Martha Stewart Living January/February 2021

NEW YEARS ARE USUALLY marked with resolutions (lose weight!) or refined goals (run a 10k—okay, maybe walk a 5k), and restrictions are put in place to try to achieve them (no carbs/sugar/alcohol/midnight doom-scrolling … you fill in that blank). But if we’ve learned anything from the challenging year behind us, or even the ones before it: Extremes can be a recipe for misery. So this year, my only resolve is to embrace balance. Working too hard? Ease up. Feeling a little doughy? Put on the sneaks. Really want that mouthwatering sweet? Simply enjoy it. My grandmother was a master of moderation. She ate three “squares” a day, with her favorite fruits or vegetables at every meal. Her preferred mode of transportation was walking. Come Valentine’s Day, she approached her favorite treat—See’s…

ON THE ROAD SHAKE A LEG Majestic in their crystalline coats, mountains and forests invite exploration this time of year—and snowshoes help provide an all-access pass. Strap on a pair at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming (shown), where Teton Park Road, which wends along the base of soaring summits, is closed to cars and groomed. Here, three more places to pounce across powder. BRYCE, UTAH If there are 16 or more inches of packed snow, you can join a full-moon nighttime trek at Bryce Canyon National Park (gear pro-vided) and see spire-like hoodoos in eerie silhouette. Day-of sign-ups start at 8 a.m. at the visitor center. WOODFORD, VT. The frequent flurries in Woodford State Park paint a winter-white backdrop for wildlife sightings. Hit the Woodford Trail (rent shoes and poles at nearby Woodford Mountain General…

Good health, vibrant energy, clear thinking: That’s what I strive for every day. And I always have. My parents taught me and my siblings positive habits early on, encouraging daily exercise (we walked and rode our bikes, instead of being driven), nutritious eating (no fast food), and proper hygiene for hair and skin. I passed these practices on to my daughter, who now does the same with my grandchildren. I love that Jude and Truman eat a vegetable-forward diet (with very little sugar) and are so active, with sports, swimming, and dance. What’s more, they love it. To feel my best no matter how busy I am, I exercise each morning. Before the pandemic, I worked with a yoga teacher and a trainer, but now I do it alone—and I admit…

MAKE & GIVE Short Cuts Love saves the day. But these quick truffles will save you a whole lot of time and rolling. It takes only a few minutes to whip up a batch of rich ganache from heavy cream and semisweet chocolate. Then, rather than scooping and shaping each one by hand, pour the mixture into a pan, chill it, and slice it into bite-size squares. Toss them in cocoa powder and box them up for a belly-warming treat your friends will adore. THE DETAILS: Paper Mart flower-edge favor/candy boxes, 3", in Pink, $12 for 25; and bakers’ twine, in Light Orange/White, $8 for 240 yd., papermart.com. Give Them Chills Kids love anything frozen (they’ve yet to let it go). So animate their V-Day breakfast with a frosty display of affection. Pour store-bought strawberry…

Tackle the Refrigerator THE DIRTY TRUTH Sure, you wipe up spills. But if you haven’t done more than that in six months or so, it’s time to roll up your sleeves. Per a 2019 American Cleaning Institute survey, 41 percent of us don’t even remember the last time we really sanitized this space. And while it’s satisfying, the goal isn’t just Instagram-worthy organization—this is for your health. The standard temp inside a fridge (about 40 degrees) makes it hospitable to germs and fungal mold, says New York University microbiologist Philip Tierno, PhD. THE DEEP CLEAN Pet hair, dust tumbleweeds, and stray green beans can accumulate underneath and behind this appliance, covering the condenser coils that cool its motor and help it run efficiently. So unplug it, or hit the switch for its…

UNCLE NEAREST PREMIUM WHISKEY, Shelbyville, Tennessee In 2016, a hidden truth about Jack Daniel’s whiskey bubbled to the surface: A slave, Nathan “Nearest” Green, taught young Jack the liquor-making technique that would make him a legend. When best-selling author Fawn Weaver read the news, she was thirsty for more. She scoured historical records, dove into Daniel’s biography, and spoke with Green’s descendants, unearthing “a striking relationship of equality between the two,” she says, “a story of love.” To honor Green and create a spirit in his style, Weaver founded Uncle Nearest, and hired several of his family members, including great-great-granddaughter Victoria Eady Butler. She would become the company’s master blender—the first African-American woman to hold the title at a major U.S. distillery. “Our whiskey goes into oak barrels at a lower…