final winner & chicken dinner

The time has come.  It's the final drawing.  Since Christmas was on Sunday and very busy, spending time with my parents at home 2 hours away, seeing my boyfriend's parents, & hanging out at a friend's annual get together, the drawing waited until today. 

The prize:

• Sunbutter® Sunflowerseed Spread [from the GoPicnic Sunbutter + Crackers meal]
• Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers (Sea Salt flavor) [from the GoPicnic Sunbutter + Crackers meal]
• Snyder's of Hanover Gluten Free Pretzel Sticks (100 Calorie Pack)
• A Taste of Thai Toasted Coconut Fortune Cookie
• 2 passes to the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum

Here's a close-up of the packaging on the only fortune cookies I've found thus far:

There's a fun story behind the mini bag of Snyder's Gluten Free Pretzel Sticks.  The Kroger near our place had carried them late this summer.  I was so excited!  I have this bad habit of snacking on something then getting caught up in a project & leaving the bag open, so these snack size bags are ideal for me.  But when I went back, expecting them there, they were suddenly gone without warning.  Even the price tag was gone!  A couple weeks ago, my boyfriend ran into the Snyder's employee responsible for stocking the product.  He asked the representative to look into bringing them back.  When we went in Kroger for a few staples, Scott snuck away to grab two bags and surprise me with them.  It's amazing what can happen if you're willing to take a minute, use a little charm, and ask :D 

The names were drawn from my pretty new purple cloche hat.

 And the winner of the fourth and final drawing is.....Galina!  Congratulations!!  Please email me your information (which I won't keep, store, or share), and I'll send it your way!

Many thanks to my followers - old and new - for making this December to Remember a success :)  Sending you happy thoughts & warm wishes for the New Year!!

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Tonight I decided to try something easy and new: chicken-in-a-packet.  Admittedly, I need a creative name for it.  Ideas are welcome!

I started with 7 defrosted chicken tenders.
Ideally, you have aluminum foil on hand.  However, from cookie-baking, there wasn't much to be found!  I made what I had on hand work for me.  
I poured a small amount of vegetable oil on the aluminum foil, which sat on a baking sheet.
I placed the chicken tenders on the foil.  Knowing my boyfriend would want his different than mine, his was separate from mine.
I kept it simple, sprinkling the tenders with Italian seasoning and salt.  On mine, I added diced tomatoes, shredded carrots, and broccoli.

They baked at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, at which point I added shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheeses.

Another ten minutes, and the cheese was gooey gorgeous! 

My boyfriend's wasn't as pretty or succulent as mine, and I felt bad because he's trying to avoid carbs at night, but it paired well with marinara sauce and his favorite green beans.

I also gave Lundberg Family Farms Creamy Parmesan Risotto a try.

It was incredibly easy!

• Put 1/2 tablespoon butter (or olive oil) in a heavy nonstick 2 quart saucepan and place over medium heat. Add rice and saute until grains are coated with oil. 
• Stir in contents of seasoning pouch and 2-1/2 cups water. Mix well to dissolve seasonings. 
• Bring to a boil. reduce heat to a simmer, and cook uncovered 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

The flavors went quite well with the chicken-in-a-packet, and I'll definitely buy it again soon!  

Have a great day, and happy eating!!