Summertime = Citrus.

 It's citrus day in the archives of Smith baking. Perfect for summer time!

Almost Fat-Free Key Lime Pie
Recipe sent via tweet from my dear friend Tami at Local {ATL}ast

Reduced-fat graham cracker pie crust
1 can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 container fat-free Cool Whip
Juice of two limes
Lime zest, optional

Mix last four ingredients together and pour into pie crust.
Chill in freezer for 4-6 hours.
Eat without guilt.

Go ahead. Have another.

Lemon Bars
Recipe via The Girl Who Ate Everything

This was the Easter dessert in our house this year, along with a pie my aunt picked up from Shoney's. Yeah, you read that right. I didn't eat it, but some people in attendance enjoyed it. But what they really enjoyed were these lemon bars. You might expect them to be overwhelmingly tart, but they aren't. They're sweet and just perfectly citrusy.

I love my job.

Yesterday was pretty amazing.

I was asked to speak at a city-wide meeting for people in my industry about my job and what I've done with the program I created at my company.

Then I got sent an email with a manuscript (is that what they're called?) for a book I was interviewed for about a part of that program for work. I had to edit and approve my quotes that were in two chapters.

I love my job.

A pink cake and pretty sprinkles.

As the proud owner of an ice blue KitchenAid mixer, I have been obsessed with trying new and pretty in the kitchen. A few more Mrs. Smith baking adventures...

Pink Ombre Cake
Cake Recipe via Epicurious
Buttercream Frosting Recipe via Martha Stewart

Who else saw this on Pinterest? I couldn't not make it. What a fun cake, right? Luckily, a coworker had a 35th birthday to celebrate, and I wanted to celebrate in style. It was so tasty, he didn't even mind that his birthday cake was pink. :)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Whoopie Pies
Cookie Recipe via All Recipes

Mr. Smith's co-workers were feeling a bit left out since I made the pink cake for my team at work, so I used the leftover buttercream to make some whoopie pies for them. I wasn't there to hear their feedback, but since none of them came back home, I assume they were well received!

And she bakes, too?!

This was a quote from our CEO after the first time I brought a dessert into the office. I think I might remember it for the rest of my life.

But it's true. A longtime, freestyling cook has dived head first into the world of precise measurements, KitchenAid mixers and piped buttercream.

I'm getting a touch better with each 350-degree adventure, so I'll start sharing things with you now that I'm semi-confident in my skills. Here are the first few culinary events, dating back to February. More to come soon... :)

Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting
Recipe via Picky Cook

I made these for our Super Bowl party. Most guests ate two, but since we didn't have many guests, I got to share them with work friends as well. They were thankful for our small party. :)

Mardi Gras Cupcakes
Recipe via Sweet Pea's Kitchen

We had a Mardi Gras party at work, and I was volunteered for cupcakes. The cake part was really fun, but I wasn't super impressed with my buttercream recipe. Then again, I based this entirely on looks... I didn't eat any of them. (Speaking of unimpressed... my camera refused to focus for a 24-hour time frame. Can't figure out why but it fixed itself shortly after... weird.) (And probably user error.) (Definitely user error.)