Styled and Savored #022
Your weekly curated guide to great finds that make your home life easier, fuller, richer, and happier.
This week’s lineup is serving equal parts cozy sanctuary and culinary swagger. We’re talking homes that smell like magic (thanks to simmer pots and smart diffusers), windows that may or may not be gaslighting you into a pricey replacement, and fall decor that’s less “Pinterest board pressure” and more “personal cocooning.”
On the plate? Burgers dripping with smoky jalapeño bacon jam, frozen wine slushies that make “five o’clock somewhere” feel like a lifestyle, and a fearless foodie tour through America’s most hated ingredients (anchovy fans, your time has come). Serious Eats also reminds us that temperature control is the secret flex separating average cooks from kitchen legends – because science is delicious.
Sprinkle in a little backyard bird watching, a whiff of clove and cedar, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for savoring the shift from late summer into early fall. Consider this edition your permission slip to nest, nibble, and maybe even challenge your palate.
7 Creative Ways to Make Your Home Smell Good (HomeJelly)
Why settle for a house that smells like yesterday’s takeout when you can make it feel like a boutique spa using things you probably already have in your pantry? HomeJelly delivers seven clever hacks to banish funk and invite fresh.
© istockphoto.com
First off: diffusers with essential oils. You can mix and match aromas to craft a custom scent or, bonus point, ward off bugs using blends like lavender and eucalyptus. And for high-tech fragrance fans, they give a shout-out to Pura Smart Fragrance Diffusers, which let you control scent intensity and schedule bursts via an app (up to 100 luxurious hours of aroma, anyone?).
Then there’s the low-tech classic: simmer pots. Toss lemon slices, rosemary, or cinnamon sticks in a pot of water and let the aroma waft through your space – “your house smells like love and magic,” they say, and honestly, that sounds like everything.
Not as into literal scent bombs? Indoor plants get a call-out. Not for fragrance, but for their ability to freshen air naturally and bring life to a room.
Of course, there’s baking. Channel your inner Cher from Clueless, toss premade cinnamon apple cookie dough into the oven, and serve good smells with dessert. cleanup minimal, mood maximum.
Finally, the simplest hack: opening a window. Fresh air costs nothing and works instantly – “in with good, out with bad,” as HomeJelly poetically puts it.
Do you need new windows, and what will they cost you?
Here’s the question every homeowner eventually asks: Are your drafty, rattling windows worth replacing, or are you just buying into a sales pitch? HouseLogic comes in like the level-headed friend who isn’t afraid to tell you when you’re about to waste ten grand.
© Simonton
The truth: before you even think about swapping out those panes, grab some caulk and insulation. For around $1,000, sealing leaks, upgrading insulation, or repairing what you already have can save you just as much energy as full replacements. In other words, don’t let an eager contractor guilt you into new windows when a tube of sealant might do the trick.
That said, there are times when replacement makes sense, and window replacements do typically recoup about 67% of their cost in home value, making them one of the smarter remodeling investments if you’re planning to sell. And if your frames are rotting or glass panes are fogged beyond repair? Yep, it’s time to shop.
The best part of this post is its practical, no-nonsense vibe. It doesn’t tell you what you want to hear; it tells you what you need to know. Whether that means shelling out for brand-new double panes or simply tightening up what you’ve got, the advice here is clear: spend smart, not scared.
How to Make Your Home a Cozy Sanctuary for Fall & Winter (The Inspired Room)
The Inspired Room is basically the fairy godmother of cozy, and this blog post isn’t telling you to redecorate for fall and winter – it’s inviting you to cocoon. Forget chasing seasonal trends. Instead, think timeless layers that make your house feel like the world’s warmest hug.
Your toolkit starts with textures: chunky knit throws, velvet pillows, flannel sheets. Pile them on. Then add ambiance with soft lighting – lamps instead of overhead glare, candles flickering in the background. And let’s not forget scent: cinnamon, cedar, clove. It’s the little whiffs that tell your brain, “ahhh, home.”
But the blog post also digs deeper: creating sanctuary isn’t just about stuff, it’s about rhythms. Slower mornings with coffee in your favorite mug. Evenings where you light that candle just because. It’s comfort layered not only in decor but in habits that nurture your soul.
This isn’t a guide to staging your house for Instagram; it’s about making your home work for you when the days get short and cold. The vibe? Welcoming, personal, lived-in, and ready to carry you through winter with a sense of ease instead of clutter.
6 Ways to Attract More Birds to Your Yard
If you’ve ever daydreamed about turning your backyard into a Disney-level bird haven, The Spruce has your starter pack. This post isn’t just “throw out some birdseed and hope”. It’s a practical guide to wooing feathered friends with food, water, shelter, and a little landscaping savvy.
© The Spruce
It kicks off with the obvious: food variety. Sunflower seeds, suet, fruit, and nuts lure different types of birds, while native plants like crabapple or barberry double as both food and habitat. Think of it as building a year-round buffet with built-in seating.
Shelter is just as important: tall trees, dense shrubs, even a humble brush pile give smaller birds a safe place to hide from predators. Birdhouses tucked in sheltered spots add long-term real estate, while birdbaths or shallow dishes of fresh water turn your yard into the neighborhood spa.
What makes this guide so smart is how it emphasizes layering – height, texture, and seasonality. Evergreens keep things lively in the dead of winter, while summer blooms pull in colorful visitors when everything’s in season.
The takeaway? A bird-friendly yard isn’t about gimmicks; it’s about thoughtful variety. Add food, water, and shelter in layers, and suddenly your yard isn’t just green space – it’s an avian hot spot.
Are you brave enough to eat America’s most hated foods?
Strap on your adventurous bib. This Girls Can Grill roundup dives into America’s culinary “ick list” with tongue firmly planted in cheek. The post unveils the top 10 “most hated foods” according to a YouGov poll, kicking things off with blue cheese at No. 10 (21% of folks say “blech!”), and rising through the ranks with sushi, caviar, chitterlings, oysters, squid – all the way to anchovies, liver, and sardines, which make the “would you even try them?” hall of fame.
© Girls Can Grill
From left (top): Liver, anchovies, oysters, blue cheese (bottom left), and squid are some of America’s most disliked foods.
This is no snooty list. It pairs each shocking food pick with a little cultural wink. Blue cheese? “Moldy feet in hipster loafers,” but hey, still worth a nibble with the right crowd. And anchovies? The Oscar Isaac of ingredients – tiny, salty, powerful, and fiercely divisive. Underneath the bravado, there’s a little note of hope: some foods might mouth-pucker today, only to become surprisingly delicious distractions later on. Spoiler: 69% of people say they’ve warmed up to a former food enemy.
It’s playful, provocative content that makes you chuckle and maybe question your own food biases – especially if you're known to sneak anchovies onto pizza when no one’s watching. This roundup isn’t just food gossip; it’s a fun reminder that tastes evolve, and a little daring could expand your dinner horizons.
Game-changing temp tips that’ll make you a better cook
Serious Eats just dropped a kitchen masterclass that’s less about recipes and more about thermal wizardry – because cooking isn’t art, it’s controlled energy transfer. Think of heat as your sous-chef: when you manage it well, your dishes leap from meh to marvelous.
© Serious Eats
The post walks readers through key strategies that chefs swear by: embrace the Maillard reaction so your seared meat and roasted mushrooms taste like you spent hours on them when really you just got the heat right. Ever tried “cold-start cooking”? That’s where things like chicken thighs go from sad to sensorial under gradual heat, yielding ultra-crisp skin instead of burnt rubber.
Then there’s the reverse sear – a slow bake at about 250°F followed by a smoking-hot pan finish – giving you evenly cooked meat that’s juicy inside and crusted to perfection on the outside. Resting meat isn’t about respecting it – it’s about managing carryover temperature so your medium-rare stays just that.
The message is deliciously clear: leave temperature to chance, and your food will likely disappoint. Master it, and you march into the realm of precision cooking, where flavor, texture, and control converge. It’s cool science with hot results.
Jalapeño bacon jam smash burgers
Buckle up, burger lovers. Grill Nation is delivering the kind of smash burger that demands a fist pump. Especially now that football season is back in full swing. These Jalapeño Bacon Jam Smash Burgers are crispy-edged, flavor-packed beasts crowned with a sweet-teasing, smoky-hot bacon jam that might just steal the show.
© Grill Nation
Here’s the roadmap: Start the bacon jam by crisping up thick-cut bacon. Set aside some bacon fat to sauté onions until golden, stir in jalapeños (without – or with – the seeds, depending on your bravado), then garlic. Add brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, smoked paprika, coffee (optional), season to taste, and gently simmer until it thickens into future-spread bliss. Finish it by tossing the bacon back in for texture.
Meanwhile, build your smash burger using 80/20 ground beef lightly formed into loose balls (no overworking) and seasoned with kosher salt and pepper. On a smoking-hot flat top, smash each ball flat, flip after about 90 seconds, then add cheddar for that melty moment of joy.
To finish: toast brioche buns lightly with butter, then assemble – jam on the bottom bun, double patties with cheese, and optional extras like lettuce, pickles, jalapeños, or spicy mayo (your canvas!).
What’s striking? The combo of textured contrast – the crunchy jam, crispy patty edges, creamy cheese – and that sweet-spicy-bacon dance. It’s a burger that tastes like memory, swagger, and summer rolled into one greasy, glorious bite.
Frozen wine slushies – YUM!
While Autumn is coming, the heat’s still raising the thermostat, and the only thing Falling (see what I did there?) is your willingness to adult. Fortunately, Dude That Cookz brings a frozen savior: the Frozen Wine Slushie. Imagine layered fruity bliss with zero judgment for drinking wine before noon. Eric Jones keeps it casually delicious with a trilogy of slushie flavors: vibrant blueberry, tropical pineapple with a creamy surprise, and sweet strawberry, all crowned with a splash of wine and a wink of whimsy.
© Dude That Cookz
Here’s the scoop: blend frozen blueberries with Riesling wine and ice until smooth, and pour the frozen goodness into your glass. Rinse the blender, then whip up the middle layer – frozen pineapple, triple sec, coconut cream, and ice – for a creamy, whisper-of-spirit layer. Rinse again, then top it all with a strawberry, ice, and Riesling combo. A quick freezer chill between layers (or gentle spooning) keeps them crisp and distinct.
What makes it fun? The playful freedom – general wine preference (the blog suggests Riesling or other sweet-ish whites but doesn’t hold your hand), the “anything frozen fruit works” vibe, and the optional garnishes (hello, pineapple wedges or blueberries). Whether you’re chasing the sun or pretending it’s summer in a glass, this recipe’s elegant ease will have you cooling off in no time.
Quote of the week: On the benefits of humility
Humility is one of those quiet strengths that doesn’t shout but always makes an impact. It allows us to approach life with open hands instead of clenched fists, making room for growth, learning, and genuine connection with others. When we’re humble, we’re not weighed down by the need to prove ourselves or always be right. Instead, we can listen, adapt, and appreciate different perspectives. Humility fosters resilience too; mistakes become lessons rather than defeats, and successes are celebrated without arrogance. At its core, humility grounds us, reminding us that while we may be capable, we’re also part of something bigger, and that’s where true confidence and peace are found.
“If thou desire the love of God and man, be humble, for the proud heart, as it loves none but itself, is beloved of none but itself. Humility enforces where neither virtue, nor strength, nor reason can prevail.”
– Francis Quarles (1592 - 1644), English poet, best known for his popular emblem book Emblems (1635), which combined religious verse with illustrations
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.
