The Frugal Kitchen: Crockpot Orange Chicken

With school and sports having started up again I am finding myself using my crockpot much more often.  Here is an orange chicken recipe that has two variations; one for everyday and one for more special occasions.

INGREDIENTS

one or two skinless chicken thighs per person
 10 ounces orange juice
1/2 - 1 tsp salt or soy sauce
hot sauce or red pepper flakes to taste
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 tsp dried ginger or one inch of fresh ginger, finely minced
1/2 - 3/4 cup orange marmalade
2 Tbsp corn starch
2 Tbsp water

SPECIAL OCCASION INSTRUCTIONS

Remove skin and bones from chicken thighs, then cut into 1 inch pieces.  Dredge in additional corn starch.  In a small amount of oil fry the chicken on all sides until browned.  Place in crock pot, then continue with general instructions.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

Place chicken thighs in crockpot.  In a small bowl mix orange juice, salt/soy sauce, hot sauce/red pepper, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger.  Pour over the chicken.  Cook on high for 3 or 4 hours; or on low for eight.  Remove bones from chicken thighs and pull apart with fork.  Mix corn starch and water together, then mix into juice.  Add orange marmalade and pulled chicken.  Cook for 1/2 hour until sauce is thickened.  Add the sections from an orange.  Serve over rice.

Place chicken and orange juice mixture in crockpot

Make sure that you adjust the seasonings before serving.  Add more hot sauce, salt/soy sauce or marmalade if necessary.

I hope you enjoy this easy recipe.

God bless,
Pam

Frugal Clothing: M. Mac

It isn't often that I recommend a specific brand or store, but I sometimes (after years of trial) will tell you about a sure fire money saver.

For the last five years I have purchased cotton knit dresses from M. Mac.  They are located in California and their clothing is completely made in the United States.  The dresses I have purchased are of a very high quality, last for many years and hold up beautifully to machine washing and drying.

I still own the first dress I bought from them and it still looks as good as it did when it was new.  It is printed with M. Mac's most popular screen print, the rock fish pattern.

Rock Fish

I tend to buy their maxi dresses with short or long sleeves and a modest neckline.  Here's one of my favorite designs:

M. Mac has started selling their dresses through Amazon, so it is easy to order.  I will provide a link below.  Some people may think that a price of $60-70 (American dollars) is expensive, but for a dress of high quality that will last for years it's actually inexpensive.

I would rather buy one or two high quality items a year to add to my wardrobe than ten pieces from a big box store that will have to be thrown away after a year of washing.  I plan on sharing more of my frugal clothing finds in future posts.

God bless,
Pam

John C. Campbell Folk School Part II

After our week at the folk school we had finished quite a few water color paintings.  We had learned new techniques and were allowed to experiment to our hearts' content.  On the last day there is a get together (show) to allow all of the classes to show off their work.

My birch trees

Other watercolors

Here are some selections from other classes:

Wood carving

Pottery

Wood turning

Automatron

Soapmaking

Stained glass

Bead making

Blacksmithing

Blacksmithing

I didn't get photos of boat making, country cooking and nature photography.  The cooking class served refreshments for the show and nature photography put on a slide show.

Overall, this was a fun trip for my daughter and I.  She's not an extremely social person, but she made some friends and had some new experiences.  The Intergenerational week at the folk school is something I can see us doing again.

God bless,
Pam

Good Reads: Lost Legacy

Lost Legacy by Annette Dashofy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lost Legacy is the second book in the Zoe Chambers mystery series. It is a very well written and professionally edited novel.

Zoe Chambers father died 27 years ago, the victim of a drunk driver. A more recent suspicious death and a visit from her cold mother and step father cause Zoe to begin looking into the real cause of her father's death. She is helped by her friend (and maybe love interest) the police chief.

I love the characters, even the evil characters, like Zoe's mom, are interesting. They have depth and are well developed.

The mystery kept me guessing up until the end. I used to work in law enforcement and it is obvious that the author did her research.

I highly recommend this series. The books end with a satisfying HFN.

ARC provided by Henery Press via Netgalley.

Goodreads: Paw and Order

Paw and Order by Spencer Quinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Paw and Order is the seventh book in the Chet and Bernie mystery series. It is extremely well written and professionally edited.

Chet and Bernie leave Louisiana, headed toward Washington DC to reconnect with Bernie's love interest, Suzie, a reporter. Once in Washington they become embroiled in a murder mystery involving local police, federal agents and Russian sleeper agents.

As usual, Chet is a wonderful narrator of his and Bernie's detective work. I love how his dog eye view is described. Bernie is lovable and competent in his slightly bumbling, but endearing way.

The only problem I had with this book is with Suzie and Bernie's romance. Suzie comes off as judgmental and as operating under a double standard.

Paw and Order can be read as a standalone, but I suggest reading the whole series to fully enjoy the novels. This series is a joy and I strongly recommend it.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

Good Reads: Deadly Assets

Deadly Assets by Wendy Tyson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Deadly Assets is the second book in the Allison Campbell Mystery series. It is a very well written and professionally edited mystery novel with a touch of romance.

Once again Allison Campbell, image consultant, becomes involved in solving a mystery in order to save her assistant from prosecution and her business' reputation. Two of her clients have gone missing at the same time. As she becomes involved in seeking the truth about their disappearances she finds herself involved in murders, family drama and the Russian mafia.

Wendy Tyson's mysteries have a definite Gothic feel about them. These books are not light hearted reading, but tackle some of the darkness that can surround families, business and the justice system. This mystery had me guessing up until the end.

My one complaint is that the romances between the heroine and her ex husband, and the one between her mother in law and her assistant, don't ring true to me. There is a definite coldness in the writing about these relationships.

Deadly Assets can be read as a stand alone, but I highly recommend that you read the series in order to fully understand this book's nuances.

ARC provided by Henery Press via Netgalley.

John C. Campbell Folk School Vacation (JCC)

Anna and I were lucky enough to spend a week at JCC for the Intergenerational Week.  We attended the watercolor painting class and had great instruction with great people.  During the Intergenerational Week teenagers and an adult family member (or guardian) can attend classes at the normally adult only school.

There was no wifi except in the Keith House library, so once a day we stopped by before breakfast to check our mail.  There was no television anywhere, which stressed the kids for a day, but they were kept busy with activities and classes.  I don't think they were missing it at all by the middle of the week.

We were assigned a lovely room on the second floor of the Log House.  You can see how beautiful the area is and our view was great.

Being Floridians we aren't used to walking up and down hills, but we did just fine.  It was a rainy week, but that just kept the heat down.

The JCC served us three delicious home cooked meals a day.  What a treat not to have to cook or clean for a week!  I even got to meet one of my favorite bloggers, Tipper Presley, from A Blind Pig and the Acorn.  She was teaching a country cooking class.

I'll share more with you about our watercolor class and pictures from the final day.

God bless,
Pam