The Only Chicken Marinade You'll Need All Summer

This ultra simple marinade makes the BEST grilled chicken and works in any dish!

You're probably not going to believe me. I'm not sure if I'd believe it either, had I not tried it first. But this is, hands down no questions, the BEST marinade for grilled chicken on the face of the planet. What I like best about it is that is just makes the chicken taste GOOD. Not like anything in particular, just really flavorful. You could make this and add it to just about anything - top off a Greek salad with this grilled chicken, make it the main dish with a veggie side, or add it to this lemon-thyme pasta salad recipe I created a few weeks ago. It's so simple with only three ingredients, and just makes a great, flavorful chicken breast! (Or thigh or whatever piece of poultry you might have.)

What I like best about this marinade is it's simplicity. It's literally three ingredients. I think the simplicity is what makes it so good, and clearly what makes it so versatile. There's enough acidity in it to soften the meat, enough fat to add flavor and enough garlic to add taste, while none of these three things overpowers the other. My mom is the one who taught me this recipe. She said, "Oh, I have the best recipe for grilling chicken!" When she showed me what was in it, I was doubtful. And then I tried it.

One of the biggest things with this recipe is a charcoal grill. Now, of course you can make it on a gas grill, but why for the love of anything holy anyone uses a gas grill is beyond me! Unless you're using a gas grill with wood chips for smoke flavor. Then, ok, I get it. But other than that, I'll just cook the chicken on my fancy gas range and save me the trouble! Gas grills offer no flavor! This is the one we have. It's under $100 and holds more than enough meat and veggies for our family of four, and even for our family of 6 when our parents are in town. You just can't beat that price point and the flavor the charcoal adds to your food!

So now that we've established I'm anti-gas grilling, here's the super duper simple recipe:

The Only Chicken Marinade You'll Need All Summer

- 2 garlic cloves, peeled

- 1 lime, juiced (2 if it's not very juicy or if you're grilling more meat)
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste

Peel the garlic by using the flat side of a large knife "smashing" it with your palm. Don't chop up the garlic any more; small garlic chunks burn on the grill and turn really bitter. Juice the lime(s) with a juicer (these things are so great! My mom brought me it and I thought I'd never use it. Wrong, I use it all the time). Add the olive oil.

Salt and pepper your chicken breasts (or other cut/poultry meat) and add to the marinade. Let sit for at least an hour. If marinading for longer, place back in the fridge. I personally like to let it sit for 2-3 hours so the acid from the limes can soften the meat. Grill until just done (length depends on climate and thickness of the chicken) and let rest for 5 minutes before serving or slicing.

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Enjoy! This versatile marinade is the only one you'll need for any dish, all summer grilling season long. Add it to salads, pastas, quinoa dishes or grill up some veggies and have it as the main dish. Delicious.

Currently

I wrote this weekend update post on our Easter shenanigans, but it's been a hot minute since I just broke it down and told y'all the happenings and life stories around here, no restrictions to just a holiday weekend. So this is what's been going down lately. Actually, in all honesty, I wanted to have the world's BEST chicken marinade recipe for you today, but it's been nonstop storming, hailing, cold and generally terrible in Dallas and I wasn't able to grill outside to get it all photographed purty for you. Hopefully that will make it to the blog Thursday! Honestly, it's so good and goes with whatever you're making.

Watch for that post, but in the interim, here's life:

POTTY TRAINING:
Is a fu**ing nightmare. I think some kids just get it and others need to be asked if they want to sit on the potty 30 times a day. My child is the latter. Plus, he'll never actually go for me. We'll sit and hang out and nada. But he'll go for our nanny and he only uses the toilet at school. In fact, I'm going to buy him some underwear to wear to school, he's doing so well there! Which will likely mean he'll pee all over my car on the way there or home. Sigh. He's three next month y'all. And I get to do all of this again in 6-12 months with Otto. Oh, the joy.

Trying to potty train the one with the cowlick

WEARING:
Natural deodorant! Yes, I found one that works - this one! And not just the day you shower and apply it. This stuff works after 3+ days of no shower, 3+ days of hot yoga/barre workouts, and 3+ days of pushing a double stroller to a park 7 blocks away up some of the steepest hills in Texas in 90 degree heat. So, I'd say it's a complete winner! I got the lime and Bergamot scent because I was sold at the word "lime." I mean, have you seen this post, this post or this post? LEMONSSSS AND LIMESSSSSSSS.

Unsurprisingly, I'm also wearing nonstop "athleisure" attire. Even though I shouldn't be yoga pants clad, as you'll see in my next point. But y'all, these yoga pants are the BEST. High waisted to tuck everything in, the material breathes so they're not hot, and the length can be worn with literally any shoe. Amazing.

SLACKING:
On my workouts. I'm only doing yoga or barre and only 4 times a week. I'm just not feeling anything hardcore, which is perfect because it's already bikini season here *face palm*

WATCHING:
Nada. It's like everything is in between seasons right now. Little Big Lies was great, but ended a few weeks ago. House of Cards is coming out super late this year (May 17, FYI!) I haven't heard anything about OITNB coming back for another season. GoT usually comes out in April and nope, not this year. Home Town, on HGTV, is kinda cute but the wife also kinda really annoys me with the "trying to be cute" faces she makes, so I'm not 100% sold on that one. What are y'all watching that's good? I'm not super into TV, but I do like to have one show that I consistently watch and can get into weekly.

How we spent last summer. Awwww, baby Otto!

THINKING:
"Ohhhhh crap whyyyyyyyyyyy" because we only have three weeks until school is out for the summer. Three weeks until I have to get pretty creative on what we do all afternoon, because it's just too hot to walk to the park but the splash pad isn't open yet. Beeteedubs, why don't the pools and splash pads open up earlier here? They open up on the same dates as they do in Minnesota, and it's blazing hot here. C'mon Texas. Wadupwitdat?

I'm starting to make up words, so I better end this writing sesh while I'm ahead. That's what's going on currently over here! Hope y'all are Monday'ing hard and have wonderful weeks.

When You Just Need A Break

Parents regularly need breaks they can't get. Here's how to sneak in a little you time!

This post is sponsored by Cafe Breaks. All opinions are my own.

I can't tell you how many times I just needed a few moments to myself. Maybe the kids were fighting over the same toy for a bit too long and had me playing referee for an hour too many; maybe my husband was on night three of his business trip and I was desperate to go to the bathroom alone for once; or maybe we were having a great day and I was just worn out from playing nonstop. The thing about being a mom is you don't get to run your own schedule. You get up when your kids are up and you come running when you're needed. But sometimes, you just need a little break!

Now that Otto is a little bit older, I feel comfortable leaving him in one room while I go to another. He usually follows me immediately (remember back in the first paragraph about how I often wish I could go to the bathroom alone? Yeah, that's a real thing. A thing that never happens... Oh, to be alone in the bathroom for once! But I digress...) Like I said, he usually follows me, as does Henry, but every so often they're so engrossed in whatever they're doing that I can catch a moment to myself. Those are always great moments for a breather.

But sometimes, I need a breather when nobody is giving me any space! Moms, I know you all know what I'm talking about. Heck, even if you're not a mom but have a clingy and/or particularly needy dog, you know what I'm talking about. What I do in those moments is escape to my closet. Nope, not even kidding a little bit. It's a large walk in, and wouldn't you know, there's a lock on the inside. Why there's a lock on the inside I'll never know, but I thank the person who put it there! Because I can go and sit amongst my clothes for a few seconds of peace.

If I'm feeling particularly fancy/desperate, I acknowledge that it's time not only for a quick breather, but a fast treat, too. Treat yo'self, right? I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but I've always loved a little chocolate (it's built into the female chromosomes, I swear) and anything with caramel. Cafe Breaks is the perfect fast break treat. It's small enough to consume in a short amount of time (hey, this referee has to get back to her job before all hell breaks loose!) and just the right amount of sweet for a quick treat.

Wanna treat yo self? Check out this awesome sweepstakes!

Gleam code: Café Breaks Spa Weekend with Mom

Smiling in glee because I'm eating pudding by myself in my closet? Oh heck yes.

Being a mom is tough work. It's relentless. And sometimes, you just need a little break! A breather. Some fresh air. Some you time. Whether you lock yourself in a closet like me (there's absolutely no shame in it, I promise you!), you go for a quick walk or you treat yourself to a little something sweet, remember to take time out for yourself.