• Chocolate Chip Love Muffins

    I’m one of those people who thinks Valentine’s Day is silly.  Sure, I can appreciate a day that’s dedicated to making the loves in your life feel special and adored.  But to me it conjures up images of people waiting in line to buy overpriced flowers, cards and chocolates with only half-hearted intent.  I’ve always told my husband that flowers on a random Tuesday in August, or a card for no reason will always be more appreciated than forcing it on Valentine’s Day.  Perhaps that…

  • A Playroom Makeover: Part 1

    I am so excited to be back with another Lemon Sugar remodel project, and especially excited to be working with my friends at Organized Living again! If you remember, we teamed up several months ago to tackle my pantry remodel, and it turned out SO good that we’ve decided to take on a bigger and more challenging space – a playroom for my girls! This project is a little bit bigger and more involved because we didn’t have an existing space to work with.  Instead,…

  • Cranberry Walnut Cream Cheese Muffins

    Even though I have about fifteen billion pumpkin recipes that I’m dying to try out, I thought it best to pace myself and take a break from traditional fall flavors for a few days.   Ok, honestly, I had some cranberries in my freezer that have been calling to me for weeks.  Then, I found this recipe.  Shortly after I found the recipe, they appeared in my kitchen. And while I’m being honest, I actually had really good intentions to deliver some of these to…

  • Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

    When I worked at my previous job, I would occasionally ‘treat’ myself to a trip to a little bakery down the road from my office.  They have a MAGNIFICENT, seasonal cranberry chicken salad on cranberry nut bread. Oh my goodness, it is the best thing ever, in fact it’s so good that I must find a recipe and replicate it.  Soon.  And then I’ll post it. But, even better, they also have a wonderful assortment of desserts to choose from.  My favorite is a peanut…

  • Out and About: Road Trip to Omaha

    This past week was a fun one for my little family.  We opted for a stay-cation this year, and spent the week pretty close to home.  We took our girls to Worlds of Fun, our local amusement park one day, spent a day lounging around and doing not much of anything, and then spent a couple of days road-tripping it.  Destination:  Omaha. Omaha is just about a 3-hour drive from our home near Kansas City, so it really made an ideal, quick road trip.  Since…

  • Nutella Cupcakes

    I’ve had one of those weeks.  Well, actually, I’ve had one of those months.  You know, when you can’t get ahead, everything is a crazy mess, your to-do list is twice as long as usual, your kids are sick and on fall break, AND your husband has to travel for work?  Yes, I’ve had that kind of month. I haven’t had a lot of time for baking this month, I haven’t really even had much time to go to the grocery store. As a result,…

  • Chocolate & Coconut Cream Cupcakes

    My days as a morning person are numbered.  Every year about this time, when the overnight temperature starts to drop and it’s still dark in the morning when I get out of bed – that’s about the time I that stop jumping up  eager to face the day. My girls are the same way, it seems.  My mornings are slowly shifting from wide-eyed, happy, smiling little girls to grumpy, piddling, sleepy-heads who have to be prodded along every step of the way. By the time we…

  • Amazing Brownies

    I’m sure that I’ve mentioned my Mom’s cooking habits on this blog before.  (Sorry, Mom, but I have to go here.  It’s the only way they’ll understand me.)  So, let me paint a picture of my Mom for you.  First of all, she’s tiny.  She’s stubborn.  She is not afraid of anyone, she and my Dad raised five (awesome) kids while working full time, and this woman does what she wants.  Period. She also ends a lot of her sentences with “period.” She also happens…

  • Strawberry Cupcakes with Ice Cream Buttercream

    Hold.  The.  Phone. Did I really just make ICE CREAM BUTTERCREAM? Um, yes.  Yes I did.  And know what it tastes like on top of a strawberry cupcake?  Yep, just like you think it would taste, only better.  Kind of like strawberry ice cream, but without the brain-freeze. And, it’s only four ingredients, and it’s E.A.S.Y. So, strawberry cupcakes, buttercream that tastes EXACTLY like ice-cream, and no brain freeze. Best cupcake ever, right? I’ve been on a bit of a strawberry cupcake kick lately –…

  • Share-It Saturday: Week 4

    Hi everyone!  Welcome back for another Share-It Saturday on Lemon Sugar!  Before we get started, make sure you like Lemon Sugar on Facebook, and don’t miss my latest post – you can enter to win a Better Zester.  You’ve got to try one to see what all the fuss is about.  You’ll be zesting just for fun. Or is that just me? Don’t answer that.  Let’s move on to the party. Welcome, welcome!  That was my best Hunger Games voice.  Geez, I’m just oozing coolness…

  • 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.…

  • Red Velvet Poke Cake

    Yep.  Kinda obsessed with the ol’ poke cake. I actually have yet another one coming soon.  But since I’m 100% convinced that you can’t have too many poke-cake recipes, I’m not going to worry about it one little bit.  The world cannot have too many poke cakes. And it’s possible that I say this about EVERY poke cake I make, but this one is my favorite.  There’s actually no contest.  This is the best.  Until the next one, I know, but still.  So far –…