Winter

It’s Thyme for Blood Orange Cocktail Season!!

February 9, 2021 / Cocktails, Entertaining, Recipe Index, Seasonal, Valentine's Day, Winter

It’s Thyme for Blood Orange Cocktail Season!!

Simple Homemade Dried Citrus

January 14, 2021 / Cocktails, Entertaining, Recipe Index, Winter

Simple Homemade Dried Citrus

Best Kitchen Items to Survive the Holidays

November 11, 2019 / Entertaining, Favorite Cookbooks, Go-to Utensils, Kitchen Staples, Winter

Best Kitchen Items to Survive the Holidays

rightbackspatula

I’m so proud that most of y’all guessed the co

I’m so proud that most of y’all guessed the country for this Olympic cheese pairing!! Everything is beta with Feta! Amirite??

𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘀𝗲: Feta
𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻: Greece 🇬🇷
𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵: cucumber, cherry tomato, red onion salad with homemade vinaigrette and fresh dill
𝗧𝗲𝘅𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: soft brined, salty
𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗸: goat's milk and sheep's milk
𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺: Trader Joe’s
𝗗𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Fresh cheeses pair best with young, crisp, and dry white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc. If you’re more into reds, look for reds with low tannins like Pinot Noir. Prosecco is always a good idea too!

Feta cheese is a pickled curd cheese that is both salty and tangy in flavor. In my opinion, feta tastes best when bought in block form because it is still submerged in the brine. It is also sold in crumbles and often used in salads or on top of pasta dishes. I know there are different types of Feta produced in different regions of Greece, but I haven't read enough to learn the difference yet. I guess I just need to travel there to figure it out in person 😉

What are your favorite ways to eat Feta cheese??

Next stop on the Olympic cheese pairing tour is…

Next stop on the Olympic cheese pairing tour is….

𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘀𝗲: Gouda

𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻: Netherlands 🇳🇱

𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟭: young gouda, crackers, prosciutto, dried apricots, stone ground mustard

𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟮: aged Gouda, cherries, dark chocolate, chocolate covered almonds

𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟯: smoked Gouda, pistachios, peppered salami, diced pear

𝗧𝗲𝘅𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: semi-hard cheese, artisan

𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗸: Typically made from cow's milk, but some are made using goat or sheep milk.

𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺: Trader Joe’s (smoked, young gouda) Whole Foods (aged Gouda)

𝗗𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Riesling, Chenin Blanc (young Gouda) /Cabernet Sauvignon (well-aged Gouda) / Pinot Noir or beer (smoked Gouda)

Pronounced "How-da", Gouda is a Dutch cheese that originated from South Holland in the Netherlands. It is one of the most popular cheeses in the world. The seven different types of Gouda are categorized based on the age of the cheese. Younger Gouda wheels are typically identified by yellow, orange, or red wax rinds. The more mature Gouda wheels are identified by black wax coverings. Young Goudas are smooth in texture while aged Goudas develop calcium lactate crystals in the cheese during the aging process. The longer a cheese is aged, the stronger the flavor that develops.

Gouda is a great cheese to add on top of a burger, melt in your favorite batch of homemade mac n cheese, or also makes for an excellent smoked cheese. One of my favorite gouda's is the 1000 day gouda from Trader Joe's. Next time you're in the store, be sure to give this one a try!

Which of these 3 are you wanting to try??

Tonight was SO fun! Nothing makes me happier than

Tonight was SO fun! Nothing makes me happier than teaching people about my passion. My main goal for this account is to inspire you to create beautiful boards of you own and tonight we did just that!🤍

Thanks for having me @solaneavenue!

Next stop on the Olympic cheese pairing tour is…

Next stop on the Olympic cheese pairing tour is….

𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘀𝗲: Manchego
𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻: Spain 🇪🇸
𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵: Spanish olives, chorizo, and fig jam
𝗧𝗲𝘅𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: Hard cheese, artisan
𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗸: Sheep’s milk
𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺: Trader Joe’s
𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Garnacha, Tempranillo, Cava

I forgot to add marcona almonds to this pairing, but they are a spanish almond and would pair perfectly with this cheese. My favorites are the rosemary from Trader Joe's!

I hope you’re enjoying this mini cheese series and learning a bit more about cheese!

Have y’all tried Manchego before?
If you’ve purchased a board from me chances are that you have tried this cheese. It’s very mild and is very versatile cheese, which is why I love it so much! Which pairing is your favorite so far??

Happy National Wine & Cheese Day friends! 🧀🍷

Happy National Wine & Cheese Day friends! 🧀🍷 Stop 2 on our Olympic Cheese pairing is….

𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘀𝗲: Triple Crème Brie & Blue Cheese

𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻: This was a late add to my Olympic pairings and can go multiple ways, but I’m using it to represent France. 🇫🇷

𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵: grapes, olives, pear, and honey. I honed in on color schemes with this pairing, but there are many fruits and spreads that pair nicely with these cheeses.

𝗧𝗲𝘅𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: soft cheese, spreadable

𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗸: These were both cow’s milk, but some blue cheeses use sheep milk.

𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺: Both purchased from Trader Joe’s.

𝗗𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: The creaminess of the brie would go nicely with a Chardonnay or Pinot Noir while the mild blue cheeses would pair nicely with any sweeter wine like Riesling. I don’t care for sweet wines, so I poured a Sauvignon Blanc and it was tasty with both of these cheeses!

𝗙𝘂𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁: I personally only use cheese domes as props for photos, but do you know what purpose they serve? Cheese domes create an atmosphere for cheeses similar to a cheese cave. The dome allows humidity to form and creates the perfect climate for storing cheese. The types of cheeses stored in domes are the soft-ripened cheeses or the “stinky cheeses”.

𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗶𝗽: try making your own blue cheese stuffed olives. I recently learned how to do this from @cheesegal and will never turn back. Refer to her Martini highlight to learn how to make your own.

Cheers!! 🥂

If you guessed Ireland, then you're right!! 🇮🇪

This is a much overdue post… I’ve teased you with this 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘆 𝗜𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘀𝗲 multiple times on stories and finally got around to posting it on my blog!

I was supposed to go to Ireland in Sept. with my parents, but we postponed our trip (again). Someday it will happen, but for now I'll keep making my own 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘆 𝗜𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘀𝗲. 😋
———————
𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘀𝗲: IRISH Pub Cheese
𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻: Ireland 🇮🇪
𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵: pretzels, crackers, or freshly cut veggies 🥨🥒🌶
𝗧𝗲𝘅𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: cold, creamy, cheesy dip
𝗗𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Any ice cold beer! 🍻
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘀𝗲??
Pub cheese is a type of soft, cheese spread and or dip that uses beer as one of the main ingredients. It is known for being Irish because of the Irish cheddar cheese!

Click the link in my bio to go directly to this blog post or just search “𝙷𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝙲𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖𝚢 𝙸𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝙲𝚑𝚎𝚎𝚜𝚎” on my blog!

It’s been a while since I’ve reintroduced myse

It’s been a while since I’ve reintroduced myself to everyone so it seems like a good excuse to post a picture of me with another cheese board! 😝

If you’re new here, my name is Colleen! I started this page as a hobby back in 2016. It slowly morphed into a blog with recipes and as of 2020 a cheese board side hustle too. Here are some fun facts about me:

1. Born and raised in Columbus, OH.📍
2. I graduated from Ohio University as a double business major 💚🐾
3. I’m currently building my first house🏡
4. I have the sweetest 12-ish year old pup named Bella 🐶
5. I have a lot of nicknames, but my favorite is [Aunt] Coco!☺️
6. I love a good game of euchre. Who knows how to play?? ♥️♠️♦️♣️
7. I’m a sucker for a good greeting card 💌
8. I have never met a cheddar cheese I didn’t like🧀
9. I’ve been a bridesmaid in 10 weddings 💃🏻
10. I love to travel!! 🗺

Thanks for being here and following along! 🤍

Baby on [cheese] board… and It’s a GIRL! 💓

Baby on [cheese] board… and It’s a GIRL! 💓

I made this board for some friends that will be welcoming a sweet baby girl into this world in Sept.

This sweet Momma has been craving watermelon and strawberries so I made sure to pull them into this board! Congrats Pat and Betsy — Can’t wait to meet your sweet baby girl! 💕

Believe it or not, I’m eating something other th

Believe it or not, I’m eating something other than flank steak tonight. 🤣 In case you missed it, I made 3.7lbs of flank steak on Sunday for me, myself, and I. No regrets. Follow your cravings friends!

Anyway tonight I’m switching things up for dinner… 1 pre-made salmon burger from @krogerco paired with the most delicious homemade corn arugula salad. This salad screams summer!😋☀️

I’ve been thinking about doing a 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘥 𝘞𝘦𝘦𝘬 sometime in August where I would share 1 new salad recipe every day. Don’t worry, throw in some non-leafy green salad recipes too for those of you that don’t love lettuce.

What do y’all say? Should we have a Salad Week?? Leave a comment below telling me your favorite type of salad!

Diving into the Fourth of July with this board! 🎆🇺🇸 Happy 4th y’all!

Who else loves the Fourth of July?? 🙌🏼 This

Who else loves the Fourth of July?? 🙌🏼 This is my favorite week of the year!! 🎆

❤️🤍💙

Do you do anything fun to celebrate the Fourth of July? I love a good festive spread!

Here are some tips to make good ole classic American Flag cheese board of your own:

Start by making a square in the left corner using a mixture of blueberries and blackberries. Take a cookie cutter and cut out small stars using provolone (or any white) cheese.

Row 1: sliced strawberries
Row 2: yogurt pretzels
Row 3: red beet crackers from TJs
Row 4: Manchego cheese
Row 5: folded salami or pepperoni
Row 6: white cheddar cheese cubes
Row 7: fresh cherries

If you have a bigger platter, add more rows — odd numbers always work best.

Tag me in your boards this week so I can share your creations in my story. Maybe I’ll even pick my favorite and giveaway something fun! 😏

SURPRISE!! I’ve been building more than just che

SURPRISE!! I’ve been building more than just cheese boards over here…I’m building my first house! 🤗🏡

Things have been kind of crazy so I will be taking a little break from cheese board orders thru August while I move into my new digs.

Can’t wait to get cooking in my new kitchen!!👩🏻‍🍳

Spicing’ up your kitchens and bringing the heat

Spicing’ up your kitchens and bringing the heat with this 𝗕𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗼 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗚𝗻𝗼𝗰𝗰𝗵𝗶 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲. If you like spicy, then is just the recipe for you! 🔥🔥

This casserole is full of hidden vegetables, store bought rotisserie chicken, homemade Buffalo sauce, and a cheesy topping. Every bite is SO GOOD!

Click the link in my bio to go directly to my blog post or search “𝙱𝚞𝚏𝚏𝚊𝚕𝚘 𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚗 𝙲𝚊𝚞𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛 𝙶𝚗𝚘𝚌𝚌𝚑𝚒 𝙲𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚕𝚎 ” on my blog to snag this recipe!

One of my favorite things about summer is all the

One of my favorite things about summer is all the fresh produce. Peaches + Prosciutto, but make it a flatbread! 😋

@thepeachtruck is coming to Ohio soon so I’m dusting off all of my favorite recipes including this 𝑷𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒐 𝑭𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅! This recipe is incredibly easy and super tasty.

Sweet juicy peaches, paired with bursts of fresh sweet corn, finished off with a balsamic drizzle. This flatbread is perfect for a weeknight dinner and doubles as a weekend appetizer.

Promise me you’ll try this recipe sometime this summer?? 🍑🌽🙌🏼

Click the link in my bio to go directly to this blog post or just search “𝙿𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚌𝚒𝚞𝚝𝚝𝚘 𝙵𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍” on my blog!

Hot summer days like today call for a tasty berry

Hot summer days like today call for a tasty berry summer treat!! Insert these Honey Roasted Strawberry Cheesecake Pops made with freshly picked strawberries! 🍓😋

𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦:
2 cups strawberries, sliced
2 tbsp honey
1 cup of granola
2 tablespoons butter, melted
@haagendazs_us Strawberry cheesecake ice cream

𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀:
Graham cracker crumbles
Melted white chocolate

𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦:
If you don’t want to make your own fresh strawberry purée, pick up your favorite strawberry preserves and skip to step 3. If you’re willing to put in the work, here’s how it is done...

1. Preheat oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Toss sliced strawberries with honey and spread evenly over baking sheet. Bake 15-18min or until strawberries are tender.

3. While strawberries are roasting, pull ice cream out of the freezer to allow it to soften a little on the counter. This will make it easier to handle when forming your popsicles.

4. Remove 🍓 from oven and allow to cool completely. Once your roasted strawberries are cooled, place them in a food processor, and purée until smooth.

5. In a small bowl, mix together granola and melted butter.

—𝙰𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚕𝚢—

6. Using small paper cups (mine were from Target dollar spot), place a couple of tablespoons of granola mixture on the bottom. Gently mold to bottom of the cup.

7. Spoon a layer of strawberry cheesecake ice cream into each of your cups - filling each cup about half way up.

8. Next layer about 1 tbsp of honey roasted strawberry puree over top of each ice cream layer. Swirl with a toothpick, and then top each with another layer of ice cream.

9. Place a popsicle stick in the middle of each prepared popsicle cup and set in the freezer overnight.

10. When you’re ready to eat, simply peel or gently cut away the paper cup liner, drizzle with melted white chocolate and dust with graham cracker crumbles.

𝙴𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢!!

UPDATE: NO LONGER ACCEPTING ORDERS My Father’s

UPDATE: NO LONGER ACCEPTING ORDERS

My Father’s Day Grazing Box Collection is LIVE!🥳

There are 3 options available; Small, Medium, and Large. These boxes are packed full of goodies for all the dads to enjoy!

Boxes are carefully curated with meats, cheeses and seasonal fresh fruits. They are garnished with dried fruits, nuts, and herbs. This Father’s Day collection includes one sweet heat dip shooter from @thecheesecake.girl in EVERY BOX! Check out the collection on my online store (link in bio) for a full list of products used in each box.

All boxes come with small bag of assorted crackers and pretzels for dipping. Need extra crackers? They are available to add on and purchase separately.

*ALL orders are pickup only from Hilliard!

Pickup times are as follows:
6/18 6:30pm
6/19 11am
6/20 9:30am

Still have questions? I have answers on my FAQ page!

Now head to the link in my bio to spoil a deserving dad in your life! 🍻🧀

When #nationalcheeseday falls on a Friday... I’l

When #nationalcheeseday falls on a Friday... I’ll drink to that! 🍷

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of cheese boards! ❤️🤍💙

Hope y’all are having a great MDW! Swipe to see the cutest cheese [ball] flag that I made last night!

To those serving today and those who have served in the past, we honor you today and every day. Thank you for your service! 🇺🇸

Star spangled brunch board for MDW! 🇺🇸 How

Star spangled brunch board for MDW! 🇺🇸

How fun is this build your own Avocado Toast / Waffle board? But honestly what is brunch without a side of bacon? 🥓

Are you Team Avocado Toast or Team Waffle?

𝔸𝕧𝕠𝕔𝕒𝕕𝕠 𝕋𝕠𝕒𝕤𝕥🥑
-Homemade English muffins (thanks Momma😋)
-Smashed avocado
-Diced cherry tomatoes🍅
-Feta cheese
-And obvi a bottle of @everything_but_the_bagel DUH!

𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣 𝕎𝕒𝕗𝕗𝕝𝕖𝕤⭐️:
-Any kind of waffle... homemade or store bought🧇
-Fresh Berries🫐🍓
-Whipped cream, DUH!

Promise me that you’ll make these 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗲 𝗣𝗶𝘇𝘇𝗮𝘀 this summer because they are very berry good! 😋

Gooey and cheesy, tart and savory, light and fresh. These mini pizzas pair perfectly with a glass of wine. I made these for a a girls night and they were a hit! What wine would you pair with these mini pizzas?

Click the link in my bio to go directly to my blog post or search “𝙼𝚒𝚗𝚒 𝙱𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚎 𝙿𝚒𝚣𝚣𝚊𝚜” on my blog. As a bonus I included some wine pairing suggestions in the blog post. 🍷

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