organized - in my kitchens, my offices, my craft room, my large Equipment Barn, my greenhouses, etc. Staying organized saves time, boosts productivity, and helps minimize stress. Recently, I decided the prep kitchen in my studio/guest house needed cleaning and re-organizing from top to bottom. It's a big task, but it can be done in stages. On day-one my housekeepers tackled all the many cooking utensils.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Ever walk into the kitchen, see all those kitchen tools and supplies on the counter or in the drawers, and wonder whether they’re all necessary?
Does one need all these sifters, colanders, and strainers? And how can they be better organized?
And what about all the wooden spoons and spatulas? Which ones are the most important?
Or all those rubber kitchen scrapers? These rubber spatula scrapers are used for scraping the sides and bottom of bowls, folding ingredients together, or moving foods from one vessel to another. They are typically made from flexible rubber or silicone that is gentle on surfaces and can withstand high temperatures.
When organizing kitchen utensils, the first thing to do is place everything on a table and group like items together, discarding any that are broken or too worn.
I do a lot of cooking for television and photo shoots, so I have multiples of everything, Here, Enma puts together all my soup ladles – round, square, those that are slotted, and those that are not, etc. You can find my useful kitchen tool sets @marthastewartshop on Instagram.
Pick up my latest organizing special issue magazine. It’s on newsstands and on Amazon until March 21st.
All my kitchen tools are designed for preparing all my delicious recipes such as the ones in my 100th book, MARTHA: The Cookbook – hope you have a copy.
She goes through every piece, assessing condition and usefulness.
These are fish spatulas. A good one should be sturdy enough to lift and flip fish, meat, and other foods, easily.
These are whisks. I have all kinds of whisks – big, small, classic, balloon, and flat whisks. Each kind is designed for a different function, but all are generally used for blending, beating, and whipping ingredients together.
I also have a large assortment of basting brushes – some made with animal hair, some synthetic. I have wide ones and narrow ones. I also have silicone bristle brushes that are easier to clean and suitable for basic basting tasks.
The process of organizing kitchen tools is a good way to declutter and condense one’s collection and make room for other necessary items.
And these small organizing chores can be done in batches, whenever a busy schedule allows. Enma also makes sure every piece is clean and ready to use.
Vintage and antique crocks can be used to hold utensils on the counter. These strong, large jars are durable and easy to keep clean. They can be found at tag sales and consignment shops, or new in stores and online.
Metal spatulas first. Enma returns them in size order, so everything is easy to see.
This crock is filled with tongs of all sizes – again in size order.
The wooden spoons are arranged in a nesting display to save space.
And all like tools are kept together, so there’s no question where to find what.
Here is a vessel of nesting sifters and strainers, now within arm’s reach.
And here are all the whisks. Any unused pieces in good condition can be given away or donated.
In my Winter House, I keep frequently used utensils on a movable cart, but crocks of tools on the counter is also very helpful. In just a few minutes, all these supplies are neatly organized in clean, containers close at hand. What’s next?
Do you know... a group of pheasants is called a nye or nide? More specifically, this word describes several pheasants on the ground. A family group of pheasants with chicks is called a brood, and a group of pheasants in flight is called a bouquet.
Last year, I adopted several Golden pheasants from the Animal Nation Farm Sanctuary in nearby South Salem, New York, a caring organization and go-to resource for at-risk animals from New York City and the surrounding areas. Earlier this month, I purchased a pair of peach Golden pheasants from the Northeastern Poultry Congress in Massachusetts. These latest additions took a few days to acclimate to my farm, but they're now venturing outside their coop and enjoying time with their new friends.
Enjoy these photos.
This coop just outside my stable is currently designated for birds that are new to my farm as well as my Golden pheasants. It is heated and has doors on both the front and back for easy access to the outdoors.
Last year, I got these Golden Pheasants – one red and one yellow. These are both males and get along very well.
The red male has a golden-yellow crest with a hint of red at the tip. The face, throat, chin, and the sides of neck are rusty tan. The red Golden pheasant also has a layered cape of golden feathers – each layer edged in black.
The upper back is green, its body is largely scarlet red, and the rest of the back and rump is golden-yellow.
This summer, I acquired two female Golden pheasants. Their colors are more subdued showing a mottled brown all over the body.
These females are smaller and lighter than the males, and have shorter tails.
But my latest pair is this one – peach Golden pheasants, strikingly rare in their coloration. The one on the left is the male, or cock, and the one on the right is a female, or hen.
Males have a lot of white set off by a light, shiny golden breast and body and a full peachy ruff.
Females are more toned down in coloring and are mostly white with some tan splotches.
Both the male and female have only been at my farm for a little more than a week, but they’re already outside exploring their enclosure.
All Golden pheasants communicate with a variety of calls used in different situations.
They also prefer to run rather than fly and can reach speeds of up to 45 miles per hour if necessary to escape danger.
Pheasants are very curious and alert.
They are also hardy, very intelligent, and friendly.
Golden Pheasants also have excellent vision because of additional cone cells in their retinas. While humans have three types of cones enabling the recognition of reds, blues, and greens, Golden pheasants have four – they are sensitive to ultraviolet light, a range invisible to the human eye.
The pheasants enjoy watching the farm activity. Being near my stable, they get lots of visitors.
They enjoy perching on their ladders, which are made right here from felled trees.
They also like to go into their natural made shelters. This is one of two in the enclosure, made out of branches and twigs.
All my outdoor birds get a good supply of seeds. Pheasants also eat insects, berries, and plant matter.
And of course, there is always fresh water – checked and changed often to ensure it is always clean and free-flowing. This time of year, it is not unusual to see the troughs frozen.
Golden pheasants are small, but stunning, weighing up to two pounds when fully mature. I know they’ll be very happy here with the rest of their nye.
I always enjoy visiting local shops whenever I can. It's important to support small businesses, meet the entrepreneurs who own them, and learn about their specialties.
One of my frequent stops is Mast Market & Cafe, now in Bedford, New York - just minutes from my farm. Mast is a combination eatery and organic grocery co-founded by brothers, Rick and Michael Mast. The shop includes a coffee bar; a food counter serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desserts; a section for local farm fresh fruits, vegetables, and dairy products; and a large variety of pantry staples including their own artisanal chocolates and homemade spreads and condiments.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Mast opened in Bedford last October. It had previously been located in nearby Mt. Kisco, but due to a fire in 2023, it reopened here.
This new establishment offers menu items for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. On this day, lunch was warm soups and stews.
Baked goods include a selection of cookies and cakes made fresh daily.
… And there is also a warm beverage bar that offers a variety of coffees, teas, and hot chocolate.
Mast is also proud to offer its delicious organic chocolate made from simple, sustainable ingredients, and ethical sourcing. It is the same thoughtfully-made chocolate sold at Mast’s previous locations.
The Mast brothers have been selling their own chocolate since 2007. The cocoa bean is the primary ingredient in chocolate. Cocoa beans, or cacao beans, come from the Theobroma cacao tree – a fruit tree, whose name means “food of the gods”. The cacao beans, which are technically seeds, grow inside pods surrounded by a white fleshy pulp known as baba.
Mast chocolate bar flavors include dark chocolate, milk chocolate, almond butter chocolate, sea salt chocolate, oat milk chocolate, and others.
They are available in single bars as well as gift boxes – don’t forget, Valentine’s Day is just weeks away.
Mast also offers its own homemade line of spreads and condiments.
The peach jam is made from hand-picked, sun-ripened peaches.
There is also blueberry jam made with just blueberries, organic cane sugar, lime juice, and pectin.
And this is Mast’s artisanal classic Tomato Ketchup made with vine-ripened tomatoes in small batches.
On this wall, Mast lists the local farmers that provide the products sold and used.
Here’s a selection of fresh, organically grown fruits from a nearby farm.
And farm fresh milk, packaged in recyclable glass bottles.
Several aisles of pantry items and grab-and-go snacks fill the shelves.
There are also non-alcoholic beverages.
… And specialty olive oils and vinegars – all ethically sourced.
In this corner, a pleasant, light and airy dining area for guests.
If you’re ever in or around the Westchester area, I encourage you to make a stop at Mast Market & Cafe. You’ll be glad you did.
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