#hiloskyeveryday2014 Week 8

Day 45 - Happy Valentine's Day!  I can't believe that this marked Lacie's 3rd and Blakely's 2nd Valentine's Day!  I am one blessed mama that I get to spend everyday with these two love bugs! 

Day 46 - We enjoyed my red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing (made completely from scratch) all weekend long!  They are John's favorite Valentine's Day treat!  Click here for the recipe! 

Day 47 - Blakely enjoying some morning snuggles with Daddy!  Sundays are the best! 

Day 48 - Wegmans is totally stocked up on these for Easter!  They just happen to be my favorite candy! Click here for a cookie bar featuring these little chocolate nuggets of deliciousness! 

Day 49 - These was Lacie Jane at nap time!  Yes she is nude.  Yes I told her over the speaker to put her clothes back on.  And yes this is how she looked at me because she knew I was watching.  *sigh* I can't make this stuff up people! 

Day 50 - February 19th is Lacie's Half Birthday!  She turned 2 1/2!  In our house, we definitely celebrate half birthdays!  You can come back tomorrow to read more about this special celebration in Friday's Post! 

Day 51 - Finally getting out of the house!  We went to the mall to see Miss Amy!  And we did lots of singing and dancing! 

One Pot Chicken Parm Pasta

There is nothing better than a one pot meal for an easy weeknight dinner!  Easy to make and only one pot to wash!  This meal was eaten and approved by two hungry adults and two always hungry little girls!  We all loved it!

I used whole wheat shell pasta because I try to exclusively use whole wheat pasta, especially when I'm feeding the littles!  But sometimes finding 100 percent whole wheat pasta in a specific shape can be hard since there is a smaller selection of whole wheat pastas.  Below is what I used.  You can use any short cut whole wheat pasta that your find at your local food store!

Here's What You Need to Make Your One Pot Chicken Parm Pasta:

• 1 pound chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes 
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced 
• pinch of red pepper flakes 
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste 
• 1 28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes 
• 4 cups chicken broth (you would probably need a little less if you are making this with white pasta)
• 1 pound whole wheat shell pasta (or any other short cut pasta)
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cups freshly grated mozzarella cheese 

Now Let's Make the One Pot Chicken Parm Pasta: 

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
2. In an oven safe dutch oven or deep skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil (I used my Le Creuset Round Oven)
3. Add chicken and cook through until no longer pink 
4. Remove chicken to a plate and keep warm (I used a foil tent)
5. Add minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning to the bottom of your pan and stir for about 1 minute
6. Add the can of tomatoes, the chicken broth, and the shell pasta to the pot.  Bring to a bubble and cook until pasta is al dente.  Stir frequently during this process, breaking up the tomatoes as they cook (note if you do not like chunks of tomatoes, you can always put tomatoes in a blender to puree them before adding them into the pot)
7. At this point you can add salt and pepper to taste
8. Once the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed, return chicken to the pot and stir to evenly distribute chicken throughout the dish
9. Stir in one cup of the mozzarella cheese and one cup of the parmesan cheese 
10. Sprinkle remaining cup of mozzarella and half cup of parmesan cheese over the top 
11. Place your dutch oven or skillet in preheated oven and bake until the cheese has melted, the mixture is bubbly - about 20 minutes 
12. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving!  Enjoy! 

Le Creuset Signature Rosemary Round French Ovens

#hiloskyeveryday2014 Weeks 6 & 7

Since last week we were all suffering from the plague flu, I have two weeks worth of #hiloskyeveryday2014 for you!

Week #6

Day 31 - The girls during a very long shopping trip to Wegmans...about halfway through this is when I began to not feel good.  Little did I know the sickness we were about to experience! 

Day 32 - Some new PINK water glasses cheered me up a bit!  

Day 33 - Mommy was still so sick, so Daddy was in charge of doing hair this day!  Can you tell?

Day 34 - My mother is such a blessing!  She volunteered to get snowed in at our house to take care of all of us!  She ended up getting sick two days later.

Day 35 - Lacie declared this as her spot on the sick couch.  By this point, she was feeling a lot better, but of course was still claiming to be "sick." 

Day 36 - Sister snuggles!  This is why when one gets sick they both get sick.  I just can't keep them apart! 

Day 37 - Oh Hey Ernie! 

Week #7 

Day 38 - Extra Eggplant Pizza!  Our family's favorite dinner that I don't have to cook! 

Day 39 - Sisters and Best Friends!  

Day 40 - Lacie wanted "Pinkalicious" Toenails!  

Day 41 - These two silly girls are comparing belly buttons!  For some reason this is their new "thing" and it happens several times a day! 

Day 42 - The Queen B of the Hilosky family! 

DAY 43 - Homemade Guacamole and Blue Corn Tortilla Chips for lunch!  Click here for the recipe! 

Day 44 - Snow Day!  This was Lacie's reaction to the insane piles of snow outside when she woke up.  This mama is ready for spring! 

Guacamole

I just love love love homemade guacamole!  There was a point in our past when John and I would eat at Chipotle every single weekend!  No I'm not exaggerating.  We always got burritos, but to be honest I would have been happy to just eat their guacamole and chips!  Then we added two children to our family and took away one income...and we don't eat there very often anymore...trying to save money and eat healthier and all that good stuff...

So I came up with a pretty simple recipe that I feel is fantastic!  Today, I was in the mood for my homemade gauc for lunch...and we just happened to have 2 avocados that were ready to go!

Here's What You Need to Make the Guacamole:

• 2 ripe avocados
• juice from 1 lime
• 1 clove of garlic, pressed 
• about 1/4 of a red onion diced
• a pinch of sea salt - I love my pink himalayan sea salt because, well, it's pink
• a few cilantro leaves torn into small pieces (I didn't happen to have any today)
• tortilla chips (I like organic blue corn tortilla chips) 

Now Let's Make the Guacamole:

1. Cut open your avocados, remove the pits, and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh into a bowl
2. Use the back of your spoon to smash your avocado (I like there to still be some chunks left but if you like yours to be smoother you can always use a potato masher) 
3. Stir in your freshly squeezed lime juice 
4. Mix in the pressed garlic, diced red onion, and sea salt
5. Taste and add in any extra flavor that you think it needs
6. Serve with tortilla chips

Now keep in mind that avocados, while delicious, are very very plain.  So essentially they are a blank canvas for flavor.  You can make this exactly as I do or take out flavor your don't like and add in flavors that you do like!  If you don't like onion, leave it out!  If you want it spicy, you can add in diced jalapeños!  Make it your own! 

Red Velvet Hearts

Valentine's Day Week is upon us!  If you have been keeping up with this blog, then you know that I love this special holiday!  It is a day to celebrate love and the color pink!  It is also a time when Red Velvet desserts are in abundance!  And I love me some red velvet!  I also happen to love chocolate...seriously I have to eat chocolate every.single.day!  It's a must!  So I combined my love of red velvet and chocolate in this recipe!  It's the perfect treat to whip up for Friday!

And it's a cake mix recipe!  Cake Mix Recipe #28 if you're keeping track!

Here's What You Need to Make the Red Velvet Hearts:

• 1 box red velvet cake mix 
• 1 stick butter 
• 2 eggs 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• red sugar sprinkles (you can always use plain white sugar and color it red if you cannot find red sugar sprinkles) 
• 24 dark chocolate hearts, unwrapped (like the kind by Dove)

Now Let's Make the Red Velvet Hearts:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, eggs, and vanilla extract
3. Add the red velvet cake mix and the baking powder to your mixer and beat together until a soft dough forms
4. Use a cookie scoop to form dough into 24 balls (about 1 inch each)
5. Roll each dough ball into the red sugar sprinkles
6. Place onto prepared baking sheets and bake in oven for 10  - 12 minutes
7. While the cookies are in the oven, unwrap your chocolates and have them ready - don't forget to unwrap a few extra to eat while you are waiting! 
   
8. Remove from oven and immediately press a chocolate heart into the center of each cookie
9. Allow to cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely
10. Once cookies are cool and the chocolate has completely set, store in an airtight container

There is just nothing better then a cookie topped with a piece of chocolate!  

Click here to check out my original Cookie Butter Kiss Cookies that I made for Christmas!  

And click here to check out my Valentine's Day Kiss Cookies made with funfetti cake mix!  

Strawberry Malted Milkshake Cookie Bars

Oh My Goodness, we have had the plague at our house!  Not really, but it sure felt like it!  First it was me, then it was the girls, and then it got to John.  It even reached out to my own mama and my father-in-law.  Ugh!  I am really really really ready for spring!  So if you have been wondering what happened to me...I have been here...sick...and taking care of others who got sick!  It has not been a fun week, but we are finally on the mend!  And I am back, sharing a great new recipe with you!

Strawberry Malted Milkshake Cookie Bars

These bars are awesome!  They are so easy to make (hello cake mix), and they are delicious!  They are also a very cute Valentine's Day dessert!  

Here's What You Need to Make the Strawberry Malted Milkshake Cookie Bars:

• 1 box strawberry cake mix 
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 2 cups malted milk balls (like Whoppers) roughly chopped or lightly crushed - I put them in a Ziploc bag and used a rolling pin to crush them up
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips

Now Let's Make the Strawberry Malted Milkshake Bars:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 baking dish
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, melted butter, beaten eggs, and vanilla extract until a soft dough forms
3. Fold in the malted milk balls and chocolate chips
   
4. Press dough into greased pan if you like sprinkle a few extra malted milk balls over the top
   
5. Bake in oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the edges have just started to turn from pink to brown
6. Use the back of a spatula to press down over the surface of the cookie bars to ensure that they are flat 
7. Cool completely before cutting into bars and storing in an airtight container 

 I don't overly crush the malted milk balls because I want to see big chunks in my cookies!