• Smoky bean salad

    Going to a barbecue/cookout (or whatever you call grilling outside where you live) this weekend? I have a perfect side dish recipe that doesn’t require any cooking and takes only a few minutes to put together. But first, if you live in the U.S., I hope you’ll take a moment — or several — to […]

  • Mint juleps

    Being married to a man from Kentucky means there is a lot of bourbon in my life. He ordered me a mint julep on one of our first dates, we have bottles of bourbon on display in our house, and mint juleps were the signature drink at our wedding. Yum. They do go straight to […]

  • Strawberry shortcake trifle

    Guys. You have to make this. Like, now. It’s super easy, great for a big group and incredibly delicious.   You can get a trifle dish for less than $20, or just use a large bowl. Now, you could obviously just make regular strawberry shortcakes, if you only need dessert for a few people. But […]

  • Toasting the Preakness with black-eyed Susans

    Since we were out of town for the Kentucky Derby, we decided to have a Preakness party (even though we are within driving distance of Baltimore, where the actual Preakness is run). I made some items that were derby-themed, and we didn’t have any crab cakes (since they’ll kill me), but I figured a pitcher […]

  • Ombre cake (almost)

    You may have noticed that I like pink. So it stands to reason I would want to make a super pink cake for my party. I used a Sweetapolita recipe, but I split it into six equal layers and dyed each a bit pinker than the last.     Since the cake and frosting were […]

  • Tea sandwiches, three ways

    Mother’s Day is coming up soon, and if you haven’t already booked a reservation for brunch or tea, you may be in trouble. But why not put together your own tea party for mom? These tea sandwiches are easy, delicious and can be assembled the night before. Round out the celebration with a pot or […]

  • Very vanilla marshmallows

    I’m a total sugar addict, so I’m sure it comes as no surprise that I’m enamored with marshmallows. That’s why I named this blog marshmallows and margaritas, after all — those are two of my favorite things. But I had only made my own marshmallows once before, at Christmas. Anyway, I figured I had to […]

  • Classic margaritas

    I’m sure it comes as no surprise that I love a good margarita. Pina coladas and strawberry daiquiris are delicious (and good sans alcohol — margaritas are not), but they’re more like a dessert than a drink. And the best kind of margarita, obviously, does not come pre-made. Luckily, it’s not super hard to make […]

  • Chocolate-cinnamon cherry blossom cookies

    Since this is our last spring in DC (at least for a while), we knew we had to go see the cherry blossom trees when they were in bloom. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. The peak blooming time is very hard to predict, the trees really only bloom for a week or two, and […]

  • Totally rad 80s cupcakes

    When some of Toby’s classmates decided to have an 80s rock party, the following happened: 1. I got really excited 2. I became sad that I can’t fit into my Rainbow Brite costume 3. I began thinking of ideas for 80s-themed cupcakes I also went to Forever21, where I was alarmed to learn that acid-washed […]