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Grandma’s Dinner Rolls
The other day I was cleaning one of the storage rooms in our basement and I came upon a basket of items I kept when we cleaned out my Grandma G’s house for the final time. I found a rosary, a couple of candy dishes, an old soapstone jewelry box she always kept on her dresser, and a blue apron that read “RUTHIE,” her first name. It immediately brought a smile to my face, and best of all, it still (9 years later) smells like her…
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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,…
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Beer & Pretzel Cupcakes
After a pretty darn stressful week (few weeks, actually), I had a pretty amazing day. My parents kept the girls for us this morning, and the hubs and I spent a few hours together, just the two of us. We had some fun in downtown KC, and grabbed a quiet lunch. It was nice to have some adult time. Some QUIET adult time. After a quiet morning, we came home and just kind of hung out. The girls went swimming, I took a nap (A…
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30 Recipes for Fall Baking
If you’re like me, you’re starting to get a little burnt out on all of the pumpkin recipes that have appeared over the past few weeks. I am a super-pumpkin-fan myself, and even I have reached my threshold of my second-favorite-baking-ingredient ever. Any guesses what my favorite ingredient is? 🙂 Over the years, I’ve shared quite a few fall-inspired recipes here at Lemon Sugar, and every fall I try to post a fall-roundup for you all so you can see everything in one place. These…
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Mint Chocolate Chip Cake
When I was growing up, our small town had an AMAZING little restaurant called the Old Ice Cream Shoppe. It was in an old house that had been remodeled into a small-ish restaurant, with little wire tables and chairs, cute local decor on the walls and counter where you’d place your order for food or ice cream. It was located just about two blocks from the elementary school, and stayed open late during the summers which made it the perfect spot for a treat after…
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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…
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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…
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A Moment of Silence
Tonight, instead of my normal weekend post, I’m standing with countless other bloggers in solidarity and support, in memory and in prayer for those who lost their lives and their families and friends on Friday morning. I’m sad. Really, really sad. I’m sad for everyone directly touched by the tragedy. I’m sad for me. I’m sad for my girls. I’m just sad. My way of honoring the memory of those babies is to do what kids do best – finding joy and hope in the…
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Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte
There are a few things that I’m powerless against. I cannot say no to chips & salsa, guacamole, fried pickles, sweet potato fries and pumpkin spice lattes. Ooh – and nachos. It is nearly impossible for me to walk by a coffee house in the fall without ordering a pumpkin spice latte. It draws me in. They are definitely one of my favorite fall treats. I’ve seen the recipe for homemade pumpkin spice lattes all over the blogosphere and on Pinterest for years now, but…
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Cream Cheese and Pepper Jelly Fillo Shells
So, how many social events have YOU been to this month? Weddings, showers, graduations, anniversary parties, end of school year parties – holy cow, it’s a busy time of year! We’ve hosted a few events at our home lately, and since we’ve been pulled a million different directions, it’s nice to have some quick and easy appetizer options at my fingertips. These little Fillo cups from my friends at Athens are amazing, and have saved me in an entertaining-pinch many, many times. Fillo (or Phyllo…
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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…
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Old Fashioned Chocolate Sheet Cake
You know that feeling when you’ve just come home from a whirlwind road trip to Omaha, Nebraska and then you wake up and watch a travel show where they’re diving off the coast of Thailand and you’re like, “Hrmph. Nebraska was almost as cool as that…”? Yep, I’m there. Don’t get me wrong, our “stay-cation with a mini-roadtrip” vacation was nice, relaxing and easy, but I’m a total beach-vacation kind of girl. We had a great time in Omaha, but I need that sand, surf,…
