It's time for another pumpkin recipe, and this one is one of my favorites!!! It seems to be a fall tradition to make chili around Halloween, I don't know if it's the same for you, but I highly recommend it. Our church does a trunk or treat every year, and no matter what ward (like a congregation) that we are in, there is always a chili cook off, and I always like to bring my pumpkin chili, because it is ridiculously delicious.

It is also ridiculously easy. You grill the turkey meat beforehand and saute the onions. Then you dump everything in the crock pot and let it cook for a few hours and you get a delicious chili that you will feel like you can't eat enough of! Someday soon I will also share with you my favorite cornbread recipe, but for now, enjoy the chili.

Also! Don't forget to check out our Etsy shop! We have a few items for sale, and it will continue to grow. We love doing this blog, but really, to be successful we count on all of you to be part of it with us. Thank you for shopping and being a part of this with us! With this post I'd suggest our Bloggelicious Baking sheets! Buy them and download them to put into a binder where you can have your own cook book of all the recipes you find here and anywhere else!

This is a weird time for our family and we're so grateful that you still come to our blog and support us.

In the throws of our current covid saga, I was trying to think of what I could do from out here in California to support my mom, dad, and siblings who were in the thick of things in Arizona. I decided I could make printable things for us to put up on the Etsy shop. And with all that was going on the first card I designed was this Thinking of You card. I thought our family is not the only one separated right now, and there's something so great about getting a card in the mail with a handwritten note on the back.

I think it's a perfect card to send to those you love but haven't been able to see in awhile, or those you see often but still want them to know you're thinking of them.

It's available now in our Etsy shop and printable from home. When you print it, be sure to mark that you want it to print at actual size in the printer dialog box and not fit to page (unless you want to send a giant card). Another easier way to print it is to use pre-cut cardstock. I used my paper cutter to trim my full size sheet of cardstock down to 4x6" and told my printer to print it borderless. I think it came out great! Alternatively you can use photo paper if you want a glossy look.

I'm excited to send my cards to my loved ones. Who will you be sending your card to?

    Last year, at this time, we were getting ready for a virtual holiday boutique, holding a contest for Fall Favorite Flavors for Hot Cocoa Bombs, publishing a new Fall Favorite Hot Cocoa Bomb Book and making Hot Cocoa Bombs like crazy because we were doing our 1 time holiday sale of actual Hot Cocoa Bombs! This year does not look like last year.  This year we are blogging a couple of times a week and I'm hoping to get some Cocoa Bombs made for my family to enjoy during the holidays.  I am spending most of my time at medical facilities where my husband is still recuperating from the long term effects of Covid-19.  
     Although life seems pretty difficult lately, I know that I have so much to be grateful for.  My husband is getting well, when so many have not.  I have learned that it is possible to be sad and thankful at the same time.  I am so thankful for my supportive and loving children and extended family.  They are one reason I haven't thrown my hands up and decided to totally forget blogging!  My daughters and I have a connection through this work that I am so reluctant to give up.  And writing to you about my family and life is comforting and a great way for me to think through how I actually feel.  I appreciate our readers who stick with us! 

    So, this year we simply want to remind you that Hot Cocoa Bombs are something that we are really proud of! We created them 7 years ago and last year they became such a huge trend!  We did not become rich from them, but we love that an idea that we had became so popular! I don't know what the new trend will be this year, but after 7 years, we still love Hot Cocoa Bombs!  If you haven't tried your hand at making them, we have published 2 booklets to help you out!  One is our original Hot Cocoa Bomb Idea Book, available on Etsy as a downloadable booklet.

     Our Fall Favorites Book is available on Etsy, also as a downloadable book.  It is also available on Amazon in a Kindle format. 
     Check them out right now and get a deal!  We are offering a great price to kick off Hot Cocoa Bomb Season! As a matter of fact for this week only, October 11-October 15, we are offering a 25% discount on Etsy ebook purchases! 

     If you just want a few tips to help you along, you can always check out these blog posts from the past: 
*Make Hot Cocoa Bombs the 3 Winks Way
​*12 Days of Hot Cocoa Bombs
​*Our Original Cocoa Bomb Post from 2014
*Chocolate Covered Cherry Bombs with Video!

    While you are in our Etsy Shop, don't forget to check out our For The Love of Pie Book,  because it is also getting to be that pie baking time of year! 
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Finally!
I sat at my sewing machine and finished my denim projects!  

First of all, I decided that I wanted to make a zippered pouch that can be used for holding school supplies or as a make-up bag, or whatever you would like to use a zippered pouch for.  I have never made one and didn't have a pattern, so I just thought about it and figured out in my head how to make it work.  Then, I decided to add some color to it and line it with vinyl to make it easy to clean. 
​ Click on the pictures to get the directions.