I meant to get this Holiday Charcuterie post out last week after my family luncheon, but you know how it is this time of year! I had a lovely time with my brother who was in from Colorado and hosting my family for a lunch. As I mentioned last week, our group included a vegan, three vegetarians, my brother with lactose intolerance, me on Weight Watchers, and a 5 year old. Gone are the days of yore when Mom would just put out food and we’d eat, or not. Lol. Anyway, it actually worked really well and I wanted to share the menu.
Cocktail
Appetizers
Charcuterie Board – Veg: green and red peppers, celery, carrots, cucumber, radishes. Meat: salami, turkey pepperoni, prosciutto. Cheese: stilton, brie, smoked gouda, cheddar, cranberry goat cheese. Other: olives, candied walnuts, hummus, crackers and lavash. Plus chips and salsa.
Dinner
Vegan Pumpkin Soup, Salads (made by my nieces), Vegan bread (made by my nephew-in-law and 5 year old grand niece) and Ciabatta bread with butter and Earth Blend vegan butter (aka margarine)
Dessert
Ice Cream Sunday Bar – Vegan and regular vanilla ice cream, peppermint stick ice cream, mini M&M’s, homemade chocolate sauce, whipped cream, pecans. Plus “Marion’s Bars” which is a family favorite originally made by my Great Aunt Marion and now my niece Katie has taken over the job. Fun fact: we thought it was a “family recipe” closely held by my Aunt until she passed away and my Mom came across the recipe – which had been cut from a magazine! Lol. It’s basically graham crackers, chocolate chips, coconut and sweetened condensed milk. Total yum.
It all worked really well – there was something for everyone and lots we could all happily share. I’m a big believer with family dining that everyone should really be eating basically the same thing. It feels more “family” and less “restaurant” if you know what I mean.
What never works well with me – I never take many photos. By the time I get everything set up and cooked, people are walking in the door and I just don’t have the bandwidth to take lots of photos. I don’t know how people do it!
My simple place setting. And below a very sad photo… I literally took this as people were walking in the door. (bad blogger). Also, I can’t find my colorful Christmas tablecloth!
And my holiday mantle.
Pin for reference:
Charcuterie boards are easy to assemble but no double, fairly expensive. But when serving many dietary needs, they make a lot of sense!
Here are some other board inspirations:
How do you handle lots of different dietary needs? Holiday charcuterie is a wonderful and flexible way to have something for everyone!
Merry Christmas!
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Hello Linda, So nice to see a few more glimpses of your house. I love the architectural salvage on the mantel, and those fireplace tools are to die for! It used to be that people had relish trays and cheese boards, but today charcuterie boards are all the rage. They do photograph well, but I prefer to keep foods separate, especially when dissimilar–do we really want sweet strawberry juice making some sharp, expensive cheese all soggy?
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I always try to cater to guest’s preferences. After all, isn’t the point of hosting people making them feel comfortable and honored in your home? Sometimes I prepare two versions of the same dish, and make spicy dishes very mild, letting people add more spice at the table. The best example of individual catering to the point of spoiling people is my mother–since we have both frosting and anti-frosting contingents (I personally am violently anti-frosting) when she bakes cakes, she often leaves one half plain, frosting them right down the middle.
–Jim
I hope you had a wonderful holiday Jim! Happy New Years!
What a lovely menu, Linda! And a beautiful charcuterie board! So glad you had a wonderful gathering…we may not be back to peak entertaining, but at least we’re a step above lockdown?! XO Best wishes for a very Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to you Janet!
I loved seeing how you entertained for Christmas, Linda. And I am with you re: the question: How do bloggers do it re: taking pics of all the dishes while preparing everything and getting everything ready. It’s not easy as it all takes a lot of time!
Anyway, your images are lovely because they’re real, and I wish you a very Happy New Year ahead.
What a wonderful meal, and your photos of charcuterie boards are irresistible! Great inspiration for when we start to see friends and family again! Best wishes for the New Year, I know anyone being entertained at your home will have a GREAT time!
Something for everyone – you’re a thoughtful hostess Linda! Looks delish. Happy New Year.