Charcuterie - What's inside the August Favorite Things Box

Here we are in August and this summer has once again gone by so quickly…hasn’t it?!?! I love summer fun and August is a time to squeeze in those last moments of the season with good friends and all the summer feels! I am excited to share what’s inside August’s Favorite Things Box! The theme of this month’s box is CHARCUTEIRE and I hope it sparks creativity with the DIY charcuterie kit + class and inspires a last summer gathering or two on the back patio. Grab a favorite bottle of wine and invite your best friends over for stories, laughs, toasts & charcuterie with your favorite summer playlist and fireflies dancing in the background!!

Each month’s subscription box I curate a box of my favorite things themed seasonally with trending items that I love. Each month’s box is a surprise {because who doesn’t love a surprise?!?!} and something that I would be super excited to get in the mail…so I know you will be excited too! One of my missions since I launched This New Old House has been supporting other small owned business owners along the way, so I am so excited to include at least one item in each box from a locally owned business or maker. By supporting and sharing in my box…you are not only supporting me but the dreams of other small businesses and that just makes my heart happy!!!

This month’s Favorite Things Box has probably been one of my most favorite to curate yet featuring one of my favorite makers, my woodworking husband Jim and collaborating with 3 other local makers for some super unique charcuterie!

DISCLAIMER: IF YOU HAVE NOT OPENED YOUR AUGUST FAVORITE THINGS BOX YET AND WANT IT TO BE A SURPRISE, STOP READING AND COME BACK LATER!

IF YOU ARE READY TO SEE WHAT’S INSIDE AND HEAR THE STORIES ABOUT THE BEHIND THE SCENES ON THE AUGUST BOX CURATING…LET’S DO THIS!!!

Here’s what’s inside:

#1 – The star of this month's box is the handcrafted charcuterie board by local Adel, IA woodworker Jim {aka my husband}. Each board includes a 4 step process of glue-up, sanding {4 full sands per board}, cutting + groove details, and oiling. That's a board built with a lot of passion for the art of woodworking! Jim works a full time corporate job and this is a hobby of his…and I am so glad he shares his talent with my This New Old House followers and box subscribers! I gave Jim creative freedom on designs, so there are multiple designs featured in this months' boxes - making it unique for your kitchen + get togethers!

Rebecca of This New Old House and her talented woodworking husband Jim!

#2 – A DIY charcuterie building kit including adorable chalkboard slate cheese board markers, skewer sticks, and dip/olive dishes.

#3 – Perfect to delight your summer taste buds and my all time favorite summertime classic food - BLT dip to enjoy on your board from local farmer Kris with Speckled Hen Farms in Winterset, Iowa.

Kris has been a friend of mine from at least15 years and I have loved seeing her chase her dreams and launch this little business of hers! This is her 5th season for Speckled Hen Farms. They have 11 CSA members who pick up weekly. The remaining harvested veggies they sell at the farm store.  She loves living her dream! Having the farm store and now the airbnb is what she’s always wanted to do. She was finally able to leave her full time job last May and now is working for herself. Kris told me, “Providing people with locally grown healthy veggies brings us a lot of joy..and showing people different ways to enjoy their produce and seeing them prepare the recipes and try something new is awesome!” I could not love this more!!!

Kris owner of Speckled Hen Farms with of course the speckled hen!!!

Speckled Hens Farm store located in the beautiful rolling countryside of rural Madison County Iowa.

#4 – A virtual charcuterie building class with local maker Wendy with Get on Board DSM of Van Meter, Iowa. Included in the box is a recipe card with charcuterie tips, your grocery list, and how to access the virtual class in the private Fave Things Box Club FB group...I can't wait!!!

I love Wendy’s small business story and I think you will too! She started in 2020 during the pandemic around thanksgiving as a way for families to share a meal. She put a post on Instagram and got 25 orders. She got in her car with her family on Thanksgiving morning with their Santa hats on and personally delivered the boards. That night they created a website and started Get on Board DSM.  Working a separate full time corporate job, charcuterie allows Wendy a creative outlet as well as working with people which she loves! 

Get on Board DSM specializes in all things charcuterie from workshops to grazing boards to grazing tables and catering.

A sample of the board we will be creating in the Get on Board DSM virtual workshop as part of the August box…I can’t wait!

Wendy owner of Get on Board DSM.

BONUS GIFT – For those of you that shared your July box on social media with hashtag #tnohfavethings, your bonus gift is cinnamon roasted almonds from a local maker Dick's Nuts in Dallas Center, Iowa for your charcuterie board!

This is a sweet story on the behind-the-scenes and start up of this business! The owner, Kody, started the business with his father-in-law. His father-in-law has since passed away sadly from pancreatic cancer {which has a special meaning to our family as my mother-in-law also passed away from pancreatic cancer now almost 19 years ago this Fall}. So Kody runs the business as a hobby solo now. The logo and namesake of the business are after the his grandfather-in-law. My neighbor is the one that actually introduced me to this company as she gifted me a bag of something from them with a Christmas basket several years ago and they were sooooo good! I still remembered them and knew I had to track this small business name down for you all for the Favorite Things Box. I texted my neighbor the same day she had a hair appointment with her stylist who is married to the owner of this small business, so my timing was perfect {meant to be in the box!}.

Owner of Dick’s Nuts, Koby, with his late father-in-law and grand-father-in-law that started the business with him. Those smiles are priceless…I can’t imagine the fun times they had together launching this business and so glad Koby had continued the legacy and business for you to enjoy!

Thank you so much for your support of my Favorite Things Box!!! I have been having so much fun curating these special monthly surprises for you of my favorite things!

If you missed out on the August box and want to get in on the fun, I’ll be releasing a very limited number of additional box spots each month. You can learn more about this monthly subscription box and get on the wait list to be the first to know when box spots open up here.

HINT: The theme of the September box is HONEY and if you follow me you know we are Iowa bee keepers…you will want this box!!! There are actually 5 local makers + Iowa locally owned businesses featured in the September box if you include the bonus gift {the most featured local products and businesses in one box so far which makes my heart happy!!!}. I can’t wait for you to get it. Join the wait list here to be the first to know when I open up limited additional box spots for September. You will not want to miss it! {P.S. If you are already on the box list…your subscription spot is secured for the September box!}

From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU for being here and following along on This New Old House!!! I can’t wait to see the continued fun ahead on the Favorite Things Box adventures…the ideas I have spinning for Fall and the holidays are having me do back flips here {so hard to keep it a secret}!!!

XOXO,

Rebecca