News from the Nest, November 8

Good Morning from Savannah, Georgia!

Last week at this time I was on the road from Philadelphia to home. Today, I am with three of my fellow bloggers at a retreat in Savannah! And in case you were wondering, it is definitely a working retreat as we are using this time together to learn from each other. That being said, we have built in adequate time for some ‘research’ in a few of Savannah’s famous restaurants!

When I get home from Savannah, I’ll have less than a week at home before we head to a wedding in Cleveland.

It’s all fun and games until my family gathers for Thanksgiving with the expectation that there will actually be food! So, I am feverishly prepping as much as I can so that I am not a mad-woman for the two days before Thanksgiving that I’ll have after we get home from Cleveland.

• Printing off this checklist will help keep me sane and ensure that something important doesn’t fall through the cracks.

• I picked up the turkey legs last week for my Turkey Stock. Luckily, it’s easy to make! We use the stock for the very best turkey gravy.

• I’ll definitely at least make the dough for our pie crusts. This is a foolproof pie crust recipe that I’ve used for years. And I’ve picked up the walnuts to make these Rosemary Walnuts, for us to nosh on and to give as gifts.

• Kate has made three food requests for the couple of days that she will be home for Thanksgiving; Marinated Castelvetrano Olives, Pecan Pie, and Molasses cookies. I already have the olives marinating; they super simple to make ahead of time and the cookies…well, if I don’t get them before she gets home, that’ll be a good thing for her to do!

The Molasses cookies are not so much for Thanksgiving, but for the day after when we decorate the tree. Eating those cookies while hanging ornaments and listening to Christmas music is one of our most favorite family traditions. I usually have several varieties of cookies made, but think this year it will just be the molasses.

Terry’s request…Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, and Gravy. That’s all. He doesn’t care about desserts or appetizers…just the meat and potatoes kind of stuff.

Rob’s only request…that there is something other than turkey for Thanksgiving! Luckily for him, I’m not a turkey-gal either, so we’ve started roasting a small roast beef for us. I still like all the other Thanksgiving food though, just will enjoy my stuffing alongside my roast beef and horseradish!!

• If you would like to try your hand at canning, this Mulled Wine Jelly is a great recipe to start with. And, as an added bonus, jars of this delightfully spiced jelly make great hostess gifts for the holiday.

• Here’s a little tip I learned from my mom if you need to wash and iron your table linens before Thanksgiving. If you don’t have time to wash and iron them right away. Go ahead and wash them. Dry them slightly but remove them from the dryer while they are still damp. Put the linens in a zip lock bag in your freeze until you have time to iron them. They will stay damp, but won’t get musty/mildewy.

• Speaking of table linens now would be a great time to get those linens organized!

• For my knitting friends, I’ve rounded up twelve fantastic and FREE Christmas Knitting Patterns! I’ve already started the wee sweaters!

• Oh, I almost forgot! I’ve also been busy behind the scenes giving Nourish and Nestle a little facelift…nothing drastic, just some new fonts, colors, and logo. Did you notice? Tell me what you think! Over time I will change all my patterns and printables to fall in line with this newer look.

• You have time to make one of these Wrapping Paper Organizers before the havoc of gift wrapping descends.

• Go ahead and touch up the marks on your walls before the holidays! This easy-to-put-together kit makes that job a breeze.

I have a good recipe and a delightful and easy gift idea for you that I plan to publish this week, fingers crossed.

Be well, my friends! Take good care of yourselves and those you love.

Until next week…

Hugs,

Thanks for making my day by SHARING!!