My baby brother was able to pop by for lunch recently.  I love an excuse to catch up as much as I love fixin’ the boy a hearty lunch – one that I know he appreciates. 

Unfortunately, this visit, I didn’t have a spare minute to plan anything fancy or fussy and completely winged the creation.  But, with a quick trip to the grocery you can pack a picnic lunch, like we did, [or a simple weeknight dinner] in no time!

For the Spread:

The other fixins’:

To make the aioli, mix ingredients, set aside

Drizzle the bread with olive oil and throw on the grill for a quick toast, leaving lovely char marks

Drizzle the sliced red onions with a little olive oil and add to a hot non-stick skillet

Sprinkle with a dusting of brown sugar.  Flip onions.  Onions are done when there is a slight char and caramelization

Spread 2 slices of grilled bread with the herbed aioli

Building from the bottom:

Add the spinach leaves

Apple slices

Bacon

Avocado

Turkey

Onions

Provolone cheese

Throw the open-faced sandwich on foil and add to the still-warm grill to allow the cheese to melt

Top with second piece of bread, slice sandwich on a diagonal 

For a picnic, I wrap each sandwich half in parchment paper, pack with a side of pretzels, crisp grapes and a cookie.  For dinner, I serve with a side salad and ice cream for dessert!

We loved this sandwich – I will for sure add it to the ‘in a pinch‘ rotation!

Here is a little something appropriate for just about any gathering.  I always love something a little extra girlie, and this simple, sweet popcorn snack is no exception.  The process could not be easier, but do plan for a couple of hours of cooling time…

For the popcorn:

For the Topping:

Once you’ve popped all of your corn, set up a couple of work stations, as I found working in batches was easiest to manage.  

Use a large mixing bowl and several cookie sheets lined with wax paper.

Heat about 1″ of water in a double boiler [or in my case a metal mixing bowl nestled in a sauce pan].

Add a handful of the chips stirring constantly until a fully melted, smooth consistency.  

Immediately pour the melted chocolate over the popcorn in the large mixing bowl, toss until evenly covered.

Immediately spread the chocolate coated popcorn over the wax paper in a single layer.  

Add a generous amount of colored sprinkles and extra dash of salt.

Repeat until the popcorn and chocolate are gone.

Allow the popcorn to cool fully [I placed it outside on the chilly winter day to speed the process].

Break apart popcorn and arrange in a pretty bowl!

Here is a simple [cheater of a] dessert that can be prepared ahead of time using a combination of store-bought items with just the slightest gourmet touch…Assemble now, even for use on Sunday!

For the Cheesecake:

For the Caramel:

Instead of using a 9″ pie plate, I used mini muffin tins (with baking cups) to get bite-sized ditties – great for entertaining a larger crowd.

In order to prepare the homemade caramel – add the sugar, water and corn syrup to a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat – watching closely and stirring a couple of times.  

Once it begins to boil, it will start to turn brown.  Once it seems to be a solid medium brown, immediately remove from heat and add cream and butter.  Stir well.  

Add the salt until fully incorporated.

Place the caramel (may seem thin) in a bowl covered with plastic wrap into the fridge for a few hours or over night.

Once the cheesecake bites are set and the caramel is completely cooled, carefully unwrap the bites and top with a small spoonful (I used two teaspoons) of the salted caramel.  

Sprinkle with a dash of salt before serving.