Sunny Weekend Update 6

Happy Monday!  Before I start the daily grind I will link up with Sami and update you all on a bit of my 'adventures' from this weekend!

Rams and I stayed home most of the weekend except for running errands and going out to dinner!
I don't have many pictures, but here are the ones I do have to sum up the last few days.



Roscoe found a spot on Friday.  He has decided the dam wall between the pool and spa is the perfect spot for him to relax!

I took advantage of the day by sitting in the pool, soaking up some vitamin d, and reading my slutty romance novels!

We went to dinner Saturday night!  There is a place about 20 min from us in a little college town that we love!  Haven't been there in quite awhile so we ate and drank to out hearts content!

At dinner!  I actually dryed my hair and put on a dress!  I felt pretty fancy pants!

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend and hopefully will have an even better week!

Cheers!

Friday's Letters 1

Letters...I've got letter...lets have some letters this Friday morning!  So today I'm linking up with Ashley to write to these important people/things in my life!

Dear Blog:  I did it...5 days in a row!  Lets keep this momentum going and keep truckin' along!  Dear Stephy, Mom and Rams:  thanks for listening to me bawl my eyes out yesterday.  I would like to say that it helped...well a little.  Thanks for being there for me!  
Dear Pool:  I love you and I hate you.  If it weren't for you I could quit my day job and if it weren't for you I would not be having such amazing weekends!  Dear Rams:  thanks for taking me out on a date this weekend...I need one!   Dear Mom and Dad:  thanks for the advice and attributes you have given me.  I don't think I could do it without you both!   
Dear Tyler, Tatum and Aubrey: you are the best nieces and nephews ever.  I LOVE talking to you and seeing all of you silly pictures and videos you send me.  I miss you and love you to pieces!  Dear Nashville:  why aren't you back yet?  Do I really have to wait until this fall to see you again?! Dear Grizzly Bear:  the fireworks are long gone now, can you please go to being a normal dog?  I would greatly appreciate you not sleeping on my feet.  Dear Nicole: thank you for making my life at work 100 times better!  If not for you I would be miserable!   Dear Instagram: I thoroughly enjoy your new video feature...actually I can't get enough of it!  Dear Weekend:  Are you here yet?!

Reveal of a Super Secret Recipe! 1

Who likes Rum?
        Not me!

Who likes Cake?  
        Not me!

Who loves Rum Cake?!  
        THIS GAL RIGHT HERE!

Before I can share this recipe with you I have to tell you the story behind this piece of heaven.

Meet Mama Jude.

Mama is on the left and Mom (my actual Mom) is on the right

Judy, or more affectionately known as "Mama Jude", isn't a step-mom, sister wife or anything like that...she is my mom's BFF and has lived up the street from me my whole life. 

She is my second mom, Mama Jude.

Every year for my Dad's birthday Mama makes him a Rum Cake.

This year when I had to entertain some business associates of Ram's I decided to make this cake.  I needed to call Mama, but I was afraid she wouldn't give me her super secret recipe.  
Turns out, it isn't so secret...it is the recipe on the Bacardi website.

Non-the-less I will share it with you all because it is simply AMAZING!

Here is what you need:

• A Bundt pan
• Pam flour cooking spray
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Cake:

• 1 box of yellow cake mix - I use Duncan Hines
• 1 large package of instant vanilla pudding
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cold water
• 1/3 vegetalbe oil
• 1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum

Glaze:

• 1 stick of butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup rum

Now here is what you do:

     1.)  Spray your Bundt pan with Pam
    2.)  Sprinkle your cup of walnuts in the bottom of the Bundt Cake pan.  Heat your oven to 325 degrees.

walnuts

     3.)  Mix the cake mix, pudding, eggs, cold water, oil and rum together until smooth

     4.)  Bake for 1 hour

Now this is where Mama does things a bit differently.

About 5 minutes before your cake is done do the following -
    - melt your butter (microwave or stove - I prefer microwaving).  
    - add the water, sugar and rum.  
Mix up and put in the microwave again for about 5 minutes.  Or enough time that the mix boils a bit and the sugar dissolves. 

Pull the cake out of the oven and almost immediately prick a bunch of fork holes into the cake
(this will be the bottom of the cake to it doesn't have to be pretty).  

Once the holes are done slowly pour the glaze over the cake while it is still in the pan.  It seems like a lot, but trust me...it will be ok.

Wait about 10 minutes and flip that lovely piece of food over!

There you have it - super easy and super delicious.

Enjoy!