Lasagna Soup

I don't know about the weather every where else, but the weather here has been warm & sunny the past week...now all of a sudden its blustery cold! So we were in the mood for something hearty & comforting! So, Mr. Hooah & I decided to try this new recipe I ran across a few days ago & OH MY GOLLY GHEE, its DELISH! I absofruitly LOVE LOVE LOVE lasagna & was not very sure about this recipe at first, because I mean, who's ever heard of lasagna in soup form?! It just sounds like a runny mess huh?! Well, thats what I thought anyways! This recipe was adapted from julieseatsandtreats & though I made a few slight changes, this got rave reviews by my sister, myself, & Mr.Hooah! It is not only quick but it is EASY! Thank goodness because I need all the easy I can get with all the insanity of us packing & getting ready for Mr.Hooah to sign out on his christmas leave tomorrow so we can head back home for the holidays...& moving in our new "Merry Christmas To Us" (haha)bedroom set:
 

 

Easy Lasagna Soup

1 lb ground beef (I used turkey burger)
2 (14.5 oz) cans Hunts Garlic Roasted diced tomatoes. undrained
1 jar (24 oz) spaghetti sauce
2 c. beef broth(I used chicken stock, it was what I had on hand & it worked fine)
1 c. water
1 tsp Italian Seasoning(I used a TBSP! & also a tbsp. of garlic pepper seasoning!)
3 c. mafalda pasta, cook to al dente (I used garden veggie rotini)
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

**I also threw some sliced mushrooms & onions in as I browned my turkey burger, then 1/2 a cup of parm cheese after all the ingredients were mixed together at the end! NOM NOM!**

 

1. Brown and drain the grease off the hamburger in a large stock pot. Return to the pot.

2. Add tomatoes, pasta sauce, broth, water and Italian seasoning to the hamburger. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Stir in cooked pasta and simmer 5 minutes.

4. Serve with mozzarella cheese sprinkled on top & a chunk of garlic bread!

Mr. & Mrs.Hooah's 1 Year!

Can it really be?! WHERE has the time gone?! Today marks ONE YEAR for Mr.Hooah & I! And honestly, I must admit, you learn so much about one another in your first year. I don't think I have ever spilled about how Mr.Hooah & I met...it was 2007 on a random myspace friend request via some mutual friends we shared! He was deploying right when we became friends & we exchanged a few messages & then he was gone, overseas, for months & we didn't talk again for a while, duh, which is natural. Did I think he was cute? Well, yeah! We messaged each other here & there while he was gone, I honestly didn't think anything would come of it. He returned back to the states & then the calling & texting happened. Again, here & there...there & here...& then pretty much every day. We became BESTfriends. Always looking out for each other though we were miles apart. Late night convos of what our day consisted of & such. Calling each other to make sure we had made it home safely in one piece from our weekend bar nights, sometimes in the midst of our own drunken stupor haha. I can recall, as he reminds me as well, "MOST" of my party club nights out, calling him, me completely TIPSY saying off the wall mumbo jumbo... And he STILL married me baaaahaha. We did this up until last  February 19 & both having a crazy breakup, we both had the epiphany, WHY NOT BE TOGETHER!?! We've always kept open with one another & I think thats what makes our marriage so special, because we were bestfriends to begin with & we spent so much time getting to know one another. Of course we dated here & there but it was crazy because if I ever had a heartbreak or a bad day, Mr.Hooah came to my rescue in his shining ACU's(army combat uniform)! Then in august after driving 800miles every other weekend to see him for just a weekend, he came down on his leave & dropped to one knee in my bedroom doorway...& november 26th, we had a little romantic backyard wedding at my uncle's house while Mr.Hooah was on his Thanksgiving leave! Oh & I have to mention, his leave was only the weekend of...so that saturday we were married & the day after he had to return to sign back in from leave. It was too sad when he left I cried, it was heartbreaking that we didnt even have the time for a honeymoon or to enjoy being Mr & Mrs for more than 15hrs lol.... I must admit, though I am from a hooah family & have known many military friends, you are NEVER ready for the changes & sacrifice you make when you marry into it. You may think you know everything but you'll find what you knew/know is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much you think you are prepared for, yet you aren't... the adjustment of leaving family behind has been tough & the being alone part while he is in the field for weeks training or knowing I will be without him for months on end, is extremely hard. I have been amazingly blessed this year of  marriage, to have had my soldier home, safe from harms way, to enjoy our first year as newly weds together & the holidays. I know others are not as fortunate. We have had some bumps along the way, but at the end of the day, I know that love, stability, & hope will always see us through & I will be standing behind my soldier 110% no matter what! I am blessed to have found a love like this, one where you see past the once upon a time & happily ever after! He is my rock & though he drives me insane sometimes, he helps to balance it all by keeping me sane. So, to my amazing husband, I love you so very much & I am SO very proud to call you mine, my husband, love, & soldier. And so, to celebrate I made home made chicken parm...not that simple stuff ither! I'm talking hand-crushed tomatoes! The real Italian good stuff! Mr.Hooah brought home a dozen roses for me & a bottle of awesome moscato for us! We also popped a bottle of Pink champagne we had been saving for our anniversary. Mr.Hooah got some awesome ThunderCats  stuff! It was a great day & I'm glad that I got to have him home for the night, he is currently fielding...so he'll be gone the rest of this week...WAHHHHH! lol. Happy 1 year anniversary my hooah darling.... & I hope there's 60+ more to come! Love you puffin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!     

Our funny faces baaahaha!

Italian Beef Stew

I am posting via mobile again, I'm feeling under the weather so I'm cuddled up in bed! It's cold out & these are days that I'm so inlove with whom ever invented the heavenly crockpot! I wanted a comfort food in my time of blah-ness & my Italian bone was itching for some good soup, so I decided to let my crockpot do all the work for me! Mr.Hooah brought home 4 bottles of GingerAle so he gets 59,000 gold stars & a husband of the year award! Haha! This is a delicious recipe & I absofruitly LOOOOVE it on days like this & it is SIMPLE, my favorite! Sorry if this isn't the prettiest post, Lol!

1 lb. stew beef

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

2 1/2 c. beef stock

1 can tomato soup

1 c. Red cooking wine

3 carrots, sliced

3-4 potatoes diced

3 stalks celery, sliced

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tbs. sea salt

2 tbs. Italian seasoning

1 tbs. mined garlic

(Most of the time I just eyeball the seasonings until it suits my tastes)

In crock pot, (I usually pour in a little evoo here) add garlic & beef. Then Add All remaining ingredients & mix well. Cook on low all day or high for 3-4hrs or until beef is cooked through or potatoes & carrots are tender.

Sometimes(like today) I'll throw in a handful of barley as well! Yum! Yum!

Happy Vet's Day!!!!

HAPPY VET'S DAY TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED & ARE STILL SERVING! HOOAH!!!!!!!!!!

Dinner in a PUMPKIN...wait, WHAT?!

For those of you who read here, already know that I'm always, always, always, looking for & trying out new recipes! And this is one that I wanted to share, since pumpkins are still lingering about & nommie comfort foods are still in full demand! I adapted this from The Six Sisters'! And I assure you that their recipes do not , & I repeat, DO NOT  disappoint! On a recent trip to the pumpkin patch with our pup Kizzie, we picked up our porch pumpkins, a 'baking' pumpkin, & even let our wittle wookie(the pup) pick out a mini-pumpkin suited to her mini-self! Haha. I'll admit, though I love me some pumpkin..usually in pie form of course..I honestly didn't know what to expect of the taste! I just thought it was such an awesome idea & most definitely something outta the 'NORM'...so I whipped up this mysteriously fun 'Dinner in a Pumpkin' & it was a smashingly good hit with Mr.Hooah & myself! It's something different & fun. And it isn't a heavy dish like most comfort foods would be, but  there is something VERY warm & homely about this delish dish..oh & did I mention it is pretty darn HEALTHY too?!?!

1 Medium pumpkin*
1 lb lean ground turkey
2 cups brown rice
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups chopped veggies (celery, onions, green pepper, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, etc)
1 T soy sauce

(**I myself, added minced garlic to the veggie sauté!)

Cut off the top of the pumpkin and thoroughly clean out pulp and seeds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees - Saute veggies in large skillet. Add meat then brown.
Add Soy Sauce, soup, and cooked brown rice - Mix Well
Spoon Mixture into cleaned pumpkin shell. Replace pumpkin top and place entire pumpkin on a baking sheet.
Bake 1 hour or until inside meat of the pumpkin is tender
After you scoop out the yummy stuff inside.. don't forget to scrape out the insides of the pumpkin! It tastes just like Spaghetti Squash!

 *Check the size of your oven to make sure the pumpkin will fit* 

Please don't judge me for my unclean oven & my pumpkin seemed to be a little 'special'...seems that it was a little ghetto with its 'gangsta lean' bahaha!

MMM! This was AHHHH-mazing! And yes, dont forget to scrap some of the pumpkin out when you scoop because it is most tasty! Nom Nom!(:

The Studdard Wedding

Ok, I know, I have NOT (obviously) been the best blogger lately, however, I have ALOT to share, so excuse me & my apologies in advance if I blow up everyone's blog feed today lol. But as for right now, I am going to start with covering the Studdard Wedding! I was lucky enough to have been asked to decorate this adorable little rustic fall wedding for Daniel & Kayla. My sister & I left Mr.Hooah at home to fend for himself while we headed back down to Sweet Home Alabama! We enjoyed the beautiful southern weather & scenery that we honestly didn't think we would miss until we came back & realized just how charming the south can be. The wedding was held in a small field outside of one of our town's churches...the backdrop being an old oak that towers over the area, seeing all. The small creek running along side the open field gave the scene more  character & the colors chosen were orange, yellow, & brown. The whole shebang was rustic fabulous-ness! From the cornbread baskets all the way down to the beautiful bride's cowgirl boots! I was thrilled to hear the news that the same preacher that hitched me & mine, would be officiating! Rev. Ballew married my Momma & my Aunt Sherry(who is my MaTu-'2nd mom') & it was most definitely VERY special when he married Mr.Hooah & I, because he has been in our family even way back to my Granma & Granpa's days, he is like family because in my families most trying time & great times, he has been there with loving prayer! He is very southern traditional & you will not find very many preachers who actually HAS to have "The Talk" with you & your love, about marriage & unity & how special it is, BEFORE he will marry you, & that says a lot! Thank you guys so much for including me in such a wonderful opportunity to show my crafty side! 
Here is a look at their Happily Ever After, congratulations Daniel & Kayla Studdard! 

Grooms Cake! Lego's! The boys even had lego cuff-links, awesome right?

One of my rustic signs I make!

A moment I caught!

And another moment...she's just so stinkin' presh right?!?

Blogging!

Trying out this new mobile app...this should be interesting, however I have something more interesting to yack about!(: So as I keep saying in pretty much all of my last few posts, is that I'm sooo busy & junk. Well, it's VERY true! I have started making personalized signs & my craft obsession has been kicked into overdrive since the end of summer! It's been so crazy around here! I have been decorating & creating & now I am dabbling in embroidery & I must say I'm getting pretty good at it! This month holds SEVERAL amazing upcoming events, the 1st one being the American Cancer Society relay for life, where I will be a craft vendor there promoting my hand-made goodie-goods, the 2nd being that it's almost time to stuff myself with all the good food I'll be cooking with my sister(since we can't make it home to our family) for thankkkkksgivinggggg! What! What!!!!!!!!! Haha! & 3rd being that the 26th Mr.Hooah & I will celebrate our first year of marriage!!! Oh yeahhh, who's your wifey?!? Lol I cannot wait & I am thankful that neither of us burned the house down while remodeling it or Mr.Hooah attempting eggs in a basket! Haha! I will definitely be catching up with everything in tr posts to come, I haven't given up blogging, just haven't had time to!(:

Oh Sweet but VERY busy Fall...

Man, is it juist me or did summer fly by & fall is truckin' it too?! Christmas is literally knocking on the door! Sheesh, WHERE did this year go?! I have been very EXTREMELY busy! Since the end of summer I have started a little side business making hand-painted pallet signs to sell, then I got an awesome opportunity to decorate a little outdoor fall wedding (a HUGE thanks & congrats to the Studdard's), & now I am dabbling in embroidery... Oh & did I fail to mention that I am going to be sharing a booth as a craft vendor at The American Cancer Society craft fair! I'm pretty stoked to say the least! I was away for a week back home in Alabama, Mr.Hooah claims he 'almost died' due to my abscense...according to him after 2 days alone, he had eaten all the frozen pizza's & missed my cooking, haha. I did however enjoy the mini-break away from the homefront! It is very city-ish here & the leaves have barely started turning...but back home in AL, as the sis & I drove through our country roads, the trees looked ablaze in burnt reds & oranges, it was simply breathtaking! The fall weather was perfect! Oh how I do adore the fall! Mr.Hooah & I took our wittle wookie, Kizzie, to the awesome pumpkin patch, go ahead, call us insane but she loved it & we even let her pick out a 'just her size' pumpkin lol! (:

 

 

 

 

Chili Chicken & Pasta

As ALWAYS, I look for new recipes to add to our weekly menu. I found a recipe in my stash that has gone unnoticed for as long as I've had all of my random clippings. I do not know which magazine it can from but kudos to whichever! I decided to give it a try after my sister picked it out of the bunch. THIS was a hit! I liked the fact that it is a light dish & that it is simple & easy! I did a few altercations & it still turned out great! I used wheat pasta, added a little extra EVOO & a heavy hand with the chili powder...it turned out deeee-lish! I pulled this from the pile to add to our favorites so it will definitely be cooked again! (:

 

Chili Chicken & Pasta

 

6oz. angel hair pasta

3 ears fresh corn, cut from cobb

4 small skinless boneless chicken breasts, cubed.

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 cup GOOD olive oil

3 Tbsp. lime juice

1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained.

(I used hunts italian seasoned)

 

Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package. Cut corn from cobb; add to pasta last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain; rinse with cold water.

 

Meanwhile, sprinkle chicken with 1tsp. of chili powder and 1/4tsp. each salt & pepper. In skillet, cook chicken in 1Tbsp. hot oil over medium heat 8-10 mins or until chicken is no longer pink, turning once. Mix in tomatoes while still warm to heat tomatoes.

Combine remaining oil, chili powder, lime juice in with tomatoes & chicken, mix well. Then in large bowl mix the chicken mix with the pasta until well blended.
***also can sprinkle with parm cheese, makes it yummier!!!

 

Why I have been MIA lately & FACEBOOK!

Ok, so my life has been insane in the past 21 days since my last posting...dare I even explain?! I have been doing some house work, MAJOR cleaning, PAINTING=oh how I loath thee..free-handing a paris theme in my sisters room & then using some leftover safari stuff & repainting my plain ol' jane tanningbed/workout room, helping Mr.Hooah take down & put up new glass storm doors, trying to get my sleep habits organized( can we seriously say 'insomnia'?! staying up until WAYYY after Mr.Hooah reports to PT & formation around 0500 is literally draining me! I seriously feel like I'm housewifing on 3rd shift lol), adapting to our newest addition Mr.Hooah's new big H.U.G.E baby(a dalmatian-great dane mix (see pic below) 10month old pup), & taking care of my wittle wookie Kizzie...she's had kennel cough & she is like our little daughter...it breaks my heart to see her so sick! I told Mr.Hooah that if this is what it's like to have kids, I'm going to be one of those SUPER worried moms that freak out over the tiniest bump...I'm going to be one of those mom's that everyone see's carrying around a first-aid kit lol! But that is pretty much where I have been, it has been a freakin roller coaster of insane in the membrane-ness that just makes you think, "Is it ever going to be normal"?! SO I have several new recipes & a few crafts that I have been meaning to post just couldnt bring myself to open my computer for even a minute because I was doing 9,000,000 other things lol but I promise I'll be back within a day or two! (:

I did manage to get my facebook link working again:

LIKE A-HOOAHS-HOUSEWIFE ON FB!

Make sure you like the page so you can get updates there as well for my GIVEAWAYS that are soon to come, I have found some pretty awesome sponsors with some pretty neat stuff!(:

 



Easy 'Peasy' Hummus!

Guess who's back...Back againnn! Haha! So, I've been away for a hot minute & I apologize..I'm sorry but I was having some MUCH NEEDED family time back home in Alabama with Mr.Hooah & my little sister Randa-Panda! While there, I swear I gained 50lbs!!! My aunt & uncle loves my pasta dishes as much as we do & though I was supposed to be on "VACATION" I found myself cooking 2 very heavy time consuming pasta dishes! We also indulged in the sweets/JUNK food that my aunt keeps EVERYWHERE in her kitchen! Danishes, Poptarts, Chocolates, Cake, Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats, Burritos, Pizza Rolls, & D. ALL OF THE ABOVE! See, we DO NOT keep stuff like that here in the house, so Mr.Hooah thought he had crossed those pearly gates in HEAVEN, eating the previous BACHELOR food that he'd almost forgotten about! (he swears he loves my cooking more tho lol, I said nice way to earn a brownie point!) So, while home we splurged on home decor & sweets, & now its back to the normal life! At the commissary the other night, we were looking for our favorite flavor of hummus & they didn't have it, also the ones they did have were quite pricey for just plain ol' hummus...& if u haven't guessed it already, YEP! I decided to MAKE MY OWN! It's creamy, EASY, yummy & oh-so-good for you & BEST part?!?.. You can season or add things to customize it anyway your little taste buds desire! This was so delicious, Mr.Hooah & I love it, even my 'picky-pete' of a little sis likes it! I like to save all of my plastic butter, sour cream, chinese take-out containers due to Mr.Hooah always bringing them back corroded or never bringing them back at all & so I send his lunches out in those instead of my good tupperware...& the recipe filled up TWO of my recycled SABRA hummus tubs.....that's TWO TUBS that only cost me for the $1ish I spent on the peas! Which is way better than paying $3-4 for just ONE tub of hummus! (:

EASY 'PEASY' HUMMUS

1(15oz) can chick-peas, drained

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 Tbsp. water (it didn't have the consistency i was looking for so i added the amount of water until i found the consistency i wanted!)

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. each: ground cumin, paprika, white pepper or any other hummus spice you might like!

**I also used 1 handful fresh, chopped baby spinach..& 2-3 slices roasted red peppers**

• Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor & blend until smooth. 

DIY Swiffer WetJet Refills

This is probably going to be the last post I get in for about a week & I was so thrilled that I just had to share this...I am more than POSITIVE that I am SUPER behind on this..I'm sure someone is out there reading this like "Psshhh girl, I figured this out right after I bought mine, get with the crafty program!", but then there may be a few others that are on my level & a wee bit behind too! (: I have been trying to get the house clean & all the clutter(i.e...the tornado of puppy toys---our pup Kizzie, no joke, is Toddler Status! the pillows that always seem to get thrown off the couch, the random cups Mr.Hooah 'forgets' to take to the sink, the 8 pairs of sunglasses he has lying around or stashed here & there--he has to wear due to profile from the Lasi'k' eye surgery he had to have done on his lovely German peepers, he goes to his next appointment tomorrow & I'm hoping he will be free from shades & off profile for good!--& lastly all the ACU's that Mr.Hooah has strewn throughout the house...apparently he still doesnt know where the laundry basket is haha!) put away before we go back home on his block leave. Idk about you guys, but I LOVE to come home to a mess-free house when I get back from a long vacation! And man, do I ADORE my swiffer wet jet! However, I DO NOT adore the prices of refills because I use my swiffer too much to pay those prices! I cannot tell you how many times I would just toss the refills in my cart & think, Dude, theres soooo gotta be an alternate brand to buy or a way to make my own...So on pinterest I stumbled across a DIY refill. I was like Ok, lets do this & hopefully it works! This being a test, I used my mini-bottle that came with my swiffer when I got my new one. So, does it work you ask? You bet your sweet Auntie Emm it does!!! Hahaha...so GOOD-BYE expensive-priced-doesnt-really-smell-or-clean- that-well swiffer refill solution & HELLO my wonderful fresh smelling do it FREE myself refill...cleaning with the POWER of Pine-Sol baby! Haha! (:

How to: 

Bring a small pot of water to a boil then immerse cap for about 10-12 seconds.

Now twist off the top with a towel.

And fill with your favorite cleaner & some water...haha Beenie in the background making his dayview!

Screw the cap back on & make sure its on there good! How stinkin easy & cheap is this?! Now go swiffer til your hearts content!

OH THE POWER OF CLEAN!!!!

$2 Moss Letter Frames...

So, I keep seeing these moss letters everywhere & I have had it on my to-do list for a while & just now getting around to it. Since it was my 1st go at it, I didn't want to spend a lot of money because I wasn't even sure if I would like it once it was finished. I passed a big bag of Moss while in the DollarTree & decided, heck, why not! So I grabbed it, & a spool of ribbon. Call me Frugal-Francis, but I didn't even want to spend the dollar or two on the cardboard or wooden letters, so I cut up a cardboard box I received an Ebay item in & it worked just as well! I already had these frames(from the dollartree as well) stashed away here at the house so the total cost was only $2.00 & I'd say they look OK for crafty cuteness on the cheap! I'm going to be giving one to my Mom & Aunt when we go home for a week on Mr.Hooah's block leave! I am SOOO happy to be going home to see my family, I've missed them very much so & I know Mr.Hooah is excited STOKED to be getting a small break from playing army for 2 weeks! He says he's ready for the BBQ'ing, laying out by the pool with a few beers, sleeping in past 0400 & spending quality time with me...isnt he just the sugary-est? Haha. I will be MIA for a week or so...I'm literally from the sticks...cue the BANJO music now...joking. HaHa. So I will not have good net connection to blog!(:

$2 Moss Letter Frames

What you need:

Crafting Moss

Scissors

Glue

Cardboard

A GOOD pen!

Ribbon

Picture frame

First, draw out your letter shape however you like then cut it out & cover with glue.

Cover the letter in moss & let it dry!

Remove the glass & backing off of your picture frame.

Now cut off the amount of ribbon you want to use; enough to tie a bow at the top & enough to make a nice tail.

Wrap the ribbon around your letter & attach to your frame.

Here's my finished product! I was pretty happy how they turned out, I had a little more ribbon on one, it was the last on the spool & I hated to trim it down & waste the pieces. Made one for the Hooah house, one for Mom's, & one for the Aunt's house to take back home on Mr.Hooah's leave this week!(: