* all food items from Trader Joe’s no. 1 multiseed corn crackers, no. 2 grassfed sheepsmilk gouda, no. 3 rosemary and olive oil parmesan cheese, no. 4 feta stuffed spanish olives, no. 5 deluxe salted mixed nuts, no. 6 sliced gala apple, no. 7 maytag blue cheese, no. 8 mini chevre (goat cheese) medallions, no. 9 honey mixed with dried apricots and cranberries. **Cheese Markers from Pottery Barn, Platter from Crate and Barrel

It’s Friday!  Do you have plans for the weekend? If you haven’t been following a long this week, I’m in India for work and am sharing some of my past posts which get the most feedback from readers.  I get a lot of questions about creating a casual, thrown-together weekend gathering with friends, and this is something I do quite often!  I just LOVE when friends drop in on a quiet summer evening and I always make sure to keep a few things on hand for just such an occasion. There are just a few tips I have for arranging a flavorful and diverse cheese plate for house guests. 

Use a variety of hard, semi-soft, and soft; aged and young.  Choose four – a semi-soft grass-fed cow’s milk cheese like gouda or cheddar, a hard italian cheese like parmesan or asiago, a pungent aged cheese like blue or roquefort, then a soft creamy cheese like chevre or brie.  Alongside the cheeses, serve a variety of textures and flavors from crisp fruit like apple or pear to soft tangy olives and everything in between.  I like offering my guests the opportunity to create many varied flavors to create a long and leisurely snacking evening.

Have a FLAVORFUL Friday and Weekend!

P.S. Things are going well here in India!  If you’re following a long on Instagram or Twitter ( both @houseofearnest) you’re seeing little snippets of my India adventures!  Be sure to follow – tomorrow I head to Agra to see the Taj!