News from the Nest, February 12
Well, that was a fun Superbowl! I stayed up well past my bedtime but enjoyed every minute of it. And we even got a few Taylor sightings! I’m in the “We can never see people in love too often.” camp, so I also delight in those opportunities.
And, if my typing seems a bit off, it’s because I strained my arm by patting myself on the back for my very productive weekend! I made and canned 38 pints/quarts of stock and broth, mostly chicken stock and vegetable broth, but also a little ham stock and some bone broth. And then, when I wasn’t in the kitchen, we reveled in the gorgeous weather by working in the yard.
Table of Contents
Typically, after a weekend similar to the one I just had, I would be glad for Monday to relax a bit! But this week starts our ‘Week of Work,’ so my schedule will not be relaxed! We try to schedule a ‘Week of Work’ every quarter, but it seems we usually only manage two a year.
During a ‘Week of Work,’ we try to keep our calendars clear of appointments, take off work as much as possible, and dedicate our week to clear up the ‘to-do’s’ that seem to multiply around the house.
This week, we’re scheduled to trim all the boxwoods and hydrangeas in the yard before laying down pine straw. Additionally, we will remove two tall cabinets in our garage that are falling apart and replace them with open shelving. And, if there is time left over, we will paint one of our bathrooms in preparation for its makeover.
A Favor to Ask…
When someone looks for something on the Internet, Google and every other search engine will first show them posts that have been reviewed well by other readers. To that end, it really helps me get Nourish + Nestle’s content shown when you leave a comment and a rating on that specific post when you’ve enjoyed a craft or a recipe we’ve shared.
All of my recipes and many of my crafts have a place to leave a ⭐rating and a comment directly on the post.
New on the Blog
This Slow Cooker Lentil Soup is a hearty, nutritious, and easy-to-make meal that’s perfect for chilly days or any time you’re craving something comforting. The recipe also includes instructions for making this soup on the stove.
I’ve always found it curious that most citrus fruits are at their peak during these cold winter months. I’ve collected over 30 recipes, including beverages, preserves, soups, salads, mains, and baked treats containing citrus fruits. So, if we can manage to stay indoors, crank the heat a little, and nosh on a few of these citrus recipes…we might just forget the swirling and chilling weather outdoors.
From the Knit Studio
This Half-Linen Stitch Chunky Blanket features a Faux Fur Trim, making it just a little extra! And, lest you think this is that nasty, scratchy faux fur…au contraire. I love this soft and silky faux fur yarn, and the applied i-cord is an ideal way to apply it to the edge of this blanket. I’ve knit several of these; most recently, one was the requested wedding gift for a friend of my daughter’s.
Make sure to nab some of these Knit Care tags to include with your hand-knitted gifts. Just print them off and cut them out. I use cardstock.
In the Kitchen
Learn a new skill this year! Make and preserve your own jams, jellies, preserves, conserves, or marmalades! This post goes over some of the basics, and then this post is a simple first jam recipe that walks you through the whole process.
Make this sugar-free apple butter on the stovetop, in a slow cooker, or in a crockpot. We discuss several different options to process your apples: food mill, food processor, blender, or immersion blender. And do you want your apple butter to be just a little chunky or silky smooth? It’s up to you!
Then, you can use your homemade apple butter or anyone else’s apple butter to make these Apple Butter Oatmeal Bars!
I made this White Chicken Chili last week, and we enjoyed it for leftovers this week. This simple chili gets made regularly year-round, from January to December. It freezes beautifully, making it a perfect dinner when we need something quick.
From the Arts + Crafts Studio
Let’s go FAUX! I shared the faux-fur-edged blanket earlier, so let’s continue in that vein.
This ‘copper’ tub was such a rewarding upcycle. I took a black tub with a painted tub and turned it copper! It is perfect for holding firewood.
I really enjoy the process of faux marbling. It is really hard to make errors; if you don’t like it, just wipe it off or paint over it. In these posts, I share how I marbled this tray and this table.
In the House + Home
This post provides instructions on how to clean a rusty cast iron skillet. After thoroughly cleaning, we will also tackle seasoning cast iron skillets.
How’s your decluttering going? I am finishing up this week in the garage. We’ve realized that we can’t see what we have because it is hard to access our storage, so garage stuff gets piled where it is convenient, resulting in…you guessed it…CLUTTER! Our new open shelving will address that, and in the process, we’ll be tossing a good bit, I’m sure. It’s always a cathartic experience to clear your home (and your mind) of unnecessary clutter.
Some Fun Finds and a Few Favorites
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Replacement Straws for those Stanley tumblers.
I bought one of these rectangular pitchers at the beginning of the year. The VRBO we stayed in over the holidays had one, and it dawned on me just how space-saving this is compared to a round pitcher. I paid $38, and now it’s $15! This is a great space saver if you struggle with a small fridge like we do.
A pretty mug set…with bamboo lids, to boot!
I came late in life to appreciate a bench scraper in the kitchen.
As it is raining today, I think we will start in the garage this morning. I’ll try to remember to get before and after photos.
Hugs,
Just love your column. Might try the chicken chili fir healthy eating. Hope your arm feels better soon.
Hugs
Hi Barbs!
Think my arms going to get a workout this week too, but maybe not from patting myself on the back! 🫨 And I think you will enjoy that Chicken Chili! It’s so nice to have in the freezer for those nights when you don’t know what to make for dinner.
Wow! All the broth you have canned looks so good. We enjoy soup and I make it frequently. This is a wonderful starting point. Sure beats store bought. Thank you for the care instruction cards. When I give quilts to people I think they are afraid to wash them. This will certainly help and give them a little confidence to throw them in the washer. I feel quilts I have made are utilitarian, not legacy.
Hi Sandra,
I’m so glad you appreciate those care tags! Like you, I fear that folks treat my handknit gifts ‘too preciously.’
And I am quite proud of all that broth and stock! Got it stashed in my pantry today and it does my heart good to see it there.
Have a great week and thanks for writing in.
Happy week of work my friend and you should be patting yourself on the back! MY oh my, that’s some serious stock you canned! Next time, let me know, I’ll come and help (and learn along the way). 🙂
I’d love to have here for the process! It is so rewarding!
Is it safe to pressure can the Chili or any bean/lentil recipe? Would you can it before cooking or will the beans/lentils get too hard with the shorter but higher temp cooking time? I am single and looking for heat and eat meals in a jar. Freezer and cupboard space is very limited.
I now have too many recipes saved on my computer! It is telling me to delete some or it will do so for me. Any suggestions on decluttering my computer? I don’t know much about computers. My computer doesn’t like the word decluttering and keeps changing it to cluttering. Maybe decluttering is painful to an old computer!
Hi Karen,
I’m always hesitant to can without following specific instructions, so I only can chilis and soup recipes from the Ball Book of Canning or the UGA Home Canning site. Like you, our freezer space is limited, so I do can broths, stocks, soups and chilis…but the for the soups and chilis I use their recipes.
As it relates to your computer…you have a finite amount of space, is there stuff you could delete to make room for the stuff you want to keep? Another option is an external drive for storage, even a USB stick! You could put all your recipes on one USB stick.
And it does seem like your computer has a great sense of humor! 😅
Well I made those truffles for my man friend. They were very successful though I didn’t have a proper scoop for them so they looked a bit rough. (that is standard for me). Also, I didn’t have a heat pad so I heated some water in a saucepan and then put a metal bowl in it with my chocolate to melt. And put it on the warming element on my stove. I had my thermometer in it which read 100 degrees but fell to 90 and stayed there. My friend was impressed. Next I will go through all the recipes I’ve made and mark them with 5
stars which I have neglected to do in the past. Sorry about that. I find if I follow them to a T they are a five level.
Hi Astrid, I’m sure your ‘man friend’ was tickled with the truffles, rough or not. It’s the thought, and the chocolate, that counts! What flavor did you make?
And thanks so much for your reviews and ratings! They really do help.
Have a great weekend.
Hugs, Lynn