January 8 News from the Nest

Good Morning, friends!

Before anything, let’s take a minute to be thankful that Camellias bloom in their gorgeous colors on these otherwise dreary and cold January days.

Table of Contents

I hope this Monday finds you rested and renewed from your weekend. This was the first full weekend since before Thanksgiving that we had nothing going on…and it was bliss! I hunkered down on a rainy Saturday and knit…all day! I’m almost finished with a very sweet baby blanket that I’m excited to share with you very soon. It is intended for a dear friend of my daughter who is due with her first child very soon!

I also spent some time actively and purposefully decluttering the kitchen. I am a sucker for glass jars, bottles, carafes, you name it. Like a good cardboard box, these are things that I feel I will invariably need the minute I throw them away. Nevertheless, I parted with some lovely glass containers that have occupied valuable space on the top shelf in my pantry for far too long.

If you need a little nudge when struggling with tossing something just because you might need it down the road, consider this,

“Over the course of an average lifetime, because of all the clutter we live in, we will spend 3,680 hours, or 153 days, searching for misplaced items.”

Joshua Becker

For those of you joining us on the 2024 Decluttering Challenge, how are you progressing? If you started at the beginning of the year, last week we worked on bedrooms and bathrooms and this week the email and checklist for the kitchen will be sent out. But, but bear in mind that you can join and start anytime! It is a 7-week series, so figure out when it would work best for you!

From the Knit Studio

• Have you always wanted to learn how to knit? Our ‘How to Knit’ tutorials start at the very beginning, learning about needles as well as yarn, and then progress to how to do basic stitches and read a pattern. At the end of the series, we will walk you through knitting a washcloth.
• I knit this purse for my mom several years back and it remains her ‘summer purse.’ The leather handles are removable so that the purse can be washed as needed.

From the Kitchen

• Let chuck roast slowly simmer in garlic, onion, Worcestershire, and soy sauce for the day, and you’ll have the best fork-tender, pull-apart beef for sandwiches, enchilada or burrito filling, and more. Add this Slow Cooker Pulled Beef recipe and this Homemade Barbecue Sauce Recipe to your recipe stash; you will return to them regularly.

• This Hearty Beef Soup is a family favorite! The depth of flavor results from mushrooms and browned beef shanks, in addition to the stew meat. If you are looking for a hearty, nourishing, and delicious soup, then this is your recipe!

From the Craft Room

• You’ll start making these microwaveable neck wraps for yourself, then you’ll start making them for your friends!

House and Home

I would love your input! What are some organizing and decluttering challenges you struggle with or would like me to tackle? Leave your comments below .

• Revere Pewter remains one of Benjamin Moore’s most popular colors. Last year, we painted the exterior brick of our home in this lovely color and I still pinch myself every time I pull into the driveway! Check out this post for information about Revere Pewter and about painting exterior brick.

The Ten Most Visited Posts in 2023

Let’s take a little trip in the Wayback Machine to see what articles you most visited last year. There is quite a range of interests here, which is just how I hoped it would be!

In a nutshell, this group loves to drink margaritas while killing weeds naturally so that you can have a bumper crop of cucumbers and jalapeños to pickle. Your other favorite drink is a hot cup of ginger tea, which you enjoy when you sit down to knit either baby blankets or washcloths and dishcloths. Oh, and you REALLY love your 4-legged babies and indulge them with homemade treats!

#10 The Very Best Margarita

I can honestly say, without hesitation, that my dad made THE BEST MARGARITA! Hands down! No question! After you try it, you’ll be convinced – as I am – that this is the perfect margarita recipe! 

I was visiting my daughter and her family in Rhode Island and we celebrated Margarita Friday, (and Saturday) in January with your shared recipe. It was the most amazing Margarita I have ever had. I have saved it in multiple places so I can always find it!

Christie

the very best margarita

#9 Ginger Lemon Tea Cubes

There are so many positive health benefits to this combination of two simple and common ingredients! Not only are these lemon ginger cubes delicious, healthy, and help me get the water I need daily, but they are also a great way to reduce food waste. If you need to zest a lemon for a recipe, go ahead and juice the lemon or freeze it until you are ready to juice it.

I use my frozen ginger lemon cubes to a tea ball and add a spearmint tea bag and some honey you then have a medicine ball drink from Starbucks.

Theresa

lemon ginger cubes

#8 Jar-by-Jar Refrigerator Dill Pickle Recipe

Looking for an easy pickle recipe? If you want to make one jar of refrigerator pickles or five, this is the perfect refrigerator pickle recipe. It is an easy and flavorful refrigerator dill pickle recipe for small or large batches.

Hi Lynn,
Tried this recipe for the first time this year. We had planted a smaller variety of cucumbers and grew dill in our raised beds garden. I was so excited to try this recipe because I’ve never made pickles and this recipe seemed so simple and easy. It did not disappoint. My whole family is loving these pickles. I cut some in chips, spears, and sandwich stuffer sizes. My husband is ready to plant next year’s garden so that I can make more. Thank you for sharing this with us

Lynn R.

refrigerator dill pickles, jar-by-jar

#7 How to Mend Moth Holes

Illustrated, Step-by-Step Instructions Showing How to Mend Moth Holes in Clothes and Other Knit Items.

Thank you so much for posting about the moth holes on fine knits. I have three fine Merino sweaters to work on now that I know how. What a relief to know they can be fixed

Carol

How to mend moth holes

#6 Knit Eyelet Baby Blanket Pattern

This charming knit eyelet baby blanket pattern uses the cloverleaf eyelet stitch and is finished with a cloverleaf crochet edge. This sweet blanket makes a perfect gift for the new baby in your world. The instructional video shows how to knit the cloverleaf eyelet stitch and crochet the cloverleaf edge. Like all my patterns, this is a free knitting pattern for subscribers.

I just wanted to write and let you I love your blog! I’m currently knitting the baby eyelet blanket and it’s beautiful. I took the Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars to work and they were a huge hit. Keep all that good stuff coming!

Paula

knit eyelet baby blanket pattern

#5 Jar-by-jar Jalapeño Peppers

Do you love pickled jalapeño peppers? This easy recipe for canning jalapeño peppers is perfect for first-time or experienced canners. With this jar-by-jar recipe, you can easily alter the recipe for as many pounds of peppers as you have. This jalapeño recipe gives directions for both water bath canning and refrigerating your canned pickled jalapeños; it’s up to you which direction you choose to go!

Fantastic recipe! I harvested around 3 lbs of jalapenos before the first freeze 2 nights ago and pickled them as per your directions. I did the same thing last year and those are now spectacular!!! I can’t thank you enough!

Lucy

jar-by-jar pickled jalapeño peppers

#3 Seven Free Knitted Dishcloth Patterns

These seven free knitted dishcloth patterns are always some of my most popular patterns. Knitted dishcloths and knitted washcloths are easy and quick projects; you could quickly knit up a dishcloth stash for gifting or for keeping for yourself. Speaking of ‘stashes’, knitting dishcloths and washcloths is a great way to use up your stash of yarn. These patterns cover a variety of skill levels, from the most basic beginner patterns to more challenging knit patterns.

Your knitted dishcloth patterns have become a staple for me. I have made them as gifts for friends and my adult children’s homes. I am sure I have made 10 or more of them. I have found they are a perfect project to do while watching TV at night. Thank you!

Joy

free knit dishcloth patterns

#2 Handmade Gift Ideas

Twenty-two DIY Gift Ideas that you will be thrilled to give and the recipient will be thrilled to receive.  These creative homemade gifts are useful, and unique and don’t scream ‘DIY!’

I really appreciate a good DIY gift that looks like it could have been purchased at a fancy gift boutique. That’s the standard I like to run my ideas through anyway. “Crafted” rather than “crafty.” Thanks for sharing these!

Melissa

handmade gift ideas

#1 Three-Ingredient Dog Treats 🌟

These 3-Ingredient Dog Treats are easy to make with items you most likely have in your kitchen. The ingredients are easily substituted, and suggestions for substitutions are included.

I can’t believe it’s that easy! Just 3 ingredients! My dogs loves them. so much healthier than store bought! Thanks for the recipe 😘 😋 🐕🐕🐶

Mary

3-ingredient dog treats

A Few Favorites and Fun Finds

Some of these links may be Amazon affiliate links and I may earn a small commission off of the sale of these products to help defray the costs of operating this site, but the price you are charged is not affected. You can see my full disclosure policy here.

• After a little kitchen decluttering, I treated myself to some new kitchen drawer organization. I’ve been eyeing these lovely bamboo expandable drawer organizers for a couple of years.
• And these ziplock bag storage boxes.
• If monitoring your fitness is on your to-do list this year, FitBits are up to 35% off right now.
• Santa brought me some new fabric napkins as our current inventory was looking a bit ratty. These napkins are great quality at a reasonable price.

Nourish + Nestle’s Amazon Shop

Over the years, we have curated our Amazon Shop to include items we have used to make many of our projects and recipes. It is an ongoing process, so check in from time to time.

pop on over

Well, mes amis, my goal today is to put the crochet edge on this new blanket so I can get the pattern written and get it to its new home. If I finish that today, my treat for myself will be to unbox and put my new draw organizers in the kitchen! And I really have so much to do on the blog…I have a backlog of articles to get published for your reading, crafting, and cooking pleasure!

I leave you with this thought,

Until Next Week,

Thanks for making my day by SHARING!!