• Giant Chocolate Muffins

    Can you justify eating a cupcake for breakfast? I can. It’s easy, really.  You just call it a muffin.  I mean, it doesn’t have frosting, so clearly it isn’t a dessert – and everyone knows that muffins are perfectly acceptable breakfast fare.

  • Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

    I feel like we are a couple of weeks behind everyone else, but it’s finally back-to-school week at my house.  We’re getting back into the swing of things, painfully shedding our summertime schedules and trying to remember what it’s like to set alarm clocks and adhere to bedtime routines.   Since I’m totally a creature of habit, I look forward to this time of year.  I love having my daughter home with me all summer long, but I thrive on schedules and routines. Plus, do…

  • The Greatest Waffle Recipe Ever

    I’m kind of not kidding.  Although I didn’t name these waffles, they are honestly the best I’ve ever had.  Not that I’m a big waffle aficionado or anything, but I spent a lot of time looking for the perfect waffle recipe after we got married.  We received a really nice waffle iron as a gift, and I was determined to find a really nice recipe to go with it.

  • Kumquat-Orange Cardamom Bars

    Hi everyone!  Once again, I’m super-lucky to have a fantastic guest poster grace the pages of Lemon Sugar!  Everyone, meet  Samantha from The Little Ferraro Kitchen.  I’ve been following along with Samantha’s blog for quite a few months now.  I love to watch her posts on Instagram, because she never EVER fails to make me hungry!  Her recently revamped website is bright and fun to read, so I suggest you head right on over there and spend some time getting to know her!  While you are…

  • “Homemade” Honey

    Ok, ok.  This is the second blog post in a row that isn’t a real recipe.  But I just had to share our newest kitchen creation – our very first honey harvest!   Those of you that know me well have probably been subject to one of my beekeeping rants in the past year or so.  From the swarms to the missing queens to the urgent need for more honey supers, I now know way more that I ever thought any one person should know about bees.…

  • Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes & A Bridal Shower

    Last weekend my sisters and I hosted a bridal shower for my soon-to-be sister-in-law, Abbey.  Since it was a late afternoon, Sunday shower with impending bad weather, we kept the menu light and desserts simple.  The theme was “From Miss to Mrs” and it turned out to be an adorable celebration!

  • Bacon, Egg & Pepper Jack on Toasted Ciabatta

    Uncharacteristic trait of a food blogger number 982:  I don’t really like eggs.  Clearly, I eat my fair share of them in baked goods,  and I even enjoy quiche.  Plain old eggs, though, I can’t really get behind. Runny yolks?  Don’t get me started.  (But why?  Why would you eat runny yolks? Help me understand!)

  • Black Tie Cupcakes

    This cupcake was a creation of mine that was born out of the need to clean out my pantry.  I had several almost-empty boxes, bags and bottles of pantry items, and their replacements were crowding things.  So, what to do but make some goodies?  I didn’t really have an excuse for these except that Mom made Sunday dinner and my brother and his girlfriend were going to be there – which means more people to eat and fewer leftovers!    I knew I needed to…

  • Robin’s Egg Cupcakes

    Now that Easter is just a few days away and our menu for Easter dinner is complete, I’m already making plans and to-do lists for next Easter.  There are just so many cute ideas out there that I can’t possibly squeeze them all into one year.  And, although this blog allows me the excuse to experiment and bake lots of goodies all of the time, I’m always faced with the difficult decision of crossing off recipes, crafts and plans and saving them for next time.…

  • Spicy Black Bean Veggie Burgers

    I’m pretty sure I’m driving everyone in my life crazy right now.  I’ve been on a meatless, vegetarian diet-kick for several weeks.  I have my reasons, and I really don’t know where this new lifestyle will lead me.  I’m not even sure if it is a lifestyle yet.  Maybe it’s just a phase.

  • Easy Roasted Tomato Soup

    One of the best things about the end of summer is that while most of our vegetable garden has come and gone, our tomatoes are still going strong.  And while I have pretty much exhausted my cravings for tomato and cheese sandwiches, I’m definitely not ready to say goodbye to my favorite garden fruit.  Er, veggie.  Whatever. Today, I picked up a beautiful loaf of jalapeno cheese bread at one of my favorite bakeries, and it was just begging to be turned into a grilled…

  • Better Than Better Than Sex Cake

    Yes, I do have my moments of laziness in the kitchen.  There are days when I’m not above a frozen burrito, mac & cheese out of a box or spaghetti sauce in a jar.   But the minute I’m done partaking in those convenience foods, I always realize that it wasn’t worth it, and that making my own would have been so much more satisfying, tasty and probably even healthier. *See disclaimer below. This recipe is a PERFECT example.  I’m sure most of you have come across this very popular…