Pinterest Recipe Review: Snakebites

A few weeks ago I pinned a recipe for something called "Snakebites." It had 2 major ingredients that I love. Cream cheese and crescent rolls. How could I go wrong??

Here is the picture from Pinterest:

The recipe can be found HERE.

Of course, I made a few tweaks. Instead of green chiles, I used a can of Rotel. Instead of Cumin, I used only the chili powder. The tweaks are courtesy of failing to check the pantry before going to the grocery store.

Here are the pictures from the process:

These are the ingredients. Pretty basic. Except, subtract a can of Rotel...you only need one. And, add the chili powder. I forgot to include that in the family photo.

Browning the hamburger meat with the drained Rotel in it. This process had me salivating. I love the smell of hamburger meat cooking. I'm also so excited that the sight of raw meat no longer makes me sick.

After adding the cream cheese. This looks disgusting. Tastes amazing. Trust me on this.

Prepping the crescent rolls.

Fresh out of the oven.

Final Product!

My thoughts on this recipe? Phenomenal. The Rotel gave it just enough kick to make it interesting and send my heartburn raging. BUT, it was delicious. I paired them with a side of ranch dressing which, I feel, cooled the heat just enough. The full pound of ground hamburger does make a LOT of mix. I had enough left over to put in tupperware for a yet to be determined later use. You might be able to use half to three quarters of a pound. But, the mix is so good, I can't see anything bad about having extra. I hope you all enjoy!! This one's going in the permanent repertoire!

Tip-Tastic Thursday!

(Photo Courtesy of Pampers.com)



Baby wipes have a couple of very obvious uses. You clean up a baby with them...you use them for your own hygiene uses... But, baby wipes have a bunch of wonderful other uses.

Make-Up Remover: I know, I know...they actually MAKE wipes for makeup removal these days. However, I've used several different brands of those wipes and none of them can remove stubborn eye makeup properly. And, I always feel like my face is sticky and gritty after using them. Blech... One day, I ran out of those "miracle" wipes and grabbed a baby wipe out of my stash. (Guilty...I know. They are for the BABY, not for me. No worries...I went and bought my own) The difference was amazing! It completely cleansed my face without harsh chemicals or perfumes. And, that hard to remove eyeliner and mascara? Gone in one swipe. I was floored!! Even more-so when I realized that a box of 70 wipes was a fraction of the price of a pack of the OFF BRAND make up remover wipes. I am officially a convert. Admittedly, in my quest to be thrifty, I bought the off-brand baby wipes. I highly recommend splurging on the Pampers Sensitive brand. They were $2.50 at the supermarket, and I spent $1.99 on the off brand. The Pampers brand is softer and does a better job in my opinion.


Snot Remover: This one may need a little more explanation. If you have a dog that loves to put his nose all over everything, you know that doggie snot is impossible to clean off. The other day, I was in a rush to get ready for work and my pup started nosing me. Which left a big smear on my work clothes!! I didn't have time to change (and honestly, I'm running out of clothes that fit) so I grabbed a baby wipe and the snot stain came right out! No trace of it whatsoever. This is a huge deal for me, because I only know of one other thing that works so effectively on dog boogers but vinegar and I didn't want to spray myself with vinegar before work. LOL.


Other obvious uses for baby wipes is quick swipes of the bathroom counters when you're pinched for time and your mom is coming over. I use them when I'm APPLYING my makeup because I use my fingers to blend. It's easier to wipe my hands and keep on going. I've even used them to smooth the ends of my ponytail when I have a strand or 10 that is flipping the other direction. What are your other uses for baby wipes???

Pinterest Recipe Review- Cheesy Chicken Lasagna

I'm sure by now, most of the free world is familiar with Pinterest. If you're not using it, you have at least heard of it. Right?? I LOVE Pinterest. Sometimes it makes me feel inadequate because,let's face it...I'm not nearly as crafty, stylish, or as good as a cook as it would have me believe. However, sometimes, I do feel inclined to take a pinterest idea and give it a go in the real (re: MY) world. So, this week, I'm going to review a recipe that made my mouth water at first sight. Which...to me...equals Love at First Sight. Yes, I do believe in it. Here is the picture that seduced me:

Looks yummy, right??? This recipe comes courtesy of Realmomkitchen.com. You can get right to this recipe by clicking HERE.


I'm not going to post the full actual recipe since it's not mine and I did link to the original. I'm just going to give you the Cliff's notes version...

The next time I make this, I will be making some adjustments. I don't feel like the recipe made enough of the chicken mixture. And, as most recipes I find are, this one was a little on the bland side to me. But, to be fair, I like my food very heavily seasoned. R really liked this recipe and Marley...well, he loved it.

Aside from the adjustments, this wasn't a hard recipe...I'll probably consolidate some steps next time to make it go faster, but for the most part, this was an easy meal that tastes like it's a lot harder to make.

Cut up and cook about 3 cups of boneless, skinless chicken breast. This isn't quite 3 cups. I'll be doubling this along with the other ingredients in the "mix."

All you need for this recipe, other than the chicken. I had already started cooking the chicken when I realized I should be taking pictures. Forgive me...it's my first time food blogging.

Barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen slaving over a hot stove. How cliche' am I??? LOL. I had to lean over quite far to get this photo, too. My southbound view is pretty obscured these days. Also, yes, that's the dress in my 34 week update photo. This was all done on the same day.

Boil your lasagna noodles.

The "mix" before adding the chicken.

Build your lasagna. Unfortunately, I got caught up in building mine and this is the only photo I have of the building process.

Bake!! Now, the recipe says 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Because I had bread baking, too, I did 400 degrees for 30 minutes. It turned out fine that way, but I would highly recommend sticking with the longer cook time at lower heat.

Finished product! Clearly, I suck at food photography.

Doesn't look QUITE like the picture from Pinterest.

Homemade bread. Not a Pinterest recipe. This one is mine. ;-P

R's amazing homemade garlic spread. I swear, I could eat this with a spoon.

Dinner is served! All plated up and ready to go.


Sometime soon, I'll post the bread recipe and photos. It is actually really easy. Final word on this recipe is this: I will make this again, with the necessary tweaks to appease my discriminating palate. (HA!) It was good. Not as pretty as they made it look, but pretty tasty nonetheless. Bon Apetite!

34 Week Update!!

How far along? 34 Weeks
Total weight gain: 37 pounds. Good God.
Maternity Clothes?: Yep.
Stretch marks? Stretch marks have now appeared on the underside of my belly. I'll be making a trade after this kid. Thanks.
Sleep: Not at all.
Best Moment this week: Taking Marley to Lafayette Village for the day. He had sooo much fun!
Miss Anything? My old body. Bending over. Breathing. Sleeping.
Movement: Yeah still sharpening his claws.
Food cravings: Every damn thing on Pinterest.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.
Gender: IT'S A BOY!!!!
Labor Signs: Still Braxton Hicks.
Symptoms: RLP, BH Contractions, swelling. I cry. A LOT. For no reason.
Belly Button in or out? Still flat, but threatening to pop.
Wedding rings on or off? Back off. :-( The hormone induced dermatitis made it's return.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Super sensitive and emotional. Easily irritable.
Looking forward to: September. Real Sushi. Football. Fall.


Well, with the discovery of the stretch marks and the major jump in weight gain AND the evil biotch at the grocery store, I'm feeling just freaking awesome about myself these days. Man, I can't wait to pop out this kid and get in on some P90x. I may never look the same again, but Lord, I'm going to try. The cashier at the grocery store, when told my due date, said..."Oh, wow...you're carrying REALLY big" I wanted to punch the old bitty in the face. I get it...when I say "due in September" it seems like so far away. But, it's only 6 weeks. I'll be full term in 3 weeks. I think I might start freaking out in 3...2...1...

Tip-Tastic Thursday!

Maybe we need to find a better name for this weekly post??

Okay, so in an effort to revamp this blog into something a little more mainstream... We have a new weekly post. Every Thursday, I'll post a household tip that I love and find very useful. I hope you guys enjoy!


Have you ever burned food on the bottom of a pan? Or let something sit a little too long in a casserole dish? It seems like it's impossible to scrape off burned on bits of cheese. Back at Thanksgiving, I roasted a pan full of Sweet Potatoes. I didn't line the pan with foil (Rookie move!!!) and all of those natural sugars oozed out and caramelized onto my pan. R was POSITIVE we were going to have to throw the pan out. But, I had a secret weapon in my arsenal. I whipped out a box of Bounce Dryer sheets. Dryer sheets?? YES!

Next time you burn a pan or don't have a chance to immediately rinse a dish, fill the dish with water and a squirt of dish soap. Then simply place a dryer sheet in the water and let it sit. For small problem areas, a couple of hours is sufficient. For heavy duty problem areas (such as the Great Sweet Potato Incident) let it sit overnight.

When the time is up, dump out the water, remove the dryer sheet and voila! The mess cleans up easily...or at least with a lot less elbow grease.

This is one of my FAVORITE household tips. I even keep a box of dryer sheets under the kitchen sink just for this purpose. They don't have to be Bounce brand, I just happened to end up with an extra box one time. Next time, I'll buy the cheap stuff for the dishes. But, it works wonders on all sorts of tough kitchen messes. Got a sticky spot on the counter that won't come off without tearing your fingernails all to hell? Wet a dryer sheet and lay over the spot for a little while.

You can even make these last double time by cutting them in half.

I hope you guys have enjoyed our first Tip-Tastic Thursday. I have no idea how to do a link up party or anything of the sort, but if you want to do a Tip-Tastic post and share your blog link in the comments, you are more than welcome!!!

New Weekly Post, Anyone?

When I started this blog, I never really intended for it to be a pregnancy blog or a "mommy blog." I started this blog as a way to share the things that interest me...food, clothes, makeup, crafts, etc. However, life got crazy and by the time I found time to blog again, I was pregnant and had just moved and this is how my friends and family kept up with me. Now, I have a few readers from different avenues of the world and while I'm sure you are all thrilled to read each week (late) about my stretch marks and cravings, I'm sure you're ready for a change of pace. I know I am.

I started to fear that maybe I was already allowing myself to be defined by impending motherhood. Where were the things that I loved so passionately months ago? I began to realize that in the past few months, I hadn't created anything. I hadn't cooked or written original music or poetry. I hadn't tried any of the things that I pinned on Pinterest with enthusiasm and inspiration. I was completely enthralled in getting ready for baby. Get the nursery painted, get the crib built, get things done.

Then, I slowly started to get a little bummed. I look a hot mess. I feel very insecure and down and drained. And bored. Very bored with myself. I know if I'm boring myself, you guys must be in tears.

So, I am going to get in your face. I mean that in the best way, I swear. I think that if I force myself to do the things that I find passion in, and write about them, I'll get out of my rut. This may mean one of two things. I'll totally suck at this commitment and it will go the way of the video tutorial Sunday. OR, I'll really start to feel the flow of ideas and I'll be posting 50 times a day. Ha. Hopefully, we can find a good middle ground. Help keep me accountable guys. Don't let me slack on this. Don't let me be only a mom. Help me to be the best of all I can be.

33 Week Update!!

33 Weeks!
Baby is the size of a melon...of some sort.
He is about 18 inches long and 4.5ish lbs.
He is sleeping with his eyes open, now...
You could say the same about his mama. :)



Excuse the cell phone mirror picture. And, the towel on my head. And, the mess in the background. Unless you wanted a repeat of week 31, this is as good as it gets. Our internet is also down for the time being, so I'm having to write this on the fly. shhhh...


How far along? 33 Weeks
Total weight gain: 33 pounds? At my appt last week, I had a gain of 32lbs. I haven't weighed this week. Just going with the typical gain, here.
Maternity Clothes?: Yeeesss...and they're too small. But I refuse to buy any more. I'm sooo close.
Stretch marks? A couple on my hip...still this and they are getting darker. :( Hopefully this is still the case. I can't see under my belly.
Sleep: Ninjettas don't need sleep.
Best Moment this week: The night that my animals slept on R's side of the bed!
Miss Anything? My old body.
Movement: Yeah, he's doing the hippie white boy dance in there.
Food cravings: Blueberry everything.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.
Gender: IT'S A BOY!!!!
Labor Signs: Still Braxton Hicks.
Symptoms: The worst RLP of my life, and some more swelling.
Belly Button in or out? Still flat, but threatening to pop.
Wedding rings on or off? Back off. :-( The hormone induced dermatitis made it's return.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Super sensitive and emotional
Looking forward to: Meeting my son and sleeping on my stomach again.


oooh, where do I start today? I'd like to begin with a cautionary tale. Pregnancy is like one long Bi-polar episode. The first trimester, you're terrified, happy, miserable and nauseous. The thought of a glass of water is enough to make your stomach turn and you wonder why the hell anyone would go through this more than once.

The second trimester is where the fun starts. You start to kinda show. You're no longer throwing up your toenails and you can enjoy those midnight cravings without worry of being sick or heartburn ruining it. You get that burst of energy (allegedly...I never did) You feel your little one move for the first time and you are amazed every time he does and wonder how people could ever make the decision to NOT experience this.

Third trimester...Or as I like to call it...the 7th Circle of Hell. You're fat, you're swollen, you can't bend over. You get out of breath trying to pull on your underwear (seriously??? Seriously.) Which, speaking of underwear, your supply is reduced to whatever the biggest ugliest things in your drawer are. Even though people claim you're "all belly" for some reason, your underwear no longer go up past your knees. You can't sleep AT ALL and when you do sleep, you wake up choking on acid in the back of your throat. Those cute little baby flutters??? His little pokes and rolls are replaced by kicks and punches and someone loaned this kid a pair of metal spiked cleats. You find yourself crying because you look "ugly and fat" and even though you're starving half to death, you can only eat littl bits at a time, because your fetus has his ass shoving your stomach into your brain. You can barely walk because the weight of your uterus is slowly shredding your lower abdominal muscles. And, you wonder...how the hell am I going to survive another 7 weeks.

Don't get me wrong. I love my baby, and I can't WAIT for him to be here...and he can stay put as long as he needs to, to finish baking. But, sweet Jesus...Pregnancy is rough, man! I am eternally grateful that I am able to create and produce life, but it's a tough road.


I'm actually looking forward to the newborn phase. I know my sleep will be interrupted, but at least the 2 hours or so I'll get a night will be decently comfortable. I can function on little sleep as long as it's somewhat quality sleep. (Spoken like a true naive first time mom...see me later when I'm eating my words. Again.) For now, I'm hanging in there. Praying each day that I make it and trudging closer to the finish line. That 2nd trimester sprint downhill on perfectly paved roads is over. Now, it's an uphill swim in molasses and mud...but it'll be here soon enough.

32 Week Update!!

Sooo...Do you think anyone really notices that I didn't do a 31 week update?? Sorry, guys. I was super tired, super busy, and super over it this past week. Nothing really exciting happened. The stats were pretty much the same for 30 weeks...


How far along? 32 Weeks. On the nose!
Total weight gain: 30 pounds. Somehow...this is still the gain. I hope that's okay...
Maternity Clothes?: Yep. And, I'm having to improvise those...
Stretch marks? A couple on my hip...still this and they are getting darker. :(
Sleep: Ha!
Best Moment this week: Yet to come...The show tonight!
Miss Anything? Not hurting.
Movement: Yeah, still pretty active. It's supposedly slows down from here on out.
Food cravings: Cracker Barrel the other day. It was AMAZING.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.
Gender: IT'S A BOY!!!!
Labor Signs: Still Braxton Hicks.
Symptoms: Round Ligament pain returns with a vengance as does Heartburn.
Belly Button in or out? Still flat, but threatening to pop.
Wedding rings on or off? Back off. :-( The hormone induced dermatitis made it's return.
Happy or Moody most of the time: I cry over everything. *sigh*
Looking forward to: The baby getting here. I'm so ready. And, of course the Roger Waters show tonight!!!!


So, that's about all I have for now. I really need to sit down and write a post about my parents' visit up here, what's been going on in the world of us, and some new developments that have taken place. But, alas, I'm now to the point where I'm skipping whole freaking updates, so don't hold your breath. I will say...here in a few weeks, I will have more time to regale you with details of my awesome life. lol... However, right now, I gotta finish getting ready for the most amazing concert ever. I told R that I was irrationally excited that Baby B was going to be able to hear the whole show. We're listening the record right now and he is really reacting to it. Kid has good taste. What can I say???