News from the Nest, December 4

Guten Morgen from somewhere on the Rhine, between Speyer and Kehl, Germany. Several of you remarked that I shouldn’t be ‘working’ while on vacay, but I’m truly excited to share our adventures with you!

Oh my heavens, we have had the most lovely, Christmas-spirit-filled trip! I’ve enjoyed my share of Glühwein, Apfel Strudel, Sausages, and other German delicacies. My quick takeaways:

• German Christmas Markets are more about food and socializing than merchandise. It was clear that families and friends, young and old, were gathered to kickstart their holidays at the market. They were lively and infectiously festive. That said, I didn’t have a problem finding great gifts for my family and a few fun finds for myself! I’m coming home with sausages wrapped in nutcracker paper, a wonderful pair of scissors, a stacking Santa doll, chocolate-covered Lebkuchen, a wooden rolling pin that imprints Christmas Trees on the dough, and fun felted ornaments. My honey bought me a gorgeous felted wool poncho and scarf, which I’ve already worn and truly love.

• Each market has its own identity, but you could always plan on Glühwein and sausage.

• This is our first Viking cruise and I’ve concluded that the cruises are great ‘travel samplers.’ We’ve been to many lovely cities, several of which we would love to return to and spend more time at a later date, but you don’t get the ‘in-depth’ experience.
• We’ve been truly impressed by the staff of Viking. The ‘program director’ was top-notch and all the staff was impressive. The ship ran like clockwork, was exceptionally clean and well-maintained, and festively decorated. Like I said, this was our first Viking adventure and we are up for more! It’s such a nice way to travel and not have to unpack and repack every couple of days.
• If you do come to the Rhine during December, be prepared for the weather. One of our fellow passengers appropriately noted that it was ‘stupid cold.’ Terry didn’t quite bring appropriate clothing and ended up wearing my flared yoga pants under his jeans. Others who were more prepared came with their ski pants, which was a great idea.

Hearty Winter Fare

• When we get back from this trip we are going to watch our diet for a week or ten days, until we gather with family for the holidays! One of the first dishes I’ll make is this Brothy Beans recipe, and maybe roast a few tomatoes to top it! It’s easy on the wallet and good for our waistline.

• 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!

• This flavor-FULL, healthy, and easy White Chicken Chili combines lean protein, hearty beans, and a vibrant blend of spices to thrill your taste buds. Whether you’re hunkering down on a chilly evening or serving up a family feast, this healthy Chili Recipe is a crowd-pleaser that won’t derail your wellness goals.

• This Tuscan White Bean Soup can be made in the Slow Cooker or on the Stove Top. The results are equally delicious; it’s just up to you what would make your day easier!

• This chicken vegetable soup recipe is simply delicious, easy to make, and can be ready to eat in just a little over an hour.

Christmas in the Kitchen

• This Festive Christmas Salad Recipe is not only an easy recipe for a gorgeous salad, but it makes a lovely addition to your Holiday Table.

• This Gingerbread Bundt Cake is moist and flavorful but not too molasses-heavy. Serve it right out of the oven, dust it with powdered sugar, or drizzle the Spiced Bourbon Glaze over it.

• If you want to make this White Fruitcake for Christmas, the time is NOW!

• This Glazed Crisp Ginger Molasses Cookie recipe is an ideal addition to your cookie recipe list. If you need some inspiration for your ‘to-bake’ list, you’re in luck today my friend; these spicy and gingery cookies are also light and crisp.

• These Chocolate Sugar Cookies sandwich a chocolate ganache and raspberry filling. ‘Tie’ a ribbon around the cookie package to turn these filled sandwich cookies into darling little ‘presents.’

• Use Christmas sprinkles to make chocolate-covered Oreos for the holidays.

Quick Knits for Christmas Gifts

• You could start and finish one of these chunky knit Christmas stockings in a day, especially with all the videos I made to walk you through the process. Even if you’ve never knitted a sock before, I think you could do one in a day.

• These seven free-knitted dishcloth and washcloth 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 giving this holiday season. Pair washcloths with a bar of soap or dishcloths with a spatula for a welcome gift.

• With this Free, Knit Garter Stitch Trivet Pattern and a spool of rope, you could knit several handy trivets in a day!

Gift Ideas

If you, like me, are seeking ideas for useful and clever gifts this year, I hope some of these will come in handy.

• My brother and I come from a family of foodies. Our mom is and our grandma was a world-class cook and baker. I think it is fair to say that I tend to be more of a traditional cook, while my brother is much more adventurous. He’s the one who dry-ages his steaks and mixes creative cocktails. We often share recipes and compare our latest kitchen gadgets and tools. With that in mind, I turned to my brother recently to ask him what some of his favorite kitchen tools are. So, if you are looking for gifts for the Foodie Guy in your world, I am sure you will find some good ideas here.

•  We have gathered some useful knitters’ gift ideas (and maybe for you too!) From a knitting tote bag to stitch markers and a travel kit for knitters, we have the very best knitting gift ideas.

• Useful Stocking Stuffer for Cooks

• If gift cards or money are the best option for you to give this year, make sure to download our free, printable gift card envelopes!

Some Fun Finds and Few Favorites

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• This candle is gorgeous, smells great, and makes superb hostess gifts.
• Our daughter requested these sweet pillow covers as a Christmas gift. They seem good quality at a good price for two pillows and come in 10 different colors.
• This cookbook was an early Christmas present to myself and I’ve already made three great bread recipes, including the soft sourdough rolls for Thanksgiving. If you or someone you know enjoys baking sourdough bread, this gorgeous cookbook is chock-full of yummy, tested recipes. The author also does a great job explaining the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ of baking sourdough bread.
• I borrowed these packing cubes from my mom for this trip and have since put them on my Christmas packing list. They kept my clothes organized on this two-week trip. And, they truly did make space in my suitcase.
• My hand blender is a well-used tool in my kitchen, this Kitchenaid is 25% off.

Well, we are off to Strasbourg today. Tomorrow we arrive in Breisbach and on Wednesday we end our trip in Basel. We have enjoyed every minute, but are glad to get back home and get our preparations for the holidays underway. I’ve been very successful with finding great stocking stuffers in the markets, which is incentive enough for me to return every year!

Hugs and Kisses until next week,

Thanks for making my day by SHARING!!