Wishing for Spring (Grilled Chicken and Fresh Lemonade)

Oh boy.  That Christmas Vacation was a doozy!  Here's a few pics of family at my parents house.

This is Aunt Marsha, Grandma Lucille, Mom (Laurie), my cousin Kristy and her daughter Cassie.  Lovely ladies!

This is Aunt Marsha with her pal, Butch.  She makes the coolest harnesses for this little guy!  She also made some harnesses for Ralfie and Tobie that make them look like little train engineers.  So cute!
Now that the Holidays are over, its time to get back to normal and look forward to Spring.  The weather lately has been very deceitful!  The sun shines, but it's still only 20 degrees outside.  Brrr!  Well, that brings us to the recipes. 

These recipes include an ingredient that always reminds me of sunshine-- both in the way it looks and the way it smells.  Can you guess what it is?  That's right!  Lemons!  Not only can you cook with lemons, but they come in handy around the house as well.  Use a small handful of kosher salt and half a lemon to scrub a wooden cutting board.  Put a quarter or so down the garbage disposal to keep it smelling fresh.  Use it for 'secret messages' by writing on a piece of paper with lemon juice, letting it dry, then make the message appear by lightly warming the message over a candle (with adult supervision of course).

Fresh Lemonade
juice of 4 lemons (save those peels for the garbage disposal!  Just keep them in the freezer until you need one)
1 cup sugar (or splenda-- I used splenda)
2 quart pitcher
water

1.  Place sugar or splenda in the pitcher with about 2 cups of warm water.  Stir until sugar/ splenda dissolves.
2.  Stir in lemon juice.
3.  Fill pitcher with water to the 2 quart mark and stir well.
4.  Serve over plenty of ice and enjoy!

*You could also use a combination of citrus fruits-- try replacing one of the lemons with 2-3 clementines or use Meyer lemons instead of regular lemons for a sweeter citrus-ade.


And now on to the chicken.  This marinade is wonderful.  It really is!  The chicken comes out tender and juicy, even if it gets slightly overcooked.  My parents have a covered back porch and are lucky enough to be able to grill year round.  If you can't grill, the broiler in the oven works just fine. 

Garlic and Lemon Grilled Chicken
For every 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, combine in a small bowl with a whisk:
3T. olive oil
2T. water
1T. lemon juice (fresh is best but juice from those little plastic lemons will work)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp. sugar
1-1/2 tsp salt
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

I like to put my chicken in a ziptop freezer bag, but my mom uses a plastic food storage container.  Either way, put the chicken in and pour the marinade over it.  Close the container and shake or tumble to distribute the marinade.

Chill 30 minutes, turning at least once.  Preheat grill or broiler to medium heat.  Drain chicken from the marinade and place on the grill or broiler pan.

Grill/broil for 12 minutes, turning every 4 minutes.  Let rest for 5 minutes before eating.

Hint/tip:  Mom likes to pound the chicken breasts slightly so they will cook evenly.  Chicken breast tenders will also work with this marinade, as will fish, pork, beef, etc.  Cooking times will vary.

Hope this post brought a bit of sunshine to your day!