Home » Uncategorized » News from the Nest, November 6

News from the Nest, November 6

Hello, Friends!

Wow! It’s been a week! We successfully disgorged our son’s belongings from his apartment in San Diego and packed them into a wooden crate that is slowly making its way across the continent. We will move him into his new apartment in two weeks.

When my sister-in-law asked how the week went, I responded, “Well, I guess as well as can be expected with a 23-year-old man in charge.”

Terry and I booked our flight back from San Diego, with the requisite layover in Charlotte, NC. I provided our flight info to Rob, who booked the first part of the trip but didn’t book a flight all the way to Wilmington because…well….who knows? So, we had to leave him in Charlotte until he could get on a flight home. Suffice it to say, we had a few hiccups along the way, but all’s well that ends well. And…he learned some valuable lessons that no amount of parental input could teach!

I’ll leave you with my new quote, borrowed heavily from the King James Bible:

Greater love hath no man than this, that a mom clean her son’s bathroom which hasn’t been cleaned in a year.

Lynn 😘

New on the Blog

We had quite the Butternut Squash Bumper Crop this summer, which is curious because it was the one vegetable we didn’t plant that performed the best! To that end, we’ve been eating A LOT of butternut squash! This Butternut Squash Chili with Black Beans was one of my recent recipes that is so delicious that I had to share it with you. Not only does it help me reduce my butternut squash stash, but we are always looking for hearty vegetarian meals and this chili is all that and then some.

From the Knit Studio

Scissors, a sweater ornament, blocking mats, stitch markers and knit tote are some of the Best Gifts for Knitters.
  • No time like the present to get yourself organized! Print off all the free pages, as well as the cover art, of this Knit Journal and Organizer. There is also an option to purchase the binder already printed.
Knit Binder on wooden surface
knit journal + organizer
White knit pillow with white Christmas trees and gold stars.

In the Kitchen

  • Geez, I’ve had a hard time finding the turkey legs or wings this year! I finally found them at Publix, so am heading there today to make the Turkey Stock for my gravy. It’s an easy thing to do ahead of time for the best Turkey Gravy.
jars of turkey stock
  • This Cranberry Conserve is another Thanksgiving or Holiday side and treat that you can make now! Keep it for yourself or gift it…you’ll quickly achieve ‘most favorite person’ status.
Jars of cranberry conserve.
  • Make mini loaves of this Rosemary, Fig, and Nut Bread, slice it thinly, and toast it. You’ll have a stash of the most delicious crackers on which to smear just about anything or pair with cheese for your holiday gathering. It’s a gluten-free treat that everyone loves. Fill a bag, tie it with a ribbon and you have a great hostess or neighbor gift, with or without a jar of jam or a wedge of cheese.
Sliced bread with a bowl of goat cheese and honey.
  • I am the designated pie crust maker in the family, which I am very O.K. with. My grandma made the BEST pie crusts and I’m thrilled to be following in her footsteps. Here’s my recipe and tips for the Best, Most Tender, and Flavorful Pie Crusts.
How to Make the Best Pie Crust
  • If you smirk when someone mentions ‘Fruitcake,’ then you haven’t tried THIS White Fruitcake. It is moist and flavorful, filled with nuts and fruits soaked in brandy. Banish the artificially colored cherries, this fruitcake is chockful of natural dried cherries, white raisins, candied fruit (candied citron, candied orange peel, and candied pineapple), coconut, and nuts.
White Fruitcake at Nourish and Nestle

Food Gift Ideas

If you like to make gifts from your kitchen, here are some suggestions.

  • This Mulling Spices Recipe is filled with warming and aromatic spices. Homemade Mulling Spices makes an easy and welcome gift, especially when paired with the included label and a mulling ball.
A jar of mulling spices.
  • If you are looking for an easy snack or food gift, this recipe for Toasted Walnuts with Rosemary is it! These very snackable nuts are quick and easy to make. And, they make a great food gift! Download the PDF with the printable gift tags below.
Roasted Walnuts with Rosemary in a bowl and in jars with tags
  • Easy to Make Mulled Wine Jelly Recipe. This wine jelly can be water bath canned for shelf storage or refrigerated.

In the House + Home

From the Arts + Crafts Studio

Run, don’t walk, to your nearest computer and order whatever you don’t have on hand to make one of these Wrapping Paper Carts! Without exaggeration, my previously hot mess of gift wrap was instantly transformed into a blissful organization! Accessorize yours however you want, but I STRONGLY suggest the retractable cord that keeps your scissors from walking away!

DIY Wrapping Paper Organizer filled with paper and in front of Christmas Tree
Embroidered Christmas Trees on wrapped packages.

A Few Fun Finds and a Couple of 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.

One My Nightstand

a stack of books.

On the last Monday of each month, I update the books I’ve read thus far during the year. Last Monday was…last Monday and was overtaken by events. So, I’m a week late! But, better late than never!

I give my very brief ‘review’, a term which I use lightly; I barely scratch the plot line. You can see all the books I’ve read and the two I added this month here.

I’ve got a good bit of reading to do if I’m going to reach my goal of thirty-three books read this year! Luckily, I have some travel coming up, so should get quite a few read then.

Well friends, I really need to spend some time and figure out my calendar for the next few weeks! Between moving our son to his new apartment, Thanksgiving, a big trip right after Thanksgiving, preparing for Christmas, and working on the blog, I am a busy (but very happy and content) gal. But, I do need to get organized!

Wishing you a week of joy and light!

Hugs,

Signature of Lynn

Thanks for making my day by SHARING!!

Similar Posts

2 Comments

  1. Good Morning Lynn… it’s a very early morning on the west coast of Canada as I read the account of your week.
    I enjoy all your content, try the recipes, love the knitting patterns, and especially enjoyed the “Son moving” tale. My grandson attends university and plays hockey near Boston , so we have learned a great deal about that part of the country.
    Good luck with all your ventures and adventures and I will remained tuned in
    Cheers
    Lana Switzer

    1. Good Morning Lana!

      Thanks for the very sweet note! The west coast of Canada is gorgeous country. We’ve been to Vancouver and Victoria and I’d love to come back and spend more time there.

      There’s never a dull moment with our son…he’s a great young man, but averse to following our suggestions at inopportune times. Luckily, he readily admits that he should have after things go sideways for him. I guess that’s how some people need to grow up. As a quick update, he was home for 2 days when he tested positive for covid! So now we have quarantined him.

      Thanks for being a reader! I love this job of mine, but it is so much more enjoyable when I know that there are readers like you on the other end of my ramblings.

      Have a wonderful day!

      Hugs, Lynn

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *