Jalapeño Poppers

The internet is such a marvelous place, isn't it? I love finding inspiration in the most unlikely of places. Buzzfeed is one of my favorite sites (I'm totally addicted to the quizzes), so when I found this list of 33 Genius 3 Ingredient Recipes, I knew I couldn't pass it up.

If you've been reading, y'all will know that I'm a fan of all things spicy. Jalapeños are the love of my life, and this recipe is no different. 

Ingredients: 

12 wooden toothpicks 

4 ounces (113 grams) Philadelphia chive and onion cream cheese, softened

6 jalapeño chiles halved lengthwise, seeded

4 slices of bacon

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375° F (190° C). Line cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper. Soak toothpicks in small bowl of water to prevent burning.

2. In a small bowl mix cream cheese. Spoon into chiles.
3. Cut each bacon slice crosswise into thirds. Wrap 1 piece of bacon around each stuffed chile half; secure with soaked toothpick. Place onto cookie sheet.
4. Bake 25 minutes or until bacon is crispy and chiles are tender. Serve warm.

When I say that these are positively divine, you have to believe me! A little fresh cilantro or parsley added for garnish kicks up those intense flavors even more. If you're still wanting some more spice leave a few of the seeds in and the membrane intact. These awesome hors d'oeuvres are sure to leave everyone wanting more. And with only 3 easy ingredients there's no reason for you not to try it!   

The Incredible Hulk (part 1)

Happy Monday lovers! I hope everyone had a fantastic Easter and Passover weekend. Now that lent is over I'm back to blogging and back to life. During my mini break from the internet I've had a lot of time to pray, reflect, and watch movies of course!

The Avengers franchise is the most successful superhero franchise in history, not to mention one of my favorites. (go Captain America) and I'd seen all the movies except one. I finally got around to watching it and fell in love. So for today's Monday movie I've chosen The Incredible Hulk.

We all (hopefully) know the story of Dr. Bruce Banner, the brilliant scientist who turns into a big, green rage machine when his pulse gets too high. In this adaptation we find Edward Norton as doctor Banner, living on the outskirts in Peru, seeking solidarity and validation while desperately attempting to find an antidote for his "condition" so he can return to his life and his love Betsy Ross (beautifully played by Liv Tyler). However, he is captured by General "Thunderbolt" Ross, and his worst nightmare is reincarnated when power-hungry soldier Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) becomes a similar, more evil version of himself. Check out the trailer for The Incredible Hulk below:



As I was growing up, I remember my dad being enamored with the Incredible Hulk, but after the 2003 film I was only left disappointed and longing for more. The CGI was just awful, I didn't care for Eric Bana's Hulk at all, and the movie was just downright a depressing snoozefest. This reboot brought The Hulk back to life for me. I much prefer Edward Norton (although Mark Ruffalo in The Avengers was even better) to Eric Bana and the adaptation of The Abomination made me squeal. Tim Roth was absolutely perfect for the role of the classic supervillian.

Norton's take on Banner was an excellent installment of just one superhero film in what was to become The Avengers. Even with the seriousness of his character he was still able to throw in some witty one-liners that made me giggle and lightened the tone of the movie a bit. In my opinion he brought a little humanity to the monster and paved the way for Ruffalo to make even better Hulk movies in the future.

The Incredible Hulk is now available on blu-ray and DVD, and as always don't forget to check back on Thursday for part two of this post.

P.S. Go see Captain America: The Winter soldier in theaters now! It's truly the best Marvel sequel ever. 

A Mother's Love

Happy Valentine's Day lovelies! The day is upon us at last, and how perfect that it should fall on a Friday. Since it's Friday, I thought that today's photo Friday post should be all about love. A while back I had the incredible honor of shooting one of my closest and oldest friend's baby shower. A mother's love? What bond could ever be stronger than that?  

Believe it or not, the cake tasted even better than it looked.

Probably the most photogenic baby I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.

NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA BATMAN!

I'm pretty sure this picture's my favorite just because of the expression on Jordyn's face.

"Everything in life I share, except of course my teddy bear!"

G is for Grayson Charles Scott Campbell

This was probably one of my favorite shoots to date. The amount of love this family has for each other is unparalleled and unlike anything I've ever seen before. Grayson is incredibly blessed to be entering into a family as awesome as theirs. His life will be filled with nothing short of love, respect, and incredible achievement. Grayson, Auntie Bri loves you so so much, and I can't wait to meet you (soon)! Jordyn, thank you for being such an incredible friend through thick and thin. I love you. But please, no siblings anytime soon.

Valentine's Day

Good morning lovers! I hope you all had a great weekend and are geared up for a week of love, because it's Valentine's week here at Matilda Makes! Since Valentine's Day is Friday I figured I'd spend the week gearing up for it by posting Valentine's Day related everything! So get ready for a week filled with pinks, reds, and lots of love. And since it's Monday let's kick off this week with the Monday movie which is...

Movie poster courtesy of IMP Awards.

Valentine's Day! How appropriately fitting, right?
A dozen lovers wake up in Los Angeles  on Valentine's Day only to find their lives and their relationships turned upside down because of the holiday. Three couples awaken together, but each relationship faces it's challenges. And and "I Hate Valentine's Day" threatens to bring the lonely and the lied to together and make it all come crashing down. Can Cupid finish his work by midnight?

Check out the trailer for Valentine's Day below:

The story of intertwining couples facing day-to-day relationship struggles is something I'm sure we can all relate to. Who hasn't felt the pressure to give the perfect gift, or christen the night with that special someone? Featuring one of the largest ensemble casts in box office history including Julia Roberts, Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Alba, Anne Hathaway, George Lopez, Taylor Lautner, Queen Latifah and Jamie Foxx among others, Valentine's Day is sure to leave you laughing. Who knows, Cupid may even aim his arrow right at your feels.

Valentine's Day is now available on blu-ray and DVD.

Wonderful Weekend v.2.3

Valentine's Day is coming up! Use fancy craft or wrapping paper to make some special valentines for a friend. This Girl's Life has some great free Valentine's Day printables. It's not the gift, it's the thought that counts, and they'll love the thought so much they'll hopefully forget all about not having that special someone (besides you) in their life.

Feel like the cold winter will never end? Hold a soup party with friends. Everyone can bring a favorite variety to share (or make my spicy black bean soup). Complete the evening with a fun film. You'll feel warm and cozy in no time!

Plan a clothing swap with a group of friends. Bring all the totally chic clothes you haven't worn lately, and trade with each other. It's just like shopping for brand new outfits - for free! What's better than that?

Grab a girlfriend and take a belly-dancing class together for a guaranteed night of exercise, laughter, and stories to tell for years to come. Check out US Belly Dance Classes to find a course near you.

Photo courtesy of We Heart It.

Plan a family heritage night with friends. Have everyone bring over family photos and keepsakes. You can create a family tree or just share stories. You'll learn a lot about each other's family history and have fun in the process.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. What are your plans?

Conquering Stone Mountain.

Good morning and happy Friday lovers! I don't know about where you're at, but down south the weather's been uncharacteristically freezing. We even got a few inches of snow last week which is completely unheard of in Atlanta. That's why when the weather's warm even for just a day I take full advantage of it. The one warm day we got I used to push my best friend to do something he had never done before: climb Stone Mountain.

One of the downsides to being best friends with a photography student is that every outing is cause for a photo op, and you're always the subject whether you're ready or not. My best friend Joseph is kind of shy and not really a people person (see the shirt) so getting him to agree to this was monumental! But he's not aware that he's on the blog (yet). Check out this week's Photo Friday pics.

Little puddle we found on the way up which I appropriately called 'Crater Lake'.

Getting tired. We had to stop for a break about halfway up.

"Started from the bottom now we here."

Enjoying a well-earned cigarette.

Nap time at the top of the mountain.

My view form the top.

Okay, so I may have snapped a selfie or two.

Seeing is believing.  Observe. Read between the lines, but don't swallow everything.

We cheated and took the sky lift back down.

We did it. We conquered Stone Mountain. What will you conquer this weekend? Have a fantastic Friday everyone!