News from the Nest, September 27

🍁🍂🍁Happy Fall, Y’all! 🍂🍁🍂

I revel in all the season changes, but summer turning into fall is my most favorite time of the year!

Having windows open at night and snuggling down under the covers is one of life’s most enjoyable moments. Working in the yard without sweating is a true treat (I don’t like to sweat!). College football, pots of soups & chili, and sweatshirts are in my DNA even though I was raised in Hawaii, Guam, South Carolina, and San Diego! Clearly, my ancestors are from Iceland.

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I have found an antidote to the sometimes overwhelming steady drumbeat of negative news we seem to face daily. It is quite simple, actually:

Turn the news off and turn on the Partridge Family “I Think I Love You”…LOUD! I double-dog dare you not to sing along! In fact, at the recommendation of a friend, I rediscovered the music of the ’70s in general; it has gone a long way towards me retaining my sanity.

• I’ve been calling my local grocers looking for turkey wings or legs for the turkey stock I make each year for our Thanksgiving gravy. I know that the pandemic impacted production of many things, but I was recently told that there have been difficulties sourcing turkeys and parts. Just a heads up. So, if you are planning to make turkey stock or need turkey parts, grab ’em if you see ’em!
• For my knitting or crocheting friends, how do you join yarn skeins while in the midst of a project? I discovered the Russian Join a while ago and it has changed my knitting game.
• While we are talking knitting, check out my new zippered pouch to help you corral your knitting supplies.

• It’s soup weather! This hearty Beef Vegetable Soup is one of the first soups I make when summer winds down. When you make it, make sure to add the dried mushroom even if you aren’t a mushroom fan. You can turn them into a powder if you wish, but they really add an earthy depth to the soup.
• Pair the soup with this Easy Herb Quick Bread, which, not for nothing, can be easily turned into a welcome food gift.
• While we are talking quickbreads, this Apple Spice Bread will not only thrill your tastebuds, but your nose will enjoy your home’s aroma while it bakes.
• I am busy working on a variety of handmade and food gift ideas to share with you. I feel very ‘elfish’ at the moment! 🤶🏼
• If you find yourself around a firepit, at a tailgate or heck, just relaxing at home, I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy sipping this Spiked Warm Apple Cider.
• Something I always have in my laundry room and under my kitchen sink…Washing Soda. If you aren’t familiar with it, it is made by Arm & Hammer and is sold typically in the laundry products aisle. That stuff works miracles for baked on foods with one caveat…don’t use it on aluminum. If your clothes aren’t feeling ‘fresh’ just coming out of the washer/dryer, then add some washing soda to your next wash cycle. The washing soda soften water, which helps your detergent lift soil from fabrics and suspend the soil in the wash water.

Well my friends, I’m going to put on Partridge Family’s Greatest Hits and get my elf on!

I wish you a day full of sunshine and contentment.

Hugs,

Thanks for making my day by SHARING!!