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I have a favorite winter recipe, and I think it’s the only thing I’ve ever made that takes more than 20 minutes. It’s totally worth it because it lasts for about 4 days or so when you’re eating for one.

I’ve had this recipe on a piece of paper for the last 6 years and I’m always afraid that I’ll lose it. Part of the reason I’m posting it is just in case something happens to the hard copy.

Chicken Wild Rice Casserole

INGREDIENTS

One 6 ounce box of Uncle Bens Wild Rice (not the instant kind)
Four boneless & skinless chicken breasts
One cup of chopped celery
One can of sliced water chestnuts
One to one and a half cups of shredded cheddar cheese
Half of a chopped onion
Eight ounces of sour cream (I usually get the fat free kind)
Two cans of cream of mushroom soup (I usually go for the Campbell’s Healthy Request)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bake and chop the chicken breasts into bite-sized or smaller pieces.
2. Cook rice per the instructions on the box.
3. Mix the sour cream and soup together.
4. Add the vegetables and cheese.
5. Mix in the chicken and rice.
6. Put it all in a 9×15 pan (glass preferred).
7. Cover and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1-1.5 hours, depending on whether or not the casserole was prepared and chilled in advance.

I finally got rid of my cold and made it to Tucson yesterday to help deal with some family medical stuff. It’s good to see everyone down here and I’m definitely learning to let a lot of my anxiety go and just deal with things as they come. I’m trying to apply this to all aspects of my life.

The flight down was uneventful, but it was the first time (post-iPod) that I haven’t listened to music on a plane. I read 65 pages of a book. Yes, a book!

I used to be an avid reader WAY back in the day when I worked at Waldenbooks, but then the internet, work, and (self-diagnosed) ADD took over.

I really enjoyed reading and it made the flight seem to “fly” by. Okay, bad joke, but what I realized is that reading is a bit meditative. It took me out of my life, thoughts and worries for a couple of hours. I think this could be the key to relaxing and getting back some control over anxiety.

What am I reading? Samaritan by Richard Price, the author of Clockers (one of my favorite books) and writer on The Wire.

Okay, back to my trip. I’ve had three good meals since I’ve been here:

1) An incredible spinach, chicken, avacado, cucumber, tomato, and feta salad with roasted garlic tomato soup at Chopped.

2) Seared lamb loin with fig, pureed chick peas with mint, and steamed arugula with feta at Feast.

3) Today I hit Chuy’s for some chicken tacos and a beer. Simple, tasty, and the perfect meal to eat outside under a hot, setting Arizona sun.

Yikes! My laptop just burned my left thigh. Ouch. No more charging and using it at the same time.