Smoky Orange Chicken

This is a really simple way to prepare chicken and it smells awesome. I am always looking for sauces and marinades that are lower in sodium and ARE NOT BBQ SAUCE! This fit the bill. This recipe makes enough for 3 meals so I often freeze them for a busy night.

10 chicken breasts
1 jar of orange marmalade
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp liquid smoke

Combine orange marmalade, soy sauce, and liquid smoke. Season chicken with pepper and a teeny pinch of salt. Brown chicken in a large skillet in batches til brown on both sides but raw in the middle. Place all the chicken in the skillet and top with sauce. Cover and simmer 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Tis the season for cookies! I do not have the patience to make batch after batch of cookies so I tend to make bars cookies. This is a simple and quick recipe when you have to bring a dozen cookies somewhere.

1 c peanut butter
6 tbsp butter
3/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 c flour
2 c chocolate chips

Cream peanut butter, butter, sugars, and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Add flour. Stir in 3/4 c chips. Spread in 13x9 pan and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining chips. Let stand for 5 minutes. Spread chips.

Sausage Stars

Tis the season for appetizers! This one is really tasty but I haven't eaten them since Christmas 1997. You see, I was 8 weeks pregnant that Christmas and I made these for a Christmas party. The smell and the raw sausage was too much for my tender tummy. That "pregnancy" is now a 10 year old girl who LOVES to cook so we're going to make these next week. Hopefully she'll love them!

1 pound bulk sausage
1 1/2 c cheddar
1 1/2 c monterey jack
1 c ranch dressing
1/2 c chopped red pepper
1 pkg. won ton wrappers

Brown and drain sausage. Combine all ingredients except won tons. Spray muffin tins with Pam. Press won tons into cups. Spray again. Bake for 5 minutes at 350. Remove from tins, fill and bake 5-7 minutes. Serve HOT!