News From The Nest, November 24

Thanksgiving Tips

Just a few last-minute tips to help your Thanksgiving day run smoothly.

• Is there anything you can prep today or tomorrow?
  • Cut the onions and celery for the stuffing and keep them in a container in the fridge.
  • Prep the veggies and keep them in cold water, as appropriate.
  • Set the table.
  • You can cut potatoes up to 24 hours in advance, keep them in cold water in your fridge.
• Make a timeline, starting at dinner time, and work backwards.
• If you have a teapot, use it to serve your gravy! Keeps it warm and is much less messy.

New on the Blog

Anyone with a long cookie-baking list, or who wants some cookies without spending all week in the kitchen, will appreciate this recipe for One Simple Cookie Dough that produces Three Different Cookies! It’s the ultimate, multi-taking cookie dough. The dough mixes quickly, and I’ve shared a sample timeline to make you more productive during your holiday baking.

Early Black Friday Sales

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.

Many of you appreciated it when I shared what tried-and-true products were on sale during Amazon Days this summer, so I’m doing the same for the current Early Black Friday deals. I can vouch for many of these items, many of which I purchased at full price. Now that they are lower-priced during Early Black Friday Sales, they are even better deals!

• We are those people who let our pup on our beds. And while I have a duvet cover, putting that thing on and off when it gets dirty is a Pain in the Patootie. Enter this lightweight coverlet. It is much easier to pull off and wash when needed than my duvet cover is. And I really like the waffle weave —it’s something pretty that is also useful—38% off during the Early Black Friday Sale.

• My mom was so impressed with our little bathroom trash can with a motion-activated lid that she has asked for one for Christmas.- 29% off right now.

• This little sugar bear is the perfect stocking stuffer for anyone who cooks—15% off during the Early Black Friday Sale.

• We use our Little Green Bissell for pet messes and spills as well as for shampooing our fabric car seats and other upholstery. It’s very easy to use and quite effective. 45% off during the Early Black Friday Sale.

• We have almost all of our lamps on smart plugs. Great gift for someone or yourself! 50% off during the Early Black Friday Sale.

• While I have two lovely Le Creuset Dutch Ovens, I prefer my Lodge Cast-Iron Dutch ovens for baking sourdough bread. I now have two so that I can bake two loaves at the same time…such a time saver-15% off during the Early Black Friday Sale.

• I have had my version of the Dyson V8 for so long, I can’t remember not having it. It’s endlessly versatile, from floor sweeper to dust buster. Mine hangs in my pantry, where it charges and is ready when I need it – 48% off during the Early Black Friday Sale.

• We easily use our Breville Smart Oven two to three times more often than we do our regular oven, especially when it’s just the two of us. It’s become a family thing; every member has one. The settings we use most often are toast, dehydrate, proof, air fry, and bake. The pizza setting is one of our absolute favs… if you love a crisp crust on your pizza, it will become yours, too. We went from a double oven to just one oven when we moved, so during the holidays, I rely on my Breville. I’ve successfully roasted a prime rib in our Breville multiple times. 25% off during the Early Black Friday Sale.

From the Kitchen

Slow Cooker Pork Casserole is inspired by the traditional French cassoulet, a rustic dish that slow-simmers white beans, pork, sausage, and aromatic herbs to create deep, satisfying flavors. While a classic cassoulet can take hours (or even days) to prepare, this version simplifies the process with the ease of a slow cooker—delivering the same hearty, melt-in-your-mouth goodness with minimal effort. This original pork cassoulet recipe was a family favorite. I re-engineered it for the slow cooker, and it has the signature crispy breadcrumb topping that adds a delightful crunch, contrasting perfectly with the tender pork and creamy beans.

We enjoyed this Crockpot Turkey Chili Saturday night, and it was the perfect meal for a day filled with baking and football-watching. This is our family’s “don’t mess with it anymore” recipe—the one we tweaked over the years until we nailed it. Terry thinks it’s the addition of beer that gives it that certain ‘je ne sais quoi’, but I think it’s the smoky paprika and cumin that take this healthy and hearty chili to the next level. A few minutes of prep time in the morning will yield a big batch of chili for dinner, and even though this chili recipe is healthier with lean ground turkey instead of beef, there is no sacrifice in taste. One reader shared, “This made a great addition to our cooking this weekend! So cozy and full of flavor.” We like ours loaded with cheese and scallion. Terry also crumbles tortilla chips over his.

This Gingerbread Bundt Cake combines warming seasonal flavors with molasses, which shares the spotlight with golden syrup for a milder, more caramel-ly taste. If you can’t find golden syrup in your grocery store, it’s easy to make, and I’ll tell you how. Pears are optional in this cake, but they definitely add something special to the cake! One reader noted, “Thank you! My family always overdoes desserts, but this was the Hit on 12/25.”

The Winter Sangria combines a rich Rioja wine with seasonal apples, oranges, and lemons, enhanced with the warmth of cinnamon and a touch of bubbly Prosecco—this went so fast at our Christmas party as it is beloved by red and white wine fans alike. (so the takeaway is: make more than you think you need). We will be enjoying it on Thanksgiving this year.

And if drop cookies are your style, we’ve got you covered. Ginger Molasses Cookies with fresh ginger, crystallized ginger, and ginger powder really up the zing, and my mom notes that these freeze well, but we’ve never gotten around to freezing them.

Amaretti Cookies are chewy on the inside with a slight crunch on the outside—the perfect combination—and they’re gluten-free to boot, ready from start to finish in under an hour. One reader shared, “I made these cookies for an engagement party. They were delicious, exactly as described, slightly crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. They were beautiful, and several people requested the recipe.”

These Pennsylvania Dutch Chocolate Cookies are my Grandma Stocker’s recipe—the magical combination of a chewy middle with a crisp exterior, rich with chocolate but with just a tad of cinnamon that surprises your taste buds. It gives me immense joy that my children, who never had an opportunity to know her, refer to these as ‘Grandma Stocker’s Pennsylvania Dutch Chocolate Cookies.’

These Spiced Molasses Cookies are the cookie balls I have in the freezer and have been baked every holiday season for the past 20 years. Those cracks tell you these soft molasses cookies have a crunchy exterior enveloping a chewy interior, the gold standard of molasses cookies. In fact, I can easily call them the very best molasses cookies, ever. They’re required for our Christmas decorating day, the day after Thanksgiving.

And while not technically a drop cookie, the Snow Covered Coconut Christmas Tree Cookies are super easy to make and shape by hand. If you love coconut macaroons, you’ll love these little morsels of yumminess that are also gluten-free. I think they are a great cookie to make with young bakers! A dusting of powdered sugar snow and a sprinkling of edible gold stars really make these coconut cookies so very special.

From the Knit + Crochet Studio

The Strawberry Pot Crochet Keychain/purse charm is a fun and whimsical crochet project you can finish in an afternoon—less than 6 hours from start to finish. Whether you hang it from your keys, rear-view mirror, or purse, it’s a sweet little accessory made up of tiny crocheted strawberries, leafy vines, and a cozy little pot, all together in a handmade bundle that’s perfect for gifting or keeping.

The Cable-Edged Knit Washcloth elevates your knitting skills with beautifully textured cable detail. Featuring a reverse stockinette background with a garter stitch border, this pattern is perfect for beginners looking to practice cables or seasoned knitters seeking a quick and satisfying project. Use it as a dishcloth to brighten your kitchen or as a washcloth for a touch of handmade luxury in your bathroom. One reader shared, “Thank you for this lovely pattern. I have just done a bit of cable knitting. This will be a good refresher.”

The Bridget Knit Washcloth Pattern is a perfect pattern for new knitters as it uses only the knit stitch, plus increasing and decreasing techniques. This pattern is also called ‘Nana’s Favorite Dishcloth Pattern’ and is knit on the diagonal for a unique, attractive finish. Depending on how fast you knit, you could easily whip up one of these in an evening or two.

The Knit I-Cord Trivet Pattern shows you how to knit an i-cord with double-pointed needles and then coil it to make a lovely and useful trivet. You can get three trivets from a $15 spool of 5mm cotton rope, and I don’t know anyone who couldn’t use a nice trivet or two for their kitchen. You’ll want to knit a couple of these trivets for your own kitchen, but they also make great gifts.

Need a last-minute gift for a wee one? The Little Diamonds Baby’s Knitted Hat Pattern is one of those sweet, speedy knits that still looks impressively intricate. Worked in lightweight DK yarn and sized from preemie to six months, it’s a perfect last-minute gift for a baby shower or to tuck into a new-parent care package. Because the pattern is knit in the round from the bottom up, there’s no seaming—just smooth, continuous rows that show off the little diamonds. It pairs beautifully with the Argyle and Diamonds Baby Blanket—the diamonds on the hat are replicated in the blanket’s border.

From the Arts + Crafts Studio

These Felt Christmas Sweater Ornaments are a creative and fun project with step-by-step illustrated instructions and a printable pattern. You get two sweaters from two sheets of 9″ x 12″ felt, and can personalize them with initials or other ornamentation. I provide a couple of pattern options, but the possibilities are truly endless. These are a perfect non-knitting Christmas ornament project.

In the House + Home

The Ultimate Holiday Planner breaks down week-by-week suggestions for what to tackle, so that by Christmas, you are all set to relax and enjoy the festivities. While I am a list maker in general, it took me way too long to get my act together to put everything that I want to do/need to do on paper. Now that I have this planner, my holidays are much less stressful. I have two versions—one already filled in with suggested activities for the next seven weeks, with extra space for your additions —and the other completely blank, ready for you to fill in with all your activities.

Gift Lists + Ideas

The Gifts for Book Lovers collection includes 19 literature-themed gifts perfect for bookworms, librarians, reading teachers, and book club members. Like Alice (from Wonderland fame), I recently went down a rabbit hole looking for Christmas ideas for my niece, and I unearthed so many fantastic literary-themed gifts that now I don’t know what to get her. From personalized wine tags for book clubs to Jane Austen quote mugs, Shakespeare poster of the Bard’s zingers, and socks that say “Bring me a book,” these gifts celebrate the reading life.

The Gifts for Foodie Men list comes straight from my brother Eric, who is much more adventurous than I am in the kitchen—he’s the one who dry-ages his own steaks and mixes creative cocktails. His suggestions include a sharpening stone (he’s always a welcome house guest, especially when he brings his sharpening stone and hones my knives), a sous vide cooker for the cook who is willing to try something new (never will you eat dry pork chops again), a stovetop smoker big enough for a whole chicken or brisket, and a 12-inch cast iron skillet—if he could only live with one pan, it would be that.

This Money Saving Gifts list offers 28 ideas that help the gift recipient save money—gifts that keep on giving. From memberships (Amazon Prime, streaming services, annual passes to zoos or amusement parks) to household items (wool dryer balls, programmable thermostats, rechargeable batteries, cloth napkins), these practical gifts offer something built to last while also helping recipients save.