Gooey Orange Bars

I think it is safe to say these were a hit for a summery bbq. They were sweet & tasty & the citrus flavor always reminds me of the sun. This Floridian girl loves oranges & what's better than orange in the form of a cookie bar?

<3 Lishie

GOOEY ORANGE BARS  adapted from Mom's Test Kitchen

Crust Ingredients:

• 1/2 c butter, room temp
• 1 c all-purpose flour
• 1 c sugar 

Filling Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 & 1/2 c sugar
• 2 navel oranges
• 2 TBSp concentrated, frozen country (w/pulp) orange juice 
• 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• powdered sugar for dusting {optional}

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 pan with cooking spray.
Mix together the butter, sugar & flour for the crust in a medium bowl until well combined ~ I used my hands to mix. Spread the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is set & just beginning to golden.

 

While the crust is baking, prepare the filling: in a small bowl, zest 1 of your oranges. In another small bowl, juice both oranges & concentratedm frozen orange juice. Using a mixer at medium speed, mix together the eggs, sugar, orange zest from 1 orange, orange juice from 2 oranges, and flour. 

Pour the orange mix over the baked crust and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes or until light golden brown. 

Let it cool completely. Cut into 16 bars & sift the powdered sugar over the top if desired.

 

Chicken A L'Orange

I know everyone is talking turkey & I am over here all chicken, chicken, chicken... But we wait near Thanksgiving to have the turkey dinner, all the sides, etc. Then we appreciate it more. And, I am always looking for a change-up to our chicken dinners. So when I saw this twisted upgrade on Julia Child's Duck L'Orange in Women's Day magazine I knew it was one to try. Citrus & my family go together well. Give this a try when you are a little tired of turkey, I promise it will perk up your menu!!!

Happy Thanksgiving prepping...
<3 Lishie

 Chicken A L'Orange Recipe

slightly adapted from Women's Day

• 3 shallots, peeled & diced small
• 2 TBSp olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• 1 lb chicken pieces (I used drumsticks)
• 1/4 c orange marmalade
• 1 TBSp white wine vinegar
• 1 TBSp chopped fresh rosemary

Heat the broiler. In a broiler-safe pan, toss the shallots, 1 TBSp oil & s & p.

In a bowl, whisk together the marmalade, vinegar, rosemary, remaining tablespoon oil & more s & p. Add the chicken pieces; toss to coat.

Place the chicken mixture in the readied pan, nestling the pieces among the shallots. Broil until chicken is cooked through and browned and shallots are tender, about 30 minutes, turning the chicken pieces halfway through. Serve with green beans.

Swap ~ Sandwiches

Another swap! I love these swaps (thank you to Sarah at Taste of Home Cooking as usual for hosting.)at his swap, I got to visit another new blog. And this week's swap? Sandwiches. So perfect! Summer for me is a mix of grilling, pasta & sandwiches.

Ammie, from Adventures in My Kitchen, Adapted this recipe from Rachel Ray. If you read my blog,you know I am not a big RR fan but I will take suggestions from other bloggers if they have put a RR recipe to the test! and funny thing? Ammie's changed RR's lime to tangerine... When I went shopping, I couldn't find the tangerines so I reverted to my favorite naval oranges. It is all citrus, right? (says the Floridian gal :) )


I grilled the chicken then shredded it, adding some sliced celery to the mix. Although it was a bit sweet for my taste, I enjoyed it!!! So it probably was better it was orange (tangerines are sweeter, right?)This is a great, summery meal. Thank you so much Ammie!


<3 Lishie

Grilled Honey Orange Chicken Sandwiches

adapted from Adventures in My Kitchen

• 1 orange, juice & zest
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp cumin
• A handful cilantro, roughly chopped
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tsp grill seasoning
• Toppings of your choice, we used: Yummy tomatoes & celery slices
• 4 rolls

In a medium bowl add  juice & zest of the orange, honey, cumin, cilantro and oil in a bowl and mix well.  Add chicken breast to bowl, stirring to coat well.  Set aside 15 minutes.

Heat grill or grill pan to medium high.  Place chicken on grill pan and cook for 4-5 minutes.  Flip and finish cooking on other side.  Be careful that you pan isn't too hot, and watch as these cook since the honey burns easily.

Once removed from the heat, let the chicken sit for a few minutes.  Then serve on rolls with your favorite toppings.

Chipotle-Orange Chicken Legs

~~~~PICTURE SHOULD BE HERE~~~~~


I am pretty irritated at myself. I normally do not forget to take pics of my food. It doesn't take me too long, hence the not so great pics ;) but tonight, with all of the rushing to get the food on the table, listening to my hubby tell me his cholesterol, after his Dr.'s visit today, is too high, etc. I forgot. If the dinner was just so/so I wouldn't blog it but it was GOOD.


I baked the chicken but grilling it would be so good too! The char would taste great. If you like citrus & some heat, try this. Just imagine how good it looked! ;)


<3 Lishie

Chipotle-Orange Chicken Legs

adapted from My Recipes

• 1 c fresh orange juice, divided
• 5 TBSp soy sauce, divided
• 3 TBSp brown sugar
• 2 TBSp olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 TBSp orange zest
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground chipotle chile pepper
• 2 lb chicken drumsticks (about 8 drumsticks)
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp cornstarch 

Preheat oven to 400° F.


Combine 1/4 c orange juice, 3 Tbsp. soy sauce, 3 Tbsp. brown sugar, &  next 5 ingredients in a shallow dish or large zip-top plastic freezer bag; add chicken. Cover or seal, & chill 10 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade.


Bake chicken 40 minutes (until juices run clear); remove from oven; cover with aluminum foil, & let stand 10 minutes.


Meanwhile, whisk together 2 tsp. brown sugar, remaining 3/4 c orange juice, & 2 Tbsp. soy sauce in a small saucepan. Whisk together cornstarch & 2 tsp. water, & whisk into orange juice mixture. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, & cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute or until thickened. Brush sauce over chicken.

Nostalgia

Party's "Tang Station"

Bare with me, this post is about nostalgia… as may very well be the next post too. See, when I jump into event planning, I jot down everything my mind can think of on the theme. So for Gabriel’s 3^rd birthday- Astronaut Training/Space Party… My mind jotted down “Tang”. Do you associate Tang with Space Shuttle Missions? Do you know what Tang is? Tang is an orange flavored drink mix. But, beyond that, Tang has history. It’s a misconception that the drink was invented for NASA, but NASA (according to Wiki) used it on John Glenn's Mercury flight, & subsequent Gemini missions. I always remember Tang as an “astronaut” drink. And the space program is so cool to me. So naturally, I created a “Tang Station” for the Astronaut Training. 

Homemade Tang

Boy was I surprised at what a HIT it was!!! Two gallons were made & two gallons were drunk! We had plenty of leftover “Rocket Fuel” (soda- Coke & Diet Coke, Sprite, as well as apple juice boxes) but not.a.drop.of… Tang!!! So my hubby added it to our weekly shopping list. We’re still being told that the party caused people to buy Tang. It smelled so good making it… & it tastes like nostalgia. Have you had Tang?

<3 Lishie

*More fun facts (according to Wiki): The creator of Tang, William A. Mitchell, also invented Pop Rocks, Cool Whip, a form of instant-set Jell-O, & other convenience foods.

Key West Creamsicle

The Florida Orange

Do you do what I do when enveloped in a sweltering heat (or snowed in for that matter)? Daydream of good times, feeling cooler… escapes that made you happy? I have so many good trip memories.One is a trip with my siblings to Key West. It was humid & hot~ Florida weather~ meant to be that way. Instead of watching the sun set at the Mallory Square Dock, we sipped cocktails & watched it from the rooftop of the Crown Plaza Key West~La Concha. This is the wonderful frozen drink I lazily nursed that night. I brought home the memory & recreated the recipe. Not sure exactly what the bar used but I spied the Vanilla Stoli & it’s sacrilege to drink anything but fresh-squeezed Florida oranges ;) Minus the alcohol, this is also fantastic! So the children can love it too.

Key West Creamsicle

• 1 cup Orange Juice (freshly squeezed, of course!)
• 1 cup Vanilla Ice Cream (or frozen Yogurt)
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 oz. vanilla (or plain) Vodka
• 1 cup Ice

Blend everything together. Garnish with an Orange slice (& a Pink Flamingo drink mixer if you just happen to have one, ha!)

<3 Lish