Patience

Let’s just say that I am cultivating patience in tandem with all the other fruits of the spirit (Galations 5:22-23). This is a necessary gift from God! I don’t come by it naturally. Our guest house project is testing my patience. The struggle is real. I’ve been dreaming of this project for three years. I do not claim to be long suffering. It takes practice to accept the things I can not control.

Hospitality

I love to practice hospitality. I was fortunate to hear a speaker on hospitality as a young mother. The speaker set me free from imperfect entertaining. Entertaining is preforming to impress your guest. Hospitality is welcoming friends in your home with the intention of blessing them. The focus is on the guests, not on me.

One of my biggest joys is to have fun events and classes at Creative At The Coop. It is a gift to be able to offer what I’ve learned from years of practice. I enjoy learning new skills for my practice! Recently I discovered the ease of creating a charcuterie board. Charcuterie boards have been a fun creative outlet for my Scout & Cellar wine tastings.

Yoga

My wellness practice began over a year ago. Jeff and I first embraced a paleo diet and Young Living essential oils! My home and health became less toxic as I transferred my buying habits to plant based items. Most importantly, I learned how to listen to my body for clues on what it needs.

I’ve noticed a need to be more active. Jeff and I joined gen·e·sis yoga in Brenham. Yoga is a patience patient practice, supporting mobility and mindfulness. I discovered a love for restorative yoga! It feels like a yoga massage! I love the challenge of the strength building poses. I need a lot of practice at this stage of the game!

Business

I am not a doctor or a lawyer. I am a serial entrepreneur that has spent my life practicing business. This is one area of my life that feels like an endless climb upward. I had to learn to embrace the mystery and create a pro mindset.

Podcasts have become a staple in my development this past year. Some of my favorite podcasters feel like friends. Truly, at this point in my life I need mentors. I long to surround myself with people who are in spaces I want to occupy. Check out my latest blog to learn about 5 podcasts to finish 2018 strong!

Grace

Finally, I’d like to offer a bit of grace by imagining all areas of life is a practice. I am grateful to God for grace! It is an open gate to excepting life in it’s fullest. I will repeatedly, on a regular basis, move toward my goals allowing myself to makes mistakes along the way. No one is perfect right out of the gate. The important thing to remember is keep on practicing. Right?

Are you giving yourself grace to view life as a practice? Let’s encourage each other to finish 2018 strong! Please feel free to share your stories in the comments below!

~Tiffany

And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!

Tiffany Eckhardt, founder of Flown The Coop and Scout & Cellar Wine Consultant: discovers the ease of creating a charcuterie board

Wine tasting led me to discover the ease of creating a charcuterie board

Scout & Cellar wine tastings have ignited my gift of hospitality. I learned a long time ago that a smart hostess always keeps it simple. It was pure joy the day I discovered the ease of creating a charcuterie board. These boards filled with beautiful colors and a variety of flavors makes the hostess look like a culinary genius.

First of all, charcuterie boards are not scientific or rigid

I tend to gravitate towards meals and dishes that are simple, yet make a splash. The very reason I love creating charcuterie boards! As I throw random finger foods together the board becomes a culinary piece of art. It is really that easy!

The ingredients to a good charcuterie board is up for interpretation. Techically, charcuterie is a french term for smoked, dry-cured or cooked meats. Charcuterie boards have become a fancy cheese board. A typical charcuterie board includes a variety of cheeses, nuts, honey, crackers, fresh and dried fruit, along with meats. My friend Robbie introduced me to the ultimate charcuterie board at a wine tasting she hosted. I learned to add tortillini screwers from her board. Her board was filled with wonderful ideas and definitely made a splash!

Tiffany Eckhardt, founder of Flown The Coop and Scout & Cellar wine consultant discovers the ease of creatign a charcuterie board.

Robbie Birch’s ultimate charchuterie board on a beautifully hand crafted board her family creates!

The basics of creating a charcuterie board

You want to start building on a wood cutting board. I have found a long skinny one works best for me. I’ve unsuccesfully tried smaller boards. Creating a fun board is like feeding a large family. The food just keeps mulitplying. I recommend my friend Robbie’s boards at The Birch Tree. Stayed tuned… she is creating a long one for me!

Start builidng with cheese, an important element. Few foods go better with wine that cheese. Buy several different textures and flavors. Place the cheese selections in a procession ranging from soft to hard to mirror a wine tasting. Placing Harvati cheese at the top to pair well with a sauvignon blanc. Brie would be nice for chardonay. Red and white wines pairs well with gouda. Aged Cheddar would be nice with a Malbec. Smoked gouda is my favorite with a cab.

A true charcuterie board will have an assortment of meats. Fresh summer sausage from a local meat market is a treat! The deli at your grocery store will work fine as well. I grab a few different sausages and prosciutto. Scatter the placement of the meats around the chesse, leaving room for additional layers of goodies.

Now it’s time to get creative!

Fill in every nook and craney with a variey of finger foods. Here are a few suggestions to get your creative juices flowing:

Dried and fresh fruit
Nuts
Crackers and brochetta
Have fun with screwers: tortillini, mozerella balls, basil, dried tomatoes, cherry tomotoes (My friend Michele first introduced me to tomato and mozzerella screws with fresh basil! I immedieately fell in love!)
Jar of local honey (Lazy Bee Honey in Burton)
Bowl of olives
Hummus
Vegetables

I do not want to overwhelm you. Keep it simple and have fun. I was proud of my humble first attempt. The more I practice the more elaborate mine become.

Tiffany Eckhardt, founder of Flown The Coop and Scout & Cellar wine consultant discovers the ease of creating a charcuterie board

My humble first attempt at a charcuterie board

I hope my interpratation of a charcuterie board has encouraged you to create one for your family and friends. It is an easy way to creatively offer the gift of hospitality. They will love it!

The final ingredient

You can’t have a great charcuterie board without a great bottle of wine or two! I am happy to help you select from the Scout & Cellar portfolio. The difference between a clean crafted wine and a bottle from your grocery store is the difference between a strawberry picked from a farm and one bought at the grocery. Let me help you discover wine the way natuer intended it.

Cheers!

~Tiffany

And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!

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