Let me preface this story by saying I will 100% get to the recipe for The BEST Lemon Rosemary Chicken Marinade ever shortly. I know half of you are all “I hate when food bloggers talk on and on and on….get to the recipe already,” and I respect that. That’s why I have that nifty skip the chit-chat, get to the food button at the top. But the other half, the people who have been around for a while, also like that I tell entertaining stories and like to give little lessons with each post too. So you’re going to have to stick around for that if you want it. Especially because this one is self-deprecating and involves a near 9-1-1 phone call to save my children from both each other and myself.
Intrigued? You should be.
I will be the first to admit that I have never been a particularly good summer mom. There are lots of reasons for this. Usually, I am working on at least some level–at times full-time and others part. But there is almost always some sort of side gig or front gig happening that needs my attention. So there’s that. But on a deeper level, it is because I am inherently a routine person. I love a schedule. My particular brain, which lends itself towards creative chaos, works best when my outside life–the one I live–is organized and expected and easy to predict. The structure of a schedule dictated by the school year (read: outside influences) allows my brain to relax from trying to fill our days with routine and predictability and gives it more space to roam.
All of this means that during the summer when there is no rhyme nor reason to our days and most of the time it is complete anarchy, I am not at my best.
But, I try. I have always tried. When the kids were young I would make fun and creative color-coded schedules for us to follow (thanks to Pinterest) and I would take them to exciting places like the Wednesday dollar movie and the Library Science days. For the most part, I would succeed until about the last week of July when all things would go to hell and chaos would, once again, reign leaving me curled in a ball in the corner of my closet with only some leftover Halloween candy and my tears as consolation.
Then, when the kids grew up and became pre-teens and full-teens, I realized that they really don’t want to do things like go to the dollar movie or fun science days anymore. In fact, they really don’t want to do anything anymore except stare at video games and beat the dickens out of each other, and eat junk food at 2 AM. That’s it. That’s all they really want to do.
So this is where we are. Chaos.
I, as a mother, vacillate between complete acceptance of this new normal, allowing them to put me to bed and stay up until all hours of the night eating pop tarts and loaves of bread and, alternately, insisting that bedtimes are normal for freshmen in high school and trying to force them to do with things with me just like did when they were little. This inconsistency is annoying to everyone. Including myself.
And now, here we are inching towards the end of July, and chaos, once again, reigns in our household culminating in a particularly embarrassing moment involving a screaming match between me and both of my sons in a three-way phone call while I was in the parking lot of Sprouts during peak shopping hours. It was mortifying and I am sincerely sorry to anyone who was unlucky enough to witness me being my worst self in such a public setting.
In my defense, they called me while they were fist fighting and one of them (who shall remain nameless) was screaming as if he was being murdered in cold blood. To which the other one (who shall also remain nameless) was texting me pictures of said screamer sitting, completely unharmed, on the floor in the corner. It was a nightmare.
Anyway, this is what summer is like at our house. I feel bad about this. I want to be better at this and every year I start off with great intentions for organization, routine, and a fair dose of fun splashed in. And every year, I succeed at least for a few weeks. It’s the last few I just can’t hack. But, instead of beating myself up about how poorly I handle these days and how many times I label myself a “bad mom” when I have an episode where I’m not my best, I want to flip the script a bit.
I want to give myself, and every other mother who is struggling with guilt and comparison right now, grace. Heavy, big, deep, and wide grace.
Grace for the moments when I am more focused on working or building a business or my own damn thing than I am on making four-course lunches every day. Ramen is good, y’all. I’m just preparing them for college.
Grace for the moments when they have watched more consecutive hours of YouTube than I am comfortable admitting in print. I once watched 12 straight hours of The BOX just to try and capture a full recording of the “Rump Shaker” video on VHS, and I turned out just fine. Right?
Grace for the moments when I just cannot anymore. When I lose my mind and string one too many naughty words together without a breath. My mom once screamed at my brother when he was lying in a puddle of tears with a broken hand and he is all the stronger for it today.
Grace for the moments when I feel like I’m failing. When I wonder how on earth I can do it all and still help shepherd them into a successful, well-rounded, educationally, and extra-circularly sound future.
Because, and this is the important part, it’s not all about me. God has their path covered just like He has mine. We all managed to turn out okay despite the flaws of our parents, sometimes because of them. This is part of life. No parent is perfect. No parent wins all the time. And that’s normal, okay, and probably better for them in the long run.
Because they need to learn grace, too.
So parents, if summer isn’t your thing and you’re feeling a little less than because of it, this is my love letter to you. Consider me your below-average mom cheerleader, the one with the threadbare pom-poms urging you on and telling you that it truly is going to end and that you are doing a great (OK, mediocre) job.
You’ve got this, summer parents.
And just remember. It could always be worse. You could always be scream-yelling “DO I NEED TO CALL 9-1-1????” into your telephone in the middle of a crowded parking lot during peak shopping hours.
The BEST Lemon Rosemary Chicken Marinade
While I may not be a good summer mom on a lot of levels, one area where I shine like a moderately new penny is in low-maintenance summer meals that manage to keep everyone happy and satisfied. From easy no-cook pesto pasta to slow cooker butter chicken, for the most part, I stick with the easiest and fastest hands-off recipes I can find.
This recipe for the BEST Lemon Rosemary Chicken Marinade, though, might take the cake for the most highly lauded recipe for people under 16 ever. When I make this I get compliments like “This is the best chicken EVER,” and “Can you please make this again?” And, maybe most importantly, I am often met with silence, blessed silence, after serving this dish, everyone too focused on eating the last delicious bite to chat or argue or complain.
A few things about this recipe for the Best Lemon Rosemary Chicken Marinade, just tips, and tricks that might help.
- It works with both chicken breasts and thighs. My family prefers thighs and as a bonus, you can get away with more because they are typically smaller.
- It works on the grill or sauteed in a skillet. Both are winners for my family. I haven’t tried roasting it, but I would guess it would work just fine that way too.
- The longer you marinate it, the better. You don’t even have to remember to turn it, but if you do, you won’t regret it.
- It’s incredibly versatile, if you don’t have rosemary it would be equally good with oregano or thyme. I suggest only using fresh herbs, but if you don’t have them, I suspect dried would work as well.
- Feeling crazy? Kabob it! Dice the breasts into cubes, marinade, then thread on skewers before grilling. It’s a fun and unique way to cook. And kids love sticks that may poke an eye out at any time.
Truly, no matter how you make this, it’s a winner. The perfect easy chicken dinner, you will have it on repeat well into the cooler months. I promise.
Peace, love, and grace for the hard days,
Meg
The BEST Lemon Rosemary Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts (or thighs)
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper (each)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Directions
- Step 1 Combine all ingredients except chicken in a large gallon-sized ziploc bag. Squish to combine.
- Step 2 Add chicken and seal, pushing out all the air as you close.
- Step 3 Shake the bag to make sure all chicken pieces are coated with marinade.
- Step 4 Refrigerate for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.
- Step 5 Remove from bag and discard remaining marinade.
- Step 6 Grill or saute until cooked through.
- Step 7 ENJOY!
Welcome to BurntToast! My name is Meaghan, and this is my safe space, a place where we can share stories, share recipes and share life. It’s my dream that you can come here, kick your shoes off and pour yourself a glass of wine while you read, laugh, and maybe even hop into the kitchen. This is my heart, for all of you to see. And ALL are welcome here.