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!!!