If you’ve been following me for awhile, you know momma likes herself a baked good!
You know what I also like? Baking delicious baked goods with our daughters!
You know what else I like? Linen!
You know what I really like? Matching with the little ladies!
You know what I really, really like? Baking delicious goodness with our daughters while wearing “matchy matchy” linen pinafore aprons!!!
I am so grateful to get to partner with the lovely shop Rough Linen! What is it about linen that is so perfect?! I can’t get enough of it! If I had to choose one kind of fabric to live in, it would be linen. I want to wear it, sleep in it, use it in the kitchen and dining room and bathroom and on my furniture and pretty much it is just the best ever!
For real though, I absolutely love baking with the little ladies and I am so grateful to get to partner with such a beautiful company to make our baking sessions ever more enjoyable!
The girls love wearing aprons when we bake, but they love it even more now that they all have their own special pinafores!
Tricia Rose, the owner of Rough Linen says her company kind of started by accident. She used linen that was very special to her to make lovely things around her home and her friends started asking her to make the items she was making or herself and from that passion and sharing her gifts, Rough Linen was born.
I have the Regular Natural Pinafore and it is absolutely perfect! The girls have both the Children’s Smooth Natural and the St. Barts Aqua. And, if you know a mom and daughter crew who might love these, Rough Linen is currently offering a Pair of Pinnies Gift Set made up with a mom and daughter pinafore in the colors of your choosing! Seriosuly so adorable!
Ada’s pinnie has been very well loved!
Since Spring time is among us, making lemon bars just felt right! I love lemon bars. Homemade lemon bars paired with a delicious cup of coffee is like one of my all time favorite pairings! My husband’s too! So, I asked him if he would take some photos if I paid him in lemon bars and coffee and he kindly obliged. Thank you husband! You are awesome!
Chris and I have been trying to eat much healthier, but we definitely splurged with these bad boys! We were inspired by a Paula Dean recipe, and man… she does not disappoint! I have to say inspired though because I promise the girls took some serious creative licensing with the proportions in this recipe. However, I’ve never enjoyed a lemon bar more, so good job ladies! 
While I absolutely love baking with the girls, things have also changed a bit since Ada has joined the girl club. She is amazing and hilarious and the sweetest kind of sweet that exists… But, she’s also TWO! So, as lovely as it is to bake together, you also need to know that I definitely lose my patience with the girls in this season of life too. We have a blast, but after the third prematurely cracked egg and fifth handful of flour in Ada’s hair, we also had to have a regroup, an explanation as to why mom is yelling and another cup of coffee:D 
sooo much flour in ada’s hair:D and the table and the floor and in the pockets of her apron and just errrryyywhere. #worthit!
aaaaaaand, we still haven’t finished painting the kitchen:D we’ll get there!
The crust was the most delicious thick buttery shortbread and the lemon filling was moist but almost more like a cake brownie than your normal “gel like” filling. The edges were super chewy and caramelized and I don’t know what the girls did, but I definitely wish I would have been taking notes!
Paula Dean Inspired Lemon Bars
Here is the Paula Dean recipe we used, but like I mentioned above, the girls got pretty creative:D
Ingredients
- 2 cups for crust, plus 6 tablespoons for filling all purpose flour
- 1 cup plus more for dusting confectioner’s sugar
- pinch of salt
- 2 sticks at room temperature, plus more for greasing butter
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Directions
Preheat that oven to 350 °F. Lightly grease 9x13x2-inch pan.
Make the scrumptious crust by combining 2 cups flour, confectioner’s sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter to make a crumbly mixture or have toddlers smash it up in their hands for a more spa-like experience. Press the mixture into the prepared pan and by press, I mean let your toddlers punch it in the pan for 15 minutes. You may need to dip your fingers into a little flour or confectioner’s sugar to keep the dough from sticking to your fingers. We’ve also found that dolloping heaps of flour into the crust and everywhere else works great! Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the filling, mix the eggs, granulated sugar, 6 tablespoons flour and lemon juice. We’ve found that it’s more more time efficient to crack the eggs into a bowl. Pour this over the well- beaten and baked crust and bake for 25 minutes longer. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and try your best to practice that self-control!
you ever just look at your babies and want to cry the most grateful tears
don’t be fooled. they were actually fighting over the stool:)
she doesn’t look 12. she doesn’t look 12. she doesn’t look 12. why does she look 12?!!
Thank you so much Rough Linen for helping make our baking even more exciting!
(Disclosure: This post was made possible thanks to Rough Linen but all opinions expressed here are my honest and genuine opinions.)
a m a n d a p a h l s 