Lemon Cupcake

3 eggs

1 ¾ cup Sugar

½ Cup oil

¾ cup Buttermilk

1 cup Sour cream

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 ½ tsp. Lemon Extract

2 Tbs.  Fresh Lemon Juice

1 tsp. Lemon zest

½ tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Baking Powder*

2 ¼ cup All-purpose flour

 Mix eggs and sugar until lemony color. Add the oil, buttermilk, sour cream, vanilla, lemon extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest, then mix.  Add the flour, salt and baking powder.  Mix until smooth.  Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full.  Bake 350 15-18 min.  Makes 24
*If you live at a low altitude you will need to put in 1 ½ -2 tsp. of baking powder.

Frosting

3/4 c. Butter

2 Pounds Powder Sugar (8 cups)

1 tsp.  Lemon extract

2 Tbs.  Fresh Lemon Juice

2-4 Tbs. Milk

24 Raspberries

Yellow food coloring

Allow butter to stand at room temperature for about 30 min.  In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.  Add powder sugar, lemon extract, lemon juice, and then mix.  Beat in milk until frosting becomes spreading consistency. Pipe on cupckes using 2D or 1M tip, then top with a raspberry.

Food for Thought:  “This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now.

Rather than dwelling on the past, we should make the most of today, of the here and now, doing all we can to provide pleasant memories for the future.

If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly.

Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of we hat is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. Wrote William Shakespeare, “They do not love that do not show their love.”  We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us.

Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family. One day each of us will run out of tomorrows President Monson , October 2008 General Conference, entitled "Finding Joy in the Journey