How to Make a Charcuterie Board

The term “charcuterie” refers to the preparing of cured meats, like prosciutto, bacon, salami, etc., but these days when people say charcuterie, they are usually referring to a fun, meat and cheese board.

It is a perfect way to nosh yummy goodies over a glass of wine, a cocktail, or even a mocktail.  It’s a fun way to get creative and add pops of color to your menu to impress your guests. From the board up, here’s how to make an epic charcuterie board.  Whether you are hosting a party or enjoying a family movie night, these are alway a lot of fun.

 

THE BOARD

You don’t have to get fancy here! A simple flat, sturdy surface will work—in any shape or size. You’re going to add layers of goodness on top, so any wooden cutting board, platter, or plate will do the trick.

COLOR & TEXTURE

What makes a great board pop is layers of color and texture. Think bright: reds, greens, yellows, and oranges—strawberries, cherries, olives, sliced peppers—and texture, shiny and smooth, along with rough and edgy—think figs, crackers, and dips.

START WITH DIPS

These are essential – they deliver the extra punch of flavor to each bite. Put your dips in small bowls, along with olives and pickles, cubed cheeses, jellies, and mustards, placing them on your board first, then build the rest of the ingredients around them. This will anchor your ingredients and you can use different shapes and sizes to add depth and variety.

Try:

Nacho Cheese Dip Mix – best served with tortilla chips, salsa, and sour cream

Ooey Gooey Queso Hot Dip – serve with tortilla chips, pretzel bites, veggies

CCB Dip – delicious with raw vegetables, potato chips, or crackers

MEAT & CHEESE

Have fun with the style here—serve cheese in cubes, slices, and wedges, including brie, bleu, fresh cheese, and cheddar. Genoa Salami, Italian Dry Salame, Peppered Salami, Prosciutto are great additions to your board—variety is what will make it stand out! You can even wrap Prosciutto around pickled asparagus spears and layer them on the board. Don’t forget your

CRACKERS, CHIPS & BREAD

This part is important – the delivery vehicle for all that goodness! Try to add two to four different kinds here. Get fresh baguette from your local bakery and make home-made chips and crackers to really take this over the top! We love the versatility of Whole-Grain Rosemary Crackers because you can make them with sesame, sunflower, or chia seeds in place of the flax seeds in the recipe…or a combo of all three!

Whole-Grain Rosemary Crackers – pictured

Everything Bagel Crackers

Pita Chips

FRUIT, VEGGIE & GARNISH

After you’ve stacked your board with your bread, chips, and crackers, it’s time to fill in the gaps with fresh fruit, veggies, and garnishes. There are no rules here! Just go with what you have on-hand, and what makes sense to you! Apple slices and grapes are obvious choices, but you can go nuts here—really! Add almonds, walnuts, cashews, along with apricots, kumquats, and more! The possibilities are endless. Garnish with fresh rosemary, mint, or parsley to add that festive green colour.

And, one last tip, try to add something sweet, savoury, salty, and spicy to every board to perfectly balance the experience and suit every taste in your bubble!

What are your best tips for making “boards”?  With summer coming, what will you add to yours to make it POP?  Share your ideas with us…

Have an Epic Day!

The BEST Deal on Black Friday?

GOOD MORNING!  Many of you may be seeing this post late in the day because you are part of the CRAZINESS called Black Friday.  As I sit here snuggled at home, I can’t help but think of past Black Friday mornings…

Black Friday has an array of memories….

The years Belinda and I camped out at Walmart to do holiday shopping for my best friend’s kids.  She couldn’t get there so we did the shopping and put it on layaway for her.  It was a game for us while others were getting crazy knocking each other over for what they thought was a GREAT deal.

Then there was the year the call came my Mom was in an accident on her way to work and was in the trauma unit at ACMC.  She was hit head on by someone headed to a Black Friday sale at Best Buy.  The focus on the deals and talking on her cell phone were more important to her then watching the road.  Our lives were changed for several months as mom healed. We thanked God he kept her safe.

The years Belinda came home from college and we headed out for “kid and me” time.  Not crazy early but just a day to see what deals we could find after the crazies headed home.

Then there was the year of late night shopping with the girls. It was fun scouring the shelves for great deals.  Trimming the Christmas tree like we did when Belinda was little on Thanksgiving weekend topped the events while we shared stories related to each of the holiday ornaments.

Today, I am thankful for the memories despite the fogginess as a result of the MS.  Memories of happy time and sad times but cherished none the less.  I will head to PT and get ready for tomorrow’s event in Avon. Who knows maybe I will pop some specials on my  Facebook VIP group to join in the frenzy?

How are you spending YOUR Black Friday?  Shopping?  Resting? Working?  Visiting with family?  Share your favorite memories with us.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Are You Superstitious?

Do you dread this day each time it rolls around? I used to be one of those people. I used negative words to describe the day and the outcome was “I got negative results”. I was surprised by the origins of this “dreaded day”:

The origins are as mysterious as the day itself, although it’s thought to stem from two separate fears that amalgamate every now and again to frighten us. Yup, the number 13 and Friday (apparently) have long been considered to be unlucky in their own right.

REALLY, Fridays were considered unlucky too?  I always thought Fridays were GREAT days. Especially TODAY since I am in  NC with my daughter and looking forward to a weekend filled with tailgating and fun.  Yes, I squirreled.  As an employee, it was pay day with the exception of my years at the casinos, so what’s so bad about it? For those with a Monday – Friday JOB, it means the end of the work week and the start of two days of NO WORK! As for those of us in direct sales, Fridays are always good because they are traditionally our busy party nights.  Pay day means people are ready to shop too!

  

As for the number 13, this is what they had to say:

The number 13 has always been seen as a bit of an unfriendly number. In numerology it is irregular, transgressing the completeness of perfect 12 (for example, 12 months of the year and 12 signs of the zodiac).

Okay, I am not sure what to say about this. I do know most builders don’t include a 13th floor in the hotels or skyscrapers to avoid the negative energy it creates in people. I mean, would you rent a room or an office on the 13th floor?

A few years ago, I started changing the way I looked at Friday the 13th. I started thinking of it as just another day – a day like any other day. I LOVE thinking about it as “31” in reverse.  Okay, occasionally Negative Nellie will make a passing comment but overall positive thoughts prevail.

What are you doing on this Friday the 13th? I am hosting a special to my VIP customers and hostesses at Hope’s Purse Closet (as well as those who read my blog):

Better yet, if you place an order of $35 you can take advantage of the AWESOME October Customer special.  You can also kick off you holiday shopping with the NEW Holiday Gift Guide.  

To place an order, you can email, text, call or PM me on Facebook to place your order and receive your discount.  If you place your order online with DIRECT SHIP, I will not be able to give the discount because direct ship orders are being processed as soon as they are placed online.   I am turning a negative into a positive today, what about you?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Who Will You Be Today?

Today we are going to stomp on those inner gremlins, getting us ready to sparkle for the weekend….

I don’t know about you but I struggle being confident. I know I write about and when people meet me they sometimes find it hard to believe but trust me, it is true.  I struggle with trying to be the woman God wants me to be.  I know I am not alone because I hear it from others all of the time.  Maybe you know someone who is feeling the same way?

Think about school shopping with your kids.  Were these some of the questions they pondered?

• Jordache jeans, schrunchies and white L.A. Gear?
• Lacoste, cardigans and penny loafers?
• Black eyeliner, mega earrings and a mini-skirt?

Alright the brand or style may be a little different but you get it, right?  Many girls worry about looking like everyone else.  I was grateful my daughter, was just a tad different.  Unlike me, she wanted things the others weren’t buying for school.  She had her own style and didn’t worry about if she fit in because of her clothes.

These are the girls who stomp on their inner gremlins in their youth and move on to confident women.  Then there are those who hold on to those fears and people pleasing attitudes so when they grow up, they are struggling to stomp on the gremlins as adults.

I wasn’t sure of the girl I was or the girl I wanted to be. I stood on shaky ground relying on the fickle and flippant opinions of others. I bobbed and weaved to fit each situation I found myself in. I often found myself acting all sorts of ways, so I could be the person I thought my friends and family wanted.

As an adult, I fit other roles – single mom, career woman, wife, business owner.  In each one, I did the same bob and weave.  When I retired, the bob and weave stopped and I was stuck.  Stuck trying to find me and who I would be.  With the help of some amazing women, I found me and on most days STOMP the inner gremlins.

They helped me to see I don’t have to spin like the Tilt-O-Whirl at the amusement park; trying to be everything to everybody. Their encouragement, support and guidance has led me to a stronger walk in my faith and as a result not a copy of someone else.  I still skip the line in the comparison ride and jump on but each day I become more and more confident growing into the women I was meant to be.

Did you know, a girl’s self-esteem peaks at age 9 and only 4% of women describe themselves as beautiful?  Age 9 … before this crazy, comparison ride calls for them to get on.

As children grow from child to adult, God (or your Higher Power) can help them to build a solid foundation on Him, instead of on the ever changing opinions of others. They don’t have to feel like they’re constantly pushed in a million different directions. He can make them brave and give them the courage to be their true selves and build a confidence which stands firm for the days to come.

I found a book for girls between the ages of 8 – 12 years old.  It is something I wish I had found many years ago or at least when I was in my early years of HS.  The book is called “Brave Beauty: Finding the Fearless You”, by Lynn Cowell.  It is written especially for girls between the ages 8 – 12.  Lynn helps to prepare girls to:

• Overcome confidence-defeating thoughts.
• Shape their self-worth and overcome temptation based on environmental factors.
• Build a strong foundation to face the fickle and flippant opinions of others.
• Find approval of herself even when she lacks the acceptance of others.

I am grateful to be part of a company who developed Gives for this purpose:

We believe confident girls and women can lead more purposeful, thriving lives and are the key to strong families and communities. Gives is a partnership between our consultants, customers, hostesses and employees working together to support nonprofits aligned to our mission.

Every time you round-up your order, you help fulfill the mission of Thirty One Gives.  Your change helps to make a difference.  How will you help to make a difference in the lives of tween girls so they become confident, strong women?  Or maybe you are the woman who needs help stomping on the inner gremlins, reach out and know you are not alone….

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Make the Most of a Staycation

Thank you Moscato Mom for inspiring this post….

As a single mom of a competitive cheerleader, vacations were usually tied to cheering competitions out of state.  Always a lot of fun but not very relaxing.  We were always on the hunt for budget-friendly options.   Today, they are know as “a stay cation” and are often dreaded!   Honestly, we live at the shore, who wants to stay at the shore with all of the “shoobies”.

Check out some awesome ideas for having the best staycation this summer.

Camping

This was not an option for a LONG time when my daughter was little.  She was definitely a hotel and room service kind of girl.  Then she went camping with one of her best friends and her mom.  Despite some hiccups, she had a good time.  Camping memories are some of the best for me growing up.  There are many great sites for camping at a low cost in our area. Some of them even offer it for free! You could even pop up a tent and camp out in your backyard. Camping is a great, cheap way to enjoy the outdoors with your family this summer. Don’t forget to pack the makings for s’mores!

Beach

Pack up the family, the swimming gear and the sunscreen and head to your local beach! Living at the shore, this is not on the tops of my list since everyone else is headed this way.  When we lived in South Jersey, we used to go to the Bay or the Lake.  Most cities around the country have lakes that allow for swimming, fishing, boating and relaxing at the beach. Fill a cooler with lunch and snacks and just spend the day enjoying the water and the sun.

Museums

This was definitely not for us ….If hanging out in the heat is not your favorite thing to do during the summer, you can still have some fun in your local area without spending a ton. Check out your local museums. You can walk around in a nice air conditioned building to beat the heat while having fun learning about history. Admission to most museums is only a few dollars!

Explore  

Pretend you are a “shoobie”.  Are there some new restaurants in town you haven’t been to yet and would like to try? Are there some local parks you haven’t been to before? Another great staycation idea is to spend the day exploring your town. Go to some parks, take a long walk, try out some new local food, grab some ice cream cones, whatever your heart desires. This will possibly be one of the more pricey staycation options but it is far less expensive and stressful than traveling.

Movies

Another option for beating the heat this summer is to head to the theater! A lot of new movies come out during the summer months so it is a really good time to go. Check your local theater’s websites for coupons to save on tickets and snacks. Another alternative to going to a movie is to attend a live-action play. Check out your local playhouse to see what their current productions are.

What is your best “staycation” idea?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!