Especially lately, I have been trying to grip tightly onto any “silver linings” in relation to the pandemic right now. Namely, I have been spending as much time as possible outside. I’ve been working outside (I’m so lucky that we have a great deck where I can do this), I’ve been reading outside, I’ve been watching movies outside (see how in this post), and, of course, I’ve been eating outside. I’ve had so many meals outside on my deck, and I love it. It’s not exactly the same as eating outdoors at a restaurant, but it’s as close as I’m going to get this summer.

But the thing about eating outside is that sometimes, it’s so hot that I don’t feel like I want a full meal – I’m just not really hungry. (Because I use a feeding tube overnight, I don’t need to worry as much about making sure I’m getting in all my nutrition during the day. Since my major weight loss issue, I’ve been extremely careful to not let that ever happen again!) Enter the charcuterie board.

 I have always loved ordering charcuterie at restaurants, but kind of forgot that I could replicate the experience at home! I picked up this charcuterie board, which is gorgeous – I love that I can write directly on the board to label things! It did come with some extra, unnecessary screws, so if you pick it up make sure you use the right screws (the shorter ones) when attaching the handles.

I had so much fun picking out the meats and cheeses and spreads from Prime Now (yes… that is what sparks joy these days). I went with brie, drunken goat, and gouda for the cheeses, and proscuitto, salami, and pâté for the meats. I also added an olive tapenade, which my sister was obsessed with, and, of course, some cornichons! I loved it so much that I kept making myself mini charcuterie plates for lunch for the next few days. So delicious, and so perfect for summer outdoor dining.