Instant Pot Orange Chicken and Sticky Rice

Recipe adapted from http://livingsweetmoments.com/instant-pot-orange-chicken/

Instant Pot Orange Chicken - this delicious instant pot chicken recipe is ready in 15 minutes or less and is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner idea.

Author Tiffany Bendayan

Ingredients

3 lbs  Boneless skinless chicken cut into bitesized pieces

1/4 cup water

1/2 to 2/3 cup orange juice - about 2 or 3 oranges

zest of one orange

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup Tamari

2 Tablespoons ketchup

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 cloves garlic minced

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

To thicken

2 Tablespoons organic cornstarch

3-4 tablespoons water

Green onions for garnish

Instructions

In a large bowl (or Instant Pot insert), mix the water, orange juice, soy sauce, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger together

Place chicken in the bowl with the sauce and mix together.  Add to Instant Pot.

Close the lid and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes

Release the pressure and press the sauté button.

To thicken sauce

In a small bowl mix water and cornstarch together

Add to the chicken

Cook for 1-2 minutes or until sauce thickens

Remove from pot and serve

OPTIONAL: Garnish with green onions

For this recipe on the first attempt, I also cooked rice before I cooked the chicken.  Then I removed the rice from the pot, wiped out the Instant Pot insert and then cooked the chicken.

To cook sticky white rice, use a ratio of 1:1.5 rice to water.  Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.

Serving suggestion: stir fried veggies.  Broccoli, carrots, cabbage, garlic, onion and green onion sautéd with sesame seed oil.

On the first attempt at making this, I used 1/2 orange juice.  It just wasn't enough orange flavor so I have increased the amount as well as added orange zest.  

Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet Star Wars Speech

I couldn't find a Star Wars Speech, so I wrote one.  There are quotes from the movie throughout the speech.  The red text are lines I gave to certain audience members to "heckle" me with.  They are also lines from the movies.  Enjoy. 

This is the 2016 Pack 9 Blue and Gold Star Wars Banquet!  “Welcome I have been expecting you.”

“This will be a day long remembered”

Welcome Scouts, parents, siblings, friends, family and guests. To our wonderful Greeters, thank you.  “We would be honored if you would join us.”

As you can tell, our theme is Star Wars. 

How many of you have seen at least one of the 7 films?  How many of you have seen more than one? And how many of you consider yourselves “Star Wars Buffs?

OK then, Since this is our 58^th anniversary, I am going to try and get 58 Star Wars references into my welcome speech.

“All too easy.” 

"Sir, the possibility is approximately 3,720 to 1."

“Never tell me the odds!”

And besides, “You’ll find I’m full of surprises!”

You have your moments. Not many of them, but you do have them.

Where should I begin?  A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

I was told I had to do that.

It's not my fault!

“This is a new day, a new beginning.”

You are completing another year of Scouting, some of you your first year.  Some are advancing to the next rank and some are advancing to Boy Scouts.  “You have learned much.”  But, “Much to learn, you still have!”

What has the past year held? “Adventure”, “Excitement” You have learned to tie some knots, whittle and you have learned important life lessons.  For example, you learned that  

“you never trust a strange computer”

And our leaders have done amazing things for all of you.

Leaders, committee members and volunteers, from den meetings to Pinewood Derby to fundraisers and this banquet, you have done some amazing things for these scouts and for the Pack.  “I know!” We all thank you. 

“I never doubted you! 

Today we have skits, songs, and jokes.  Some good food!  Centerpieces that the scouts made.  The best part, we have deserts that the Scouts get to decorate!  And the desert decorating is a competition. 

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

“I find your lack of faith disturbing.”

So judges,

“Your eyes can deceive you, don’t trust them.”  I must admit I was sneaking some from the desert table and “I thought they smelled bad on the outside”.

We have for you neckerchief slides.  These slides are made from Birch.  You are going to remove your neckerchief and slide, then cross over the bridge and receive your new neckerchief. 

“That thing?  They’re braver than I thought!”

“They told me they fixed it! I trusted them to fix it! It's not my fault!”

“It’s a trap”!

Scouts, what is the Scout Motto? 

“do your best”

Do your best!  And a very wise, short green guy….

Kermit?

"Laugh it up, Fuzz ball."

No, Yoda, said: “Do. Or do not. There is no try.”

For those completing Cub Scouts and preparing to cross over into Boy Scouts, “The circle is now complete.” And always remember,

“Your focus determines your reality.”

You will learn to “Be Prepared”.  In part, it means you are always ready to do what is necessary to help others and yourself.  Because,

“In my experience there is no such thing as luck.”

<Tapping your watch> --- “You may dispense with the pleasantries. I am here to put you back on schedule."

“Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen.”

Scouts, “So what I told you was true… from a certain point of view.”

As you advance to the next rank or cross over into the Boy Scouts.  Remember to

“Stay on target.”

 “The Force is strong with you all. May your ships make the kessel run in much less than 12 parsecs. Congratulations to the Jedi Knights of 2016!

And may the Force be with you.

"Is That Possible?" "I Never Ask That Question Until After We've Done It."

“Wait. I know that laugh…”

"Aren't you a little short for a storm trooper?"

"The force is strong with this one."

“So what I told you was true… from a certain point of view.”

That’s no moon, it’s a space station.

“Mind tricks don’t work on me.”

Washing Machine Drum Fire Pit and grill

Survival Walking Stick part 2

After about 4 hours of work, I have the Diamond Willow Survival Walking Stick all carved out.  I put on two coats of Polyurethane and a coat of Boiled Linseed Oil.  

As you can see, the stick will contain a lock blade knife, an emergency whistle, a fire starter (magnesium, flint, and steel striker), a Mini-Mag flashlight, and a compass with a signal mirror in the cap.  I know, a mini-mag light is not the best, but it is water resistant, produces a lot of light on just two AAA batteries, and is lightweight.  Most importantly, is produces the most lumen for a compact light which I can insert into the stick.  

The only task remaining is to weave a parachute cord handle which will hold of these items in place.

Survival Walking Stick Project

Since moving to Alaska, I have seen many Diamond Willow walking sticks and they all cost between $70 and $100.  Although the sticks do have a lot of character and look great!  I just wanted to make my own.  Then, I through about taking it to the next level, by making it a "survival" stick by adding a few survival gear items like a small flashlight, a magnesium fire starter, whistle, compass, signal mirror, parachute cord, and a small knife.  The plan is to cut, carve and drill out places in the stick for these items to fit neatly into the stick.  Then the parachute cord would hold the items in place and be used as a handle wrap.  The parachute cord would be wrapped using a quick release hitch.

I was able to procure a five foot piece of Diamond Willow and I began my project.  The wood was cut probably two years before and had just been sitting around in the corner, left behind by a former employee.

I had no idea how easy or difficult it would be to remove the bark from the stick.  I sat down with a paint scraper and began to work.  After just a few minutes, it was apparent that the bark would come off with a moderate amount of work...then I remembered I should take a picture.

After about 1 hour, I had all of the bark off of the stick and was down to easy scraping to remove the residual layer.

After this was all removed, I began sanding with 100 grit sandpaper.

Before I had all of the sanding competed, I was anxious to get started on the survival gear.  I started with the knife.  I drew an outline of the knife and began carving out the stick using a rotary tool.  I used two different bits, cone and drum carving bits.
Then I drilled into the top of he stick using a 5/8" wood bit.
This is where I began to run into trouble.  I am not very good with tools, carpentry, or mechanics, so as I drilled past one of the knots in the stick, the bit began to come through side of the stick.  So as it stands, about 1/2" of the bottom of the flashlight can be seen through the side of the stick.  At this point, I have put in 3 hours of work into the project.

My fix for this problem will be to begin the parachute cord handle higher that I first wanted to.
I hope this will cover the flaw.

I have not begun carving any other slots for the remainder of the gear because I don't have them yet.  The items I want are a little harder to come by up here and I will have to order them off the internet.