• Red Velvet Cupcakes

    I’ve been struggling with this post since I started this blog.  Why, you may ask?  This is just a basic red velvet cupcake, no?  No.  This cupcake is special. You see, a little over two years ago, my very tight-knit extended family lost one of our own.  My dear cousin Molly passed away suddenly.  She was a year younger than me,  a triplet, an aunt, a sister and a daughter.  And smart.  Beautiful.  Young, kind, and soft-spoken.  Molly collapsed immediately after finishing a half-marathon and didn’t…

  • Meyer Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake

    I’m back!  I didn’t really go anywhere, but life just got busy.  I am definitely a creature of habit and need my routine to keep me in check – so four snow days, a bridal shower, a gymnastics meet, a sick kiddo (who is scheduled for tubes in her ears on Friday – insert Momma-panic attack here) – and a stressful few weeks at work really have me out-of-sorts. Normally, I bake when things get stressful, but dang-it, I just haven’t had time!  I think…

  • Fried Ice Cream Boats & A Football Party

    YOU GUYS!  How CUTE are these little fried ice cream boats?  Even though it’s exactly zero degrees outside right now, these were still a welcome treat at our family gathering this weekend! It’s been a good sports year  in Kansas City.  Our beloved Royals (finally) won the World Series, and the Chiefs (finally) won a playoff game.  My family decided to gather to celebrate the big football game, so I thought I’d share some of our quick and easy party tips with you. Ice cream…

  • Charred Poblano White Chicken Chili

    I had a heck of a time naming this recipe for you, because – I don’t know.  This feels like a soup to me, but “White Chicken Chili Soup” sounds funny to me.  It’s one teeny-tiny step away from a Rachael Ray made up word, like “stoup” or “sammie” or something equally annoying. Disclaimer:  I love Rachael Ray, but I CAN’T DEAL with the made up words.  All of the time.   WHY, RACHAEL, WHY ALL OF THE PRETEND WORDS?  I know it’s a combo…

  • Spiced Cranberry Apple Butter

    Who still has cranberries left from the holidays?  Anyone besides me?  I always stock up and freeze what I’m not going to use, because I firmly believe that cranberries aren’t just a winter fruit.  It drives me crazy that you can’t find them year round, so when I see ’em, I buy ’em. Our CSA has been overly generous with our apple deliveries lately too – so much so that we haven’t been able to eat them all quickly enough.  We eat them like crazy…

  • Lemon Pudding Cake

     Now that St. Patrick’s Day is behind us, I feel like spring is in full swing.  The warmer-than-normal winter has our yard turning green, our daffodils blooming and our trees budding a few weeks ahead of schedule.  This time of year I want to be outside with my hands in the dirt – planing, pruning and trying my best to remove all signs of winter.  And while I spent a good part of my weekend outside, I think you all know me well enough by…

  • Jalapeno Popper Fillo Bites

    Game Day! Doesn’t it seem like every day this time of year is spent prepping for, planning for, looking forward to or participating in some sort of game day? Whether it’s your kids, your favorite team (Go Royals!) or just an excuse for a social gathering, there is just always something going on.  If you happen to be hosting or attending a game-day gathering soon, this recipe MUST be on your radar! I’ve raved before about Athens Mini Fillo Shells.  They really are lifesavers!  I…

  • Banana Dream Cake

    When it’s named the Banana Dream Cake, it better be good.  I’m just going to cut the suspense here and tell you that it is, in fact, a dream cake.  It’s dreamy, it’s banana-y, and it’s all covered in tangy-sweet-creamy-omgoshsogood cream cheese frosting. Dream Cake, for sure.  The brilliant Jessica over at The Novice Chef has done it again. I made this cake for our normal Sunday dinner a couple of weeks ago, and my brother is already requesting an encore for his birthday dinner…

  • 2015 Roundup

    It’s been a great year here at Lemon Sugar.  Lots of new recipes, lots of new opportunities, the c-word (cookbook!) is floating around, and even though I had a busy year outside the blog, I still managed to keep it a priority and watch it grow. I can’t thank you all enough for your support, your comments, your likes, your pins, your tweets, your shares.  I know that you, as readers, have EVERYTHING to do with how successful I am here, and really – a…

  • Almond Snowball Cookies

    I’m back!  It’s been a long couple of weeks, starting with my daughter’s 7th birthday party, then Thanksgiving, then a week of refreshing the look here at Lemon Sugar.  Throw in a couple of cases of bronchitis and let’s just say I haven’t had much time to spend in the kitchen.

  • Meatball Subs & Potato Chips

    It wasn’t long ago that I told you about my love for sandwiches.  Sometimes, I just get a craving and nothing will satisfy it until I just go out and get the real thing – and yesterday I almost caved.  I wanted nothing more than to jump in the car and go find the closest meatball sub sandwich I could.  But, since I found myself with a little bit of free time I decided instead to whip up some dinner – although I hadn’t made my weekly trip…

  • Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

    It’s officially fall!  It’s chilly in the mornings and the sun goes down noticeably earlier, I’m wearing socks and sweatshirts and went to a football game on Friday night.  Yes, fall is definitely here.  And I love it. Now that fall is here I have a free pass to break out all of my saved pumpkin recipes without feeling the need to justify myself to everyone.  I can burn my pumpkin-spice scented candles, buy apples and cinnamon in bulk and keep pumpkin-spice lattes on tap.…