Styled and Savored #012
Your weekly curated guide to great finds that make your home life easier, fuller, richer, and happier.
We’re going to dive right in and start this week’s edition of S&S with a quintuple DIY blog post from the DIY Huntress. That’s right, five Spring DIY projects for gardeners, including these great cedar planter boxes with hidden water hose storage, is just the kind of two-for-one idea that I personally love.
© DIY Huntress
Anytime you can create something that provides multi-purpose functionality, it’s a project that’s a cut above something that’s just a single-use/purpose item. This project allows you to create some spiffy-looking cedar planter boxes that keeps the garden hose from being a tangled eyesore.
In addition to that project, the blog post also features how-tos on creating a sunroom with a planting station, setting up an outdoor space for a new smokeless fire pit, building an outdoor bar complete with storage space that allows you to serve cool, frosty beverages to guests, and crafting a cedar bench with a modern, minimalist flair.
Best of all, each project has a how-to video on the DIY Huntress’ YouTube channel. I’ve embedded the DIY project for the planter box below, but you can access all the videos by heading over to the blog post (linked above).
All of these projects are fun, practical, and will help you scratch your gardening AND DIY itch.
Fantastic kitchen drawer organization tips
The Driven by Decor blog recently featured some fantastic kitchen organization options to help you declutter your available space and maximize storage while keeping everything within easy reach.
This post focuses exclusively on getting your kitchen cabinet drawers organized, but they’ve promised some upcoming posts that will get the entire kitchen squared away, so I encourage you to follow Driven by Decor so you can get their helpful tips as soon as they hit the publish button.
Nothing can get out of hand in a kitchen faster than silverware and utensils, and there are plenty of smart suggestions to keep those items in order. There are also great tips for organizing everything from water bottles, dish cloths, towels, and spices to resealable baggies, plastic wrap, aluminum foil, and the inevitable kitchen “junk” drawer. There’s even an idea to set up a coffee station that stores everything you need for a piping hot cup of joe (or tea for you sophisticants).
Father’s Day gift ideas
If you’re searching for a last-minute gift for Dad, Chris Loves Julia has some wonderful suggestions that are sure to put a smile on Pop’s mug.
By way of making a confession, I don’t feel as though I’m a very good gift giver. It seems as though every time I have to buy a gift for someone, I struggle for days trying to figure out what to get them. I like giving gifts that are unique and of high quality, and these options fit the bill on both counts.
I love the vintage styling of the nickel-plated, stainless steel airplane cocktail shaker available from Crate & Barrel. There’s also a sharp-looking leather catchall that’s very similar to one I bought my dad a few years back. Put one of them on your dresser or nightstand, and it’ll hold keys, a wallet, coins, cash, pocket knives, or whatever your dad carries around in his pockets.
There’s also a handmade travel cornhole set from Pottery Barn, a stainless steel nose hair trimmer, a wireless Bluetooth meat thermometer, an adjustable kettle bell so Dad can get his swole on, and those fancy-schmancy Rayban Wayfarer Meta sunglasses everyone seems to be talking about these days among several other great gift options.
Father’s Day is next Sunday, so hurry on over and pick something out.
Air-fryer turkey burgers
Since we’re talking about Father’s Day, these last two items will be a tasty treat for your Pa after the great gift you give him from the suggestions above. Old Dad will love this recipe for air fryer turkey burgers from the Girl Carnivore blog.
Now, you may be thinking that ground turkey can have a tendency to get dry, but Girl Carnivore suggests an 85/15 lean-to-fat ratio to help keep the burgers moist. Plus, the controlled cooking environment of the air fryer should allow you to produce a juicy finished product.
© Girl Carnivore
The recipe suggests brioche buns to wrap around these burgers, and I think that’s a fabulous choice. Brioche is just so buttery and soft and should really complement the burgers well, and the also suggested spicy chipotle aioli will give it a creamy, smoky kick.
Of course, if turkey isn’t your thing (or Dad’s), you could always substitute any other ground meat like beef, lamb, bison, or even venison. Your old man will appreciate the effort and the full belly.
Lemon icebox cake
Hopefully, Dad won’t be too full to enjoy this amazing lemon icebox cake shared by the Averie Cooks blog.
I’ve been on a lemon kick lately because Spring and Summer are the perfect time to create delectable desserts and drinks using what I think is one of the most refreshing and versatile citrus fruits.
© Averie Cooks
There’s a lot to love about this particular recipe. First, there are just six ingredients, one of which is lemon curd. I’m a huge fan of lemon curd, and I’ve used it a few times already this year – most recently in a batch of raspberry blueberry lemon oatmeal cookies. Delish!
Second, you don’t even need to turn your oven on. It’s an icebox cake after all, so you just need to combine the ingredients in a loaf pan and let it set up and chill in the fridge for 8 hours.
Third, it’s layered with graham crackers, which were my favorite go-to treat as a kid.
Fourth, the cream cheese-based filling will make this almost cheesecake-like, and who doesn’t love a nice cheesecake? The bonus here is you don’t have to fuss with this dessert the way you do if you were making a cheesecake.
And lastly, this recipe calls for homemade whipped cream. I’m a huge advocate for making your own whipped cream because you can tweak the flavor profile to match whatever dessert you happen to be making, and it just tastes better and fresher than store-bought whipped cream or Cool Whip. Those are great if you’re in a pinch, but doesn’t dear old Dad deserve a little extra effort?
Of course he does.
That’s it for this week. Let us know your thoughts about any or all of the featured posts in this edition of Styled & Savored, and tell us what you’d like to see us cover in future editions as well.
Oh, and tell your Pops we said, “Hello!”
