I posted a few days ago about charcuterie boards. In French tradition, the charcuterie ( (pronounced “shahr-ku-tuh-ree” ) is the art of preparing and assembling cured meats and meat products. Essentially, this is meats’ response to a cheese board. And I’m not one to complain. Boards have become a huge trend. And I mean, why not?
Who doesn’t want to have a giant adult version of a Lunchable? The charcuterie board usually has an assortment of meats, cheeses, artisan breads or crackers, olives/pickles, fruit, and nuts which are all artfully arranged on a serving board. I will sit and stare at boards for hours though. Brunch Boards with eggs, waffle wedges, silver dollar pancakes, granola, fresh fruit, yogurt, and sweet hummus.
You can go with pretty much any theme for a board. I’ve been thinking of doing one for Christmas or Yule. We’ve always done snacking options for the pre-holiday meal anyhow. Valentine’s Day is another really great one. Chocolates, red cinnamon candies, conversation hearts, or go savory with romantic foods.
Just be sure to give a good mixture of salty, savory, and sweet. Texture differences help as well. Crunchy and chewy. Crisp and soft. Go as fancy or as simple as you want. A lazy dinner date or a fancy party.
My own personal memory with first trying a charcuterie board was way back in the day. A buddy ordered one while we were drinking one evening at a pub. The board was sub par, lacking, and definitely not worth the hunk of change my friend shelled out for it. Friend’s disappointment leaked over into myself and I figured that our next hang out date needed a redo. I did the research, went to our local Whole Foods, and paid a stupid amount. Now I have ALDI’s which is a much better place to pick up items, but back in the day, my options weren’t as diverse.
I went overboard and used seven different cheeses. 
We served it on top of the DnD grid board. Oh no!
This has become a bit of an ongoing trend for me now. I’m actually glad that it’s picked up socially because it makes making boards easier. I almost ALWAYS have leftovers. Which means that this is something that can be repeated. Or it’s amazing for larger groups. There was one person from my social circle back in the day that would host a Cheese themed birthday bash every year. Everyone always brought cheese and beer. It usually ended with some interested grilled cheese sandwiches at stupid late o’clock or early morning times.
My SO and I have begun to cut back on our alcohol intake. I did this awhile ago due to the nature of psych medicines reacting to alcohol, but we’ve done it a bit more aggressively now that I’ve noted some drastic lows after even a few glasses of wine. I hate it, but mental health care comes first!
ALDI’s has an amazing wine brand called Winking Owl. Which is amazing for sangria. A bottle costs about $3 so it’s more than reasonable for even young drinkers to try out. And the bottles tell you what each type of wine pairs well with. Cabernet Sauvignon has always been my favorite type of wine with Moscato as a close second.
Thanks for reading my food porn post. Haha. I think one of the bigger reasons I really love doing snack boards like this is something one of my first therapists told me. Sometimes you don’t have the mental energy to prepare yourself something. At one point, I just didn’t want to adult. I couldn’t even bother to make myself a sandwich. My therapist was like, don’t make a sandwich. Just eat the ingredients of a sandwich. It blew my mind.
Sometimes you can’t afford to eat out. Sometimes you just don’t have the mental wherewithal to do what you know you should. Lunchables are easy enough to buy at the store. Or you can prepare the ingredients while you are in a better mood to eat when you are low. A good meal can really do wonders to pick up your mood. Even if you’re dieting or trying to eat healthy, a tasty, filling meal can really turn things around.
Cheers to a mindful meal and better mental health days. You all are lovely, looking forward to sharing more with you tomorrow. ☮️✌️❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
Atelier Whootique 