• Chicken tamale pie

    chicken tamale pie

    Several years ago, I had something called “tamale pie” at brunch in Dallas. I started looking for a recipe for it shortly afterward… but I never really found one that looked right. So I made up my own. This chicken tamale pie is super duper easy, low-maintenance, and delicious. It’s not the same as actual […]

  • Cara Cara cocktails

    Cara Cara cocktails | Marshmallows and Margaritas

    Cara Cara oranges are in season, and today I have recipes for two delicious Cara Cara cocktails! Not sure what I’m talking about? Cara Cara oranges are a bit sweeter than regular oranges and the insides are pinkish-reddish. They’re in season from December-April and I have found them at normal grocery stores and the commissary, […]

  • Christmas tea at home

    Christmas tea menu

    How long do you leave your Christmas decorations up? I always like to leave mine up past New Year’s anyway, but this year in particular I think we need as much cheer as we can get, so we may not take everything down until mid-January. If you’re still in a celebratory mood, but don’t want […]

  • Hello Kitty cherry blossom cake

    Hello Kitty cherry blossom cake for baby's first birthday | Marshmallows & Margaritas

    I’m not sure how other people come up with the themes for their children’s first birthday parties, but I was inspired by a stuffed animal. A Hello Kitty doll in a cherry blossom kimono, to be exact. Since Arabella was born during the mainland cherry blossom season and this may be her only birthday (other […]

  • 5 easy baking recipes for novice bakers

    easy banana coconut muffin recipe

    As you may have noticed from social media, everyone is baking more these days. But if you don’t have a lot of experience baking, or if you are working with a super complicated recipe, things can get overwhelming quick. That’s where I come in! I put together several easy baking recipes that you can totally […]

  • Chicken breast sheesh tawook

    chicken breast sheesh tawook

    Getting sick of the same old chicken breast recipes? Don’t worry. This chicken breast sheesh tawook is just what you’re looking for. It’s easy, super flavorful, and only has one or two ingredients (probably) that you don’t already have in your house. If you’re wondering what the heck chicken breast sheesh tawook is, and how/why […]

  • Easy and fast recipes for people who don’t cook

    macaroni and cheese

    As I read about restaurants in the United States and elsewhere closing their doors to help stop the spread of coronavirus, I started thinking about people (like some members of my family) who eat out for every meal and for whom using the toaster or pushing buttons on the microwave is the extent of their […]

  • Strawberry-orange punch

    strawberry-orange punch

    Looking for a super simple non-alcoholic beverage for a party? This strawberry-orange punch is delicious and incredibly easy to put together. I made it for our Super Bowl party—I did a Miami theme for the food, so there was a lot of orange—and it was a hit. The recipe for this strawberry-orange punch comes from […]

  • Chocolate raspberry rose cupcakes

    chocolate raspberry rose cupcakes

    I wanted to do something extra special for Valentine’s Day this year, and since I have become pretty enamored with rose water, I thought chocolate cupcakes with pink raspberry frosting that look, smell, and even taste a bit like roses would be perfect! Can you think of a better Valentine’s gift than a dozen homemade chocolate […]

  • What to make for Friendsgiving brunch

    hosting Friendsgiving brunch

    Celebrating holidays far from family is never easy, but it can be particularly challenging when you’re living overseas and trying to celebrate a distinctly American holiday. Most military service members get holidays off (if they’re not deployed), but actually flying home to the U.S. for every holiday is unrealistic and expensive. So, that means friends […]