Cooking 101 #26/52 Crock Pot Orange Chicken

Crock Pot Orange Chicken

We had orange juice in the fridge that needed to be used up so I thought I'd make some orange chicken.  Only catch?  I wanted to avoid the oven since it was a hot day.   Solution?  Search the web for orange crock pot chicken.  The recipe above is the result.

This was another hit.  I personally liked it better than the recipe we've always used for orange chicken, the same one that my mother always used.  Paired with some rice and a salad, served with a nice glass of wine, this made for a great summer evening out on the deck.

Cooking 101 #25/52 French Onion Chicken Pot Pies

French Onion Chicken Pot Pies

Ok, this was a recipe idea I had because I was in the mood for French Onion Soup but wanted something that would be a full meal.  I searched for a beef pot pie version but only found recipes that looked appealing for a chicken version.  Seems odd to me, but I figured I'd give it a shot.  Boy am I glad I did.  This was a great but simple recipe!

Cooking 101 #24/52 Lemon Bar Cookies

Lemon Bar Cookies


We had another party to go to this week so I decided to try my hand at some lemon bar cookies to take along.  I would bake more often but I'm trying to keep this a bit healthy as well.  So any part is an excuse to try my hand at a new dessert.

These came out alright.  Not exceptional, to my tastes.  A bit heavy on the butter flavor.  The crust was softer than I was hoping for.  I'd gladly make them again but i need to find a better crust recipe.

Still, sweet, sour, buttery, all in one.  They went well at the party and I heard no complaints!

Cooking 101 #23/52 Lemon, Garlic, Honey, Balsamic Steak

Lemon, Garlic, Honey and Balsamic Steak


The recipe link above is for chicken.  I had mad that recipe the night before for myself and Shannon.  I liked the sauce so much that I decided to reuse it for my family dinner.  I figured I'd give it a shot with some New York Strip steaks on the grill.  It came out great!  Paired with some baked potatoes also made on the grill and some cauliflower and broccoli it made for an excellent traditional meat and potatoes meal.

Of course, no meal can go perfectly.  When purchasing the steaks I picked two packs that looked good at a glance.  Didn't notice until I got home that one of them was thin cut with two steaks stacked on top of each other.  The one pictured was the normal strip steak.  That one Michelle got to eat.  Mine were still good, just a bit well done.  Since I like them that way anyway, it was no loss.