Lorraine's Chicken Surprise

I love chicken casserole! It's easy to make, tastes delicious, and uses a few ingredients. It's one of those dishes you can throw together with any vegetables you have on hand. I had planned to make chicken divan, but it was more like a chicken casserole because I used more vegetables. I cubed some boneless/skinless chicken breast, sprinkled salt, pepper, chicken seasoning, and little cayenne pepper over the chicken, then added about 3 tablespoons of white wine. I let it marinade for about 30 minutes before I added some steamed broccoli (about 2 cups), some left-over corn, and some frozen stir-fry vegetables. I topped the vegetables with one can of cream of mushroom soup, a half of can of cream of chicken soup, about one cup of mozzarella/sharp cheddar cheese, and about 1/3 cup of dry bread crumbs. I like it bake for about 45 minutes until it was hot and bubbly. Delicious!

Another satisfied customer shares my cookbook!

I recently sold one of my cookbooks to someone I met at an event in my area. When she showed it to her friend, she wanted to purchase one, too. And, to my surprise, when I went to the post office to mail the cookbook, a postal worker saw it, liked it, and bought one on the spot. Word of mouth is definitely one of the best ways advertise your work. My cookbook, "Everyday Comfort Foods with Family and Friends" ($8.95), is available at IUniverse.com, Barnes&Noble.com, and Amazon.com, or you may purchase a copy from me directly. My email is lorgrant@att.net.

Midnight Bakula is fabulous!

I haven't shopped at the Body Shop for years but recently went into the Body Shop at Oakridge Mall in San Jose to check their sales. I fell in love with the scent, Midnight Bakula, immediately! It's a warm, sexy, night-time fragrance that's suitable to wear during the day, too. I rubbed some of the body butter on my wrist and tried on some of the perfume, too. It smelt so good on me that I returned to purchase them both the next day! At $8.00 for the body butter and $12.00 for the eau de toilette spray, it was a steal. Too bad this scent was discontinued. They should definitely bring it back in the future.

New tropical scents at Bath & Body Works

Bath & Body Works is always coming out with something new. Now, they have several new tropical scents. I love candles, so I purchased two for $20 and used a 20% off coupon. It was hard to chose just two, but I settled on Pineapple Punch and Bahama Fizz. These scents remind you of relaxing on an island.

Bath & Body Works Foot Cream

Another sale has come and gone at Bath & Body Works, but they'll be more! If you like Bath & Body Works like I do, than you definitely want to be on their email list. You'll be informed about any and all sales. I love their foot cream, and this was the only item I wanted during the Clearance Sale after Christmas. I purchased a few of the True Blue eight-ounce foot creams at 75% off ($2.50 each)! I use it everyday, and it makes my feet feel soft and smooth. The scrub is great, too. Check out their new island scents on your next visit.

Lorraine's Chicken Casserole

I love this dish. It's so quick and easy, and can be made with your favorite vegetables. I usually use a bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables when I make my chicken casserole and sometimes add a few fresh vegetables, too. I also like to use different cream soups. Today, I used a little tomato soup and one can of cream of chicken soup. It was seasoned just right and delicious! Add a little salt, pepper, and a few other seasonings to the chicken and a splash of white wine, and let it marinate for 30 minutes or overnight. Place the vegetables and soup on top, bake for an hour and serve over hot rice.
Look for this recipe and others in my cookbook, "Everyday Comfort Foods with Family and Friends", ($8.95) available at IUniverse.com, Barnes&Noble.com, and Amazon.com.

Not many good buys after Christmas

With Black Friday starting early last year, and many stores having sales before the Christmas rush began, there wasn't much to chose from at stores after Christmas. Sure, there were Christmas cards, candy, ornaments, and other items that you probably could use for the next holiday, but for those waiting for 75% off instead of 50%, you likely missed out. That's what makes shopping fun (and sometimes disappointing) year-round. You never know when or where your next bargin will come!