When I was little, "happy meal" meant food in the shape of a face. My parents weren't fans of fast food and, with four kids, it wasn't even a bargain. Banana slices with peanut butter for eyes, an apple wedge for the mouth and broken crackers and cheese for all the other features. It was fun! These days, the game has changed. I'm no artist, and my food faces are pretty lame compared to what the internet has to offer.

Sometimes there are just no words. I mean, this is... I don't know. Amazing? Incredibly ingenious? Completely wacked out and hilarious? But hey, you have to admit it's practical. Why carry a lunch bag when you can just wear one? All kinds of questions arise, though: does she match her snacks to her clothes? Does she follow the rule of style to 'look in the mirror and take one thing off' and take out one snack instead? The mind boggles.

One of the most exciting sections of the upcoming Kitchn Cookbook is the up-close-and-personal tours of ten kitchens. This week I revisited several of our subjects to do follow-up interviews. Bridget, who lives on New York's Upper West Side, has been an empty nester for over ten years and she's great at cooking for one. I asked her for some of her favorite homemade-for-one dishes and she immediately told me about a chicken dish with red onions and lemon that her daughter Zoe taught her. "There's something about red onions," she said, "I think they have drugs in them."

Q: A coworker recently complained that it takes him a long time to prepare his lunches and dinners for the week. It's the same thing every day: a hash of onions, garlic, cilantro and ground chicken, served over rice. He currently chops everything by hand and cooks it in batches using a frying pan, but wants to find a quicker method. Any ideas?

The humble quesadilla wears many hats. It's a quick weeknight meal that can transform yesterday's leftovers into something new and tasty. It's also a fuss-free snack that will satisfy a group of hungry teenagers — or the crowd at your next cocktail party. Fill it with plain cheese and beans or with shrimp and avocado, the quesadilla is whatever you want to make it.

You know those recipes that makes beautiful lunches and feel like a special treat, but that actually don't take all that long to make if you plan in advance? The ones that graduate to dinner in a snap, and then family and friends begin requesting it? This spring grain salad is just that — it combines hearty einkorn wheat berries with sweet mango, fresh cilantro and parsley, crisp sunflower sprouts, crunchy toasted pepitas and a creamy avocado dressing. Perfect for spring, perfect for anytime.

Your parents may have slipped the occasional note or doodle into your lunch bag, but graphic designer David LaFerriere has taken it one step further, adding a new surprise drawing to his kids' sandwich bags nearly every day. He started snapping photos of the mini works of art and now has a Flickr set boasting over 1,100 photos!

Q: My boyfriend and I are trying to bring our lunches to work more often. I was wondering if your readers can recommend lunch-specific cookbooks or cookbooks with recipes that transport well? We both have refrigerators, microwaves and toasters at our respective offices.

You can never have too many chicken salad recipes in your arsenal, especially with engagement party and bridal shower season upon us — it's the quintessential dish for casual entertaining. I guarantee this version, with its delicious parsley walnut pesto, will be your favorite for years to come.

This week I've been sharing a spring brunch I hosted for my book club, a dressed-up daytime party spent gathered around a pretty table talking books, sipping sparkling wine cocktails and coffee, and eating quiche with friends. 

Here's a look at the full party and the recipes I used, beginning with fresh strawberry-basil cocktails and ending with a buttery lemon cake with elderflower whipped cream. Can you think of a better way to spend a sunny weekend morning?