Lucky Girl....

 I have been married for 15 years this year and I have to say my husband has really been holding out on me.  It's like he had this 15 year secret locked away and I finally have the password to enter.

Anyone who knows me, I mean really knows me, is aware of my extreme lack of sharing skills in the kitchen.  Simply, I am not good at sharing my space.  It doesn't matter how much I have on my plate or how I feel I will drag my butt in the kitchen when I have to.  On the flip side that area of our home is like my sanctuary.  The female equivalent of a man-cave.

For me cooking is a release. The kneading, whisking, pounding, ripping...try it.  You will see what I mean.  I love to take out my frustrations, anxieties and insecurities on an unsuspecting lump of dough or a tough piece of meat.
  For that moment it is just about me and the meal I am preparing.  I block out the world and focus on that one task at hand.  I feel the same way about vacuuming but that is a story for another time.

So when I came home from work and saw what was laid out for me in the kitchen I was literally brought to tears.  How could he have known that at that moment all I needed was for someone to see that I needed a few minutes of calm.  That I, the one who needs no "caring for", needed someone to pluck me out of that day and say "you need to sit"  He handed me a glass of wine, took my purse and led me to the table.  Tended to my Boys after-school needs and he made me a plate.

I just stared. I had a suspicion that something was up when that morning he sent me a text saying he was going to  have a food surprise for me after school.  I thought maybe he was going to stop by The Flying Cupcake or bring me home some olive oil like he sometimes does.

Now at this point you may wonder why this was all such a big deal to me.  You would have to know about how he just never cooks for me.  That is always my place in the home and I am the one who bestowed that crown.  Maybe I like to be in control...maybe I just like to eat what I want to eat.  I choose to believe the latter :)

But for me, to know that he knew me so well that I didn't even have to tell him that what I needed at that moment on that day was to be forced to be still and quiet was an overwhelming feeling.  He allowed me the peaceful silence that my soul needed.  To be a better mother, wife and person.

My husband made one of my favorite summer grilling marinades.  You can grill skinless split breasts or boneless depending on what you prefer.  Sometimes when we are short on time we just brush the reduced sauce on at the end and skip the marination step.  He used chicken from a local producer.  There is something to be said for knowing where your food comes from and what is in it.  Obviously that is up to you and what your finances dictate.

Who would have known he was such a good and organized cook.  I kind of felt bad that all of these years when he was watching me that he really wanted to join in.  I guess I need to accept that there can actually be 2 cooks in the kitchen !

Grilled Chicken with Watermelon Marinade

5 pounds of bone-in split breast chicken (skin removed) about 6 large pieces
1 small seedless watermelon
12 oz jar of apple jelly
Juice and zest of 1 lime
2 tsp red pepper flakes
salt/fresh pepper to taste


Add about 4 cups of watermelon chunks to a blender and  puree until smooth.  Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl to separate the bits of white seed and remaining pulp.  Discard that and save the "water".

In a saucepan add the entire jar of apple jelly and heat on medium-low.  This just needs to heat and liquefy.  Remove from heat and add the watermelon liquid, red pepper flakes, salt/pepper and lime juice/zest.

Allow this mixture to completely cool.  Add 3/4 of the marinade to a shallow dish along with the chicken.  Refrigerate and allow to marinate for 2 or 3 hours.  Reserve the remaining mixture in the saucepan for later.

Cook the chicken as you prefer (ours was grilled) and discard the marinade the chicken was in.  Return the saucepan of reserved marinade to low heat and simmer until thickened, 5 or so minutes.  Use this to brush over cooked chicken just before you remove from the grill.