As far as I'm concerned, no party is complete without a big cheese platter! We paired ours with some great La Crema wines and served it at our California brunch party. I thought I'd share some tips for making the perfect cheese plate, no matter what other food you're serving!

• Create a nice variety of cheeses--we served an aged cheddar, cave-aged gouda, and some delicious manchego, which is one of my favorites because it's made with sheep's milk and has less lactose than other cheeses. These all paired really nicely with La Crema's Chardonnay, but wine and cheese tasting should be fun and adventurous, so be sure to experiment a little!
• Make sure to include a softer, creamier cheese as well. Brie is always a great choice, but for this particular menu we went with a soft chèvre that we mixed with some local honey and then served alongside some really tasty and unusual gluten-free beet scones.
• The more crackers, the better! Serve at least two different kinds, and include at least one gluten-free option if one or more of your guests have a gluten intolerance. Everyone should be able to enjoy a cheese platter if they want to!
• Don't forget the fruit! Berries or grapes would be great, but when we went to the market the figs looked incredible so we went with those instead.

For more on our Farm to Table brunch Party, and full recipes, be sure to visit the reset of the posts in this series:

Farm to Table Wine Brunch

Decorating for an Outdoor Brunch Party

Vintage Style Metal Marquee Light Centerpiece

Avocado Toasts

Mastering the Art of a Perfect Cheese Platter

Eggs Benedict for a Crowd

Berries and Creme Anglaise

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of La Crema. The opinions and text are all mine.

Photo credit: Courtney O'Dell of Sweet C's Designs.

This post is brought to you in partnership with Lavazza.

I'm back with another Lavazza giveaway this evening! I have had such a great time working with Lavazza over the past year and I hope you've enjoyed this partnership, as well! 

Lavazza is excited to be the new official coffee of The US Open Tennis Championships:

“Starting this year, tennis enthusiasts who attend the US Open will not only have the chance to watch some exciting tennis featuring the finest players in the world, but also to take an all-Italian break and enjoy a delicious cup of authentic coffee.

The agreement, which forms part of the internationalization strategy pursued by the Italian company and brand, underlines our intention to make the United States our second home and to consolidate the relationship between Lavazza and expressions of excellence the world over.”

— Group Vice President Giuseppe Lavazza.

For the rest of August, Lavazza's Single Origin coffees (pictured in this post) are 20% off. I'm also giving two bags away next week, so enter to win below! To celebrate Lavazza's new partnership with The US Open, the lucky giveaway winner will also receive a copy of The Stylish Life: Tennis, which is a gorgeous coffee table book full of beautiful photos. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Last year, I came up with a delicious cafe miel popsicle recipe and I thought of them this year when Lavazza sent me some of their Gran Selezione roast and asked me to come up with a cold beverage to celebrate summer. So I pulled out the blender and used almost the exact same ingredients--coffee, coconut cream, and honey--to make a Paleo coconut frappé. 

Whoever said "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" was on to something.

Paleo Coconut Café Frappé

Ingredients (serves 2) 

• 12 ounces of coffee--I used Lavazza Gran Selezione
• 1 can of full-fat coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• Unsweetened cocoa powder, for garnish

Instructions 

1. The night before you make this, take a little over half of the coffee and freeze it in an ice cube tray.
2. In a blender, combine coffee ice cubes, the creamy part of the can of coconut milk (about four or five tablespoons), honey, and the liquid coffee.
3. Pour into a chilled glass, top with cocoa powder, and enjoy!

This post is brought to you in partnership with Lavazza.