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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…
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Baked Tex-Mex Cheese Dip
This is my new favorite casual party appetizer. I’ve been on a roasted red pepper kick lately, so when I saw this recipe last month I knew I had to have it. I brought it to my nephew’s first birthday party last weekend and it was a hit – I was actually kind of sad that I had to share it with everyone. I was even more sad when there were no leftovers to take home with me. My sister makes a delicious spinach dip, and…
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Turkey & Havarti Croissant Sliders
Oven-baked slider sandwiches are among my favorite party foods. For one, they are SUPER easy to make. Additionally, you can make them ahead of time and pop them in the oven when your guests arrive, so you aren’t left frantically prepping and finishing last-minute details. After a mere ten minutes in the oven, these are warmed through and the cheese is melty and bubbly. They’re awesome. I like Havarti with deli turkey because it’s a smooth, mild cheese and works really well with the pesto. I’ve…
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A Beach Birthday Party
Well, I survived. I survived my first party since I’ve gone back to work in an office environment, and it was a success. Now, I didn’t cook – it was catered, I just did the baking, and I had a little help from the candy aisle at the grocery store, but somehow I pulled off a cute little beach party in the middle of November and lived to talk about it. My Madeline turned eight years old this week, and as much work as it…
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Chicken & Avocado Enchiladas
I don’t know about you, but we tend to get into a food rut during the summertime. We grill a lot, eat a lot of sandwiches, fruits and vegetables, and other generally “quick and easy” meals. It’s rare that we want to turn on the oven or heat up the kitchen, and the thought of eating anything hot is pretty unappealing. Because this dish not only requires me to turn on my oven, but also to actually eat something hot and mildly spicy in the…
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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…
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Hot Fudge Sundae Cupcakes
It was nearly a year ago that I started seriously playing in the kitchen. My daughter’s fifth birthday party was coming up and I wanted to do something special for her and our guests, but I really didn’t know where to begin. I’m sure it started with my Googling “little girl birthday treats” or something of that nature, but I’m glad I did because it led me to the wonderful world of food bloggers. It’s funny to me that it was just a year ago that…
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Tortilla Pinwheels
Oh, Tuesday after Labor Day. I have a serious love-hate thing going with you right now. Our summer was magnificent. The weather was just about perfect ALL summer. Our grass never did turn that icky late-summer brown color, it’s still a gorgeous bright green. We sat on the porch almost every evening and just enjoyed the weather while the kids played. I was fortunate to be able to work from home this summer, so I got a lot of quality time with my kids. The…
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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…
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Skillet Apple Pie
There is just something about good apple pie that makes me happy. Obviously, it’s delicious, but there’s a lot of nostalgia that comes with it, too. The smells of baking apples, cinnamon and buttery pie crust take me back to my childhood and for a moment, I’m back in my Mom’s kitchen, or in one of my Grandma’s. My Grandma used to sprinkle the leftover pie crust with butter, sugar and cinnamon and bake it – I can remember fighting over those little bites of…
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Brownie Bites
Last week I was fortunate enough to be asked to participate in the studio launch party for Melissa Rieke Photography and Melissa & Beth at their fabulous new facility, RStudio. I provided a smattering of desserts for the event and have been eager to share the recipes with you all. The Whoopie Pies from my last post were one of the many items on the menu, and I’ll have another three or four coming soon. You’ll notice that the photos in these upcoming posts are courtesy…
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Throwback Thursday: One Hour Maple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
Hi everyone! On Thursdays, I will be sharing some of my favorites from the archives of Lemon Sugar. These are still my very favorite cinnamon rolls, ever and are one of my most-pinned recipes! Wouldn’t these be great on a lazy daylight-saving morning? Enjoy! ♥ This is officially the third time I’ve used my One Hour Cinnamon Roll Dough on the blog. There was the original, the Cherry Sweet Rolls, and now these. I think these win. These are Maple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls, and they’re fabulous. Oh…
