FROM the FARM: Vegetarian and Buffalo Chicken take top chili honors

Phil Potempa's weekly farm column recipe.

Martha Stewart Collection Tea Kettle

The Martha Stewart Collection Tea Kettle in Red Ombre isleek and beautiful and can go from the stove right to the table to assure every cup of tea is hot and freshly prepared. It makes a memorable Valentine's Day gift and sells for $49.99 at Macy's.

Felt can add texture, warmth, fun to winter days

It's that time of year when texture, character and warmth define the most successful decor. The perfect time for felt.

Breaded Pork Tenderloin: an Indiana tradition

Just across the street from Indiana's Decatur County Courthouse – the one with the tree growing out of the courthouse tower – Stories Restaurant has been a local favorite for since the 1970s.

Alfajores make a delicious holiday treat

Several weeks ago I visited the famed Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market. In business for almost a century, the market is considered a "producers only" market, where everything sold has to be baked, crafted or grown by the vendors.

Easy projects rethink tie-dye for elegant holiday gifts

Crafts don't have to be complicated. With the holiday season ahead, an easy, enjoyable craft can cover many gifting bases. What could be more fun than experimenting with a simple tie-dye?

Martha Stewart with Julia Child at Chicago Housewares Show in 2001

Julia Child, right, poses for a picture with Martha Stewart, at the Chicago Housewares Show on Jan. 14, 2001.

OFFBEAT: Reader looking for Martha Stewart, gets Julia Child bonus

Phil Potempa's daily entertainment news column.

'Smitten Kitchen' blogger and author offers perfect recipes, solidarity for home cooks

Deb Perelman, named the top food blogger of 2011 by Saveur magazine and praised by Martha Stewart, doesn’t work out of a swanky, gleaming high-tech kitchen.

Yummy: lunch sacks with DIY character

A desire to recycle, save money and add that personal, imaginative touch is what entices many crafty people to create what easily can be bought. This time of year, that includes crafting a lunch sack.

Right at Home: tweaking the traditional cornucopia

The cornucopia, that symbol of abundance and the harvest, has graced the Thanskgiving table or sideboard for generations. While the original version, in ancient Greece, was a goat's horn, the American cornucopia is typically a horn-shaped wicker basket filled with a colorful array of fall ve…

From cocktails to coat racks, Holiday Hosting 101

Not everyone can be Martha Stewart. For the mere mortal hosts among us, holiday party planning can whip up stress and anxiety: Is my house inviting? Do I have enough chairs? What about food?

Pinteresting ideas invade Halloween

In the world of handmade holiday crafts, the empty roll of toilet paper is replacing the piece of uncooked macaroni.

A special country road drive

I went to visit my friend Jackie Hughes who lives in Elkhart, Indiana last week and she and I took a ride through Amish Country to a bakery near Shipshewana she’s been telling me about. Called the Country Lane Bakery, it is, of course, on a back road and even though Jackie has been there man…

OFFBEAT: Martha Stewart in Chicago Thursday for free Home Depot class

Phil Potempa's daily entertainment news column.

Martha Stewart at 2012 Pillsbury Bake Off in Orlando

Times Columnist Philip Potempa snapped this photo of Martha Stewart while strolling with her through the ballroom "makeshift-kitchen" competition area at the 45th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off at the Peabody Hotel in Orlando in March 2012.

WILL-TRAVEL-FOR-FOOD: Back road to Amish bakery

I went to visit my friend Jackie Hughes who lives in Elkhart, Indiana last week and she and I took a ride through Amish Country to a bakery near Shipshewana she’s been telling me about. Called the Country Lane Bakery, it is, of course, on a back road and even though Jackie has been there man…

FROM the FARM: Fair inspires Crown Point window display

Phil Potempa's weekly farm column recipe.

Pastry Chef Alain Roby with Martha Stewart and His Seven Foot Chocolate Cake

Pastry Chef Alain Roby, holder of two Guinness World Records, shown during a 2010 guest appearance with Martha Stewart on "The Martha Stewart Show," unveiling his seven-foot towering chocolate cake.