• Spicy Chicken Hoagie

    I am a huge sandwich fan – a HUGE sandwich fan.  So much so that I could totally relate to Joey and his sandwich obsession on “Friends.”  Speaking of Friends, do you remember the episode where Ross freaked out because someone ate his sandwich?  The Moistmaker??  I do.  And come Thanksgiving, there will totally be a Moistmaker recipe on this blog.  You think I’m joking…I’m not. So yes, I love sandwiches.  I think it’s probably just that I love bread, and you can’t really have a…

  • A Pantry Makeover Part 4: Glidden Paint

      Several weeks ago, we took on the daunting task of updating and renovating our walk-in pantry.  When we built our house five years ago, pantry functionality and design was, unfortunately, not high on our priority list.  Given how frequently we use that little room, it’s really a shame we put it off so long. My friends over at Glidden® paint made the process so much easier.  After submitting a few of my inspiration photos to their online My Image Inspiration tool , I was actually able…

  • Cookies for Kids’ Cancer & A Giveaway!

    For me, there is little worse than being sick over the holidays – especially baking holidays like Thanksgiving.  I started feeling like I was coming down with something the day before Thanksgiving, and by the weekend I was completely down and out with Bronchitis.  Needless to say, I didn’t do nearly the amount of baking I wanted to over the holiday – and I certainly didn’t eat as much as I wanted to – although I suppose maybe that’s a good thing.  Now that I’m feeling…

  • Tiramisu Macarons

    While I was making these the other day, my Mom called me, and asked what I was doing.  I told her I was making Macarons, and she said “Macaroons?”  No…MacaRONS.  Different.  Then, I tried to explain to her what they were – kind of like a meringue sandwich cookie, though with an almond-flour base…but I’m still not sure if she knew what I was talking about. So, here you go Mom.  MacaRONS.  (Mack-uh-RONs).  I’m very confident that I didn’t do a good job explaining them…

  • Welcome to the all new Lemon Sugar!

     I’ve been working toward this day for quite a long time now.  I’ve finally updated, upgraded and freshened things up here at Lemon Sugar. Hopefully you’ll find an easier-t0-navigate site with all of the same great recipes, photos and stories about my hectic life.  Have a look around, and let me know what you think. We still have a few areas of the site that are under construction, namely the recipe index and some of the extra galleries and goodies I share in my sidebar…

  • Out and About: It’s Fair Time!

    I’ve been attending our local county fair most of my life.  My hometown hosts the fair, so watching the parade and spending a few nights with the whole town at the fairgrounds has become a bit of a tradition for me.  I remember riding in the parade with my ball teams when I was a kid, marching in the parade with the cheerleaders in high school, and now we spend it on the sidelines, helping our kids collect candy and goodies from the floats. The…

  • Double Chocolate Cupcakes

    While I know Halloween is today and most everyone already has their holiday baking out of the way, I’m sure that there are still some parties coming up this weekend.  So, those of you who are still looking for some last minute inspiration, I hope this post will help you out. The great thing about cupcakes is really how versatile they are.  They can be elegant, fun and kid-friendly, boozy and adult-friendly, celebratory or just plain simple.  By dressing up a simple chocolate cupcake with…

  • Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

      I’ve never really had a real Boston Cream Pie.  I’ve had the grocery store version, you know – the kind that come with a plastic casing to keep the pudding from oozing out?  They always seem like they should be wonderful, but I’ve never been impressed.   I have to admit that I didn’t make the pastry-cream filling for these, I just used a boxed pudding mix.  I have big plans for the first time I make pastry-cream – those will be special occasion…

  • Butterfinger Cheesecake

    Please enjoy this throw-back recipe.  One of my favorites! 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 up with your favorite add-ins, toppings, and crust.…

  • Peppermint Bark Cheesecake

     Let’s talk about pet peeves, shall we?  Specifically, let’s talk about MY pet peeves. The list is short.  Okay, the list is kind of short.

  • Tunnel of Fudge Cake

    I think I’ve met my chocolate match.  As you probably know by now, I am a definite chocolate fan.  I prefer the chocolate version of almost everything (except ice-cream – that has to be vanilla or mint) and I will never, ever turn down a piece of good chocolate cake. But this cake?  I got two bites in and I needed some milk.  It’s so rich, dense and over-the-top chocolatey that even I couldn’t go all-in. Not to worry, a glass of cold milk and I was…

  • Five Layer Celebration Cake

    It’s my birthday!  Yay me!  I survived another year of this crazy life and I do believe we should celebrate. It really was a crazy year.  I found myself working from home, which has really been a blessing and a period in my life that I will always cherish.  I’ve spent more time with my kids, my husband and my family.  It was a happy year for my family; my youngest brother got married, my closest cousin got married, and I welcomed a new niece…