News from the Nest, June 3

Why, hello there, June! You are such a lovely month! You are summer, but not the dog days. You are that lovely bridge between spring and summer.

When we left town last week, our garden was really getting busy. My dahlias, as well as the bee balm and lilies, were starting to bloom. I had to plant zinnia seeds again, as all my seedlings were mistaken by the local bunny population as bunny fodder, so they will be late blooming this year. (VERY SAD FACE!) I made chicken wire cages to protect the zinnia seedlings this time.

I had already picked two zucchini and cucumbers, and we had many green tomatoes. I can’t wait to see how the garden has fared in our absence and what veggies are beginning to ripen!

Elsa was mostly a wonderful traveler this week. We broke our car travel into two five-hour days on the way up and will do the same on the way home. She really did well. Both my brother and my sister-in-law told me that their dogs love to play with ‘other dogs,’ so they would welcome Elsa. We quickly realized that Elsa must not be like ‘other dogs’ because she quickly wore out the doggy welcome. She wasn’t bad; she was just a lot. She re-arranged my SIL’s fairy garden and de-thatched their yard; so I’m pretty sure they appreciated that!

From the Knit + Crochet Studio

This delightful knit baby blanket pattern features the cloverleaf eyelet stitch and is adorned with a crocheted cloverleaf edge. This lovely blanket is an ideal gift for a new baby. The tutorial video demonstrates how to knit the cloverleaf eyelet stitch and crochet the cloverleaf edge. This is the first blanket pattern I ever created, and it still holds a special place in my heart. It’s just so charming!

From the Kitchen

These first several recipes/posts are all about saving you money and unnecessary trips to the grocery store.

• We’ve all been there; we have a craving for spaghetti and meatballs, or we have our eye on a recipe that calls for tomato sauce. But when we open our pantry, the shelf holding our tomato sauce is (gasp!) EMPTY! Barring an unexpected, unplanned, and inconvenient run to the grocery store (especially if, like me, you were just there 2.5 hours ago!), you want to find some good substitutes for this common ingredient.

• Fire-roasted tomatoes add richness and a touch of sweetness to any recipe. This post shares how to easily fire-roast tomatoes at home, either on the grill or in the oven.

• This Nomato Sauce Recipe is an AIP (AutoImmune Protocol) compliant, nightshade vegetable-free tomato sauce substitution. It is also gluten-free and vegan. Instructions for both stovetop and instant pot preparation are provided.

• I don’t know anyone who isn’t trying to tighten their belt and their food budget. From groceries to gas, everything is expensive! These More than 28 Healthy Recipes for Delicious Frugal Meals will help you eat well without blowing your grocery budget.

From the Arts + Crafts Studio

You can create a unique and fanciful bird feeder with some easily sourced items from your local Goodwill or ReStore. 

• A terrarium is a great way to nourish that green thumb year-round. You can get a little dirt under your nails and revel in the satisfaction of watching something grow under your care. This post has instructions on making a terrarium, materials, recommended plants, and tips for terrarium maintenance.

Father’s Day is Coming!

• Looking for gift ideas for the men who like to cook in your life? Check out these gift ideas for Foodie Guys.
• If you are stymied for a great gift idea for your dad, father figure, or other deserving guy, check out these mostly useful gifts for the men in your life.
• Does Dad like to travel? Check out these gift suggestions for travelers.

In the House + Home

• We all know that cutting boards are helpful and necessary kitchen items. But cutting boards can also be unique works of art. Because of this, they make for an excellent display feature in your kitchen. This post will share various ideas for how to display cutting boards in a kitchen.

• This post will show how easy it is to restore an old wood-cutting board. We will cover how to clean, sanitize, sand, and refinish a wooden cutting board.

A Few Random but Helpful Tips!

• Make Sure Ceiling Fans are Running in the Seasonally Appropriate Direction.

With the warmer temperatures coming, it’s time to switch your fan blade direction.  You can tell the direction of the fan blades by running them at a low speed and standing underneath to see if the blades are running clockwise or counter-clockwise.

During the warmer months, you want the fan to blow air straight down, so your ceiling fan needs to run counter-clockwise. The warmer it is, the higher the speed should be. This direction will push cool air down to the floor. The cool air evaporates perspiration and creates a wind chill effect, which makes you feel cooler without affecting the room temperature.

•  Save on ink with ink-efficient fonts

Can we talk about how expensive printer ink is? Holy Cow!!  I could buy a lovely dress for what it costs to buy a set of refill printer cartridges. I typically have my default set for fast/economical, but I still buy printer ink more often than I would like.  Another way to save on printer ink is to set your default font to an ink-efficient font…one that uses less ink.

Here is a ranking of the most efficient inks in terms of ink economy, with #1 being the most efficient.

• Use a staple puller to pry open those #@!&% keychain rings

Raise a hand if you’ve broken a fingernail opening those blasted keychain rings. ✋✋✋✋✋✋✋? If those things have doomed any chance of decent fingernails (that’s my excuse anyway), then this tip will surely make your day.

Open the key chainring using the prongs of a staple puller. You’ll likely have to slide it along with your key, but it works!

• Use lemon juice to remove fertilizer mineral salt stains

I use Miracle-Gro for many of my (non-edible) container gardens. After several years, I started to get rings where the fertilizer water would run out of the pot and puddle around the base of the container. 

I had already tried using an abrasive scrubbing cream and detergent, but neither worked…at all.

I did a little research and decided to use lemon juice to remove the stain. I applied bottled lemon juice to the stain, gently scrubbed it, and then allowed it to sit for an hour. After the hour was up, I thoroughly rinsed the area with water. Once it dried, the stain was completely gone! In the picture on the right, you can see where the stain used to be. There is also a small remaining bit of the stain at the pot’s base that I missed during the first attempt.

Some Favorites and a Few 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.

• After an entire adulthood of being a wine drinker, I recently discovered how much I do enjoy an Old-Fashioned cocktail. One of my Mother’s Day gifts this year was that my hubby purchased all the ingredients and learned how to make an Old-Fashioned. If you know someone who enjoys bourbon and whiskey drinks as well, this book makes a great gift.
• We learned to play Five Crowns on our cruise last year and have had the opportunity to play again once we came home. It is a fun twist on the classic rummy game.
• I tend to wear the same things repeatedly and have always worn light dresses in the summer. It’s been years since I treated myself to a new summer dress, and I just ordered two—this one and this one! Hopefully, they will be there when I get home.

Well friends, I’m going to start packing so we can begin our trip home. We had a wonderful time, but I’m chomping at the bit to get home and back in a rhythm. And, I’ve got several posts I want to publish for you this week!

Wishing you a week full of good and wonderful things!

Hugs, Lynn

Thanks for making my day by SHARING!!