Pumpkin Chicken Winter Chili

It's finally  cold & snowy. FINALLY. 

I can't tell you how long I waited for it to snow - it's just not Christmas without snow! Anyway, since it's gotten cold I find myself craving soups and chili and hot chocolate and wassail. Preeeetty much all the time. 

Pumpkin Chicken Winter Chili

1 14oz can pumpkin puree

1 14-16oz can diced tomatoes

2 C. chicken broth

1/2 - 3/4 of a large onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp chile powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 heaping tsp dried oregano, crushed

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, seeded & minced

1 1/2 lbs chicken (can use raw or pre-cooked)

1 14-16 oz can corn

1 14-16oz can chickpeas, drained

1 14-16 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

3 heaping spoonfuls brown sugar or apricot jam

fresh cilantro & sour cream for topping

To crockpot add tomatoes, chicken broth, & pumpkin then whisk until combined. Add onion, garlic, chile powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and chipotles; stir well. Add chicken, beans, chickpeas, corn, and sugar or jam. If using raw chicken, cook 4-5 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. When ready to serve, remove chicken, shred, and return to pot. If you are using pre-cooked chicken, simmer for 1 hour. Dish into bowls, top with cilantro and sour cream. 

Delicious when served with warm garlic bread or fresh rolls!

DIY Pendant Lamp

Hello blogging world! 

I am not dead.

And with that intro, let's move on. For Christmas, my husband found this amazing vanity at the D.I. We started redoing it almost immediately, so I didn't quite get a chance to snap a before picture.

Here it is in the process of repainting.

And here it is, finished! BEAUTIFUL.

However, in order to do my makeup, I needed a light source. We had an old pendant lamp from Ikea, but I didn't like the shape of it. Here's what I came up with instead:

To start, you need the basket from a hanging planter, spray paint, a wire crystal garland, and a pendant lamp kit { I think you can find them at home improvement stores}.

First, spray paint your basket. If you like.

Then, take your garland and just haphazardly wrap it around the basket however you like. You could use anything you wanted to wrap the basket- rope, pearls...get creative!

Then, we just zip-tied the light to the top of the basket. 

Amazingly simple.

I can't believe I get to do my makeup & jewelry in front of this!