News from the Nest, January 20

Learn a New Skill!

Take advantage of cold January to learn to make sourdough bread! To make anything ‘sourdough,’ you must have a Sourdough Starter. You could always ask a sourdough baking friend for some of their discard or buy your starter. But since we are all about learning things, why not know how to make your own starter?!

We have you covered with this step-by-step tutorial for Making Your Own Sourdough Starter and helpful advice for common sourdough starter issues.

From the Knit Studio

• This Chunky Knit Blanket can be knit in a day with flagpoles or large knitting needles.

• Warm up that crochet hook and your toes with this crochet slipper socks pattern.

• While we are organizing all the things this month, don’t forget your knitting projects and inventory. This Knit Journal/Organizer helps you keep track of your projects and, my favorite part, your yarn inventory! Print off all the available sheets or just the ones you want, at no cost.

A Few Favorites

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.

• While I’m very happy with how my Roomba controls all the pet hair in the house, (and there’s A LOT!) I wasn’t thrilled with the price tag of the replacement bags and filters. I purchased these knock-off bags at a quarter of the price and these filters at a tenth of the brand price!!! 😲Several months in, and they are working just perfectly.
• This organizer nicely organized my water bottles and travel mugs, but the lids were always falling off the shelf. Enter this little hook that I attached with the included adhesive. Problem Solved! And FWIW…I attached a cardboard toilet paper roll to the shelf with tape to hold all the straws!

From the Kitchen

• This Hearty Beef Soup was made for cold winter days, as we are ‘enjoying’ here on the East Coast. The depth of flavor of this soup comes from mushrooms, browned beef shanks, and stew meat.

• Whether you need a quick loaf of bread for that 👆🏼 pot of soup tonight or want to put together some food gifts, this Herb Quick Bread, flavored with herbs and cheese, fills both needs.

• This little Measuring Equivalents chart is a time- and frustration-saver in my kitchen. I laminated it and hung it right inside one of my cabinet doors. I refer to it multiple times a week. It’s one less thing for my already overtaxed brain to try to remember. It’s a free download from the library. And, if you’ve forgotten the super secret password, it is always included at the bottom of the email I send you every Monday…just scroll down the email.

• You CAN eat well for less! This post includes specific, actionable tips and suggested groceries to buy on a budget that are still healthy.

• This simple date cake recipe creates a cake that is moist and flavorful. Adding cardamom gives the cake a slightly lemony, slightly spicy flavor that perfectly complements the caramelly flavor of the dates.

From the Craft Room

• It might be a stretch to call myself a ‘furniture builder,’ but I can say that I (well, Terry and I) built this console table. Buying the legs made this project very doable for two novices. I share the step-by-step directions we used to build this console table.

• While I also purchased the acrylic legs for this second console table, it has an entirely different feel to it. I include a video in the post to show how I marbleized the top, which may be one of my favorite things to do.

In the Garden

• Old windows make the perfect Cold Frame to protect your plants from frost! Learn how to make this useful garden structure.

Around the Home

• These 35 tips and eco-friendly kitchen products for a sustainable kitchen will not only help you be a better environmental steward but also save you money and help you live a healthier life.

• The purpose of this post is to provide some ideas and tips to decorate your kitchen hutch such that it brings you joy!