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GOOD T H INGS Fresh Ideas to Elevate the Everyday
INSTANT UPGRADE
SCREEN MAGIC We love a folding partition for the pretty way it breaks up a room. Here’s another transformative use: Slip it behind a basic bed frame to create a plush and personalized headboard. Recast one you already own with a favorite print, or get a new one at Calico (choose from hundreds of fabrics; calicocorners.com) and let them handle the upholstery and delivery. All you have to do is put your custom piece in place and dream on. PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHELSEA CAVANAUGH TEXT BY ELENI N. GAGE
For more sources, see page 110.
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September GOOD T H I NG S For uniform bars, slice into quadrants, then cut each quadrant into squares.
PERSONALIZE IT
Best in Class Pack it up, pack it in, let it begin! And by it, we mean the playground-style parade. Students will be proud to sport a customized book bag that they designed themselves, using these easy techniques (and a little help from you).
STICK IT Kids pick out adhesive patches; Mom finishes the job with the iron. Plus: When you buy this colorful bag, another one full of supplies is donated to a student in need. State Mini Kane backpack, in Green/Navy, $50; and Broccoli, Tomato, and Rocket Ship patches, from $5 each, statebags.com.
MAKE & TAKE
Squared Away Back-to-school for kids means back-to-bake-sales for parents. These bars will earn adults an A+, because they’re a cinch to make and very wholesome (they’re also nutand gluten-free).
CHOCOLATE-CHERRY GRANOLA BARS 1. Combine 3 cups gluten-free granola (we like Kind Healthy Grains Oats & Honey Clusters With Toasted Coconut), 3 cups puffed-rice cereal, 1 cup dried cherries, 1½ cups chocolate chips, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. 2. In a separate bowl, whisk together ½ cup honey, 4 large egg whites, and 1 stick melted and cooled unsalted butter. 3. Stir honey mixture into cereal mixture to combine, then press firmly into a parchmentlined 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Bake at 350° until golden and firm, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely, then lift out of pan and cut into squares. Store at room temperature in an airtight container up to 3 days.
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STENCIL IT Transform a basic sack by painting on your honeybunny’s favorite animal.
STITCH IT Write an older student’s name in pencil or fabric marker, then let her embroider it with a simple backstitch and jazz it up with pom-poms. For the how-tos, go to marthastewart.com/backpack-how-tos.
CarryGreen drawstring bag, $8.50 for 2, amazon.com. Martha Stewart adhesive laser-cut stencils, in Woodland Animals, $7, michaels.com.
Baggu canvas backpack, in Shell, $42, amazon .com. Herschel Supply Co. Settlement poly backpack, in Caramel, $59, herschelsupply.com.
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September GOOD T H I NG S
1 SWEET & SAVORY TARTINES Spread cottage cheese onto crackers (we like Wasa Thins). For a crunchy topping, try sprouts or radishes and lemon zest; finish with flaky sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and extravirgin olive oil. For a fruity snack, try thinly sliced plums or figs and a drizzle of honey. Hawkins New York Mara Serving Collection small board, in Pink/Copper, $145, hawkinsnew york.com.
2 STUFFED PAPAYA
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Halve and seed a ripe Hawaiian baby papaya (they’re smaller and creamier than the Mexican kind). Add a scoop of cottage cheese on top, and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.
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LATE-SUMMER CHOP
EDAMAME DIP
Combine 2 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Toss with 1 cup each cucumber, fennel, and apple, all cut into uniform ½-inch pieces. Serve spooned over cottage cheese, sprinkled with freshly ground pepper and fennel fronds.
Boil 2 cups frozen shelled edamame in salted water until tender, 8 minutes. Transfer to an ice-water bath; drain. Purée in a food processor with ½ cup cottage cheese, 1 cup cilantro, 1 seeded and chopped serrano pepper, 2 tablespoons each lime juice and extra-virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons water, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, and ¾ teaspoon kosher salt until creamy. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and carrots for dipping.
PROVISIONS
The Comeback Curd Cottage cheese, a healthy-eating staple favored by moms across America, had lost the star power it had in the ’80s, just like leg warmers and Jazzercise. But it’s now time to give it another chance: Not only is cottage cheese a low-calorie source of (tons of!) protein and calcium, it’s also a versatile alternative to Greek yogurt. Work it into one of these fresh, colorful snacks, and do the grapevine to an oldie but goodie.
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Our Pick
This container has earned a place in our testkitchen fridge for its thick, creamy texture and simple ingredients list: milk, cream, and sea salt. Good Culture Organic cottage cheese, $2 for 5.3 oz., instacart.com/whole-foods.
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September GOOD T H I NG S
SIP & REPEAT
Green Party Our spicy, savory spin on the classic Gordon’s breakfast cocktail (a lighter, brighter alternative to a Bloody Mary) is quite possibly the most refreshing formula for taking advantage of the cucumbers, mint, and hot peppers dominating your garden right now. No waste and good taste? We’ll drink to that.
GORDON’S GARDEN Muddle 4 thick cucumber rounds, 1 ounce jalapeño simple syrup,* 1½ teaspoons prepared horseradish, and a large pinch of kosher salt in a cocktail shaker. Add 2 ounces gin, 1 ounce fresh lime juice, and 1 cup ice. Shake 30 seconds. Strain into a glass filled with ice; garnish with freshly ground pepper, cucumber ribbons, and a sprig of fresh mint.
RECIPE REMIX
Cream of the Crop
Ripe, juicy tomatoes are still going strong, and will be until the end of September. To enjoy them in a new way, try this ethereal riff on traditional caprese salad, with unsweetened whipped cream standing in for the mozzarella.
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TOMATOES WITH LIGHTLY WHIPPED CREAM Use any assortment of tomatoes, such as cherry, heirloom, plum, or beefsteak. Lightly whip ½ cup heavy whipping cream in a cold bowl until soft peaks form (it’ll take about a minute). Cut larger tomatoes into thick slices; halve smaller ones or leave them whole. Arrange them on a platter with dollops of cream and season with flaky salt and freshly ground pepper. Top with fresh basil leaves and a splash of extra-virgin olive oil to serve.
*To make jalapeño simple syrup, bring ½ cup each sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan. Cut a slit in the side of each of 3 whole jalapeños; add to syrup. Simmer 10 minutes. Let cool completely. Remove peppers; store syrup in a glass container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
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September GOOD T H I NG S
Find how-tos and sources for this project and the cover version on page 110.
DIY DÉCOR
Block Party You could have bespoke cabinets built to stow your stuff. Or you can outfit standard shelves with customizable felt “curtains” that are as cool as they are clever. Just cut the felt to size, Velcro it in place, add leather tabs, and you’re done: pops of color, and plenty of storage.
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1. The Party Pantry Keep glasses or board games handy— and out of sight (and little people’s reach) the rest of the time.
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2. The Hidden Bar We heard about a top-secret speakeasy. It’s on a wooden tray tucked inside your den bookcase.
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3. The Toy Box Clean up, clean up, everybody, everywhere! The jingle actually works when kids have an easy-access stash.
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