Chicken is marinated in a deliciously sweet and tangy combination of honey, lemon, apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard. The result is juicy grilled chicken that will quickly become your new summertime favorite.

---

It’s been a hot minute since I have been in this space. I created this blog to have an outlet, an area that was all mine, where I could do the things that I enjoy – cooking, writing, photography and spending time with my boys in the kitchen.

In the past couple of months, this blog has been a welcome distraction. But, these past few weeks of turmoil in Minneapolis (and around the country) have made me pump the brakes.

After taking some time to listen, learn and self-reflect, I have come to the conclusion that it’s just not enough to quietly be non-racist. I have committed to speaking up. Even if I might say the wrong thing. Even if it might be uncomfortable.

As I read several mother’s stories about raising black children (specifically boys), it struck me how early they talked to their sons about racism. About the color of their skin and it’s impact on their lives.

These stories stopped me dead in my tracks. I realized that the thought of talking to my boys about the color of their skin never crossed my mind. Up until this point, I had never thought about how the color of their skin would impact their lives.

THIS is white privilege and I acknowledge that I have it. This is why I am committed to speaking up. Through my privilege, I can help to end systemic racism.

It’s important for me to have this conversation with my boys. About race. About racism. About white privilege. About using our white privilege to amplify those voices that cannot be heard.

I know I created this space to talk about food, but I’m also a human who knows we need to do better; I need to do better. Black Lives Matter. They did yesterday, they do today and they will tomorrow.

While difficult to segway back to food and recipes, this is something that I feel passionately about and I wanted to take the time to publicly address it.

Distance learning is FINALLY done (parents can I get an “Amen!!!!”) and summer is in full swing. You know what that means? It’s grilling season!!!

I absolutely love grilling (well, I should rephrase that to say I love when I prep something and Matt grills it)! There are so many reasons why I love grilling season. I love the flavor that grilling imparts to food. I love that the dinner mess stays outside. But, I think most of all, I love that grilling season means warm weather (in MN at least)!

Sweet & Tangy Chicken Marinade

Everybody needs a good standby chicken marinade. This sweet and tangy marinade is my favorite. You get notes of sweetness from the honey and brown sugar. That sweetness is perfectly balanced by the tartness from the vinegar, lemon and Dijon mustard. At your next BBQ, give this marinade a try. You will NOT be disappointed!

Honey Dijon Lemon Marinade Ingredients

• boneless skinless chicken breasts
• olive oil
• Dijon mustard
• apple cider vinegar
• lemon
• honey
• brown sugar
• garlic
• salt and pepper

Grilling Chicken Breasts

When you are grilling chicken (or cooking it any way for that matter), you want to ensure that all of your chicken breasts have an even thickness. This allows for all of the chicken to cook evenly and to finish cooking at the same time.

You can either slice the chicken breasts to ensure even thickness, or you can pound them to an even thickness. Either way, just make sure they are all the same thickness!

Tips for Involving Kids

• Have them help you measure out all of the ingredients and stir to combine.
• Let them help you keep an eye on the grill (Will loves telling Matt when he thinks the chicken is done)!
• There is always going to be a mess when you cook with your kids but, like my little guy Will says, “It’s okay Mom, chefs make messes and then they clean it up.” Have fun cooking with your kids!!