As the weather warms up, gift-giving occasions multiply – Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduation and in my case at least, several weddings in the next few months. I’m a big shopper, so finding just the right gift for someone is not a burden to me, it’s a challenge that I gladly accept.
In the “old” days, I could spend hours window shopping in my favorite stores. And I still do. But now, I’m also willing to shop online for special presents when I find a site that has beautiful merchandise at affordable prices.
When the folks at Uncommon Goods, an online marketplace for creative products, asked me if I would do a sponsored post for them with a giveaway of a gift certificate to their site (details at end of this post), I did my due diligence. It was hardly a chore, to wander through their fun and beautiful items. I especially liked reading how items are made and learning about the designers and artists who created them.
Photo courtesy of Uncommon Goods
Naturally, I was drawn to the kitchen stuff and the bar-related items here.Whether it was major scale wine glasses (with a lovely explanation for how they were made) or curious aerating wine glasses I found here or a platter for cheese and crackers made from recycled glass, I could find plenty to buy.
Then I read up on the company and found that they highlight handmade goods and donate $1 of every purchase to a nonprofit partner chosen by the purchaser: American Forests, Women for Women International, City Harvest, or the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).
And as I mentioned the company to friends, several already knew of Uncommon Goods and had purchased items from the company, either for themselves or as gifts. Their enthusiasm for their online experience and the items they bought made it easy for me to decide to work with Uncommon Goods.
I found a charming Father’s Day present on the site, but I’m not giving it away. My only hint is to check out the wine tools and accessories page here. Whether you’ll use the gift certificate for a present or a treat for yourself, hope you’ll enter the Uncommon Goods giveaway at the bottom of the post.
But first, for those who would rather focus on what’s to eat and drink, I’ve got a few tips on cheese platters.
Arranging a Cheese Platter
- Keep it simple – Find just a few cheeses that you love, rather than put out a plate crowded with too many choices. How many is perfect depends on the occasion, but my rule of thumb is 3-5, including:
- 1-2 soft (e.g. brie, goat’s milk brie, homemade ricotta, homemade or store-bought soft goat’s milk cheese)
- 1-2 semi-soft to semi-hard (e.g. blue cheese, Port Salut, or Fontina)
- 1-2 hard (e.g. aged cheddar or gouda, or a dry sheep’s milk manchego)
- Serve each cheese with an implement that will cut or spread it easily. There is nothing more humiliating for a guest than trying to wrestle cheese off a wedge or log with an implement that just won’t do the job.
- Don’t crowd the cheeses. If you don’t have a single plate or platter large enough to hold all of them, split them up. Leave enough room so that if there are two or more cheeses on a plate, someone taking a slice or dab or one won’t touch the others.
- Set out the crackers and bread nicely. Whether using a basket lined with a napkin or a rimmed plate, present the crackers and bread just as nicely as you do the cheese.
- Add a little something special. How about a ramekin of marinated veggies, a homemade cheese, a pot of fig jam to go along with tangy goat cheese, or special crackers (like these rosemary, pecan and raisin delights? Having an item that your guests will admire takes your wine and cheese up a notch.
I received compensation from Uncommon Goods in connection with this post, but as always, all opinions expressed are my own. The company did not review the content of this post before it was posted.
laura says
Love baked brie for guests!
motherwouldknow says
Laura – Baked brie is sooo good!
Rachel says
I love manchego – yum!!
motherwouldknow says
Rachel – Ah, manchego. I don’t buy it often enough.
Jasanna says
I love having brie for a party!
motherwouldknow says
Jasanna, I love brie too. Have you ever tried goat’s milk brie? It’s fabulous.
Cyrus says
Could not agree more with the notion of spreading the cheeses out. When you try to put too much onto one plate in hopes of impressing through your selection, the overcrowding really does have a negative perceptive effect on the plate’s appearance itself. Keeping it simple is the key
motherwouldknow says
Cyrus, As always, you’re on the mark.
Big Flavors Blog says
I love a good cheese plate! It’s easy to over-complicate them since there are just so many delicious cheeses out there! And this ampersand tray is gorgeous!
motherwouldknow says
I do love the tray too – been lusting after it on the Uncommon Good website.
Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog says
Spreading the cheese out is a great tip, I think I’m prone to over-crowding. Oops.
One of my favs is fresh mozzarella – so good!
motherwouldknow says
Sharon, I fall prey to the overcrowding problem too. Love fresh mozzarella – especially buffalo.
Erin Ellis says
I love Havarti on a cheese plate. It looks nice, is super yummy, and is always my go-to cheese. Thank you for the wonderful giveaway.
Erin
motherwouldknow says
Erin, Thanks for stopping by. Havarti is a great, old standby cheese.
Kirsten says
Laura,
The worst mistake I’ve ever made was not securing the dogs when I set the cheese out to come to room temperature.
It was not a pretty sight–not that night, nor in the days that followed . . . .
Thank you for these tips. Ever since my daughter ordered the cheese plate up at Big Meadows when she was 6 yrs old we’ve been a family of cheese fans.
motherwouldknow says
Kirsten, Oy as we say around here. I have been present when cheese plates have become dog treats and you’re right – it’s not a pretty sight.
Alice says
I love putting bits of fruit with the cheese or interesting crackers -it makes the mixing and matching so much more interesting!
motherwouldknow says
Alice, Fruit is such a great addition to fruit plates.
Sharyl Wolter says
I love brie in puff pastry for parties.
motherwouldknow says
Sharyl, Baked brie in puff pastry is fabulous. Thanks for stopping by.
Ashley C says
I love aged gouda. It has a rich smoky flavor and it pairs well with so many fruits and wines!
demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com
motherwouldknow says
Ashley, I’m a huge aged gouda fan too.
Holly says
I love brie cheese and it is a staple on every cheese platter I share. With a nice fig jam it is so good!!
motherwouldknow says
Holly – I love that combination, brie and fig jam.
Lauren says
I like brie because you can share it easily.
motherwouldknow says
Lauren, Thanks for stopping by – I love brie too.
Karen says
Very cool! I’m always at a loss as to how to arrange a cheese platter.
motherwouldknow says
Karen, Thanks for stopping by.
Brenda Haines says
A really good aged cheddar is great to have with other finger foods like apple slices and grapes.
motherwouldknow says
Brenda, I’m with you – cheddar and a few pieces of fruit are great on a cheese plate.
Erin Ellis says
The worst cheese disaster I hate to see is when people just simply slice cheese and place it on a plate with some crackers. So boring!
motherwouldknow says
Erin, Oh yes – that’s so bad.
Alison H. says
I always serve brie on my cheese plates! So great for sharing!
motherwouldknow says
Alison, Thanks for stopping by – I’m with you, putting brie on almost all my cheese plates.
Allison says
I love serving baked brie. It’s always a show-stopper (but SO easy)
motherwouldknow says
Allison, You’re so right, baked brie is so gorgeous and easy.
melissa cushing says
I love Provolone and cheddar…. but really good one! I have also had a brie that I loved as well…. I love all cheese so I will try it all! Thanks for sharing and I hope to win!
motherwouldknow says
Melissa, I adore sharp provolone and a really good aged cheddar. Brie is also wonderful – I’m especially on a goat cheese brie tear these days.
Sara says
Gruyere! Gruyere makes everything better.
motherwouldknow says
Sara – Ah gruyere, yes! Thanks for stopping by.
Meghan Buchman says
I love to serve Brie with apples. It always goes quickly.
motherwouldknow says
Meghan, Brie and apples are a great combo. Thanks for stopping by.
Donna Currie says
Something soft and spreadable is fun, like a cheeseball or pimento cheese. Of course it’s best if you make your own 😉
motherwouldknow says
Donna – Oh yes, love a homemade cheeseball, and while I’ve seen homemade pimento, I haven’t made it. Must put it on my to-do list.
Melissa Lawler says
I love Boursin!
motherwouldknow says
Melissa, Thanks for stopping by. I love herbed soft cheese too and Boursin is a great brand.
Allison says
I love Oh My Heart, a delicious goat cheese from Lazy Lady Farm in Vermont. Worst cheese ate mistake was putting out a super soft Brie too soon – it ran all over the place!
motherwouldknow says
Allison, I haven’t seen Oh My Heart – will have to look for it. Thanks.
craftyone says
i like cheddar. i do not need anything else with it.
motherwouldknow says
Cheddar is a wonderful cheese, especially a good, aged one.
Jenny Hartin says
My favorite cheese — is hard I love cheese…but a favorite is a horseradish cheddar for mac and cheese – so good.
motherwouldknow says
Jenny, I love horseradish flavor in cheese. Thanks for stopping by.
Lily Lau says
I recently discovered my passion for cheese, couldn’t be happier with your post 😀
motherwouldknow says
Lily, Delighted that you stopped by.
Susan | LunaCafe says
I’ve heard of this online shop but haven’t taken the time to visit yet. Sounds interesting. Love cheese platters too. 🙂
motherwouldknow says
Susan, Uncommon Goods is really cool – I spent way too much time floating through the site before I sat down to write the post and since then I’ve gone back a few times – and not just for the housewares:)
Healing Tomato says
This is a wonderful post. I love the idea of plating different kinds of cheeses
motherwouldknow says
Thanks – I do love cheese as an appetizer.