Two Fun Announcements!

So much has happened since I last posted! I'll catch you up...

We spent Thanksgiving with family, and I ate too much, as usual. Then we decorated our house for Christmas, watched the Michigan Wolverines lose (*sob*) and did some online Christmas shopping. Hooray!

And guess what? I sold another book to Harlequin Love Inspired! It's working title is A Family for Macy, and it will be released in September 2015!! I couldn't be happier!

The good stuff doesn't stop there. On Monday, A Recipe for Romance, released! Twenty-two Love Inspired authors contributed short stories and recipes for this collection, and the best part? All the royalties go to children's charities (Big Brothers Big Sisters of America)! I am SO honored to be part of this wonderful project!

Special thanks goes to Lacy Williams and Dana Corbit for putting so much time and effort into the book. Thanks, ladies!!

Interested in purchasing A Recipe for Romance? Click on the links below!

A Recipe for Romance Kindle version

A Recipe for Romance Paperback version

My story, A Saturday of Surprises, features Chicken Enchilada Soup and a splash of romance with an unlikely couple. I hope you'll consider purchasing the book!

It's a busy, busy time of year. Please take a minute to fix yourself a warm beverage and just relax. I'll even send a plate of virtual chocolate chip cookies. :)

How do you relax this time of year?

Have a wonderful day!!

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Shredded Chicken as a Meal Starter

I've been a stay-at-home-mom for years, and I've learned invaluable tips for easy, delicious, inexpensive meals. We, like any other family, are on the go a lot, so I need several go-to recipes on hand.


One of my favorite tricks involves bone-in chicken breasts and my crock pot. Around here, bone-in chicken breasts regularly go on sale for under $2.00 a pound, sometimes as low as $1.19 a pound. When I spot a good deal, I'll buy a family-size package. It usually contains five large breasts and costs between five and ten dollars.

I load all of the chicken in my crock pot, and I add a chicken bouillon cube, 1/4 cup of water, and a dash of salt and pepper. The chicken cooks on high all day, and later that evening, I remove the skins and all the bones before shredding the meat. Then I package the meat from each breast into an individual Ziploc baggie, and throw the baggies in the freezer. This gives me four to five meal starters.

Here are some of my favorite ways to use shredded chicken.

1. Homemade chicken noodle soup.
2. Homemade chicken pot pie (I used refrigerated pie crusts when I'm crunched for time.)
3. Chicken salad sandwiches
4. Chicken enchiladas
5. Chicken Tetrazzini
6. Chicken & stuffing casserole (This is super simple. Take a package of Stove Top stuffing mix, prepare it according to directions, stir in a can of cream of mushroom soup and a package of shredded chicken, throw the whole thing in a casserole, top with cheddar cheese, and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.)
7. Chicken over biscuits
8. Buffalo chicken dip (with tortilla chips)
9. Barbecue chicken sandwiches

It's amazing how easy it is to put dinner together when you already have cooked meat prepared!

Do you have any meal starters you can share? I'm always on the lookout for easy, inexpensive meals!

Thanks!

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