Food blogs are back! Get ready for more trials and errors, more tasty recipes, and more inspiration for your weekly dinners!

MONDAY: CRANBERRY CHICKEN

I had some cranberry sauce that I wanted to use up, and had tried a similar raspberry chicken recently. So I did some searching and found this recipe for cranberry chicken. It was... okay. It's not healthy, and it's not to-die-for, so I don't think I'll be adding this into the rotation. But it was nice to try something that was very different from the usual.

TUESDAY: APPLE, BRIE, + WALNUT SALAD

I was probably the most excited for this salad as I am a huge fan of brie. No substitutions or additions here, I followed the recipe exactly! And I found this recipe for the vinaigrette. Okay, I liked. I added in some granny smith apples too. And I must say, for someone who tends to only bake with granny smiths because they're too bitter on their own, they were much better in the salad than the red apples I used! There were a lot of different textures between the greens, the nuts, the apples, and the brie. It was pretty filling, so I'd say I'll be making this salad (or a variation) again!

WEDNESDAY: ORANGE CHICKEN

I wanted to make something similar to takeout-style orange chicken, but healthier and without the breading. I came across this recipe that relies on the juice of fresh oranges, soy sauce, and honey to bring out the flavour. I followed it as is aside from using garlic powder rather than garlic paste and leaving out the ginger because somehow I didn't have any ginger in my kitchen! The chicken came out tasty, but definitely more on the soy-side. While I mixed the sauce together before adding it into the pan, there were only a few pieces of chicken that actually tasted like orange at all. Still, it was yummy and a tad bit healthier than its fast food version.

THURSDAY: WHITE CHICKEN CHILLI

What's the weather like where you live? It's definitely cooling down here. I was itching for something warm, something comforting. I have a bunch of recipes for white chicken chilli that I'm always meaning to try and I decided to finally go for it! I used this recipe and added in some corn as well for a little bit more texture, and some spinach for a little bit more veggie. I threw it all in the crock pot while I was out for the day and then came home and shredded the chicken. I let it go for another half hour on high to let the chicken soak up the flavours fully and then dished it up and chowed down! It's definitely filling and warms you to your toes. Though there wasn't an abundance of flavour or excitement in the dish, I will say. I could go either way with this one. We'll see if I ever make it, or try another variation in the future.

FRIDAY: CRANBERRY SPINACH SALAD

I love when I find a good spinach. And this one is definitely a keeper! I followed the recipe exactly. I'll be making this again in the future, but more than likely it will be as a side. We had ours with some shrimp over the top that we needed to use up and it was filling that way, but definitely wouldn't have been on its own. It as still absolutely delicious and one of my favourite salads that I've made so far.

SATURDAY: CAPRESE-STUFFED CHICKEN

I love caprese. Pretty much anything caprese. So I wanted to go for this dinner, which isn't too bad health-wise. Rather than zucchini and squash, which Killian isn't a fan of, I cooked it with carrots. Filling, easy to make, and not too bad.

SUNDAY: ROAST CHICKEN DINNER

Our last dinner was the first roast in the new apartment! Neither of us had ever made a full chicken on our own, so it was a bit of an adventure. We stuffed ours with onion, garlic, and half an orange. Then drizzled olive oil over the top, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and topped it with paprika, parsley, and oregano. We cooked it for a bit, then added carrots and potatoes to the pan, and baked it a bit more. Halfway through we covered it in foil because the top was already nicely browned and we didn't want it to get burned. Yum! Sometimes the simple things are the best things.

What I Ate This Week: 11-17 January