B&B Engagements

Brent and I had the pleasure of working with Twyla Dawn Photography for our engagement photos. These shots were taken February 2, 2014 up American Fork Canyon in Utah. We were so lucky to have had inches of snow fall in the days before our shoot and beautiful skies on the day of. These are the results ::

Spiced Chicken with Mandarin Sauce

Last night I made 'spiced chicken with mandarin sauce'. Oh my WOW! This recipe has an amazing blend of flavor with a perfect kick. This one will definitely make the recipe book!

{When I originally found this recipe, it called for tangerines not mandarin. In August in Utah my local grocer doesn't carry them. So I improvised and made the following::}

Spiced Chicken with Mandarin Sauce

Ingredients
2 TBSP ground cumin

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1 TBSP olive oil

1 C plus.1 TBSP chicken broth (measurements are used separately)

1/2 C mandarin juice

2 TBSP chopped jalapeño chile

2 TBSP Dijon mustard

2 tsp cornstarch

2 mandarin*

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/4 C chopped cilantro

Directions

Sprinkle cumin over chicken, coating both sides well. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken:: cook 4 minutes or until browned, turning once. Remove chicken from skillet.

Increase heat to high. Add 1 C of the broth to skillet; boil 1 minute to reduce slightly. Whisk in mandarin juice, chile and mustard.

Return chicken to skillet; cover and gently simmer 5 to 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center, turning chicken once. Place chicken on serving platter; cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

In small bowl, blend remaining 1 TBSP broth and cornstarch until smooth; add to sauce in skillet. Bring to a boil; cook until desired thickness. Add mandarin segments; cook briefly to warm. Stir in salt and pepper. Serve sauce over chicken; sprinkle with cilantro.

*I used canned mandarin because it was already in the pantry:: 1/2 C juice = 1 1/2 cans / 2 mandarin = 1 can

NOTE:: preparing ingredients in advance is a great idea. I did not have enough time in between steps to prep (chop/measure) ingredients. 

My favorite thing about this dish is that I only had to buy 2 things that weren't already in my pantry. Both of which can easily be used in future recipes!

Cooking the sauce made my house smell amazing and made my man even happier. The flavors create a perfect blend of citrus and spice without being overwhelming or too spicy - even the kiddos would like it.

{I'll be making it for my future kids!}

The Lady's Mac 'N' Cheese

When your parents are living paycheck to paycheck with 2 kids, Mac 'n' cheese seems to become a dinner menu regular. Kids love it; add some hot dogs and its practically gourmet. For kids that is.

I had not eaten Mac 'n' cheese for about 15 years now, because of I was one of those kids with paycheck to paycheck parents. Now I've found a different twist on Mac 'n' cheese that my man and I loved. 

'The Lady's Mac 'N' Cheese

Ingredients::
4 C. cooked elbow macaroni (don't measure until after cooking)
2 C. grated cheddar
3 eggs, Beaten
1/2 C. Sour Cream
4 TBSP. Butter (cut into small pieces)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. milk

Directions::
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Once you have the macaroni cooked and drained, place in a large bowl and add cheese while macaroni is still hot.

In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and add to the macaroni mixture. Pour macaroni mixture into a casserole dish* and bake for 30-45 minutes. Top with additional cheese if desired.**
*I used an 8x8 glass casserole dish
**Brent and I added cooked bacon to add a little crunch 

The only thing I had to buy for this recipe was the Sour Cream, which I'm also using for another recipe this week anyways. My grocery bill was practically cut in half this weekend because of meal planning and utilizing what is already in my pantries. Not to mention, we aren't eating fast food at work anymore which will really save a lot!