Martha Stewart Living June 2019

I’M NOT GOING TO LIE. I’m really excited about summer, and I really want to make a sheet cake. Maybe it’s that old “school’s out” feeling that brings on my inner glee—or the longing right about now for a bite of my mom’s classic chocolate block-party pleaser (a Texas sheet cake with rich chocolate icing). But June just offers so many great reasons to dive into summer, and dig into life. The longer, warmer days are the perfect excuse to eat alfresco as much as humanly possible. The bluer skies, the sun sparkling off the water, the summer Fridays, Father’s Day, graduations, open swim, abundant farmers’-market produce … the list goes on, if by some chance you need more of a rationale. Our annual food-and-outdoor-entertaining issue will inspire you to jump into…

ON THE ROAD SIP PRETTY When you raise a glass to a golden sunset panorama, happy hour is downright blissful. Grab a spot on the deck at Sierra Mar restaurant, in Big Sur, California, which is perched on a cliff between the Pacific coast and the Santa Lucia Mountains; then peruse its 2,600-strong wine list (postranchinn.com). Here are more places to kick back and have drinks with a view. CHICAGO The distance between the Midwest and the tropics slips away at Cindy’s, where you’ll enjoy piña coladas and an aerial view of Lake Michigan. cindysrooftop.com SEATTLE From Mbar’s rooftop patio, you can glimpse the sky-piercing Space Needle and watch seaplanes land on Lake Union. mbarseattle.com CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY Sit under a striped umbrella at the beachside Rusty Nail, which shakes up cocktails with fresh fruit from its…

MY DAUGHTER, ALEXIS, was just a year old when we bought a weekend place on 50 acres in Middlefield, Massachusetts. The converted one-room schoolhouse had no electricity or running water. We used kerosene lamps and candles for light, and lugged five-gallon buckets from a nearby stream. I grew fruits and vegetables in the rich soil, and our modest flower gardens bloomed from the last frost to the first. We were serious about trying to live simply and healthfully, forgoing the modern luxuries of our New York City apartment. It was there that I first raised chickens. We converted a homemade plywood playhouse into a secure habitat for our first flock of laying hens, and had a neighbor take care of them when we were gone. They provided us with all the…

SIP & REPEAT ROMAN HOLIDAY Attenzione! A new iced-coffee drink has cruised into town. An update of the Italian-American caffé Romano, an espresso served with a bit of lemon peel, this fizzy incarnation blends tart lemon soda with a cool shot. It tastes bright and full-bodied, like an amplified Arnold Palmer. Mix one up—it’s sunshine in a glass. SWEETS A Love Matcha We bet there’s a couple like this in your circle: He’s a low-key introvert, she’s an attention-loving extrovert, and somehow it totally works. This dessert, which sandwiches mild, not-too-sweet green-tea ice cream between crunchy, kicky ginger cookies, has the same dynamic. Count on it to bring unexpected fun and flavor to any get-together. INSTANT UPGRADE Stripe It Rich Conductive copper tape really shines when you take it out of the home-improvement aisle. The metallic find, originally…

IN YOUR BACKYARD 1. GO SOFT AND SUSTAINABLE Cotton June & December Mixed Woodblock Chicory napkins come in eco-inked prints and are flour sack–sturdy. $38 for 4, junedecember.com. 2. SET IT IN STONEWARE With their oval shapes and hand-painted florals, Dansk Vandvid Ceramics by Niels Refsgaard platters look artful on any table. $95 for 3, food52.com. 3. CLINK SOMETHING SAFER Chic and low-profile, Crate & Barrel stacking acrylic clear wineglasses are just the thing for poolside pours. $4 each, crateandbarrel.com. 4. RAISE THE BAR Slice limes on the teak lid of the all-weather Serena & Lily Riviera outdoor bar cart, then lift it to access ice and cocktail mixers. $898, serenaandlily.com. 5. ADD AMBIENCE The rechargeable Keen Hsu LED Lantern speaker combines a vintage hurricane lamp’s good looks with high-tech light and Bluetooth audio. $110, store.moma.org. 6. LEVEL UP To streamline a…

BEE LOCAL, Portland, Oregon Drizzled over oatmeal or swirled into yogurt or tea, this company’s raw honey lends not just sweetness but fragrant, site-specific flavor. “We make each jar from a single origin to preserve its sense of place,” says owner Ben Jacobsen, who sources from 125 different hives across the Pacific Northwest. That’s why a batch from eastern Oregon, where bees forage on buckwheat, tastes robust and smoky and pours as leisurely as molasses; whereas one from the Willamette Valley, home to a riot of wildflowers and rain-ripened berries, has a lighter color and floral and fruity notes. Unlike many commercial kinds, Bee Local’s honeys aren’t pasteurized or ultra-filtered, so every spoonful offers inflammation-reducing pollen and antioxidants. Savor it slowly, and enjoy the buzz.…