Sweet and Sour Chicken

Melissa Hansen · 04:55 PM Dec 02 · Comment

Brandon and I recently had a conversation about how sweet and sour chicken can be hit or miss on flavor. Homemade recipes and store bought packages, especially, can be off on the balance of the sugary sweetness and that necessary sour vinegar taste. I recently came across and made the following recipe:

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Bake Time: 1 hour

For the Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, slightly beaten
¼ cup canola or vegetable oil

For the Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar (preferably rice or white)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

3. Working in two batches, toss the chicken pieces in cornstarch and then coat with the egg. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and again in two batches, brown the chicken, turning it so that all sides are browned.

4. Place the chicken in a single layer in a 9×13 baking dish.

5. Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and pour evenly over the chicken. Turn the chicken to ensure each piece is coated.

6. Bake for 1 hour, turning the chicken every 15 minutes.

The product was, by FAR, the best taste and texture I have accomplished when making Chinese food. The recipe was easy to follow and worth the hour it took to bake! This mama gives the dish two thumbs up and so did the family :) You should give it a try! 

Mama of two

Shopify · 09:50 AM Dec 02 · Comment


When you have a big announcement to make do you just drop the news or do you plan something special to reveal it? My husband and I have tried to think of creative ways to tell our families when we are expecting a baby. Fortunately, timing has always been right around an event when all our family is together. When I was pregnant with Autumn we told everyone at our college graduation party by doing a fun game with questions about us. One of the questions was something along the lines of "What job does Melissa have lined up and when does she start?" It was exciting to let everyone know I was going to be a mama! This time everyone was together for Autumn's first birthday and we had her open a present that I made, a onesie that said, "big sister to be!" 
I love surprising people, it is so much fun! How have you surprised people with news before?