Cheese Platter

In a cozy town where potlucks were practically a sport, lived a man named Mike who had recently discovered the joy of woodworking therapy. He’d joined the class on a whim after retiring, mostly to avoid binge-watching baking shows all day (though he still recorded them, just in case).

One sunny afternoon, while sanding a block of maple, Mike had a ridiculous but brilliant idea: “Why can’t a cutting board do more than just… sit there and be cut on?” Thus began her most ambitious project yet—The Board of Many Talents™.

He cut the board wide and thick for charcuterie supremacy. Then he added tiny hidden grooves for cracker crumbs (because someone always makes a mess). He carved out a circular recess in the center with a perfectly snug lip—just the right size to hold a detachable cake stand base. Yes, this thing could transform. Meat and cheese party one minute, birthday cake throne the next.

Mike even added secret magnets to hold a cheese knife in place and tiny pegs that popped out to hold toothpicks for olives. When he brought it to the next town gathering, the room fell silent as she twisted the top tier into cake-plate mode.

“Is that a... transformer board?” someone whispered in awe.

Mike grinned. “No. It’s a char-cake-terie board.”

From that day forward, Craig’s creation wasn’t just a conversation piece—it was a legend. And to this day, people still ask him to make one. He always says no.

Because legends? They only get made once.

(Made by Mike Reed for In The Kitchen Contest)