I have never tired of seafood . . . Until Wed. July 27th. I was at the beach and my daughter and I went out to ride the waves at ten in the morning that had become huge from recent storms. These were the kind of waves that make you laugh nervously and hysterically when you see them coming because you don’t know whether they’re going to clobber you or not!
It was wonderful to share this thrill with my daughter but she didn’t want to leave the water for a minute so by noon I was exhausted from battling the monstrous waves. Just as Maddie and I were finally leaving my son came out in the water and he was so excited about riding the waves himself that I just couldn’t let him down. So I stayed. I knew from the weather report that this was the day for the big waves so we needed to make the most of it!
Finally, around 4 PM a pounding rain drove us off the beach and back to the house. I have never been so completely water logged and physically tired in my life! I had been in the water for about 6 hours straight and felt so salty and soaked that the thought of ingesting anything from the ocean disgusted me, I felt like I had been swallowing seafood all day! So that night we had chicken, it felt so hearty – like being on solid land!
The next day I was rested and back in the water with my wave riding partners. I said to Maddie, “it is funny the difference a day can make.” The seas were calm now with little 2 foot waves rolling in around us. A man a few yards away saw us on our boogie boards waiting for something big to form and asked, “Were you out here for the big waves yesterday?”
I said, “YES, weren’t they incredible!?”
As we all stared intently out to sea, it dawned on me that the only thing we are serious about while at the beach is the waves. I realized how great it is to the leave the world behind for a moment and share in such a joyful – ALL PLAY – purpose with my children.
I hope they cherish the memory of all their days at the beach but especially that fine Wednesday in 2011 when the ocean that we adore put on such a powerful show. It was such a great gift for a few “mountain dwellers” – even if it did temporarily cost me my love of seafood!
So, meet the day full-on wherever you are and enjoy this great “Land Lover” recipe. A few nights of chicken will make you feel you are back on the hard mountain ground!!
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon white sugar
skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into 1 inch cubes
-In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
-Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.
-Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.
