It’s officially been over a month since I became an Idaho resident and every day still feels like I’m on vacation.

Since there is still plenty of daylight well past 9pm here, we’ve been spending every night out and about way past my normal bedtime. It’s still hard to balance when I’m waking up so early for sunrise runs before work but I’m catching up on sleep this weekend for sure! Last week included our first Boise Hawks baseball game, a round of disc golf at the gorgeous Eagle Island State Park, and a sunset stroll along the Green Belt next to the river. Idaho is never short of phenomenal photo opps!

There is constantly something new and beautiful to see and do, like the beautiful waterfall in Jump Creek Canyon we visited this morning. And you thought Idaho was just a bunch of potato fields ;)

Finding ways to “healthify” recipes is one of my favorite things to do. When you really dig into what ingredients sneak into restaurant food, it becomes more appetizing to take a little bit of the control back and eliminate some of the unnecessary oils, sugars, and chemicals. In my weak moments, a bowl of crispy breaded orange chicken would be a little tempting but my body feels 110x better after a cleaner home-cooked meal that is a little more balanced with healthy fats, lean proteins, and complex carbs.

This recipe is sweet, tangy, and citrus-y!

Light Orange Chicken Stir Fry Recipe:

• 1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 large bunch of asparagus
• 8 large mushrooms
• 1/2 sweet onion
• Juice of 2 oranges (plus 1 orange for optional garnish)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon ginger
• 1 tablespoon garlic
• 1 heaping tablespoon corn starch
• 1.5 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken or veggie broth
• Rice, quinoa, or other grain of choice for “base”

1. Clean chicken and cut into 1″ cubes; saute over medium heat until cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
2. Wash and cut vegetables into large chunks, and add to the frying pan. Saute for 6 minutes, adding in the ginger and garlic after 5 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the orange juice, corn starch, honey, and broth.
4. Add the chicken and the orange sauce mixture to the pan and bring to a low boil. Continue to stir constantly until the sauce has thickened.
5. Add salt and pepper to your preference. Serve over rice or your favorite grain.
6. I added fresh orange for garnish and color :)

This dinner was a hit and we finished off the pan easily!

There are still a solid 4 hours of sunlight left in the day and it’s too pretty to stay inside. No one can say we aren’t soaking up this summer! See you next week with more fun healthy recipes, workout details, and I’m sure some more Idaho pictures will sneak their way in too. :) Enjoy your weekend, friends!