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!

How Many Ways Can You Use a Large Utility Tote?

Have you ever thought about it?  Do you think totes are just for the grocery store?  Or maybe you think beach bag? Or purse (okay maybe not a large utility tote)?  The truth is totes come in every shape and size, right?  If we stop to the grocery store, how many times have you forgotten the bags at home or maybe they are still in the trunk of the car…. admit it, I’m not alone, right? Yes, this “Bag Lady” does occasionally forget to take her totes with her….. SHHH!!!  It will be our little secret.

Let’s talk about Thirty One’s Large Utility Tote for a minute…. Did you know it has been the TOP SELLER (usually the #1 spot) since it was first introduced?  You may ask why?  It is just a tote… but not just any tote.  No, it doesn’t have magical powers…..

The Large Utility Tote is 11.75″ High x 21.5″ Wide x 10″ Deep.  It has a structured metal frame which keeps it open for bulky items and provides strength fo durability.

The top use is for grocery shopping….I have a simple system to ensure the totes are in the care when I head to the store. Once I unpack the totes, I set them by the door so they are in plain sight when I go out to the car the next time.  They are always put in the truck of the CRV.  So, how do I remember to take them with me?  On the days I am grocery shopping, I put my purse in the trunk.  Yup, I can’t go shopping without my purse, so when I open the trunk to get my purse, I pick up my totes.    Sometimes I will place them on the seat next to me.  I don’t know about you but I need to have things written on a list OR right in front of me in order to remember them.

Add a Double Chill Thermal to your large utility tote and you have the perfect way to keep your frozen foods solid during the hot summer months.  Okay, so most of us are battling the frigid cold right now but summer is just around the corner. This set of two water-resistant Leak Lock^® thermal inserts lets you pack ice without worry, and side handles make these soft-sided cooler bags easy to carry.  Great for grocery shopping, a day at the beach or a picnic.

Everyone is into decluttering these days…. why not use a large utility tote it to keep your closet in order.  Can you imagine how many blankets you could fit in one if you used the Tidying Up method of folding???  It even collapses for easy storage!  AND it can be personalized!  Shoes all over the floor?  Why not try dividing a tote with bottle dividers from the liquor store?

     

Have kids in sports?  Admit it, their equipment is ALL over the trunk of the car.  There is always something that goes missing – a glove, a sock, a shirt – why not make it easy by putting a tote in the trunk JUST for sporting equipment or after school activities.  How about tailgating at all of the games/ practices this spring?       Know someone getting married?  The large utility tote is a great wedding gift…

Did I mention the BEST part of the large utility tote in February????  It is on SALE!!!  Who doesn’t love a sale right?

Why not grab TWO and split the cost with your bestie!

So many uses for just one bag… which one is calling you?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Building A Brand

When you are out shopping, and you see something (a cup of coffee, a wine glass, an angel, etc) does a person jump into your thoughts?  For example, when I see “wine” I immediately think of my friend Desiree. Or when I see LARGE mugs of coffee, I think of Lori.  You get the picture.  Hopefully, when you see “angels”,  you think of me. No, I’m definitely not an angel BUT angels have always been a “thing” for me.  For me, it is a sign of my efforts to give back or pay it forward to those who are struggling.  It also reminds me of my many angels watching over me.

So, where is all of this leading, right?  Almost everyone is on some form of social media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, and the list goes on.. The truth is having a presence for your business on social media is just smart marketing!   it allows use to share our business without pushing sales all of the time.  I’m sure you know someone who has launched their business (direct sales or store front), while using their personal social media account.  It is a way for people to get the word out about their new business.  BUT at some point, they and so should you switch to a business page. I have a business page on Facebook and Instagram (click to check them out).

Why? Not only is it just a great business practice, but it helps to keep the two worlds separate.  Believe me, your family and friends will appreciate not being bombarded by business news. Now, I’m not saying you won’t share things on your personal page BUT it will be far less than it was before your business page.  On your Facebook business page, you will have a whole range of tools to help you measure performance and to help you engage with your customers and make more connections. As your connections increase, so does your brand awareness! You want your customers to be clear you are their business (for me Thirty One) connection!

Facebook
Create a Facebook business Page so you can  get discovered and connect with people. With a Facebook business Page, you can communicate directly with customers, help them learn more about your business, offer customer service and tell visual stories. Don’t get me wrong, things can and will trickle over to your personal but personal should be personal!  There are LOTS of tools provided with a business page, so you can gain insight on how your customers are interacting on the the content you share so you can fine tune your message – and it is SEEN!

Instagram
Did you know more than 500 million Instagrammers are discovering new things every month?  I was surprised I have more followers on Instagram then I do on FB!  So, I have started to be consistent on Instagram as a business account.  Like Facebook Pages, Instagram business profiles connect people and businesses. Use Instagram to share your direct sales journey, connect with your audience and generate interest. You can even link your Facebook Business Page with your Instagram account.  I am having lots of fun sharing things on Instagram and connecting with new people.

You can actually drive sales and potential recruits to your business via social media.  With your personal brand, your audience will grow – I was shocked how fast mine did.   The law of averages works great in direct sales – and as your followers increase your sales and team will also.

If you are like me, you want to know how can all of this turn interest into sales, right?  First, make sure ALL of your upcoming events are on your business page.  Hosting a fundraiser, be sure to add it as an event.  Then make sure there is a link to your website for people can order.  I have a “mystery host” party link on my site all of the time.  WHY?  Because, people like a chance to win. My disclaimer is “the party must reach at least $300 in sale” before a winner is selected.  WHY?  Because if it doesn’t reach the level you set,  you can benefit from those Hostess Rewards when you close out the party for the month.  Flip those Hostess products into incentives if you want to generate more business!

Once your business is setup on social media, you have another way to provide friendly, helpful customer service for your customers.  It is also easier for your customers to tag you and share your business with their friends and family.  The ultimate goal is then reached by you gaining more customers!

Share your brand/logo with us.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday: Red Wine Chocolate Cupcakes

 

Today’s recipe is from Susan Popok of Traveling Vineyards.  These yummy cupcakes will pair perfectly, I’m sure with one of their wines…Great for that upcoming party or barbecue.

Servings: 24  

INGREDIENTS

Cupcakes

• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• ¾ cup dry red wine
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup dark chocolate, melted

Icing

• 1 cup softened butter
• 3 ½-4 cups powdered sugar
• ½ cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons sugar

PREPARATION

1. Combine cake mix, eggs, olive oil, and chocolate in a mixing bowl.
2. Bake according to package directions in lined mini muffin tins. Allow to cool completely.
3. In a small saucepan, dissolve the sugar in ½ cup red wine, until dissolved.
4. Allow to simmer until reduced enough to coat the back of a spoon. This will yield a few tablespoons of red wine syrup.
5. Combine powdered sugar and butter until fluffy, using a hand mixer. Slowly add the wine syrup and blend to combine.
6. Using a piping bag or plastic storage bag, frost the cupcakes.
7. Enjoy!

So what happens  at a Traveling Vineyard Wine Tasting?

Susan, your Sommelier, will bring 5 FREE bottles of wine, worth approximately $100 to the party.  You and your friends will get to try the wine before you buy it!   This is a great idea because I don’t know about you BUT I am pretty fussy about my wine.  You will get to enjoy perfectly crafted food pairings selected by your Sommelier and then provided by the host to enhance the experience.  Not just the “wine and cheese” kind of thing either.  Chocolate and wine.  Fruit and wine.  You will also learn basic wine education in addition to playing fun games.    Lastly, your guests will learn many solutions for their wine needs! We have a wine for everyone, every occasion, and every moment you can think of. So, who is ready for a girl’s night out while you sample some amazing wines?  Be sure to connect with Susan to set the date…

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Tasty Tuesday: Salisbury Steak

 

Today’s recipe is from Susan Popok of Traveling Vineyard.

This is one of her family go-to recipes….

Ingredients:

1 lb of ground turkey or ground beef

1 package. of dried onion soup mix

1 egg

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

3 TBSP butter (split in recipe)

1 TBSP olive oil

1 onion, sliced thinly

1 TBSP minced garlic

1/2 pound mushrooms

2 TBPS flour

14 oz beef broth (1 can)

1/4 cup white wine

Instructions:

1. Form 4 oval patties with first 4 ingredients
2. Brown in pan with 1 tbs each butter & olive oil, remove, to pan
3. Add 2 tbsp. butter with thinly sliced onion, minced garlic & mushrooms
4. Add flour
5. Add beef broth and wine
6. Return patties to pan, cover & simmer for 15 minutes

NOTE: You can substitute Brown Gravy mix for beef broth and wine.

Susan Popok is with Traveling Vineyard.  Here is a little bit about this awesome company:

Traveling Vineyard began with an idea back in 2001: it is hard to know if you like a wine unless you try it first. That thought launched our entire in-home wine tasting concept. Since then we have launched hundreds of Wine Guides into successful work at home jobs. Because unlike other direct selling concepts, everybody likes to relax, enjoy and taste some free wine.

Whatever the reason, our story is still only beginning to unfold. But since the very first day our mission has been crystal clear.  By making tastings less stuffy, we hope more people will get the chance to see the possibilities in every bottle. Our Wine Guides are committed to bringing joy through a relaxed home experience that educates and demystifies wine. By going out in our communities and sharing our love and passion, we seek to build friendships and great memories along the way. Together we’ll sip, savor and change the way the world sees, tastes and shops for wine.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!