News from the Nest, June 6

When Life Gives You a Monday, Sprinkle it With Glitter and Sparkle all Week!

First things first, a HUGE mea culpa from me. Last week I told you all of a ‘great sale’ on KitchenAid mixers because KitchenAid’s ad agency had written to inform me of this ‘great sale.’ It turned out that it was on one mixer and the whole ‘code’ thing wasn’t even necessary. I’m sorry about that. I rarely promote big sales, but this sounded like something you might appreciate. You know that adage, ‘if it sounds too good to be true…’ Well, case in point. Please accept my apologies and know that I will be much more circumspect going forward.

It feels like summer here in Southeastern North Carolina, and I keep getting ‘flashbacks’ to the summers of my youth. I’m sure these flashbacks are aided by the ’70s station I’ve been listening to. Isn’t it amazing the ability of music to transport you back to other times! Each time I get one of these mini flashbacks, I also try to remember the carefree life I lived back then and try to channel that summertime feeling that every day was a wonderful and exciting possibility.

Last week was a BIG week in our family! Two good things happened; our son, the youngest, began his new job in San Diego, CA…on the other side of the continent! One week in, and he loves it. He’s in the ‘tech industry’, so it is a very hip and relaxed atmosphere which suits him perfectly.

The other good thing that happened last week is that, 18 months after our dad’s death, we were finally given a date and time for his service at Arlington National Cemetery! Much of the delay was Covid-related, but geez…it’s been a long wait. After serving our country for more than twenty years in the Navy, we are so very anxious to give him the service and the honors that he deserves.

Terry and I are taking my mom to Philadelphia for the Flower Show that starts this weekend! Of course, the bonus is that we will also visit our daughter for the weekend. I will take lots of pictures.

We have two ‘gardens,’ the one in the yard where we grow tomatoes and beans. Typically we would’ve planted cucumbers and a few more vegetables, but being gone for three weeks this spring forced us to pare down our spring garden chores. The other ‘garden’ is in various pots on the porch right outside our screen porch and is primarily herbs, with a few veggies tossed in. The day before we left for Italy (7 weeks ago), I bought and planted a patio tomato. It’s called a ‘Goliath Bush’ tomato, and the whole ‘Goliath’ thing is not an exaggeration. If you are looking for a compact, determinate patio tomato that produces large fruit, this might be for you!

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The largest tomato is just starting to ripen, it is getting that yellowy/orangey hue. It is 3.5″ in diameter, so it’s a good size for a patio tomato! And there are 17 good size tomatoes on it right now, with more in the small and bud stage. Now it is determinate, which means this plant will produce all its tomatoes in a 2-3 week period and then pretty much be done for the year. But that’s OK because my garden is filled with several indeterminate varieties, meaning they will ripen all season.

I do like to have at least one determinate variety to get the tomato season kicked off! Supposedly, this Goliath Bush has a good flavor, but I’ll pop back in to give you a report on that too.

So many of you responded to my plea for a good soap scum remover! And there was a clearly consistent reply…Dawn and Vinegar! Who Knew!? I haven’t tried it yet, but I will soon. Thank you!

You know I love a pretty container garden! Heck, I have 5 posts explicitly dedicated to container garden ideas and plants. But, now let’s talk about the not so pretty side of container gardens…what to fill the pots with. Of course, you can use dirt, but if you have large pots 1) it can get expensive, and 2) you’ve got to lug around huge bags of soil! Right? Pop on over for ideas and tips on what to use to fill planters with other than just dirt!
I recently rewrote and updated this post, sharing plants that thrive in sunrooms. Originally, the article only shared six plants, but it seems I got a bit carried away as it now shares seventeen plants that grow well in sunrooms. I’m sure there are more, but I had to stop somewhere!
This post on DIY concrete garden orbs was featured on another site last week and received a great deal of traffic.
And this post about using a plant saucer as the bowl of a bird bath and how to waterproof it always gets read frequently this time of the year.

Is This The Year You Learn To Make Jams and Jellies?

Jelly and Jam Making 101 will get you started on your jelly journey!
Let this Super Easy Plum Jam or this Blueberry Jam (with or without chamomile tea) be your first recipe. They are both pectin free and great for new canners.
For a savory jam, you need to try this Spicy Smokey Tomato Jam and for a savory jelly, you can’t go wrong with this Jalapeño Wine Jelly.

Speaking of 🌶 Jalapeños, use your bumper group for either that that ⬆ jelly or this Pickled Jalapeño Recipe or this Jalapeño Cheese Appetizer Recipe.
And this Refrigerator Dill Pickle Recipe is ALWAYS a popular post. No matter how many cucumbers you have available, this recipe shares how you can make pickles from what you have…jar by jar or many jars!

In the Home

Here’s a grim statistic; the average American Family wastes almost $1900 of food per year! That’s not a good thing anytime, but especially now with rising food costs, it is something that many of us are paying special attention to. Check out these tips to Reduce and Stop Food Waste in Your Kitchen.
How to Keep Produce Fresher, Longer
Simplify Your Life to Reduce Stress

Make Something!

SEVEN Free Knit Dishcloth/Washcloth Patterns
The most basic crochet skills are all you need to embellish a little linen for these lovely napkins. Talk about a great and most appreciated gift!
But if you didn’t feel like crocheting anything, you can still make linen napkins and a tablecloth.
Make a stash of these Scented Sachets and you’ll always have a last-minute gift ready for the giving.