News From the Nest, November 17

New on the Blog

Get started now on this Cranberry Liqueur so you can enjoy it and gift it over the holidays. It is super easy to make, like five minutes and four ingredients easy. But you do need four weeks to let the flavors meld. The post includes the bottle tags and a cocktail recipe booklet with recipes for six cocktails you can make with this cranberry liqueur.

👉🏼Here are some of the recipes you can make with this Cranberry Liqueur:

The Spiced Cranberry Mule gives the classic Moscow Mule a holiday makeover by swapping lime-and-ginger simplicity for cranberry liqueur and warm spices. You build everything right in the mug over ice, which makes it perfect for when friends drop by. The cranberry liqueur (homemade or store-bought) brings tart sweetness that plays beautifully with spicy ginger beer, while a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg adds just enough warmth. If you’re serving a crowd, batch the vodka, cranberry liqueur, lime juice, and spices ahead of time, then add ice and top with ginger beer when guests arrive.

This Cranberry French 75 takes one of the most elegant cocktails you can serve and turns it into a showstopper for the holidays. The homemade cranberry liqueur really shines here since the sparkling wine amplifies its flavor without overwhelming it. You shake together gin, lemon juice, and cranberry liqueur with ice, strain it into a champagne flute, and top with prosecco or champagne. The whole thing comes together in about two minutes, but it looks and tastes like you spent serious time behind the bar.

The Harvest Cranberry Sangria is the ultimate make-ahead cocktail for entertaining. This isn’t a summer fruit punch – the cranberry liqueur adds depth and tartness that regular sangria lacks, while apple cider adds body without making it cloying. The best part is that it actually needs time to sit and chill, which means you can make it in the morning for an evening gathering. Serve it over ice with some of that boozy fruit in each glass, and it’ll disappear faster than you’d expect for a drink that serves eight people.

The classic cosmopolitan gets a festive makeover in this Holiday Cosmo that swaps regular cranberry juice for homemade cranberry liqueur. The liqueur brings a deeper, more complex cranberry flavor than juice alone, with just the right amount of sweetness to balance the lime and vodka. This cocktail is elegant enough for holiday entertaining but simple enough to mix up on a regular weeknight when you want something festive. It takes just two minutes to shake together, and that ruby-red color with floating cranberries makes it look like you hired a bartender.

From The Knit + Crochet Studio

This Checkerboard Crochet Blanket is made of 30 individual squares that you can work on one at a time, making it perfect to take along wherever you go. Each 9-inch square uses a simple pattern of half double crochet stitches, and once complete, you sew them together and add a border. Think school colors, favorite team colors, etc. One reader, Jen, is already planning: “The checkerboard pattern is beautiful and so easy to understand and make. I plan on making quite a few for xmas gifts, they work up quickly.”

Need a quick and easy gift? This Garter Stitch Trivet Pattern can be knit in a day using cotton rope and makes a thoughtful present for anyone who spends time in the kitchen. A $19 spool of cotton rope is enough for four trivets, making this an economical gift option. Cathi wrote in to say, “Before Christmas I threw out all my old trivets and made 6 of your knitted cotton trivets! I love them and my family was impressed with them at Christmas dinner.”

This Cloverleaf Eyelet Baby Blanket uses the cloverleaf eyelet stitch for the body and is finished with a crocheted cloverleaf edge. The pattern includes detailed instructions for the lace pattern increases and decreases, plus tips for blocking and resizing. Teresa shared, “I had such a great time knitting this beautiful blanket! It will be my ‘go to’ baby gift blanket from now on.”

From The Kitchen

My Sourdough Focaccia Recipe transforms simple ingredients into bakery-worthy bread with a crispy crust and airy interior. The high-hydration dough gets its tangy flavor from active sourdough starter, and baking it in a cast-iron skillet creates those irresistible crispy edges. I top mine with sun-dried tomatoes and rosemary, adding them near the end of baking for the best flavor. Jeanna called it “the best beginner-friendly way to make focaccia, crowd favourite in my house!”

For the cooks or foodies on your gift list, check out these Stocking Stuffer Gift Ideas for Cooks, featuring 18 of my favorite practical kitchen gadgets. Instead of filling stockings with useless tchotchkes that end up in the junk drawer by June, focus on fewer, more useful items like cast iron seasoning, cookie scoops, and that game-changing garlic peeler tube that makes removing papery garlic skin so easy.

If you’re gearing up for holiday baking, these Baking Tips for the Best Cookies cover everything you need to know. From checking the freshness of your leaveners to understanding why chilling cookie dough matters, these tips will help you avoid common pitfalls. I even included a handy substitution guide for those moments when you’re missing an ingredient.

It’s pie time and my Homemade Pie Crust Recipe makes a tender, flaky crust that’s flavorful enough to eat on its own. I remember my grandma, who lived with us for the last 11 years of her life, baking the scraps with a bit of sugar and cinnamon, and that treat being almost as good as the finished pie. The key is keeping everything cold and processing the dough as little as possible. While grandma used all-purpose flour, I’ve updated her recipe by using pastry flour for an even more tender result.

These Mini Pecan Pies use maple syrup instead of corn syrup for a richer flavor and feature a pecan shortbread crust. They’re perfect for a mini dessert table where guests can sample a variety of sweets without committing to a whole slice. The crusts and filling can be made days in advance and assembled at the last minute, or fully prepared and frozen for later. Min raved, “So delicious! Made it for the family and everyone wanted it again this weekend, so I’m making it again.”

While you’re decorating the tree, keep this Holiday Charcuterie Board nearby for easy snacking. Build it with a festive red-and-green theme, using sugared cranberries, marinated Castelvetrano olives, and cornichons, alongside a variety of meats and cheeses. The key is to fill as much space on the board as possible and use bowls for items like preserves and nuts. For appetizers, figure on 3 ounces of meat and cheese per person, or double that to 6 ounces if it’s the main course.

I’m featuring four filled Christmas cookies this week, starting with these Mini Chocolate Cranberry Tarts. The chocolate tart shells and cranberry curd can be made days ahead, assembled shortly before serving, and topped with stabilized whipped cream and sugared cranberries. These little tarts say “festive” in a way that makes them perfect for holiday gatherings.

Another filled cookie on this week’s list: Chocolate Sugar Cookies shaped like little presents. These sandwich cookies are filled with chocolate ganache and raspberry jam, then decorated with royal icing ribbons and bows. The chocolate cookie dough uses both granulated and brown sugar for a softer texture that’s perfect for sandwich cookies. And not for nothing, they are too darned cute!

My Spiced Linzer Cookies are the third filled cookie I’m highlighting. These feature a lightly spiced gingerbread-style cookie filled with homemade pear caramel sauce. The almond flour in the dough gives them a wonderful texture, and that little window on top shows off the filling beautifully. I made these specifically so I could use my Linzer cookie cutters, and I’m so glad I did.

Rounding out the filled cookies: Mini Mincemeat Tarts bring a bit of British tradition to your holiday table. I learned to make these from my British friend Annie when her family lived down the street from us in Wilmington. The tarts use a classic pate brisee crust, partially pre-baked, then filled with mincemeat and topped with a decorative star.

From the Arts + Crafts Studio

Turn a simple bottle of wine into a thoughtful hostess gift with these Free Thanksgiving Wine Tags. Just print them on kraft cardstock, cut them out, and slip them over the neck of your favorite wine bottle. The tags feature fun phrases and come in two different sets.

These Embroidered Christmas Trees can be finished in about 90 minutes using simple chain-stitch embroidery. I used deep green velvet and metallic gold embroidery thread, stuffing them with fiberfill. They work beautifully as package adornments, tree ornaments, or hanging from garland on your mantle.

This Felt Holly Leaf Garland brings old-world charm to your Christmas mantle for around $30 in supplies. Cut leaves from wool felt, glue them together with florist wire running through each one, then twist them together to form a 9-foot garland. The wool felt reminded me of all the felt we saw throughout Austria on our summer trip, from traditional hats to hotel room plaques.

Bring a little green indoors this winter with a Terrarium. A closed terrarium creates a self-sustaining ecosystem that requires minimal watering and no fertilizing. I used ferns, moss, and peperomia in my 2-gallon jar, and it’s been thriving for months with just occasional trimming. I share step-by-step instructions so you can make your own terrarium. It’s a great way to get your hands in the dirt when outdoor gardening isn’t an option.

In the Home

If you’re expecting holiday guests, this post shares how to make your guest room more comfortable.