Actually I think your best bet for that weekend project is to just go with the simpler plan. A friend of mine tried to over-engineer a similar thing last summer and ended up spending twice as long as he expected. The straightforward version worked perfectly and looked cleaner too.

I told him the same thing honestly but he had to learn the hard way. On the bright side we did get to use the extra lumber for a small bench so it wasn't a total loss. Sometimes the most obvious solution really is the right one especially when you factor in how much time you actually want to spend on something.

Let me know if you want me to send you the measurements we used for the simple version. It held up fine through the winter and still looks good. No need to complicate things when the basic design does exactly what you need.

I finally tried that recipe you sent me last week and it turned out really well. I was a bit skeptical about the timing on the roasting step because my oven runs a little hot but I checked it at the halfway point and adjusted the temp down by about fifteen degrees. That seemed to do the trick because the outside had a nice color without getting too dark while the inside stayed tender.

The herb combination was perfect by the way. I added a little extra lemon zest at the end just to brighten it up and my family really liked that touch. The leftovers actually tasted even better the next day which is always a good sign in my book. I'll definitely be making this again maybe for the next time we have friends over.

Let me know if you have any other recipes like this one. I am always looking for something that feels special but doesn't require a ton of complicated steps. This one hit that sweet spot perfectly.