Candied Orange Peels, Marmalade Flop, and a Chicken Dinner

I spent some of my time before dinner making Candied Orange Peels, they're a treat I try to make every Christmas now. This batch turned out excellent - just in case you don't know how to make them this is the process:
You'll need 1-2 LBs Naval Oranges - I like naval oranges because they have a thick skin. Try to get organic oranges - specifically because you're going to be eating the peel & pesticides used in non-organic oranges are typically applied to the peel. At least wash the exterior with Soap & water.

Remove the peel in sections trying to keep as much of the Pith (white) as possible. The general Candied Orange Peel community is divided on whether to keep the pith or get rid of it. The pith can result in the peels being bitter. I personally like to keep them because they add chewiness.

To negate the bitterness I blanch the peels 2-3 times. You can rinse the peels with cold water between blanching, I didn't this time around & they turned out fine.

Once you've blanched the peels add them to a simple syrup (1/2 water - 1/2 sugar) & simmer until the peels turn translucent.

I remove them all as quickly as possible & place them individually on cooling racks. Quickly because they can get stuck to the pan if you go too slow.

I tend to let them cure for 1-2 days. I'll dip these in Dark Chocolate!

I tried to make marmalade out of the orange pulp + some left over peel. Supposedly oranges are naturally high in pectin. I even brought the pulp up to 220 degrees per the instructions & kept it there for a while. I canned it, and it doesn't look like it's setting up now :(

Dinner was this EXCELLENT creamy herbed chicken. I followed THIS Recipe & added a bit of Parm to the cream sauce. SOOOO GOOD!