News From the Nest, February 17

🌞Rise and Shine, my friends! 🌞

It was my kind of weekend! It was a little lazy (which meant I sat in front of the TV for a bit and knit) and a little productive (we took advantage of the warm weather on Saturday to do a little yard clean-up). I finished the War and Peace mini-series, which really did follow the book quite well. Pierre and Natasha were perfectly cast. We even briefly had our daughter in town and managed brunch with her and my mom before she headed back to Pittsburgh.

Elsa and I are taking a little road trip to the NC State Vet School on Friday. It’s nothing awful, but we need to deal with it. I feel silly writing this, but she has almost paralyzing OCD! We dread sunny days when she chases shadows and reflections incessantly. She bites and scratches the walls and floors, trying to get the shadows/reflections. We thought it was a puppy thing and that she would outgrow it, but she is now one, and it has probably even intensified. We need to learn how to redirect her, so we have an appointment with an Animal Behaviorist up there. If anyone has dealt with this and has suggestions, please send them our way!

New on the Blog

• With simple ingredients and patience, you can enjoy a juicy, flavorful pulled pork dinner at home. Whether served on a sandwich, piled onto a baked potato, or paired with classic Southern sides, this Crock Pot Barbecue Pulled Pork will surely be a hit.

• Use this Pulled Pork Rub for the Crock Pot Pulled Pork recipe. It is easy to make and you can use it on a variety of meats and other dishes.

From the Knit + Crochet Studio

• This versatile Crochet Market Bag pattern includes instructions for both small and large sizes, ensuring you have the perfect bag for any occasion. When made with 100% cotton yarn, this bag is eco-friendly, durable, and easy to clean. Whether you’re an experienced crocheter or just starting, this free pattern is easy to follow with its detailed step-by-step instructions and helpful images.

• This washcloth pattern uses the daisy stitch, an easier version of the lotus flower stitch.  If you’ve never done a daisy stitch knitting pattern, the key is not to knit too tightly. I recorded a video way back in the dark ages to show you how to do the stitch. It will never win an award, but it shows what it needs to.

• This chunky Blanket Pattern is easy to knit and uses Bernat Blanket Big yarn, which knits quickly and is machine washable. With the cold weather going nowhere anytime soon, you could start this blanket and snuggle under it several days later. The broken rib stitch creates a lovely pattern.

• If you are curious how to resize a blanket, throw, washcloth or dishcloth you’d like to knit, check out this post.

From the Kitchen

• This cheesy Sourdough Cracker recipe uses sourdough discard for a little tang. The first time my husband bit into these crackers, he said, “Wow, these taste just like those Cheez-Its!” But, unlike Cheez-Its, I made these at home with my sourdough discard, I knew everything in them, and I didn’t spend a penny at the grocery store!

• This Roasted Olives recipe is my kind of recipe.  I keep the ingredients on hand and can easily whip out this attractive and delicious appetizer in less than a half-hour. In fact, I have even frozen the feta and it defrosts just fine.

• Only good things happen when you make a cheese ball of cream cheese, goat cheese, and rosemary. And even better things happen when you spread ginger preserves over this cheese ball. If that sounds good, give this Rosemary and Goat Cheese Appetizer a whirl.

• This Slow-Cooker Lentil Soup is a hearty, nutritious, and easy-to-make meal. It’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.

• What is your idea of the perfect Cranberry Oatmeal Cookie? If you like your cookie more chewy than cakey, with just a hint of crisp along the edges, then my friend, this is the oatmeal cookie recipe for you! And that texture combination is in addition to the tart dried cranberries, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and a hint of molasses for a flavorful cookie that will surely leave you wanting more!

• We eat a LOT of apples in our home, easily complying with the ‘apple a day’ admonition. Accordingly, it seems I don’t walk into the grocery store without walking out with a bag of apples. Sometimes, I end up with more than we can eat before they start getting soft or wrinkly. To reduce kitchen waste and save money, I use those apples that are past their prime in baking, making applesauce, or dehydrating them. This post shows how to dehydrate apples without a dehydrator.

Want to Learn a New Skill?

• I’ve had great success with this French Macaron Recipe. I am including a list of the tips I adhere to for beautiful and tasty macarons, a video showing you my French Macaron recipe, and a step-by-step procedure for making these delightful treats.

From the Arts + Crafts Studio

• You could whip out a whole passel of these fun and functional leather cord keepers in a couple of hours. This project uses a Cricut machine.

• These personalized glass milk bottles were enjoyable to create. They utilize otherwise discarded glass bottles and are perfect for your zinnia bouquet or a special drink. They would also make fun party favors! It is another Cricut project.

In the Home

• When your list of to-dos is endless but your time is limited, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Sometimes, we don’t have the luxury of dedicating a day, a week or a month to daily household chores. This list of 49 Quick Household Tasks That Take 15 Minutes or Less will help you stay on top of the stuff that needs staying on top of!

•  Eight tips for successful wall stenciling, which make the project more manageable

Some Fun Finds

Some of these links may be Amazon affiliate links and I may earn a small commission from 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.

• If you, too, are plagued by the lack of cable management with all of the chargeables that have entered our homes, these little cord and cable organizers are a game changer.
• Are the February winds finding their way into your home? You may need to addN or refresh your exterior door sweeps like us.
• I’m forever trying to figure out how to better organize my car trunk so that don’t have all sorts of things rolling around back there. I saw this over the weekend and giving it some thought.

Have a great day and fantastic week, my friends.

Hold this close to you over the week:

Today, you could be standing next to someone trying their best not to fall apart. So, whatever you do today, do it with kindness in your heart.

Hugs,

Thanks for making my day by SHARING!!