Tag Archives: martha stewart

Eat, drink and buy gadgets

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We are making our holiday shopping lists and checking them twice. Whether you’re naughty or nice, edibles and kitchen gadgets are on lots of wish lists, which I discovered while reporting a holiday shopping article for NPR.

image013Here are a few domestic delights on the home front this year:

  • Martha Stewart, longtime arbiter of taste, is now toasting a new enterprise, Martha Stewart Wine Co. The online wine shop features a curated collection of wines, all taste-tested by Stewart, plus monthly wine club options and special occasion gift memberships. Among the options are a package of six bubblies from France, Italy and Spain, for $92.75. And if you don’t like what you’re sipping, Stewart will replace it for free. I sampled a selection of wines and they all have one thing in common: value prices and above-average quality. Martha, you’re picky. I appreciate that.aervana-electric-wine-aerating-dispenser-1-1
  • Wine aficionados love wine gadgets. Aervana is a push-button, battery-operated wine tap and aerator in one. Uncork a bottle of red wine— inexpensive young, tannic red wines benefit the most—place Aervana on top of the bottle and push a button for instantly aerated wine dispensed from a stainless steel spout directly into the glass. It is differentiated from other aerators in that it leaves the sediment in the bottom of the bottle during aeration. Based in suburban Philly, Aervana is available to consumers as well as wine pros. MSRP: $99.98, batteries included.
  • Standing in front of the sink doing dishes or manning the range doesn’t sound like a glamorous task. You can add bling to domestic chores, as well as relieve your aching back and legs with anti-fatigue WellnessMats, which combine ergonomics and design with monogrammed mats. The Signature includes two posh designs available in eight colors and two sizes, plus an initial in metallic gold or silver. Priced from $149.95 – $279.95.
  • The Kuma chef’s knife is on the cutting edge this year with foodies. It’s razor-sharp for precision cutting. No worries about squashing tomatoes. Kuma’s 8-inch all-purpose knife is suitable for chopping veggies, slicing meats, mincing herbs and other tasks. It’s lightweight with a sleek Japanese-inspired design. It’s also easy to sharpen. Kuma is available for around $25, plus an extra $10 and change for a sharpening rod.

Carriagers carry on at Point-to-Point

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The parade of carriages at Point-to-Point at Winterthur is always a spectacular sight, with glossy teams of horses pulling lovely carriages with elegant drivers and passengers.

unnamed-6The late George A. “Frolic” Weymouth of Chadds Ford led the parade for years. On Sunday, May 7, John Frazier Hunt of Spring City will lead more than two dozen regal, horse-drawn antique carriages through Winterthur’s 39th Annual Point-to-Point racecourse, continuing the grand procession in honor of his longtime friend.
p allen smith 4Celebrities, including Martha Stewart, often come along for the ride. This year, expect Gloria Austin, international carriaging champion, and P. Allen Smith, national tastemaker and new Winterthur Board of Trustees member. I met Allen a few years ago during a visit to Little Rock, Arkansas, and have been a guest at his fabulous farm, where he raises heirloom livestock, breeds that date back to colonial America. He is a frequent visitor to Winterthur and will be a valued trustee. He also is a really nice guy, a true southern gentleman.

Despite a nippy forecast, Point-to-Point is expected to draw more than 15,000 spectators to the 1,000-acre former country estate of Henry Francis du Pont. The Brandywine Valley’s most stylish spring sporting event, Point-to-Point features a day of professional thoroughbred steeplechase racing, lots of entertainment and glamorous tailgating, in addition to the magnificent horse-drawn carriages.

Hunt will hold the ribbons–that’s carriage-speak for reins–to his grand 1895 Park Drag originally built in London by Henry S. Whitlock for the Gilby gin family. The parade starts at Weymouth’s former home at Big Bend and proceeds along the traditional, winding route to Winterthur. Frolic initiated the parade on a whim 39 years ago, inviting a few friends to ride with him. The crowd enjoyed the spectacle so much that he returned with a few more friends every year for 37 years.

thBut what to wear? Women tend to don something feminine and floaty with wide-brimmed hats for the steeplechase. This year, with temperatures expected in the 50s, I wish I had sensible-but-chic tweeds like the ones the ladies donned at Downton Abbey for a shooting party. (What a treat is was to see the clothes up close and personal at Winterthur’s fabulous Downtown Abbey costume exhibit!)

There’s still time to secure tickets. The show goes on, rain or shine.