Special Offer from Kohl's!

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As you may have noticed from my outfit posts, I love finding a great deal on clothing at Kohl's!  They always keep me coming back for more with their fantastic Kohl's cash offers after purchases too... Duke's entire wardrobe is from Kohl's, I'd venture.

Well, the awesome folks at Kohl's saw my blog, and wanted to extend a special offer code to YOU!

From now through March 9th, you can use the code TENFORBLOG on Kohls.com to receive 10% off your purchase!
This deal is even stackable with one other department level code, for even bigger savings.

Since I've sworn off shopping for January, but this code doesn't expire until March, here are a few pieces (ALL under $35 each!) I'd love to snag on February 1st!  I just hope they're still available; I bet this stuff goes fast!  What are you going to buy with your discount?

ELLE Faux Leather Jacket, on sale for $28.80

This faux leather jacket by ELLE looks so tailored!  I'd absolutely wear it to work, maybe over a feminine dress to give it a little edge.

Apt. 9 Medallion Shift Dress, on sale for $35.00

This Apt. 9 shift dress looks very high end to me... maybe Trina Turk or dialed-down Lilly Pulitzer?  I think it would be a great summer staple to throw on for the weekend and look fab.

Narciso Rodriguez for DesigNation Colorblock Ponte Sheath Dress, on sale for  $25.60

This Narciso Rodriguez dress screams work travel.  It's a ponte knit, which is my go-to for wrinkle-free garments when I'm on business trips.  Plus, the color-blocking is perfect to slim down your figure.  I'm really upset I can't have this dress right NOW.  And with the right statement necklace?  Fierce!

Simply Vera Vera Wang Ballet Flat, on sale for $20.97

I know these are a little wild, but I LIVE for super-cute flats!  The capped toe is so in right now, and this color pop makes me happy.  Plus, where else could you get Vera Wang for such an amazing price?

This was not a paid post; it was in response to a coupon code received via e-mail from a Kohl's representative who read my blog.

Panda Express Orange Chicken

How have I not posted my orange chicken recipe here until now?  It's the dish my family always requests me to make.  Panda Express Orange Chicken is one of my favorite fast food picks.  When I found a copycat recipe online, I tried it once and it worked.  I've probably made this a dozen times now, and I never end up with leftovers.

Looking for a sure bet?  This is it.  But I've tweaked it a little bit for flavor, and added steamed veggies to make it more colorful.

Panda Express Orange Chicken Copycat
adapted from food.com recipe


Ingredients for Chicken
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
pepper
olive oil
1/2 cup cornstarch, plus
1 T cornstarch
1/4 cup flour
2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp sesame oil

Steamed Asian Vegetables (like Birds Eye Asian Medley)

Ingredients for Orange Sauce
3 T soy sauce
3 T orange juice
10 T sugar
10 T white vinegar

Directions
Place chicken pieces in large bowl.
Stir in egg, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon oil and mix well.
Stir cornstarch and flour together.
Mix flour mixture and egg mixture.
Add chicken pieces, stirring to coat.
(Update: As of 2015, I'm lazy and just put the flour mixture and chicken pieces into a plastic bag and shake them until coated.)

Heat oil in frying pan.
Add chicken to pan, small batches at a time, and fry until golden crisp.
Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; set aside.

Clean wok and heat 15 seconds over high heat.
Add 1 tablespoon oil.
Add garlic and stir-fry until fragrant; about 10 seconds.
Add Orange Sauce and bring to boil.
Add cooked chicken, stirring until well mixed.
Stir water into remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth and add to chicken.
Heat until sauce is thickened.

Steam vegetables according to packaging.
Add to pan and add into chicken and sauce.

Serve over sticky white rice.

Books Lately

Let's talk about BOOKS!  Here's a peek at what's been happening on my Goodreads lately.

Non-Fiction:
Freakonomics:  I love interesting statistics stories.  That is, knowing the WHY behind things in our crazy, flawed, human world.  Despite critics, this is just fascinating to read, because it looks at things from a totally different viewpoint, more seemingly objective.  Anyways, this book is hard to explain, but if you're a nerd like me (and not overly conservative), you'll probably dig it.  I'll be picking up its sequel at some point.

Soldier's Heart: Reading Literature Through Peace and War at West Point:  I loved this book.  I've always been a reader, and seeing my alma mater, West Point, through a "civilian" viewpoint and within its humanities courses no less, I think it gives readers an inside look into the academy and what it's like to be a young person there in a time of conflict.  I just drew so many comparisons between the book and my life, I couldn't put it down.  Definitely something worth checking out if you're at all curious.

In My Father's Country:  I read this book after seeing the author on The Daily Show or some other program.  I felt like it might be an inspiring title to read, and help me understand some of our struggles in the Afghanistan conflict... but in truth, it had way too many love life details (how many soldiers will fall in love with her?) versus Afghanistan reminiscences.  I liked it when the author talked about cultural barriers and challenges, but she really lost me on some of the other things.  It wasn't what I expected; it was just okay.

Fiction:
The Caster Chronicles (Books 1-4):  I read these books after seeing a movie preview for the first one.  It's definitely in the same genre as Twilight... have you seen the Teen Paranormal Romance section at Barnes & Noble?  I liked these because of the setting in a small Southern town, which reminded me a lot of my time near Savannah, Georgia.  It was focused around teenagers and witchcraft, to summarize it a bit.  Quick, easy, and fairly satisfying reading.

The Mortal Instruments (Books 1-3):  I read these because they also fit into Teen Paranormal Romance, a genre I am planning to abandon soon.  I mean, the rest just aren't as good as the The Hunger Games.  This one, however, was weird.  I only read the first three books.  I had issues with the potential incest, self-mutilation, and overall lack of awesome characters.  At least Caster Chronicles had some people I grew attached to; in this series, none of the above.  Blah.  If I hadn't bought these books in a bundle on my Kindle, I'd have only read the first one before ditching.

The Giver:  I read this a few times when I was younger, but rereading it again as an adult gave me such a different perspective!  If you dig The Hunger Games, this is a quick read that you might like.  It's set in the future, in a sort of Utopian society.  Rumor has it they may be making it into a new movie, after about two decades of trying.  It could be good.

Read anything good lately?