Avocado, Strawberry, Balsamic Open-Face Sandwich

I did a weird thing a couple of weeks ago. It was weird, but insanely good. Simple, but so different. Inspired by something similar I had seen on Pinterest, I whipped up this quick and easy open-faced sandwich. And I devoured it. Washed it down with some wine. And made another.

If you like any of these ingredients, throw them together like this and you'll be in heaven. It's my new favorite quick bite!

Avocado, Strawberry, Balsamic Open-Face Sandwich
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Ingredients:
Slices of bread, toasted (I used sourdough)
Avocado
Salt
Lemon
Strawberries
Goat Cheese
Balsamic Glaze (you can find this in your grocery store, or you can heat regular balsamic on the stove until it thickens)

Mash up the avocado, stir in some salt (about 1/8 tsp) and squeeze half of a fresh lemon in and combine. Spread the avocado on the bread. Top with sliced strawberries. Sprinkle with goat cheese and drizzle the balsamic glaze on top.

Enjoy!

Mango Raspberry Lemonade Punch

I've got a great punch recipe for y'all! I made this for Easter for a big family crowd and it was a huge hit. I doubled, tripled and ultimately quadrupled the recipe to keep up with the demand! I made this the day before after tasting and adding to see what worked. When the neighborhood kids drank the entire first test batch, I knew we had a winner!

I kept this alcohol-free so the little ones on Easter could partake. But, you could easily pour in a bottle of Moscato, Pinot Grigio or Rose wine...or vodka.

Mango Raspberry Lemonade Punch
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Ingredients:
1.75 liter Simply Homemade Lemonade with Mango
1/2 bottle of Sparkling "ICE" Black Raspberry Water
1 Tbsp agave nectar
1/2 cup chopped fresh mango
1/4 cup fresh raspberries
1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint

Combine all ingredients and chill 1 to 24 hours in advance. We chopped up some additional mango and mint and placed in glasses with the raspberries so there was a little extra fruit in each glass.

We served this in a Pottery Barn drink dispenser with a spout on the bottom, but half of the fruit settled on the bottom and clogged the spout! So, lesson learned, this is better suited for a regular pitcher you can pour from :)

Enjoy!!

Goat Cheese Bites

Goat cheese is a favorite of mine among the cheeses, and I do love them all. Some folks are not fond of the Chèvre. But, I put goat cheese on my list of fave ingredients along with strawberries, bacon, balsamic, chocolate, mango, avocado, basil, coconut milk, peanut butter, and summer tomatoes, to name a few, and of course not all used together ;) So, I pretty much re-pin, cook, and order dishes constantly with these flavors. And this Goat Cheese Bites recipe is a keeper!!

This would be perfect for a party or shower, and you could even serve on lollipop sticks. I liked it with crackers on the side. 

Goat Cheese Bites
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Ingredients:
1 10-ounce log of goat cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (from oil-packed jar)
2 Tbsp finely chopped shallot
1 tsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped*
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
1/2 fresh parsley, finely chopped

Mix together cheese, tomatoes, shallots and zest. Form into small balls and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for at least an hour. I popped mine in the freezer for the last 10 minutes so they wouldn't go too soft on me while I rolled it in the herbs. Can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Roll in mixture of herbs and serve. Store leftovers in fridge.

*You could always do a mixture of other herbs if you don't have the exact types listed above.

Adapted from thewickednoodle.com

Enjoy!