• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Cup of Zest logo

  • HOME
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Main Dishes
    • Salads
    • Sides
  • Videos
  • Summer
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Videos
  • About
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • Videos
    • About
    • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • Γ—

    Home

    About

    Heyyy. I’m Michelle!

    (and this is Cup of Zest)

    pink punch with chunks of fruit and ice in 3 stemless wine glasses
    Three women outside at a table, with one woman in blue pouring a yellow frozen beverage from a pitcher to a glass.
    white jalapeno dip next to tortilla chips and cocktails
    mockup image of a black ipad with the cover of an ebook that has white plates with cheese and crackers on them

    πŸŽ‰ πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰

    Grab your Free Copy of my Small Batch Party Food eBook Here!

    πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰

    Let’s go over some party rules

    (aka: how to host a successful gathering without the β€œwhat was I thinking?” feeling)

    Dos

    πŸŽ‰ Gather more, stress less

    πŸŽ‰ Make 1-2 dishes

    πŸŽ‰ Hit up the grocery store for a few more high-quality items to delight your peeps

    πŸŽ‰ Enjoy your own parties + gatherings!

    πŸŽ‰ Tidy up your house (w/out going overboard with the Magic Eraser)

    Donts

    ❌ Invite more people than you can handle

    ❌ Try to make everything from scratch

    ❌ Try to throw something together las minute.

    ❌ Attempt to be Pinterest-Perfect-Patty

    ❌ Get overwhelmed trying to make your house spotless

    Meet Your Host

    Hey hey! Michelle here. 

    The first chicken I ever attempted to roast was completely uncooked on the inside and my family ended up getting burgers that night.

    Lucky for me, I had the encouragement of my family to keep trying in the kitchen and I ended up getting really good. 

    All that to say...

    If you’re here looking for someone who gets the ups and downs of learning to cook and host, congrats! You’ve made it.

    Just like how my family encouraged me to keep going, I want to be your party-hostess-with-the-mostess cheerleader.

    woman with brown hair wearing a blue button up shirt smiling and holding a frozen mango margarita

    Since that first (raw) roast, I’ve:

    • Rose through the ranks of the Hungry-Girl Food Network Show to become Head of Recipe Development
    • Got certified at the New School of Cooking in Culver City
    • Worked behind the scenes on numerous Food Network Shows like The Baking Championship Series and Guy's Grocery Games
    • Became an assistant food stylist on high-profile photoshoots (think Target, Whole Foods, etc.)

    But the most fun thing I’ve done in all that time was start this website, Cup of Zest back in 2014.

    Cup of Zest is a place where I love to encourage people to take an easy approach to entertaining. It’s where I take the skills I learned in the culinary industry to help you invite friends over more and stress less when cooking for them.

    Whether you’re hosting a casual night or in need of a crowd-pleasing dish to take somewhere else, I’ve got you.

    And I’m so glad you’re here.

    If you only ever learn one thing from me, let it be this:

    Your house doesn’t have to be clean as a whistle, and you don’t need to make every dish from scratch, to have a fun and successful party. You just need a couple simple-yet-delish dishes and a cup of zest to help you gather more and stress less.

    πŸŽ‰ Cheers friends and happy partying! πŸŽ‰

    Primary Sidebar

    woman with brown hair wearing a blue button up shirt smiling and holding a frozen mango margarita

    Hi, I'm Michelle and welcome to the party!

    After of working in the culinary world for over 10 years, I'm sharing the skills I've learned with you here at Cup of Zest. I'm here to help you invite your friends over more and stress less when cooking for them. Glad you're part of the crew!

    More about me β†’

    As Seen On

    Popular Recipes

    • 4 Ingredient Shaken Grapefruit Vodka Martini
    • Pineapple Ginger Beer Mocktail w/ Fresh Ginger
    • 1960's Cinnamon Candy Apples
    • Two-Ingredient Applesauce Squares

    πŸŽ‰ Free eCookbook Alert! πŸŽ‰

    Fall Recipes

    • Baked Brie in a Bread Bowl with Garlic
    • 5 Ingredient Baked Brie with Apricot Preserves
    • 31 Party Worthy Holiday Baked Brie Recipes
    • Eyeball Deviled Eggs (Halloween Party Recipe)

    Disclosure

    This site may include affiliate links, meaning I may receive a commission if you purchase something through a link at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    • HOME
    • Recipes
    • Videos

    Copyright © 2023 Cravings Pro Β· Genesis Framework by StudioPress Β· WordPress Β· Web Stories Β· Privacy Policy