Turkey Pumpkin and Some Belly Warmin' Chili

Happy Sunday everyone.  The weather here in Upstate NY is chilly but sunny.  I kind of like that Fall weather.  It starts to gently nudge us indoors for movies on a Sunday afternoon, cooking heartier meals, baking yummy desserts, and of course, crafting!  I wanted to share this easy and very Thanksgiving project.  We usually purchase a bunch of pumpkins in October to decorate with.  They replace my potted flowers that edge my front steps to my porch.  We usually make sure we have an extra one to turn into a turkey come November.  My husband just came up with a basic feather shape and cut six of them out of wood.  He drilled a hole in the bottom of them so he could glue in a dowel he had sharpened on one end like a pencil to stick into a pumpkin.  They are pretty secure too!  I painted them very simply, each a different color and the head brown.  I painted eyes and he cut out a beak/waddle piece I sketched for him.  I painted that as you see in the picture.  I glued that on and coated all my painted pieces with outdoor poly so it could withstand the cold and rain of November(sometimes snow!).  Now we use them every year.  I know I have seen inserts for pumpkins in catalogs but I think it has so much more character when you make it yourself. 

Speaking of heartier meals, I made some creamy chicken chili this past week.  It had some kick to it but I believe that is something you could adjust to suit your family's tastes.  I start with a good-size package of chicken tenderloins.  I chop them into bite-sized pieces.  I saute the chicken with a chopped onion and a teaspoon or so of garlic powder in a small amount of canola oil.  When the chicken is cooked, add two 15 1/2 oz. cans of rinsed and drained great northern white beans.  Also add one can of chicken broth and one can of chopped green chilies(the 4 oz. can).  Then add one teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.  Bring to a boil and reduce the heat.  Simmer, uncovered, for half an hour.  Take off the heat and add one cup of sour cream and 1/2 cup whipping cream.  Serve with shredded cheese.  Normally I put sour cream on my chili but I felt that would be overkill with the sour cream already in the recipe but you do what you want-it's your chili!  I think I have mentioned that I am not a big fan of hamburger.  I fix it for my family because they all love meat loaf and meat balls, but this chili was something that I could enjoy too. 

    I just had to include a picture of my son in the Sasquatch costume he wore to school for Halloween.  He said it was a hit with everyone.  Now that you have seen it, can you picture it causing a stir in the hospital parking lot where my older son works? 

I have a favor to ask you.  My husband is asking for ideas for a gift for me for Christmas.  I am thinking about the Silhouette machine or the Cricut.  I think there may even be another one out there.  I love crafting and I do alot of wood crafts and I LOVE the vinyl lettering for signs.  I also sew alot and I love the shapes cut out so neatly and uniformly(is that a word?).  Please drop me a line and let me know if you think one is more user-friendly or versatile than the other.  I don't want to just get another piece of equipment that will collect dust.

I hope everyone has a great week and is enjoying the beautiful fall colors wherever you are.  Take care.        Nancy