Southwest Breakfast Bake

Last Saturday we woke up to a day full of clouds and drizzle, which immediately made me want to crawl back into bed ... Sofia clearly didn't get the rainy day = sleep memo ;)  After getting Sofs her breakfast I set off to make Mike and I something comforting -- a Southwest Breakfast Bake.  This dish is easy to pull together -- full of meat, potato and cheesey goodness

Southwest Breakfast Bake
Recipe serves 6
*Bake in a 9x13 dish

• 12 ounces breakfast sausage or chorizo (I cheated & used Jimmy Dean Sausage Crumbles)
• 1 package Southwest style hash browns
• 2.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 6 slices American cheese (torn into pieces)
• 4 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350° and spray your baking dish with cooking spray
2. If you have raw sausage, cook until browned and then drain
3. Place half of the hash browns into the bottom of your baking dish then top with half of the sausage and 1c cheddar cheese & 2 slices (torn apart) American cheese; repeat
4. Beat eggs well with a fork then pour evenly over the layered mixture, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes
5. Uncover and sprinkle on 1/2c shredded cheddar and 2 slices (torn apart) American cheese and let bake uncovered for about 10 minutes or until golden brown

The Ultimate Blackhead Remover

Blackheads, we all have them and we're all trying to get rid of them.  I'm guilty of occasionally leaving my makeup on at night and waking up to clogged pores ... anyone else willing to admit they do the same!?  Here's a quick fix for a night of laziness or if you just can't kick those blackheads in general:

**The mixture needs to be a little watery and it won't look like much on your face but you'll feel the remover doing it's magic as it dries

Mmmm .... BACON!

Ever get stuck in a dinner slump?  I was in one last week -- so I did what I always do, walk to the pantry & the fridge to check out the scene.  What caught my eye was frozen burgers (Costco, of course), a can of green beans, pasta shells and jarred BACON bits.  This certainly isn't my finest moment in the kitchen but it's a quick & tasty one!

 





Cook your veggies according to the directions & then shake bacon all in there, the bacon flavor permeates the food giving it a slow cooked homemade taste. You can apply the "bacon method" to any vegetable.

Next up, cook your burgers and sprinkle the bacon on when you're ready to melt the cheese -- pretty easy right?  Too easy ... it's the bacon that does all the work ;)

*Pasta shells are tossed with butter, garlic powder and topped with parm

The Perfect Summer Tan

Now that I'm a Mom, there isn't much time to get tan & lets face it, the days of sunbathing are long and gone.  I'm all about a quick glow and lord knows my Italian skin definitely needs a little bronzing -- which led me to find Jergens scent free lotion, that really is scent free!  You can use any self-tanning lotion for this but Jergens is my fave. 

Coconut Oil - Jergens Natural Glow Lotion

 

Step #1
Exfoliate prior to applying tanner (I just sprinkle a little baking soda on my loofah with body wash)

Step #2
After drying off, apply a little coconut oil to your dry spots (elbows, knees, ankles etc.)

Step #3
Mix together a small amount of coconut oil and tanning lotion in your hand then apply over your entire body (obviously do not put this mixture on your face, for that I use this at night)

It's that easy, now your ready to rock n' roll baby!

7 Months of Fun

It's hard to believe that our sweet angel is 7 months old!  When they say it goes by in the blink of an eye, it really does, time has motivated me to take as many pictures as I can to document all of Sofia's milestones.  Something so simple to us is a new adventure for her and I don't want to miss out on any of it!

We've come a long way since her first few months of colic (that is ROUGH) I feel for any of you Momma's going through it now, just know it will and it does get better! 

In the last month Sofia...

Had her 6 month shots -- which obviously wore her out and yes, that is a stuffed crab

 

Started to practice sitting up on her own

 

Peed on Momma for the first time (clearly she couldn't have waited to pee in the bath!)

**Band-aids were from those terrible 6 month shots ;)

 

Loved trying new fruits in her mesh feeder, especially apple slices

 

Went on her 3rd trip to FL & loved every minute in the big girl pool (that pretty lady in the background is Sofia's Great Grandma, cheers to keeping it sexy!)

 

Became a diva

 

Began interactively playing in her exersaucer

&

Started to flash that cute little smirk all of the time

 

 

Our big 7 month old

 

 



 

Can you believe that her hair actually grew even longer in the last month!?  If there were Pantene for babies, she would be their girl! Sofia also started to sprout her very first tooth & roll over on the reg ... strength isn't my strong suit nor hers ;) & she kept exploring new baby food, you can read up on her 6-7 month faves here. 

 

Sofia continues to inspire & impress us, it's amazing how our love for her grows stronger each and every.single.day -- Momma loves you with all of my heart sweet angel baby, I can't wait to see what's to come!!

 

What posts would you like to see or would find helpful?  Suggestions welcome :) 

 

 



Mother's Day Weekend

I hope that all of you hot Momma's had an amazing Mother's Day weekend.  The Mr. and my sweet baby girl made me feel so special, it was the perfect day :)

Here are a few pictures of our weekend:

 We had a happy little baby Friday morning



 Baby girl trying to feed herself some Apples & Blueberries on Saturday

 My fuel: english breakfast tea & greek yogurt (have you tried the Muller greek yogurt with caramelized almonds!? Heavenly)

 

 

 Momma had a happy baby after naptime

 

 





 Mother's Day morning I came down to goodies from my loves, McDonald's breakfast and of course a chai latte from Starbucks

 

 Sofia did a good job of telling Mike what to get ;)

 

 I have the best sister & niece, they surprised me with a candle, Sofia vino and a handmade birth theme wooden bird for Sof's room

 

 We had a family day at the vineyard (pictures courtesy of my gorgeous sister-in-law, Kristen) with my in-laws followed by BBQ at my parents & of course Cold Stone to top the night ;)

 

 Sofia loves sucking on the wine glass -- she is her Mother's daughter

 

 Momma needs her vino ;)

 

 My world <3

 

 Too precious

 

 

 What did everyone else do for Mother's Day, any fun traditions?

 



6-7 Month: Food Favorites

I had every intention of making baby food but that just didn’t happen.  Time is limited for a working Momma and I would much rather spend the extra time playing with my baby girl.  Honestly though, if time were on my side I would totally rock out some homemade baby food but for now organic pouch food yummies will suffice!  These are some of Sofia’s 6-7 month favorites:

 

 

 

  Sprout Banana, Cinnamon & Brown Rice : Munchkin Food Bowls : Plum Spinach, Peas & Pear :  Ella's Four Bean Feast : Sprout Pasta & Lentil Bolognese : Munchkin Mesh Feeder : Sprout Pear, Kiwi & Spinach : Munchkin Spoons : Sprout Sweet Potato & White Bean

 

 

These small pouches of gold food can get quite costly, we save money by purchasing more basic foods for breakfast and splurge on yummy dinners

 

What our solid food schedule looks like:

 

8:30-9am

Sofia has a Gerber fruit mix for breakfast along with her bowl of rice cereal

 

4:30-5pm

We pick out a gourmet food pouch and she has her bowl of rice cereal

 

We just started adding meats to her diet in the past few days -- chicken is a no go but turkey she loves!

 

What foods did your little ones enjoy at 6-7 months?