Zamorano

Very similar to Manchego, this Spanish sheep's milk cheese has a nutty, savory flavor that pairs great with a nice cured meat and a smooth Malbec. 

After a stressful day at work: priceless.

Goat Cheese & Blackberry Crostini with Honey

Sweet + Savory.  My favorite qualities of any bite of food, I was delighted to stumble upon a photo of these on a random tumblr a few weeks ago.  Such an easy concept, I was eager to give them a try. 

Rustic crostini (well the baguette slices were toasted prior to topping), with goat cheese (let it get to room temp so it's easily spreadable), blackberries, and drizzled with raw honey.  A beautiful addition to the table and the favorite of the day.

Cypress Grove Lamb Chopper

Not the most photogenic of cheeses, and though it won't bring beauty points to your cheese board it will bring an interesting dynamic of smooth, buttery and gentle acidity.  It reminds me of a cross between cheddar and gouda.  Mild enough for the cheese un-enthusiast but still packs great flavor. 

Meet Phoebe.

It's been a year and 4 months since we lost our Zoe.  Given our love of dogs and the heartbreaking amount of dogs in shelters, some not making it out before their time is up (a sickening 60% of shelter dogs in the US end up being euthanized when not adopted in the short time they are given), we decided to open our home again to a dog in need.  Meet the newest member of our family, Phoebe. 

Phoebe's a pit bull puppy.  Living in the Los Angeles bubble that I do, I was shocked when I received less than positive feedback when sharing our adoption plans with some friends and family outside our city.  LA is the home to what feels like more pit bulls than any other breed, and of those I've met, I've never known one less than loving, intelligent, and eager to please.  We've had Phoebe for 2 weeks and she has already learned to sit, shake, and is well on her way to being house trained.  At 9 weeks old she has already stolen our hearts.

I didn't realize people today still have the misunderstanding of the breed from years ago and I find it sad and frustrating.  I've found myself repeating the phrase 'there are no bad dogs, only owners,' and sent the below article to a number of people close to me to help educate them of their misconception.

I hope you read it, too. 

You can find the original article, here.

Bonne Bouche

Goat cheese... I didn't know you had it in you.  From Vermont Creamery, this ash-ripened fromage is a gooey, smooth, and tangy goats milk cheese that left me scratching my head and scraping the cheese board. 

In a word, amazing.

Also amazing?  The beautiful personalized state of California cheese board pictured here by AHeirloom, imprinted with our initials and wedding date.  A gift from a very dear friend who lives too far away.  Get your own customized board as a gift for your favorite cheese lover here.