Sassy in the South: DIY date night: Hocus Pocus themed

This past week was pretty busy for the Lyles'. Residency interview season has officially begun and while I can't say where we have been until after match day (the day John gets placed for residency), I will let you know that the traveling has begun! While fun, we were exhausted upon our return on Friday evening. So, Saturday we stayed in all day and opted for an at home date that evening. I recently saw the idea for a Hocus Pocus theme date on Pinterest. So, since that's one of my favorite movies- I took it and ran with it.

For dinner, we had buffalo chicken chili alongside Woodchuck's pumpkin-apple cider. I love making soups this time of year because they are warm and comforting on these fall nights, easy to make, and are ready in no time. The chili turned out wonderful and John demanded that I keep the recipe as a regular. It had a kick, but wasn't too spicy and the combination of chicken, black beans, and chili beans made for a hearty and filling main course.

Buffalo Chicken Chili

1 & 1/2 cooked & shredded chicken breasts (save the left overs for chicken salad)

1 can black beans, rinsed & drained

1 can chili beans, undrained

2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup buffalo sauce

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons dried minced onion flakes

Place all ingredients in a dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer for 25 minutes.

Serve with shredded colby jack cheese.

After dinner, I asked John to take Henry for a little walk. While he was gone, I went to work decorating our house with pumpkins, candles, and spooky treats. We had poison (caramel apples), bone chunks (kettle corn), witch hair (Twizzlers), and rat droppings (milk duds). Then we settled in to watch Hocus Pocus (which I rented for free from our local library)!