Embracing Him

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. (Proverbs 31:27)

Our area was hit with a huge snowstorm yesterday, so this weekend the Thorpe family has been enjoying quality time together inside our cozy home. We’ve had a ball making Christmas crafts, playing boards games, and romping in the snow.

Those activities are enjoyable, but when bad weather hits, one of my favorite things to do is cook. This weekend, I’ve made two delicious big breakfasts using my new waffle maker, prepared a fabulously filling bean soup, and I am planning to bake Christmas cookies and cupcakes with the girlies this afternoon.

Though cooking is one of my favorite activities, washing dishes is not.  So as not to risk dishpan hands, I loaded up the dishwasher. Once the dishes were in, I reached under the sink to grab the dishwasher detergent and discovered we had none.

The lack of detergent irked me for three reasons. First, I found myself unprepared. I pride myself on maintaining a well stocked pantry and I have no idea how I slipped up and let the dishwasher detergent get so low! Next, since there is at least a foot and a half of snow outside, no one will be making a trip to the grocery store today. Finally, I wasn’t looking forward to washing that many dishes by hand.

Thankfully, the recollection of a conversation I’d had a few months ago saved me time. While at our homeschool cooperative, another mom and I were conversing about the joys of homemade laundry detergent. (Check out the recipe I use here.) During our chat, she explained that homemade dishwasher detergent works well and she shared the recipe she uses. I  scribbled it down on a piece of paper and stuck it in a drawer once I got home.

Earlier today, I retrieved the scribbled note and made my own detergent. Since the recipe includes some of the same ingredients as the laundry detergent, I was able to locate most of the ingredients in my pantry and laundry room. According to this mom, the salt acts as a scrubber while the citric acid or lemonade mix works to add shine to the dishes. She also recommends adding vinegar to the rinse compartment to at least 1 cup of vinegar in order to combat any haze, buildup, film, or water spots that may be left on the dishes.

I’m now a fan of homemade dishwasher detergent! It worked well and costs much less than the Cascade detergent I used to love!

Powdered Dishwasher Detergent
1 cup Borax (20 Mule Team)
1 cup washing soda (Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda)
1/2 cup Kosher salt
1/4 cup citric acid or 4 packages unsweetened Lemon Kool Aid

Use 2 tablespoons per load.

Photo: Courtesy of justmakeit (Flickr)

As I come across new recipes, I tuck them into my “Recipes To Try” file. When I’m ready to try a new dish, I grab the file, sift through the papers, index cards, and magazine pages to see if I can find a new recipe to rave about.

Last week, I found a promising chicken recipe hiding out in the file. According to the notes I had scribbled on the page, I printed the Orange Chicken recipe from Allrecipes.com over 2 years ago! After tasting the chicken, I was very sorry I had waited so long to prepare it.

The recipe took a little bit of prep time, but it was well worth the effort as the sauce was amazing and every morsel of chicken was bursting with citrusy goodness! Orange Chicken now has a permanent home in the Favorite Recipes file. Though I usually don’t serve the same dish more than once a month, this one was so yummy that it will probably make another appearance next week!

When preparing the sauce, I used chicken broth instead of water and freshly squeezed orange juice because I knew both would yield more flavor. I wasn’t thrilled with the appearance my orange’s peel, so I didn’t zest the orange but used a teaspoon of orange marmalade instead. This was a good substitute as the marmalade included bits of orange peel and gave the sauce a bit of texture. I omitted the red pepper flakes because I thought it might be too hot for the girls. After all of my changes, I ended up with a delicious sauce that was quite orangy, but not overpowering. If you’re concerned about an orange overdose, simply taste the sauce before you add the zest. If the orange element suits you, don’t add the orange zest.

When preparing the chicken, I salted and peppered the flour mixture according to my personal tastes. I also dipped the chicken into a beaten egg before coating it with flour. I wanted to make sure the chicken got a crispy coating and I was concerned that the breading would get soggy or fall off while simmering in the sauce. In end, my fear of soggy chicken prevented me from allowing it to simmer in the sauce. Instead I poured the sauce over the chicken once it was already plated.

When finalizing the sauce under assembly, I thought 3 tablespoons of cornstarch was way too much, so I used one tablespoon of cornstarch and one tablespoon of water. This thickened the sauce sufficiently for me.

Orange Chicken

Sauce:
1 1/2 cups water (I use chicken broth.)
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped scallions
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Pour chicken broth, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir in the orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, scallions, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and cool 10 to 15 minutes.

Chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

In another resealable plastic bag, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken to the resealable bag, seal the bag, and shake to coat the chicken pieces thoroughly.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken to the skillet, and brown on both sides. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels, and cover with aluminum foil.

Assembly:
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Wipe out the skillet, and add the sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mix together the cornstarch and water; stir into the sauce. Reduce heat to medium low, add the chicken pieces, and simmer, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Photo: Courtesy of Starry Eyed Ali (Flickr)

On one of our date nights last year, JT and I dined at a little Mexican restaurant. I can’t remember what JT had, but I very much recall the Honey Lime scallops I was served. These sweet tangy morsels were absolutely delicious and ever since that meal, I have longed to taste them again.

We haven’t been back to the restaurant since so I’ve tried to recreate the flavor at home. My creation doesn’t match the restaurant version but there’s a good reason for that. I’ve included soy sauce and bourbon and neither ingredient is very Mexican. However, the combination of flavors sure is tasty.

This past weekend I made Honey Lime Salmon for JT and Honey Lime Shrimp for me. Chicken would work well too.

Honey Lime Salmon
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (for me that’s usually the juice of 2 limes)
2-4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 salmon fillet (8 ounces)

Add all ingredients to a small bowl and stir to combine thoroughly. Transfer the marinade to a plastic bag and add salmon. Marinate for 2 hours.

Remove salmon from the marinade and reserve the marinade. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

While the salmon bakes, add the marinade to a small saucepan. Bring the marinade to a full rolling boil for at least 3 minutes. Simmer uncovered for 5 – 7 minutes until marinade thickens slightly and creates a sauce.

Serve salmon a bed of rice and drizzle with the honey lime sauce.