• Okinawan sweet potato pie

    Okinawan sweet potato pie

    One of the things I was most excited about when we found out we were moving to Okinawa was the purple sweet potatoes, or beni imo. Then, mainly because I am foolish and was only shopping at the commissary and the local grocery store closest to our house, instead of going to farmer’s markets, I […]

  • Thanksgiving prep!

    pumpkin pie

    Are you ready for Thanksgiving? It’s still 80 degrees here, so it doesn’t quite feel like late November, but I’ve been testing pumpkin pie recipes (my favorite is this one by Ina Garten) and working on a menu for a Friendsgiving brunch we’re hosting on Saturday. I’m hoping to get a new recipe posted before Thursday, […]

  • Pumpkin coconut bars

    pumpkin bars | marshmallows and margaritas

    Several years ago, when I was living in South Carolina, I had to work the day before and the day after Thanksgiving, so I couldn’t go to my family’s house in Michigan. Instead, I drove up to Charleston to have Thanksgiving dinner with my grandparents and my aunt and uncle. But said dinner wasn’t in […]

  • Cranberry applesauce

    cranberry applesauce

    As much as I love cranberry sauce, I also like to mix things up every once in a while. And with Thanksgiving coming up (so soon!), I wanted to try a slightly different cranberry recipe. This is super simple and doesn’t require as much sugar as regular cranberry sauce — the apples sweeten things up significantly. I […]

  • Turkey trot beanie

    turkey trot beanie

    For the second year in a row, we are planning to run a 10K in the snow less than 24 hours after leaving the near-tropical climes our bodies are used to. So, I’m going to need a hat.   Since we’re running in a Turkey Trot and I’m going to wear a turkey tutu, I thought I […]

  • Sweet potato-pecan pie (with gluten-free crust!)

    sweet potato pecan pie slice

    Turkey gets all the attention, and you know I love me some cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes. But if we’re being honest, pie is really the best thing about Thanksgiving, right?   I’m definitely in the “a little of each” camp when it comes to pie — I can’t choose between pumpkin and pecan, and […]

  • Best-ever Thanksgiving sweet potatoes (with marshmallows)

    best thanksgiving sweet potatoes

    My mom makes the best Thanksgiving sweet potatoes ever. How do I know? Besides the fact that I have eaten them since (probably) infancy, every person I have ever served them to loves them — and usually asks for the recipe. Obviously this don’t have to only be made for Thanksgiving, but I’m not sure […]

  • Pumpkin-gingerbread trifle

    pumpkin trifle

    Despite the unseasonably warm temperatures in southern California, it’s October and therefore pumpkin season. I do like a pumpkin spice latte on occasion, but I prefer pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread and other things that actually contain pumpkin. So when Toby suggested I make a trifle, my mind immediately went to pumpkin. I thought about doing […]

  • Tiny pecan pies

    teeny tiny pecan pies

    Miniature food isn’t always tastier than regular-sized food, but it’s almost always cuter. Evidence? Tiny hamsters eating tiny burritos. But this post isn’t about adorableness. This is about pecan pie. In my experience, pecan pie is frequently relegated to Thanksgiving or Christmas, and not enjoyed year-round. That is a travesty, really, because the combination of pecans, […]

  • Cranberry-apple fluff

    You can have your raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. My favorite things run more along the lines of cranberries, green apples, marshmallows and glitter. And this side dish has the first three. Plus sugar and Cool Whip. It’s basically perfect. If you read my old blog, you’ve seen this recipe before, and you […]