Polish traditions run strong on holidays (have you seen my post about Easter baskets?) and Christmas Eve is no exception! Our family sits down to a large dinner consisting of 12 separate dishes (yes 12!) and they are all served one by one so you can properly taste and enjoy each item. The 12 dishes originally stem from the 12 disciples but as kids we were more excited for all the food than the reason behind the meal.
One item that always ended up on the table (above and beyond the 12 dishes) was a fruit compote that was so delicious we would drink it before the third dish even came around. My mom varies this compote drink up every year to keep things interesting – some times its made from dried fruit but other times from fresh/frozen fruit. There are so many variations and it always turns out beyond Delicious! Check out the recipe below for all the details!
Entertaining with charcuterie boards is one of my absolute favourite go-to tips when planning a party or gathering. They are very easy to put together because essentially anything can be used if you are sticking to similar flavours and items. I have seen some amazingly epic ones like this one from What’s Gaby Cooking and this one from How Sweet Eats if you are needing some fun inspiration. Today I want to go in a slightly different direction and talk about a type of charcuterie board that often gets overlooked, and that is the dessert charcuterie board! Can you imagine a full board filled with your favourite dessert items ever? Sounds like heaven to me!
My goal here at JMS is to share different companies and ideas from around the web for you to gather inspiration from and I am so excited to introduce you to Shari’s Berries and help showcase how they have put their own twist on dessert charcuterie boards.
Down below I have broken up the three main categories that you can take your dessert charcuterie boards in and each of them is filled with yummy goodness – I promise!
FRUIT LOVER
A large platter of fruits makes the perfect dessert especially if you are trying to keep things on the lighter side after a large meal! Depending on the season, the type of fruits can change drastically (summer = tropical and fall = harvest) and can completely change the theme of the charcuterie board, which is pretty neat. Also going with fresh fruit versus dried is a great way to change things up. The variations are endless and really provide a brand new dessert board each time for entertaining. Pairing fruit with some cheese, crackers and chocolate dipping sauce (my fav!) rounds out the board for a fun dessert option.
I am absolutely obsessed with sangria and cannot turn down a glass when it is offered! Personally, the sweeter the better from my perspective but all of them are equally delicious (red, white and rose). Whenever I go to a new restaurant/bar I enjoy trying out their version of the sangria that they offer. I am always surprised by the different flavour combinations one simple drink can provide.
Although typically the sangria cocktail is a summer drink (patio season is bliss), I wanted to bring it into the season with some additional fall flavours. Who wants to let go of a good thing just because the leaves are turning colour !? With the holiday season approaching, it is always a nice option to have on hand for drinks and sometimes even needed after all those family dinners (I kid – well maybe a little!) Bring on the autumn sangria I say! The more the better!
Every different season in the year brings on new adventures and fun activities to be tackled. I love me a good bucket list and I have seen so many pop up on Pinterest lately. They are pretty much all encompassing which is great but I wanted to create a special one for entertaining specifically. Most of the items I want to do each month involve friends, family and food so it’s a perfect fit! You can do the below on your own but having people over to enjoy the activities makes it that more special.
Whether you add these items to your main bucket list for the summer or keep them separate – they are sure to be a lot of fun for all!
