Member Reviews

A nicely illustrated book with easy to follow recipes. Great for your next party.
Quite a few different ideas to cater for a range of different occasions

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Great ideas. My son loves a snack board and this gave me so many more ideas for making it more fun and inventive.

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Charcuterie boards are all the rage, and Big Boards for Families tries to capitalize on that trend. Unfortunately, there is nothing new about the book and some of the suggestions ahs one questioning it. Taco bars are great. Putting the ingredients to taco bars on a board rather than in bowls and plates doesn't change the fact that it is a taco bar. The book lacks creativity and originality.

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Fun, accessible, creative ways to feed a few (or a crowd). The presentations and combinations are sure to be devoured in a flash.

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Plenty of really nice looking ideas to try with me family in this book, looking forward to testing some out

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Tasty collection for all the family. Perfect for parties, aperitivo, picnic lunch etc.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

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Big Boards for Families by Sandy Coughlin is a book with great ideas for families. The author is incredibly creative and will help you figure out new ways to use the charcuterie format to feed your family. Great resource overall. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

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I was confused at first as some of the boards didn’t feel like charcuterie type boards but then I read the subtitle and it made more sense as “food spreads” are also included (ie soup and making a sandwich-which is a normal Dutch lunch).
I don’t have the big boards that the photos showed but we made it work with our smaller ones!

I LOVED that each recipe gave the measurements in imperial and metric! It makes it so much easier to shop for the ingredients. Some of the items suggested in the recipes weren’t available here in the Netherlands but I was able to find similar enough alternatives.

My fave thing about most of the recipes is you only need to cook max 4 items from scratch, the rest is just buy and lay out on the board! I’ll definitely be purchasing a copy so I can continue creating charcuterie boards and experimenting with new ideas.

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Grazing boards are a huge thing right now, and this book is full of ideas to create these boards and connect with family. As well as presentation ideas, this book has loads of recipes so you can present full meals as grazing board options.

I really liked this book - the layout was well presented with lots of vibrant photos, and the recipes were ones that I could see myself making for my kids.

~Many thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

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There were lots of great ideas in this book for beautiful boards that are exciting for families with kids. I thought the boards presented here could also work great for get togethers with adult friends as well for a movie night or game night. These are great looking boards for casual entertaining. I like that the size of board needed is included. Some of these are really big though so I think I am going to need to get a bigger board for some of these bigger charcuterie spreads!

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Big boards was a fun approach to having a family gathering around a smorgasbord type meal in which finger foods and combinations type foods meet. Book had tons of ideas and it was easy to follow. Kudos to the author for fun ideas for family gatherings as well . Five star book!

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This book is fun and playful and capitalizes on the current board trend that has swept the internet. Do most of these things really need to be on a board? No not really. Most can be presented family style but overall the recipes are fun and creative.

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Some delicious ideas! Boards, specifically charcuterie boards are my favorite right now. So this was perfect. It has so many beautiful pictures and yummy ideas!

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This book makes me want to throw a party!

Love the board ideas, there are so many choices - a taco board, a fondue board, the dessert boards look so tempting! Savory boards, sweet desserts, full meal ideas. There are so many options included in this book. The photos really showcase the boards and the recipes seem easy to make. I like that a lot of the ingredients are things you'd have on hand or are easily obtained.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

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This book is not just a book of delicious recipes, but a book that enhances the relationship between family members and friends. I found it creative and the photos are inspiring.

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I enjoyed seeing the food board photos and getting some ideas for the next time I have people over. The photos are amazing, and the boards are very colorful and packed with goodies! I love all the ideas. I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

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No modifications for food allergies or making boards smaller for smaller groups/single people. or ways to make boards and avoid food waste,

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Pros: Although the title of this book says it’s for families, I think it also applies to any hosting opportunities! With charcuterie boards being all the go, I got many ideas from this book for what to serve when I next host book club or for when I have friends and family over for the holidays. The photographs in this book are incredibly helpful for people like me who have a hard time knowing how to arrange things on the board—I might not be able to come up with the idea on my own, but I can follow a photo as a guide. The boards I’m most eager to try are the pretzel bits board, the sweet and savory trail mix board, the Italian tortellini salad board, the cheese fondue board, the game day board, the mini brie en croute board, and the classic charcuterie board . . . and all the dessert boards. My favorite things about this book are how it includes foods from around the world and that the ideas are easily adaptable to meals not featured in this book.

Cons: As a single person, I do not love that the title references only families. It makes the book feel a bit exclusive when meals like those featured in the book bring people together—sometimes families but other times friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Fair Winds Press for the opportunity to read this book.

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Another recent read was Big Boards for Families Healthy, Wholesome Charcuterie Boards and Food Spread Recipes that Bring Everyone Around the Table by Sandy Coughlin, published November 2021.

Planning to put togetherness charcuterie spread for Thanksgiving, I read several books hoping for ideas and inspiration. While this colorful cookbook has many yummy recipes and ideas for serving them, it wasn’t quite what I was looking for.

With recipes for Ooey Gooey Mac and Cheese and a PB&J Snack Board, this has lots to offer families with younger members. Many of the meals are more along the lines of an on-the-table buffet (Tea Party Brunch Board), traditional family style dining (Roasted Whole Chicken Board), or a DIY dish (Make-Your-Own Triffle Cups Board) than a classic charcuterie board, though there are some examples of those as well. Lots of photos accompany the recipes, which is always a plus!

3⭐️ for the photos of yummy looking boards and some unique recipes (like the buckwheat crepes).

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Thanks to Quarto Publishing Group – Fair Winds, Fair Winds Press, and NetGalley for a complimentary advanced copy of this book.

The title doesn't lie. If anything, it understates just how gigantic these charcuterie boards really are. Like most cookbooks, it's broken down into sections based on time of day. The breakfast section features boards such as oatmeal and a European breakfast bar and breakfast tacos. The lunch chapter contains spreads for soup, nachos, sloppy Joes, burgers, and an enormous chopped salad. The after-school snack boards include pretzel bites with dips, a peanut butter and jelly tray, and a trail mix spread.

While there were a lot of fun and creative boards featured, many of them were more of a build-your-own ______ bar rather than a traditional charcuterie board where you grab a random assortment of things to snack on. For example, there might be a huge bowl of chili in the middle surrounded by toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, etc. While certainly not a bad thing, it's just not quite what comes to mind when I think of a charcuterie board. I still think this book is a worthwhile investment if you entertain or have a large family.

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