Life's a Beach

I received a magazine in the mail recently and I absolutely laughed my way through it. Know why? Because it was a swimsuit catalog. Oh yes. The dreaded swimsuit season is here.

What cracks me up is the way the women look in that magazine. Most of them are about the size of a pretzel stick, about as smooth as creamy peanut butter, sitting in a pile of palm fronds or pouting their lips while kneeling in the surf, covered in a bikini the size of a tube sock tied with dental floss, and boobs that could be used as flotation devices all on their own.

Seriously, in my life, I've never been the size of a pretzel stick, I'm more about the size of a pretzel twist, about as smooth as a bowl of peas, and never in my life have I sat in palm fronds at the beach. Who does that? And have you ever tried kneeling in the surf? Honey, that sand just washes away, I'd sink so fast, you'd think the USS Iwo Jima had just set anchor.

When it comes to shopping for a swimsuit...let's just say, I'd much rather shop for a cheeseburger. After amusing myself with dozens of suits in the funhouse mirror of the department store that awkwardly highlights all of my imperfecions, I took to the internet in search of the perfect suit and I have to say, I found a lot that were perfect. Now, I'm not a plus size momma, but curvy...indeed. I found a site called Always for Me, that targets the curvy and the plus size beauties. Now even the smallest size is still too big, but I am in love with the suit I chose. It's like a swimming bedsheet. Not really. I feel comfortable and not the least bit self conscious. So....I'm welcoming summer with open arms! I thought there must be others that need to know about this wonderful site! You're welcome.

Well, it appears that the summer is officially here. Yippee!!!! We took a Subway picnic (EAT FRESH), packed a cooler of cold drinks, some brightly colored beach towels, a little SPF 5000, and we were all set! Temps in the warm 80s. And the long holiday weekend was ours to enjoy. We spent the day basking in the sunnyshine by the salty waters of the Chesapeake Bay hoping to evade the crowds of heinous families toting wagons full of inflatable monkeys and tube floats. Operation=Success!!

After the sun soaks its last bit of energy from your veins, it's nice to come home to a dinner that's been cooking in the crock. This time I was in the mood for Chicken Costa Verde. This marinade is also great for beef and you can use any cooking method you like. It's great on the grill, oven baked, pan fried, or slow cooked. Enjoy!!
Chicken Costa Verde
Marinade:
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flake
1 small can diced green chilis
2 tablespoons liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Splash of vinegar

Place the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, parsley, black and red pepper into a mixing bowl. Whisk in the chilis, liquid smoke, lime juice, vegetable oil, cilantro, and vinegar until evenly blended.

To use the marinade, pour into a resealable plastic bag, and add 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of meat. Squeeze out the excess air, seal, and marinate in the refrigerator 4 to 6 hours before cooking as desired.