#hiloskyeveryday2015 Weeks 3 and 4

Day 15 - playtime

Day 16 - I got this post in my time hop!  Apparently 4 years ago on this day John and I announced that we were expecting our first baby (who would turn out to be Lacie Jane).  It's amazing how much our family has grown since this announcement!

Day 17 - My morning view is the best! 

Day 18 - dancing sisters

Day 19 - we're still a little unsure about bath time

Day 20 - just chatting with Mr. Octopus

Day 21 - Sisters <3

Day 22 - some special Mommy/Blakely time complete with Pink Cakepops! 

Day 23 - Paisley Jean!  So Big! 

Day 24 - some snowday snuggles

Day 25 - John and I don't really like snow but our kids do...

Day 26 - my view all day everyday (and I'm not complaining) #sleepsonmommy

Day 27 - their artwork really matches their personalities...Lacie concentrates and gets really upset if her picture isn't perfect...and well B's is a little bit of a hot mess.  

Day 28 - Miss Personality

Super Bowl Sunday Menu

Super Bowl Sunday is this weekend!!!  What are you making?  If you don't know what to cook, I have a great menu that is super easy!

Appetizers

1. Guacamole 
My recipe for guacamole is super easy to whip up!  Serve with corn tortilla chips!  You can easily double this recipe for your party!

2. Pepperoni Bread
Because who doesn't love pepperoni bread!  Using store bought pizza dough makes whipping up this recipe really easy and fast!

Crock Pot Dishes

1. Buffalo Chicken
My recipe for crockpot buffalo chicken is so so so easy!  Hello 3 ingredients!  Serve it with lettuce cups, tortillas, and rolls!

2. Pulled Pork Tacos
My pulled pork tacos are another really easy crockpot recipe!  Serve with flour tortillas, hard taco shells, and lots of taco toppings!

Desserts

1. Heath Bar Crunch
Because everyone loves heath bar crunch.  Seriously this stuff is addicting.

2. Biscoff Brownie Bars
Brownies are a great dessert for a football game because everyone loves them and you can eat them without a fork!  These biscoff brownie bars add an extra layer of flavor to traditional brownies and they are awesome!  

If you are looking for some fun, football inspired kitchen accessories check these out:

Friday Favorites: Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is only three weeks away!  I have lots of love for this special PINK holiday!

1. Valentine's Day Treats:

If time allows, there will be tons of Valentine's Day treat making in the next few weeks!  I will be sharing some new recipes as well as making a few of last year's favorites (like the kiss cookies pictured above).  Click Here for all of my Valentine's Day dessert recipes that you can make for your sweetie, your kids, or anyone special in your life!


2. Kitchen and Bath Towels:
One of my favorite ways to decorate is to change out the bathroom and kitchen towels to match the current holiday!  Let's be honest, doing this is easy and it's about all I have time for at this crazy stage in life!  I just ordered these Love You More than coffee kitchen towels.

And here are a few more cute towel ideas:

3. Valentine's Day Plates:
Another thing that I always do is buy kids plates to coordinate with the season or upcoming holiday.  Right now we are enjoying some plates that I got at Wegmans!  I often joke that the food store is where I do 90% of my shopping these days!  However, I am eyeing up some other cute, festive plates!

4. Valentine's Day Baking Supplies
Oh there are just so many fun things to help make Valentine's Day treats.  The first one that I am obsessed with is this adorable heart shaped bundt pan.  How cute would this pan be for making a cake every year.  You can also use it on your anniversary too!

If you don't want to make a huge heart shaped cake, I really love this sweet little pan to make heart shaped cakelets! This is really fun, especially if you have kids! Then everyone gets their own mini heart cake!

And finally some other fun Valentine's Day supplies for the kitchen! I always love finding a good cookie cutter to add to my collection for each holiday!

Today I am linking up my Friday Favorites with:

and 

One Pot "Spaghetti" and "Meatballs"

So one of my New Years Resolutions was to make some new foods - and I really wanted to aim to make four new things each month (about one per week).  I cook a lot, but I tend to cook dishes that I could make in my sleep - meaning things that we eat all the time.  I was really looking to make a spaghetti type dish, and so I came up with this great and easy one pot recipe (my favorite kind)!

You might notice that I put the words spaghetti and meatballs in quotations.  First because I didn't really use spaghetti.  I used bucatini which is essentially spaghetti but thicker with a hole in the middle!  I like this better, but you could use spaghetti or linguini.  I also didn't want to take the time to make meatballs.  So I used Italian sausage and crumbled it into about the size of mini meatballs while I browned it in the pan.

Your Shopping List for the One Pot "Spaghetti" and "Meatballs"

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound Sweet Italian Sausage (I used chicken sausage)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can San Marzano Tomatoes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 4 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1 pound uncooked Bucatini Pasta (spaghetti or linguine works too) 
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese plus more for garnish

Now Let's Make the One Pot "Spaghetti" and "Meatballs"

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy bottom pot - I used my dutch oven
2. Add the sausage, browning and crumbling into small meatball sized pieces - cook through
3. Add the garlic and cook one minute until fragrant and golden
4. Add the can of tomatoes, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
5. Simmer sauce for 5 - 10 minutes, breaking up the tomatoes as much or as little as you like
   
6. Add the uncooked pasta and the chicken broth
7. Cover with a lid and simmer until pasta is just shy of al dente and most liquid has been absorbed, stirring occasionally 
8. Stir in the grated parmesan cheese
9. Plate and serve, adding extra parmesan cheese for garnish

I cook this meal in a large Dutch Oven Pot:

Mommy Mondays: Big Sister Check In

So many of my Mommy Mondays posts have been focused on Paisley!  As the newest member of the Hilosky Family, she deserves a lot of attention.  However, there are two other very important little girls who need some extra love right now!  So I thought that I should post an update about Lacie and Blakely!

If you read some of my pregnancy posts, like this one, you will remember that Lacie was so so so excited about becoming a big sister for the second time.  When I was pregnant with Blakely, she was so young that she had no idea what was going on.  This time, she really understood what was happening.  She loved watching my belly get big and talking to the baby.  All along she said the baby was a girl, and she was right!  Lacie has been nothing short of a spectacular and nurturing big sister from pregnancy through Paisley's first month at home!  She is always on paci duty - and runs to put it back in Paisley's mouth if it falls out.  She loves to help bounce Paisley in her bouncy seat and will cover her up with a blanket.  She is also a great helper, bringing me diapers and turning on all of the musical toys.   Lacie is full of endless kisses and snuggles for her littlest sister.

 

Blakely definitely had a harder time adjusting to my pregnancy.  Blakely is exceptionally smart for her age, which I mostly attribute to the fact that she has a big sister only 15 months older than her.  She thinks of herself and Lacie as twins, and tries so hard to keep up with her.  Blakely reached developmental milestones way earlier than Lacie did.  So I knew she understood that Mommy had a baby in her belly, and she would kiss my belly right along with Lacie and talk a lot about her new sister.  But along with the happiness there were also a lot of tantrums for attention (something that normally happens with two year olds and I think the pregnancy just added to it).  Despite the "terrible twos" I have been pleasantly surprised to how easily Blakely welcomed Paisley when I came home from the hospital.  There are still those tantrums for attention, and she is testing my patience at every turn.  However, Blakely has been nothing but sweet and loving towards Paisley.  She wants to play with her, and is always bringing her "Paisley Toys" like rattles and Sophie the Giraffe.  She also loves to put the pacifier back in Paisley's mouth if it falls out, running to get to it before Lacie.  If she hears Paisley fussing, she is the first to say, "Don't cry Paisley."    

I couldn't be prouder of the amazing Big Sisters that Lacie and Blakely have become over the past five weeks!!!

#hiloskyeveryday2015 Weeks 1 and 2

Day 1 - Happy New Year from the Hilosky Girls! 

Day 2 - Jump on Daddy

Day 3 - the biggest sister and the littlest sister

Day 4 - we converted Lacie's bed crib into a toddler bed...Blakely was just a tad bit jealous

Day 5 - Paisley is so lucky to have two of the very best big sisters

Day 6 - Blakely spent the morning without pants on and I was too tired to argue

Day 7 - only wants to sleep on Mommy

Day 8 - Paisley is already loving tummy time and she can inch herself to the edge of the mat

Day 9 - Queen B

Day 10 - a Saturday morning picnic in the kitchen with bagels

Day 11 - Happy One Month Birthday Paisley Jean! 

Day 12 - one month check up...nailed it! 

Day 13 - you know that you are really tired when you are slightly jealous of how peaceful your baby looks when she sleeps

Day 14 - my tiny dancer