As easy as it was for me to delete my last post, it’s not so easy to delete from my life. I started the business with a partner, and as it often times goes, our creative visions ended up being very different. After a few months of trial and error and weighing it out in my head, I had to decide to let The Bus Stop Diner continue without me. I am still looking for my food truck, and still building my own ideas.
In the mean time, my fella and I have purchased our very first house! A charming three bedroom, two bathroom cottage with a fenced in yard for the dog friend to run. It’s in town, and there is plenty of room for gardening. We will be closing next month and moving in November. I can’t even convey our excitement!
I’ve been busy with work, web design classes, playing my drums, searching for new ideas to decorate our house and doing a lot of cooking. While saving for our house we have discovered all kinds of ways to cut unnecessary costs from our budget. We have both been eating breakfast and having coffee at home. I discovered an amazing granola bar recipe that I can’t wait to share with you! We have been taking our lunch to work, and going out less. We were struggling with dinner though. It’s so easy to just slip on down to our favorite bar and let someone else feed us. I have searched out meals, and planned dinners and tried new dishes to keep us from getting bored with the routine.
I happened to discover a tasty little dish that I got from a pile of old recipe cards that my sister was throwing away. It called for a some chicken pieces, so I bought a whole raw chicken and watched an amazing YouTube video on how to cut it.
It is absolutely not for the squeamish, but the result was plenty of chicken for dinner and next day lunch and two large breasts to put in the freezer. I took the chicken guy’s advice and used the carcass to make about 6 cups of broth that I portioned and froze. I stretched that little chicken just as far as I could! Thanks chicken!
Orange Chicken
350° 1 hour
1 frying chicken (3 – 3 1/2 lbs)
1 clove of garlic minced
2 Tbsp butter chopped into little pieces
tsp black pepper
4 Tbsp fresh orange juice
2 tsp grated orange rind (I used 1 orange for this recipe)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
After you dismember your chicken, or buy chicken like a normal person, put enough in a baking dish with a lid. I used the legs with the thighs attached, and the two wings so I could send leftovers with my fella.
Sprinkle the soy sauce, garlic and black pepper over the chicken and then drop the little chunks of butter on top. Cover and cook for 30 minutes at 350°.
While this was happening I cooked some rice and put some brussel sprouts and butter in a pan with a lid. I cooked the brussel sprouts on low for about 40 minutes and the result was tender amazingness.
When the timer goes off pull out the chicken and pour the orange juice and some rind over the chicken. Spoon all the juices over the chicken then sprinkle the brown sugar on top and put the lid on. Cook for another 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
When serving, garnish with a little more rind and a few orange slices. The sweet orange went perfectly with the bitterness of the brussel sprouts, and the rice kept it simple. This is one of my new favorite meals!
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