News From the Nest, June 29
Happy Monday!
It’s a hot and muggy morning, and it’s only 6 a.m. Ugh. I know many of us in the U.S. are facing a hot week, so if you’re like me, it’s a good time to find stuff to do indoors! I’m not a fan of sweating, and just walking outside with the dogs this morning caused me to glisten a bit. No bueno!
And yes, we are now a two-dog home!
June has settled in amazingly well! It’s almost like she’s been here forever. She’s a very, very sweet girl who just loves to be loved. Elsa is mostly cool with her new sister…but she definitely has a bit of ‘middle school mean girl’ energy in her, e.g., will take the ball right out of June’s mouth if June gets to it first. Needless to say, we are working to rein that in.
And, I don’t mean to make this an ‘all about dogs’ post, but I did want to share an app I recently found that is going to work out well for us! Even though we live in a coastal community, there are really no places for us to take Elsa to swim…and that girl LOVES to swim. With the heat of summer, swimming is an ideal form of exercise for our busy girl.
Enter the service/app called Sniffspot. Think of it as a little like a short-term Airbnb for dogs! Hosts make their yards available for you to rent out. We found and visited two backyards with in-ground pools that Elsa can swim in until her heart’s content! They were both absolutely just what the doctor ordered…we came home with a very tired pup. There’s a one-week free trial period, and after that, we will pay a monthly fee. Check it out if it’s a service you and your pup might enjoy! I am in no way compensated by Sniffspot, just wanted to share in case someone else can benefit.
How’s your garden doing thus far this year? While tomato production is relatively slower this year, we do seem to have a ton of green tomatoes…I think our May was a little cool. The cucumbers, however…😱. We’re actually getting nervous about checking each day, as we can’t keep up with picking them! I’ve pawned them off, gifted bushels of slicing cucumbers to neighbors, friends, and mom’s retirement community, and have been putting up jars of both fermented and refrigerated pickles at a great rate. I’ll get the fermented pickles recipe published this week, but you can read the refrigerated pickles recipe at the link below.
One thing we did this year was plant bee balm between our raised vegetable garden beds. That might have something to do with our well-pollinated garden.
Table of Contents
New on the Blog
Imagine a crispy chicken cutlet, pan-seared to golden perfection, nestled in a bed of pasta with marinara sauce, ricotta dollops, and melted cheese. Easy Chicken Parmesan Pasta Bake feeds eight and tastes like you’ve been cooking all day, but it comes together in about an hour. The magic is in the technique: pounding the chicken thin, pan-frying it first for that crucial crust, then letting it finish in the oven while it soaks up all those flavors.
From the Knit + Crochet Studio
A polka dot baby blanket that’s actually reversible? Yes, please! This Polka Dots & Baubles Baby Blanket uses simple knit and purl stitches to create a pattern that looks just as nice on the back as the front, which means you can actually give it to someone without worrying about sides. The optional crocheted bauble edge is adorable and genuinely easier than you’d think—it’s just five double crochets in one spot. Many readers have loved this pattern, and you can make it in different sizes without much fuss.
Quick-knit washcloths are one of those projects that feel instantly gratifying. These Moss Stitch Washcloths are perfect for beginners because they use only knit and purl stitches in a simple pattern; they knit up quickly and are genuinely useful gifts for anyone. One reader wrote that the instructions here are “the clearest and easiest to follow that I have ever seen on any site,” to which I say, ‘aw, shucks!”
If you’ve just finished a knitting project and aren’t sure what to do next, these Instructions to Bind Off walks you through safely getting your work off the needles so nothing unravels. This post includes step-by-step photos, a video, and instructions for weaving in your loose ends so your finished piece looks polished.
From the Kitchen
Perfect for celebrating next weekend, these Sparkler Sugar Cookies give you that handmade-for-company feel without all the stress. These red, white, and blue sugar cookies use a reliable sugar cookie base and are decorated with flood icing in patriotic colors, with a toothpick swirled to create bullseye patterns. The results are worthy of any summer gathering, and you can easily adapt the colors for any celebration.
When the weather is hot, you need your drinks to be refreshing and cool. Light, floral, and fizzy, the Hugo Spritz blends elderflower liqueur with fresh mint muddled together, lime slices, chilled Prosecco, and a splash of soda water for a refreshing cocktail that tastes fancy without requiring any real skill. It’s crisp, not too sweet, and just right for warm-weather sipping or serving to a crowd—plus you can customize it to be sweeter or lighter depending on your preference.
If you’re pickling a steady stream of cucumbers from the garden 🙋🏼♀️🙋🏼♀️🙋🏼♀️, this Jar-by-Jar Dill Pickles recipe lets you make one pint at a time thanks to a batch of brine you keep refrigerated and ready to go. The key is using cold brine instead of hot water, which keeps those pickles crunchy and Clausen-style satisfying, and the whole setup means you don’t have to wait for a full bushel before you start preserving.
After years of research and experimentation, making the Best Hamburgers comes down to three things: fresh ground beef with at least 20 percent fat, a simple seasoning blend, and proper technique—which means not pushing down on those burgers while they cook and letting them rest before serving. An instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out of doneness.
Fresh strawberries nestled in a tangy cream cheese filling and a buttery tart shell, then topped with a glossy strawberry glaze, make this Strawberry Tart the kind of dessert that looks like you pulled off something fancy, even though most of the components canbe made ahead. You just assemble a few hours before serving to keep that crust crisp, which is especially helpful when you’re entertaining and want everything as easy as possible.
When the temps are high, no-oven desserts are key! And this No-Bake Blackberry Tart is the perfect recipe—just a chocolate graham cracker crust, a whipped cream and cream cheese filling infused with blackberry puree, and a swirl of berries on top. It freezes for four to six hours, comes together in about twenty minutes of hands-on time, and then looks elegant enough for company. It adapts beautifully to gluten-free or dairy-free diets without losing any of its yumminess.
From the Arts + Crafts Studio
Personalize your garden with DIY Garden Markers made from polymer clay in colors that match your garden’s style or your mood. Once baked, they’re water-resistant and ready for the elements, and they make genuinely lovely gifts for any gardener. It’s one of those projects that looks more complicated than it actually is, and the satisfaction of using handmade markers in your garden beds is entirely worth the minimal effort.
If your indoor plants tend to leave water marks on your furniture despite your best efforts, DIY Indoor Pot Feet helps to solve the problem a bit. A little less than half a brick of clay makes six feet, and you can customize them in any color you love—metallic gold, pastels, whatever matches your decor. The whole project comes together quickly and keeps your containers safely elevated while adding a decorative touch.
In the Garden
Growing peppers at home means you’re skipping all those heavily pesticide-sprayed commercial crops, and Pepper Companion Plants helps you protect your harvest naturally. The right plant neighbors deter aphids and the mosaic virus while improving growth and flavor, which is exactly what companion planting is designed to do. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced gardener, peppers are low-maintenance plants that benefit tremendously from thoughtful pairing with the right companions.
Keeping your garden thriving comes down to staying on top of daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal tasks, and our Garden Maintenance Schedule, and Prune + Fertilize Log take the guesswork out of what needs doing when. Pop the printable in a plastic protector in your garage, jot down what you’ve done with a Sharpie, and at year’s end, use rubbing alcohol to wipe it clean and reuse it again. The included Pruning & Fertilizing Log is one of those “why didn’t I do this earlier” tools that helps you remember each plant’s specific needs.
In the House + Home
Knowing exactly where your discards will land makes it so much easier to let them go, and Places to Donate or Recycle Your Decluttering Discards is worth bookmarking for whenever you’re ready to clear things out. From well-worn shoes to trophies to computer equipment, this comprehensive list walks you through legitimate homes for just about everything you’re ready to release. When you know your items will find a good use elsewhere, you feel better about the whole decluttering process.
Life feels crazier and busier by the minute, which is exactly why this post on how Simplify Your Life to Reduce Stress offers eight practical approaches that actually stick. From establishing calming morning routines to moving your body to keeping phone use under control, these suggestions will hopefully jumpstart a conversation with yourself on how to create habits that help manage the craziness of our world.
Well friends, I’m off to walk my two girls! Then, we’ll be hunkering down indoors to avoid the heat and humidity.
I hope wherever you are, you are able to ‘stay cool.’
‘Til next week…
