About Us
It Began With The Unexpected
I'm Katie. Mom of 3, wife, daughter, sister, counselor, pleaser, and foodie. For 15 years, I worked in an elementary school. I was a teacher and then a school counselor. I took care of others. The days were long and the nights were short. I loved on children all day long, then struggled to have anything left for my own. Yet, even with the day-to-day stress, I would say to my husband, "I'll never NOT work." Then life happened. Actually, it turned upside down. Isn't it funny when God has other plans?
The day we moved into our new house, my parents planned to bring us dinner and help unpack. But, tragically, they never made it. My sister called and said that our mom had been taken by ambulance to the emergency room. Her heart had stopped. I dropped everything and jumped in the car to drive the 9 miles to the hospital. But by the time I got there, it was too late. She had died suddenly and unexpectedly. That was it.
From that point on, things changed for me. Not only did I realize life is too short to live my days giving it all away, but I also knew I had to find a healthy way to cope. To grieve. I had to take care of ME for once. So, I ate my words and quit my job.
I don't know about you, but I think change is hard. We moved towns, changed schools, I left my work and my friends, I lost my mom and life was different. I was different.
But do you know what stayed the same? My desire to uplift others by serving them, my love of food, and strong belief in its ability to bring people together; my will to make others feel important. It's called hospitality and I learned it from my mom.
She was the best at this. My mom loved others so well. I remember coming home from college and walking in the front door. She had music playing, the fireplace burning, candles lit, flowers on the table, a plate of cookies on the counter, and homemade soup on the stove. If that doesn't say, "You are important and loved," I don't know what does.
Fortunately, she and I have a lot in common. So, I found myself in the kitchen. I'd pour a cocktail, ask Alexa to play Michael Buble, make a charcuterie board, and watch my friends and family gather. They felt important. Their smiles, laughs, ooohs and ahhhs eventually turned into more.
"Will you make me a board, Katie?" friends and family started asking. And I said, "Yes."
And that was the beginning of this adventure called Board & Bread. My hope and my prayer is that each and every charcuterie board I create makes someone feel loved, important, and cared for. Because, let's be honest... we all deserve the music, the candles, the flowers, and whatever it is that brings us together — and that's the feeling I bring with every board I make and every event catered.