General Tso's Chicken

I was in the mood for some Chinese food last night and decided to take a crack at it. It looked like it would be difficult, but it was SUPER EASY!! Well lucky for me, it turned out awesome! Lucky for you I'll share how I made it!

Here's what you'll need: 

• 1 pkg of chicken (I used thighs)
• 3 green onions
• 2tbl cornstarch
• 1 tbls sugar
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tbls sugar
• 3 tbls water
• 2 tsp ginger
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 tbls rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
• 4 tbls soy sauce

Lets start off by first cutting up all the ingredients such as the ginger, garlic, and onions. Slice the green onions, peel and mince or grate the ginger, and then mince the garlic. Next combine all the ingredients except for the chicken into a bowl and allow to sit. Next cut the chicken into about 1 in. chunks and pan sear them in a wok or a regular pan. Once the chicken it completely cooked through, pour the other ingredients onto the chicken while the pan is still on. keep stirring until the sauce thickens. Once thick, transfer to a plate and ENJOY!

If you want more spice, add more crushed red pepper flakes!
If you want more sauce, just double the recipe but only use a total of 3 tbls of cornstarch.

MY Awesome White Rice

This is a REALLY simple recipe, I love it and you will love it too! Not many people know how to cook rice properly, and after this you will NEVER use that disgusting quick rice again! Here's the deal, I made white rice for my friends a few times, and now EVERY time I'm over their houses, they ask me to make it again, and again. Apparently "they just can't make the rice the same way I do.." So people of the internet, I'll let you in on my little secret!

Here's what you'll need

• Dry long grain rice (none of that quick rice stuff.)
• A pot WITH a lid
• Water
• Salt

That's it!

The directions of the rice always state that it's a 2 - 1 ratio. 2 parts water, 1 part rice. Now heat your water till its boiling, once it is throw your rice in and return to a boil. Don't forget to stir. I always add just a little bit more water to the rice. This makes helps make the rice sticky and softer! Once it starts boiling again with the rice, stir and lower to the lowest flame and cover. This is where people will disagree with me.. I stir my rice often, others swear by just letting it sit all by itself. Well if you keep doing it the same way, you'll keep getting the same results. So stir every 5 minutes or so and cover again. This helps release the starch the rice holds onto, thus making it sticky! Once there's no more water and the rice is soft I stir the pot getting all the rice to stick together and comes out mostly in 1 lump.

That's how I make my rice, which is constantly asked for every time I'm with my friends!
On second thought.... I should start a rice fund..

Fantastic Southern Style Sweet Tea!!

Say it with me now: "Sweet Tea"
Again, with a Southern accent now!

Gooooood (I think...)

For roughly under a dollar, you can sip on 8 cups of a delicious beverage that you would normally spend several dollars a cup on. 'Impossible' you say?? I think not!

So here's what you'll:

                                                                

(Yeah, That's it..)

• 1 C. Sugar
• 6 C. of Cold water (Doesn't need to be ice cold...)
• 2 C. of boiling water.
• 3 Tea Bags
• Water holding device...

Now, I've seen, read, heard, and what have you about adding a dash of baking soda to the sweet tea. I've done it both ways and taste no difference so just save your baking soda for another time.

Now- In a small pot bring 2 cups of water to a boil along with 1 cup of sugar. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, add the tea bags until they start brewing. Allow to cool to room temperature (as to not break whatever your pouring into.) Then pour sugar water, and tea bags into the cold water.... Allow to sit for several hours to so the flavors can get to know each other, and get nice and ice cold. Then Enjoy!

 That simple!!

Extra goodies:
Want to impress a few friends? Garnish an ice cold glass with a lemon and enjoy.