My Old Kentucky Home

The BF and I made a 12 hr road trip to my parents' house in Kentucky.  Since my older brother and I moved away (far away) after college, it's hard for my mom to have all of her kids under one roof.  And since the whole fam was together, we celebrated my baby brother's 16th birthday a couple of weeks early.  I also found out I'm gonna be an aunt!!!  My sister-in-law and brother showed me their sonograms.  So exciting!!  I'll finally have a reason to get the cute baby stuff I've been seeing lately.



Instead of just cash or a gift card, I found this idea online to put cash in an umbrella.  I found this Spiderman one on clearance and decided to make a theme.

The BF found this Angry Bird squeaky for the dog prior to the trip.



We finally got to see the recording of the Today Show we were on.

There's one more person in this picture!  A baby in case no one could read into that...



My cake that I messed up decorating.  I envisioned it to look so much smoother, but I got impatient and poured too hot chocolate ganache and it melted everything.  But anyway, it's a chocolate fudge cake, with buttercream icing, chocolate ganache and melted white chocolate (recipe follows).



It was still delicious though.

He also got Spiderman fruit chews, mac and cheese and band aids.  The umbrella was the last thing he opened.

Pretty mom-to-be

Our family tradition of Mexican Train Dominoes

She got tired on the way back.

So we let her drive a little.



One of the rest stops in Maryland has a pedestrian bridge that goes over the highway so we had to get a picture.

My go-to chocolate cake recipe for boxed cake mix.

Best Ever Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake

1 c semisweet chocolate chips
1 pkg fudge cake mix
1 pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
1 c sour cream
1/2c oil
1/2 c water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 2 cake pans.  Beat the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, oil and water until moistened.  stir in the chocolate chips and continue mixing for about 2 minutes.  Spoon the mixture into the pans.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes.  Loosen the cake from the pans and invert them onto wire racks.  Cool completely before icing.





Stay classy,
Heidi