Elemom, I think we must belong to the same family!
Those guidelines are the same I generally go with as well. (although I've been known to make a mean chicken scampi with tomatoes)
I've found that chicken, lemon slices, green onion bulbs, garlic chunks, Wolfgang Puck's organic chicken broth and evoo are a nice start to a good meal *(served with a good crusty bread)
I also like to put a whole chicken in, along with various mexican seasonings, green chiles, green onions, & broth, and then after cooking, shred the meat and serve on tortillas with a buffet style of toppings (beans, tomatoes, cheeses, olive slices) so each individual can make their meal to their own liking