The Best Bundt Cake You’ll Ever Eat Recipe

So, my mom makes a KILLER bundt cake.  I’d venture out to say it’s the best thing she cooks.  It’s everyone’s favorite.  When we go to her house, she always has one for Judd, complete with strawberries & whipped cream. 

It’s the most moist, delectable cake…ever.  You might gain 5lbs from just looking at it.  But it’s worth it.  I promise. 

I’m a self diagnosed chocolate-chip-aholic.  I think chocolate chips can make ANYTHING taste better.  I add chocolate chips to boxed mixes that come with chocolate chips in them.  There’s never enough.  I add them to desserts and take out what they called for.  So, in true Kacie fashion, I added chocolate chips to this…and IT. IS. DIVINE.  You can add them or leave them out and use strawberries & whipped cream instead.  Totally your call.  But I looooooove the chocolate. 

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

You’ll need:

1. 1 Box of Moist Yellow Cake Mix
2. 1 Stick of Margarine (use REAL margarine!), melted
3. 1 Can Condensed Milk (I used the Eagle brand)
4. 3 Eggs
5. 1/2 Cup Water'
6. 1 Box French Vanilla Pudding Mix (NOT the cook & serve kind!)
7. 1 Bag Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (optional, but wonderful.)
8. About 1 cup of Flour (for rolling the chocolate chips)

Mix all of your ingredients except the chocolate chips & flour together.  I use a mixer because you don’t want any lumps.  It will be smooth, but a little thicker than your normal cake mix. 

In a separate bowl, add your flour and chocolate chips together.  Roll the chocolate chips in the flour.  Flour them until they look fairly white.  If you skip this step, all of your chocolate chips will sink to the bottom of your pan and it won’t cook correctly!  Do not skip this step!

After you’ve floured your chocolate chips, add them to the cake batter and mix.  Grease & flour or spray your bundt cake pan REALLY WELL.  I use Baker’s Joy.  Pour your mix in.  Pop it in the oven set to 325* for about an hour.  Mine took a little over an hour…about 1hr 15min – but check yours.  My mom swears that hers only takes 25min to cook, but at 25min, my cake was still pure batter.  I think she just has a crazy oven!  Don’t jiggle your cake around too often while checking it or it will sink and deflate.  I learned that the hard way.  Be easy taking it out to check it and try not to check it much. 

Lick the batter off the beater and the bowl.  You won’t be sorry.

When the toothpick comes out clean, take it out and let it cool about 5-10 min.  I put my cake plate on top of the pan then flip my pan over and pull my pan off.  And there it is.  Deliciousness just waiting for me to eat it.  Enjoy!

Refinished Cabinet

Well, in my blogging lapse I had forgotten all about updating you on my cabinet refinishing project. I know you were all waiting on pins and needles.  Well, wait no more my friends. 

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, I explained it in a previous post back in September of 2012. 

BEFORE:

AFTER:

(This picture reminded me that I need to touch up the old screws with the new color.   Also, the reason they don’t line up perfectly is because our crazy floor is *that* uneven.) Also, sorry this is in bold…it won’t let me “unbold” it.  Crazy computer.

It’s definitely not perfect…at all.  But I *love* the way it turned out – and I *love* the way it looks in my house.  It gives that wall a homey, comfy vibe – which I love.  I got to decorate it at Christmas and that was really fun! 

I am really proud of how it turned out. It was a SERIOUS labor of love. Judd didn’t believe me when I said that we could revamp that cabinet and turn it into something beautiful! Well, needless to say, I turned him into a believer! Although, I have to admit, he and I were both sick and tired of spending all of our free time working on it by the end. We finished it just a little before Thanksgiving. So it took us from September to November. With a newborn. Ha!  The hardest part was, by far, the sanding.  We sanded for a solid month.  We used stripping gel which made it easier, but it still took a long time to get in all the crevices.  There were lots of places that had to be sanded by hand and those took a while.  The painting actually didn’t take long at all.  We got a cheap paint sprayer and in about an hour I had the cabinet painted – inside and outside.  The doors took less time than that.  Then I cleaned the hardware thoroughly and spray painted it.  I loved the old hardware and couldn’t find anything like it – so we soaked it and scrubbed it until it was clean enough to paint.  I love the way it turned out.  Judd added the feet (from Lowes) after I stained them.  I stained the top in 3 coats.  *sigh*  It was a lot of work, but we feel like it was worth it. 

It’s decorated now like the “after” photos above.  It still needs some little knick knack type things but I’m trying not to buy the first thing I see so that I know I get what I want.  I know I want some old books to make the lamps taller.  I’m also thinking about some kind of pottery for a knick knack.  Any suggestions? 

The mirror and lamps came from consignment shop in town.  The mirror was actually a picture:

So I tore the paper off the back, took the picture out, spray painted the frame (the same color as the cabinet hardware) and had mirror cut to size.  That project took me about 30 minutes total.  The lamps were originally brass and were spray painted silver but I bought them that way…no work for me! 

It holds SO MUCH stuff.  Everything that I had in my china cabinet now fits on the top shelf.  So I’m basically using it as extra cabinet space to hold large platters, decorative kitchen/dining items, etc.  My china is also in there stacked up. 

So there you go.  The last project I’ll ever take on….HA!  Not really, but after I finally finished I vowed not to start another one for a long time!    I welcome any suggestions for decorating it! 

Happy 5 months, Walker!

We missed month 4 because I was on a blogging break, but we will pick up here. 

 

Walker man,

You are already 5 months old.  I think the time flies by quicker with each subsequent child.  Your first 5 months have absolutely flown.  Much more so than either of the girls…and I thought their months were fast!

 

You are 17lbs, in a size 3 diaper, but not far from moving up to a 4, and you are wearing a 6-9m outfit.  Your 6m stuff fits, but your 9m stuff fits, too.  One is on the smaller side, the other on the “room-to-grow” side.  Either way, you’re a big boy!  By far, my biggest child! 

(Amelia, hating every moment…ha!)

You usually go to bed around 6:30pm.  By 7pm, you are a cranky mess if you’re still awake.  This is the schedule you put yourself on…not me!  You sleep from 7ish to around 11 or 12am.  After that feeding, you sleep until anywhere between 3am and 5am.  I always hope for 5am…ha!  Then you sleep until 7ish then doze until 8ish when the girls force me out of bed.  You’re in your crib until the 3a-5a feeding, then you come to bed with me.

 

You’re still in your woombie wrap, but I think we are going to start weaning you from it soon.  Last week, your swing broke.  Yes, the brand new swing.  The motor stopped working.  I was heartbroken, because you took all of your naps in it!  So, you’ve been somewhat forced to adapt and start napping in your crib.  You’ve done better than I expected, but you definitely aren’t napping like you were!  The new motor is on its way, but I figure by the time it gets here, we’ll have you weaned from it so I probably won’t go back to it. 

One day last week (I think around the time the swing broke) I started thinking about how I hadn’t really seen you suck your thumb in a while.  You were crying while I tried to rock you to sleep and I thought…hey…what the heck?  I’ll try the paci that you haven’t used in 2 months.  Holy cow.  You took that thing like it had never been away from you!  You actually used it better than you did 2 months ago and you did great!  You used it until you fell asleep.  It’s been quite helpful since then, because I can give you your paci when you’re upset – like in church – instead of taking you out.  Even though your thumb was “always there” you weren’t great at finding it and keeping it in your mouth, so it didn’t always help like a paci. 

You are generally a pretty happy baby!  You’re really getting attached to your mama, though!  I’ve noticed recently that when I hand you off to someone, it takes just about 1 minute before you start screaming and crying until I take you back.  (I secretly wonder if you’re going to dislike strangers like Amelia does! Ha!) 

(The last time we saw you suck your thumb!)

You love:  MAMA!, your sisters, your paci, eating, playing “boo”, playing on your playmat, watching a mobile or fan, your swing (RIP), going into your woombie at bedtime (you smile huge, like you know you’re finally going to bed!), coming out of your woombie in the mornings (you stretch huge and smile!), Daddy playing with you, your jumperoo, and being held.

You don’t like:  Baby food, being in the car, being tired (you cry…a lot), having a full diaper, sleeping on your back without the woombie, tummy time, mama handing you to someone else, and laying back in someone’s arms.  You totally prefer to be sitting up or standing up!

(With Deda & Pop!)

You’ve rolled over both ways, but you’re much better at going back to belly.  Belly to back seems to take you longer.  You aren’t sitting up on your own, but you can tripod for several seconds before you start to fall…we’ll take what we can get.  You hated baby food the two times I’ve attempted to give it to you.  I think it’s the texture and the unfamiliar flavor.

 

Your first Christmas was so fun!  Caroline helped you open your gifts from Santa and you’ve really enjoyed everything so far.  I know you’ll really enjoy those toys in a few months.  It blows my mind to think you’re nearly half a year old – and how much you’ll change between now and then! 

(Amelia had already fallen asleep!)

Right now you are half bottle, half breastfed.  I really wanted to exclusively nurse to 6 months, but as usual, my body just isn’t having it.  It’s usually around this time that my supply starts to take a dip. I have been through it before so I knew what to look for.  I wasted no time in feeding you a bottle after each nursing session to make sure you’re full.  You usually eat an extra 3oz from the bottle.  You don’t seem to have any trouble going back and forth, so we’ll do that as long as we can! 

I love you so much.  I can’t wait to see what your little personality will be like as you get older.  I know one thing, your big sisters sure do love you.  You think they’re pretty funny, too.  I can’t wait to see you all play together one day!  I also LOVE saying “my son” when I talk about you.  It feels so different to say that instead of “my girls.” 

You make my heart full of joy!  I love being your mother! 

 

Mama

Amelia’s 2nd Birthday

We celebrated Amelia & Hannah’s birthdays together this year, since they are only 4 weeks apart. Audra probably regrets that decision because I am such a laid-back party planner.  Even when I WANT to go all-out, it’s usually a fleeting feeling and then I settle for a colorful tablecloth, balloons, and maybe some cupcake toppers.  HA! 

Oh my.  My Amelia.  I have to document your birthday party for you to read later in life.  It wasn’t funny at the time, but it will be quite funny in a few years when you read back on it. 

As everyone knows, you are not the most social butterfly.  Anytime there is a big crowd (regardless of how well you know the people) you bury your head in mine or your daddy’s shoulder and don’t want to budge.  You don’t want anyone to talk to you or look at you.  So birthday parties that revolve around you are really just not your cup of tea.  I felt obligated to give you a big party, but next year we may just do a laid back gathering and see how it goes.  I want you to enjoy your parties, not dread them!  Anyway – you were already tired because you didn’t get a nap, and all the attention being directed towards you was just more than you could bear.  You didn’t want to unwrap any of your presents, you didn’t smile at any of them, and you cried most of the time. 

You actually cried so hard at one point that I took you in another room to calm down…where you proceeded to throw up your juice.  Once you calmed down, I took you back out to just look at your stuff that Caroline had opened for you.  (She enjoyed that!)  Then came the Happy Birthday song and the blowing out of candles.  You reached out to touch the candle and it scared you when we gasped.  I think you touched some of the wax for a split second with your finger.  I quickly wiped it off but it was too late.  You were crying.  Hysterically.  Through the entire song.  Hannah was thrilled though!  Ha!

That picture pretty much sums it up.  Ha!  After everyone left, you were really happy and played with all of your presents and wanted everything out of the box.  You just do not like being the center of attention…totally unlike your big sister – who prefers to be the center of attention!

Next year, we will do things a little differently for you if being in the limelight isn’t your favorite. 

HOW are you two years old?  You love:  Mickey Mouse, Jello, your pink blanket, your Scout puppy, the iPad, any game tablet, to take pictures on our phones, Cocoa Puffs, cereal bars, chocolate, juice, milk, your dream lites shining on the bunk bed before bed, chicken nuggets, any snack foods, your family, Ms. Lois, jumping on the trampoline & bounce house, baths, Down by the Cool of the Pool book (you can recite the entire thing), Brown Bear book, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom,  any baby doll, snuggling, wooden puzzles, and pictures.

You don’t like:  Anything that requires you to be social in any size crowd, being told “no no” (you cry, everytime…so tender-hearted!), being buckled in your carseat, water, someone taking the iPad from you, Caroline telling you what to do, Walker crying in the car (you say, “BABY WALKER!  IT’S OKAY!!” in a loud and annoyed voice), taking showers, & being woken up before you’re finished sleeping. 

You have such a big personality for such a little girl.  You’re in a size 5 diaper, 24m-2T clothes, and you weigh right at 25lbs.  It absolutely blows my mind that you are already two years old.  I can’t wait to see what a beautiful woman you will grow in to.  You are one of the loves of my life and joy to me.  I love being your mother.  I love you to the moon and back!

Mama

Here is Amelia’s 2 Year video that we showed at her birthday party.    Turn your volume up!

Amelia’s 2 Year Video