• Easy Hot Fudge Sauce

    A lot of memories from my childhood are centered around food.  I think that’s normal for a lot of people (right?) but I’d go so far as to say that 90% of my memories contain food somehow.  Perhaps that’s because I’m the oldest of five kids, so mealtimes were always massive undertakings, but nonetheless, food conjures up a lot of nostalgia. For instance, my parents used to load all five kids into the minivan once a month for a trip to the grocery store.  We’d…

  • Pumpkin Dream Cake

    So, it’s been hovering around the 100 degree mark here the last few days.  In September. I know I live in Kansas, but that’s NOT ok with me.  September is in the fall section of the calendar.  Once Labor Day is over with, it’s pumpkin and legging season, dang-it! How am I going to wear my Uggs, hoodies and yoga pants  cute vintage boat neck tees and boyfriend cords if it’s 100 degrees outside? So, I’m officially rebelling against Mother Nature.  I lit my pumpkin…

  • Cookies ‘n Cream Cupcakes

    This was another fun cupcake that I made for a surprise birthday party this week, which is actually somewhat fitting because these cookies have a surprise in the bottom of them, half of an Oreo cookie!  I’ve made these once before and they were a big hit, so I’m really hoping they go over well at the party.  But really, how could they not?  These are a white cake with chunks of cookie baked in the batter, and topped with a cream cheese buttercream.  The…

  • Samoa Sheet Cake

    So, first – let me tell you about my weekend.  Then we’ll get to this DELICIOUS Samoa Cake recipe. I took a couple of extra days off before the long Memorial Day weekend, mostly to prepare for my daughter’s birthday party and get the girls to and from dance recital and rehearsal, which this year fell on Thursday and Friday evening.  NBD.  Right? Yeah. So Thursday brought some (SCARY) severe weather to my part of the world, and of course that only happens when my…

  • Pumpkin Pound Cake

    So, let me preface this by saying that I miss ya’ll!  Life has been insane around here lately, and I haven’t had time to be in the kitchen, or even much time at all to chat with everyone on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and via e-mail.  My work schedule has changed, so getting the family into a new routine has been taking its toll on me this week.  Thank you all for asking about me and for all of the notes looking for new recipes!…

  • Biscuits and Gravy Casserole

    My dear brother-in-law has been staying with us over the last week.  It’s awesome because of course I love it when he’s home, and I get excited every year because he’s someone new to cook for – another person to eat the holiday goodies that I’m inevitably churning out. But the truth of the matter is that he really doesn’t eat much.  He’s not a breakfast person.  I know these things.  But I still, every single year, force new breakfast dishes upon him like he’s…

  • Tuna & Noodles from Scratch

    So, I don’t eat seafood.  I’ve tried.  I’ve really, really tried.  There are a few swimming-things that I’ve taste-tested over the years that I didn’t absolutely detest, but I’d never order them for myself.  Well, maybe, possibly a crab cake.  But honestly, I’ll only eat it if my husband orders it – if it’s up to me, I can always find a more appetizing appetizer on the menu. I have done everything I can to ensure that my girls don’t have the same aversions to…

  • Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

    This is officially my favorite cupcake ever.  If you’ve been reading Lemon Sugar for a while, you realize how strong this statement actually is…I’ve made a LOT of cupcakes in recent years.  There are a lot of contenders for the top spot, but I’m pretty sure that these just knocked the Fauxstess Cupcakes down a notch. Clearly, I love a good lemon cake, but something about this one – this combination of flavors – it’s just over the top perfection.   The cake is SO…

  • Peanut Butter Cookie Cupcakes

    Sometimes when I’m baking, I have a general idea what I’m going to end up with but I’m never sure what the end result will be until I’m completely done.  That’s what happened with these cupcakes.  I knew I wanted a peanut butter cookie-type cake, but beyond that I was winging it. This cake is thicker and denser than a regular cupcake, more like a big thick peanut butter cookie, and I added peanut butter chips to give it even more of a cookie feel.  I…

  • Butterfinger Cheesecake

    This post has been sponsored by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ReinventSweet #CollectiveBias I might be a wee-bit obsessed.  With cheesecake, of all things. Which, actually is a GOOOOOD thing, but really, why can’t I be obsessed with Kale?  Or Flax Seed?  Or Chickpeas?  (I don’t know – those are the first three healthy-like things that popped into my cheesecake-obsessed head.) This cheesecake, you guys – it’s awesome.  It’s easy.  It goes together in no time, and you can change it…

  • A Playroom Makeover: Part 3 – The Reveal!

    I can’t believe we are FINALLY done with the playroom!   It’s been months of work – squeezing in an hour or two here and there after work, a few hours on the weekends.   Yes, we could have paid someone to come in and just do it all for us, but we honestly do enjoy doing it ourselves – the end result always makes it worth it.  There’s really nothing better than that sense of accomplishment after finishing a big project. If you want…