Weekend Fun

This weekend we decided to head off to Myrtle Beach and check out the Aquarium. Liam had such a great time and so did we. Afterwards we went and checked out some of the rides on the boardwalk. For dinner we went to Medieval Times. Liam was very fascinated by the sword fights and horses! We were really tired when we got home, but the good news is Liam slept until 9 the next day and so did I (this never happens). I am really glad we got out of Wilmington for a day it’s always nice to have a change in scenery!

Liam jumping in the pool!

Liam loves jumping in the pool!! He has so much fun and I always get a longer nap out of this and a good arm workout! : )

28th birthday and Brownie Batter Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

My 28th birthday was great. We celebrated at a restaurant called East located in a hotel on Wrightsville Beach called Blockade Runner. Since East is an upscale restaurant I was a little nervous taking Liam with us, but he did great! We got really lucky there was actually a 1 year olds birthday going on! Bubbles were being blown and he was very entertained. After dinner I let him run around on the grassy area overlooking the beach and play with the balls the hotel provided for children. Every year my Dad and me celebrate together since our birthday is a day apart. In 1984 I was his birthday present and he always says it’s the best gift he was ever given. Now that I have my own child I really believe him! The coolest part about this birthday is that I am now the same age my Dad was in 1984 when we shared our first birthday celebration together! This year I made cupcakes and ordered a cake from Whole Foods. Below is the recipe for the Brownie Batter Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes. **Very important these are time consuming since you have to freeze batter overnight, but they are worth the extra effort!!

                                                               
                                                                   28 years old!!! : )

                                                       
                                                                   Family dinner!

                                                                       Mom, Dad and me

                                                             Blowing our candles out 28 and 56!

                                                             Me and my boys!!

                                                                        Birthday Cake

                                                   Brownie Batter Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes.

Brownie Batter Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes
with Outrageously Rich Chocolate Indulgence Frosting

BROWNIE BATTER
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup milk
1 (18.25 oz) box devil’s food cake mix
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 mins until well combined. Using a small scoop (about 1.5 tbsp) drop batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze overnight.
CUPCAKES
1 (18.25 oz) box devil’s food cake mix
1 (3.9 oz) pkg Jello instant chocolate fudge pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and line with cupcake liners. Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips into a very large bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 mins until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Using a large scoop (about 3 tbsp) drop batter into the cupcake liners, filling about 2/3rds full. Remove brownie batter from freezer and press into the cupcake batter. Bake for 22-28 mins. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
FROSTING
5 sticks butter, softened
8 oz powdered sugar
1.5 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa)
a pinch of table salt
1.5 cups light corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
16 oz milk chocolate chips
Melt chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring well every 30 seconds. Allow to cool for 5-10 mins. Combine butter, sugar, cocoa and salt in a food processor and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl as needed. Add the corn syrup and vanilla and process until just combined, about 5-10 seconds. Scrape the bowl again, then add the melted chocolate and pulse until smooth and creamy, about 10-15 seconds. You can use a mixer for this too, if you don’t have a food processor, just don’t whip the butter too much! :) Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated.
Makes & frosts 36 cupcakes.
See pictures and recipe details at the below link:
http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dessert/brownie-batter-chocolate-fudge-cupcakes.html

Beginning of Summer Fun and the Perfect Pound Cake

We have some great news we sold our house!! We are so excited and to celebrate I made us a pound cake. This recipe is from Pioneer Woman and it uses 7up. If you are looking for an easy and delicious pound cake this one is it!! Today marked the beginning of our summer fun activities. We listed all the fun stuff Jason and I want to do with Liam this summer and put them on popsicle sticks. When we are finished we put the stick in the We Did It jar. Today was ride a bike and since Liam did not have a bike I thought this would  happen more towards the end of summer. Today we went to goodwill. We go every week and I get almost brand new toys and clothes for Liam. When we walked into the store I saw this Radio Flyer bike and had to get it for him. Liam actually would never have let me leave the store without it. As soon as he saw it he got on and stayed on it the entire time. Normally I have to chase him around, but not today thanks to his new Radio Flyer bike. We played outside as soon as we got home and he got to show it off to his Daddy. What a great way to start our summer fun!!



Recipe: Perfect Pound Cake

Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Cook Time: 1 Hour | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 12

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Ingredients

• 3 sticks Butter
• 3 cups Sugar
• 5 whole Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Butter Flavoring
• 2 teaspoons Lemon Flavoring
• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 cup Sprite, 7-UP, Or Sierra Mist

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cream butter. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each addition. Add butter and lemon extracts and mix well. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add soft drink, then mix together until combined. Scrape sides of bowl, then mix briefly.
Pour into a greased Bundt pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until the cake is no longer jiggly.
Remove cake from oven and invert pan until cake drops out. Slice and chow down!

Yum!!