Styled and Savored – #003
Your weekly curated guide to great finds that make your home life easier, fuller, richer, and happier.
The warmer weather we wished for in last week’s Styled and Savored is here, and not a moment too soon. This IS Florida after all, and it was beginning to feel more like a frigid, dreary Northeastern locale instead of the Sunshine State. I mean, there was snow – SNOW I TELL YOU – in the panhandle. As a native Floridian, I have to say my thin blood was not doing well.
But now, all is right with the world, and what better way to put that ugly winter weather behind us – despite what the world’s most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, says by predicting another six weeks of winter this past Sunday (What does he know? According to NOAA, the giant rodent has accurately predicted the weather just 30% of the time over the last 10 years.) – than by looking ahead to Valentine’s Day.
Yes, yes, I know we gave the holiday a nod last week with some Valentine-themed home decor items, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t offer up a tried and true favorite of ours when it comes to buying a gift for your sweetie. Believe me when I tell you, this will score MAJOR points with your better half, and you’ll be basking in the glow of adoration for months to come.
John and Kira’s fine chocolates
The Palette du Chocolat Grand Assortment from John & Kira’s
For years, the Palette du Chocolat Grande Assortment from John & Kira’s was my go-to gift for my lovely bride for multiple reasons. Number 1, it was a stunner right out of the gate because of the packaging. It was a massive round box that was spectacular to behold, and it said something to my wife that was roughly equivalent to, “Hey, I know I’m a moronic man-child who got the better deal in this marriage because you’re way more awesome than me, and I’m sorry you got the raw end of the stick in this, but here’s a massive box of chocolate that should even things out a little.”
Number 2, the impressive round box was loaded down with 50 pieces of John & Kira’s most popular candies like Chocolate Honey Caramel Bees, Every Flavor chocolate squares, Red Ladybugs that are hand-painted with colored cocoa butter and filled with dark chocolate ganache, Magical Chocolate Apples with a mix of cream and milk chocolate with a touch of cinnamon, a dash of cardamom and a splash of apple brandy, and a dark chocolate shell, Chocolate Cherries, and finally, Chocolate Whiskey Figs which are imported organic dried Calabacita figs from a small family farm in Spain and filled with a whiskey infused Valrhona dark chocolate ganache and hand-dipped in 62% dark chocolate.
And number 3, CHOCOLATE WHISKEY FIGS!
To my despair, though, when I went to order this amazing gift I discovered it was out of stock!
Not to worry. John & Kira’s still had me covered with a page of their Valentine’s Day gift offerings that will still get me in good with the Mrs.
Head over to their site and find something sweet for your favorite Valentine.
Hearty fare
Emma Chapman’s Shepherd’s Pie from her blog, A Beautiful Mess
While the temps have warmed up again here in Florida, it’s still winter according to the aforementioned giant rodent, and there’s no better way to revel in that fact than with a hearty classic like shepherd’s pie. Fortunately, Emma Chapman has a great version of this all-time favorite meal over on her A Beautiful Mess blog.
Emma rightly points out that shepherd’s pie is typically made with ground lamb, and she’s using extra-lean ground beef, so it’s technically a cottage pie recipe, but I’ve never been a stickler on this as I’ve used everything from ground lamb, beef, venison, turkey, chicken, etc. when making my own versions of shepherd’s pie. That’s really the beauty of shepherd’s pie – substitutions can easily be made based on preferences or just whatever you happen to have on hand in your fridge or pantry.
The other little twist in this recipe is her addition of parmesan cheese to the mashed potatoes to give them a little extra salty tang, which is a nice touch. Try it out and let us know what you think.
DIY window flower boxes
If you’re looking to spruce up the exterior of your home and you’re a little bit of a green thumb, the Addicted 2 Decorating blog has a great DIY project for window flower boxes.
DIY window flower boxes from the Addicted 2 Decorating blog
Window flower boxes offer an elegant way to sort of bring the outdoors inside, and they make enjoying and caring for your plants a little easier. Need to water? Just throw the window open and break out the watering can. Feel like a breath of fresh air with a view of some lush foliage? Pull up a comfy chair next to the window and enjoy a good book as you occasionally gaze at your window box flowers.
The blog article even offers downloadable step-by-step instructions to help you get your DIY on, so there’s no excuse not to give these lovely additions to your home a try.
Are you ready for some football?
Last but certainly not least if you’re a football fan, the SuperBowl is this weekend, and I wanted to share a simple, easy recipe that is sure to be a hit if you’re throwing a party for the big game, or if you’re just watching with the family.
This recipe’s original moniker was simply, “Sesame Sticks”. My wife and I came across it on a visit to my in-laws while perusing some old recipe cards. This particular recipe captivated us because we thought the name was a little odd due to the fact that there were no “sticks” in the recipe, though it did call for pretzels in another form (nuggets), and there wasn’t any sesame in the ingredients list either.
Why would anyone call a recipe with no sesame and no sticks “Sesame Sticks”?
Still, we were intrigued by the simplicity of this homemade snack mix, but we wanted to tweak a few of the ingredients and come up with a more suitable name. A little addition here, a subtraction there, and the recipe was ready to be unveiled at a gathering we were having for a few close family members and friends.
We came up with a couple of potential names, asked the invitees to taste the finished product, and vote on the name they felt suited the recipe best. The result? Nutty Ritz Pretzel Bits was born and has been a staple at many parties over the years ever since.
Nutty Ritz Pretzel Bits is a simple recipe with lots of flavor that’ll be a hit at your next gathering or just in your pantry as a go-to snack.
Give this one a try, and watch your guests go back time and again. There won’t be anything left when all is said and done. We guarantee it.
Nutty Ritz Pretzel Bits
Ingredients List
2 cups Cheez-It cheese crackers
2 cups oyster crackers
2 cups Dot’s original pretzel twists
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1 cup Ritz Bits cheese sandwich crackers
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 envelope buttermilk ranch salad dressing
Instructions
Combine dill weed, olive oil, and ranch salad dressing in a small bowl and mix well until smooth.
Add remaining ingredients to a large bowl and pour the salad dressing mixture over those ingredients. Gently mix ingredients until salad dressing and spices coat all ingredients.
Wait 15 minutes and serve.
That’s it for this week, gang. Catch you next time with more curated links, tips, recipes, and products to make your life better.
