Training is an important part of raising a happy, confident, and well-mannered dog.
My French Bulldog puppy, Half Moon, is growing quickly and is almost a year old. She has learned a great deal from her mother, Luna Muna, but I also wanted her to benefit from working with a professional trainer. This week, Half Moon spent time with Sal Romano, proprietor of Delighted Pets in nearby Brewster, New York. His business offers boarding, daycare, canine enrichment, and positive reinforcement training. I'm looking forward to seeing what new skills my beautiful Half Moon will learn.
Here are some photos.
Sal Romano started Delighted Pets in 2015 in New York City. Its first offerings included daily walks around Manhattan. Now, his company offers full concierge service, boarding, small group excursions, and more. Here’s Sal with Half Moon shortly after arriving at his facility for her first day of “school.”
Delighted Pets has an indoor/outdoor structure and a two-acre well-secured, open space nearby, as well as services in Manhattan.
Every room is clean and climate-controlled. The main exercise room of Delighted Pets is decorated with a gallery of dog portraits. The floor is padded for safety and there is a variety of agility equipment for indoor enrichment and training.
An adjacent kennel room has individual crates for quiet time and naps. Owner notes and personal food, treats, and supplies are kept near each crate.
Larger pens are used for bigger dogs or family multiples.
There is also an appropriate stainless steel animal tub for bathing.
And this hydraulic grooming table can accommodate both small and big dogs for brushing or cuts – a professional groomer is on-site.
Before any training work can begin, Sal works on getting Half Moon comfortable with him and the new surroundings. Here, Half Moon is on the grooming table where Sal tests how agreeable she is being touched and checked by someone she doesn’t know.
Half Moon is very accustomed to being handled – she is groomed every day at the farm. This is easy for my little Half Moon.
Here, Half Moon is taken to an outdoor enclosure to let her explore and sniff.
Half Moon is curious but slightly timid. This is the first time she is away from her mom, Luna Muna.
Here she is starting to walk around the enclosure – slowly, she starts to like the environment.
A harness is fitted for Half Moon and Sal starts working indoors on her recall, a training skill where the dog is taught to come to the handler immediately after a specific verbal cue or signal is given.
Half Moon’s confidence is building and does this several times. While Half Moon comes when called at the farm, it’s good for her to practice this recall without the help of Luna and my other dogs. Half Moon listens for Sal’s cue, his tone of voice, and his body language to understand what she is being asked to do.
Here is Half Moon returning consistently to Sal. Dogs learn through operant conditioning — repeating behaviors that lead to rewards and encouragement, while avoiding those that don’t.
Half Moon gives a little “side eye” – she’s quite proud of herself.
Here, Half Moon is being asked to walk with Sal, by his side. She does this all on her own – Half Moon is gaining his trust. Training is a gradual, multi-step process that demands clear communication, repetition, positive reinforcement, and above all patience. What a good girl.
The Delighted Pets boutique includes all-natural, American made treats. These Delightful Bites come in several flavors and treat sizes. My dogs love them.
Other shelves include a curated collection of grooming accessories and supplies.
And this area has a collection of cold-weather vests and coats for big and small dogs.
Training is hard work for a dog. It’s not just about following commands, it’s about learning new communication, controlling impulses, and adapting to certain human expectations. It was a log day, but Half Moon is doing wonderfully!
Once autumn arrives, it’s time to harvest the crisp, juicy apples from the hundreds of trees throughout my farm and turn them into fresh apple cider. Did you see my Instagram posts on @Marthastewart48? There’s something so gratifying about this good, old-fashioned cider making process.
Historically, cider was very important to early Americans. One in every 10-farms in New England operated its own cider mill by the time of the American Revolution. In fact, President John Adams famously drank cider every morning, believing it contributed to his good health - maybe so, he lived to the remarkable age of 90. This week, cider-making was in full swing at Cantitoe Corners. It was a lovely way to welcome the season, put my apple harvest to good use, and enjoy a most refreshing and naturally sweet drink.
Here are some photos, enjoy!
The apples used don’t have to look pristine, but they need to be free from spoilage, which would cause the juice to ferment too rapidly. They should also be well-washed, so they’re ready to go through the press. Bruised apples are put aside for my horses to enjoy.
I’ve had this manual Happy Valley Ranch press for more than 20 years. It is designed to grind and squeeze at the same time.
Pati and Carlos are getting some great exercise pressing apples. This “American Harvester” model consists of a hand-crank grinder affixed to a basket press. The grinder, pressing screw, and flywheel crank are all made of durable cast iron.
The apples are pulled from the basket or crate one by one.
Each apple is dropped onto the rotating drum. The embedded teeth grind up the apples as they are placed into the chamber.
Looking closely, one can see the small blades – they are very sharp. As the wheel is turned, the apples are pressed into the teeth and cut into small pieces.
The rotating drum works very quickly to chop up the fruits. This process is best done with two people, so one can drop the apples as the other turns the wheel.
The flywheel is an 18-pound cast iron wheel attached to the grinding shaft. This allows the operator to turn the drum which grinds the apples. It takes quite a few apples to fill the tub. Once the tub is filled with apple pulp – skins, seeds and cores – the pressing process can begin.
The tub where the apples fall after going through the grinder is called the hopper. The hopper catches the apple pulp while another tub is used for pressing.
The basket press relies on a large screw to add pressure to the crushed apples, or pomace, that are in the tub. It takes some strength to turn the screw efficiently. The 2×4 piece of wood helps add more torque. The hardwood tubs have beveled staves which make them easy to clean. They measure 12-inches high, 13-and-a-half-inches in diameter and are supported by steel hoops.
The screw pushes down on this press plate that is placed on top of the chopped apples. The pressing disk is made of maple wood.
The screw is a one-and-a-half inch thick cast iron threaded acme screw – an industry-leading thickness that can withstand the pressing pressure needed.
As the apples are compressed, the juice flows out of the sides, through a downspout, and into a collection vessel below.
A bushel of apples makes about three gallons of cider. A bushel of apples typically holds about 125 medium apples.
Do you know the difference between apple cider and apple juice? Juice has already been filtered to remove any solids or sediment, and then pasteurized to extend its freshness. Fresh cider is pure, raw juice from the apples.
Look how beautiful the cider is – such a rich, amber color.
All the compressed apple pulp is emptied into a bin and set aside for my chickens – they love pecking at the scraps.
I add a step, which is to strain the cider through layers of damp cheesecloth. This removes all the foam.
The juice is poured into a strainer and directly into a jar.
Pure, fresh apple cider made from crisp, sweet, organic fruits. It’s well-worth all the effort.
After the cider is poured, the top of the jar is wiped perfectly clean and the lids are screwed on top.
More than 60 quarts of cider made so far at the farm…
My “Super Fans” do much more than follow my work - they bring the ideas, recipes, decorating tips, gardening advice, and products I share into their own homes and everyday lives. One even started his own blog, creating an online community and archive celebrating the Martha Stewart brand.
Andrew Ritchie of Ottawa, Canada, founded his blog, "Martha Moments," in 2006. 20 years later, Andrew also hosts a dedicated Facebook discussion group and an Instagram platform with more than 30 thousand followers. Through these channels, he shares stories, inspirations, and product updates with like-minded readers. This week, I am highlighting some of these devoted supporters and brand influencers. Please visit marthamoments.com and follow @martha_moments on Instagram.
Enjoy these photos.
Andrew was inspired to create his own blog, Martha Moments, based on all the many things he has learned and loved from my books, broadcasts, and products. It is still going strong today. Read it online – just click on this highlighted link.
The fan-focused platform blends Martha Stewart brand content, product news, lifestyle inspiration, and other community‑driven features. One entry shared news about one of my newest projects, Hint, my AI-powered home management platform, designed to help homeowners manage, optimize, and protect their properties. I hope you’ve signed up!
I’ve known Andrew for many years. I invited him to be a guest on The Martha Stewart Television Show in 2010. It was a show about blogs and bloggers, a relatively new phenomenon at the time. Andrew and I made yarn cards as one of the segments.
Andrew shares that I taught him how to bake! During the pandemic, he made so many of my recipes, especially the sweet treats, like this cake.
Andrew says, “I frequently make the heart-shaped Valentine’s Day cake that was featured on the cover of the Martha Stewart Living magazine. It is so stunning and tastes incredible, filled with custard and fresh raspberries. A real show-stopper.”
He often serves it on this peacock cake stand.
Another favorite of his is my Meyer Lemon and Coconut cake from my “Cake Perfection” book. It was his choice cake to make for his last birthday.
Andrew loves the inside – so moist and perfectly flavored.
Andrew met up with me in Toronto at the Delicious Food Show in 2013 where I conducted a cooking demo in one of my new kitchens.
Here is Andrew at my Great American Tag Sale in 2022. He’s here with a plant stand he had just purchased. It once lived in my home in East Hampton, New York.
Andrew also helped organize a “Super Fans” event at my farm in June of 2025, with fellow Super Fans, Bernie Wong and Dennis Landon. He says, “it was an experience I will never forget! It was incredible to have so many of us there at Martha’s farm to spend the day with her and meet so many fellow fans. We all shared stories and talked about all the many ways she has inspired us over the years.”
One of the highlights of the day was a tour of my farm and all the many gardens. Everything was in spring bloom!
Here is Andrew standing outside my herbaceous peony garden during the tour.
And here, the group was listening to me talk about the construction of my pool. Devotees came from all over for the special occasion – Wisconsin, Illinois, Massachusetts, California, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Maryland, Florida, West Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey, Michigan, Quebec, Ontario, Texas, Minnesota, Indiana, North Carolina, and of course, New York. And although the day was very warm and humid with temperatures in the high 80s, it was a wonderful time for all.
And here is Andrew before leaving my farm, and touring a few more well-loved Martha-influenced stops before heading home to Canada.
Some “Super Fans” went on to visit my former home, Turkey Hill, in Westport, Connecticut. Here is Andrew with friends Kevin Link and Kristina Kloss – standing outside Turkey Hill’s front gate.
Here is Andrew in front of the Adams House, also in Westport, which I restored in the early 1990s. It was the subject of my book “Martha Stewart’s New Old House.”
In April 2016, Andrew started the Martha Moments Instagram page. He started it to complement his long‑running Martha Moments blog.
The Instagram page was a more immediate way to share updates, inspirations, news, and ideas. Since that initial launch, the account has shared a mix of Martha Stewart–related content — from TV clips and seasonal features to rare archival photos. It has a solid following. Follow it @martha_moments. thanks to all my “Super Fans” for sharing what they love and what they’ve learned. Their own collections, stories, and use of my products, tips, and ideas are also so very inspirational.
Martha Pins
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