Generations

Three events that all fell within about a month led to our grand family vacation this year: our recent wedding, my hubby's parents celebrating their wedding anniversary and his grandfather celebrating his birthday. The wheels started turning and a plot to gather us all at the cottage on the lake and have a big party was hatched. And so, in mid-August, we drove for two days and found ourselves on the shores of Lake Waneta. At several points in the stay, there were four generations breaking bread together. It might not happen again, but I really hope it does.

On a sunny Saturday morning during our stay, eighteen chicken halves were procured and parboiled. A tangy marinade for the parboiled chicken was assembled and an entire shelf in the refrigerator was devoted to the soaking poultry. Hours later, it would be grilled and served, potluck-style, alongside creamy potato salad, huge bowls of brightly-colored fruit salad, three-bean salad, deviled eggs, crackers and cheese, and even ceviche! It was an enormous feast and could have easily fed fifty people. Our gathering maxed out at twenty-five, so leftovers were shared with guests and enjoyed for days afterward. And, in the moment, bread was broken with family and friends in a way that's never before been assembled. Stories were shared and laughter could be heard traveling out along the lake. Children played along the shoreline and brought gifts of small rocks and cups of water to adults visiting nearby. The smiles of generations filled the yard along the shoreline. And new memories were created, to be treasured for years to come.

Now, before I get charged with not sharing a recipe, let me tell you a little about the chicken we enjoyed that day. After doing a bit of searching and phone tag, a provider of enough chicken was found. And instead of a standard summer cookout with a red BBQ sauce, a rich, tangy marinade was produced by my mother-in-law. I've not made chicken with an egg-based marinade before, but this one was simple and left us with moist, succulent chicken, even after being parboiled and spending some time on a hot charcoal grill. I'll definitely be using it again and highly recommend it for a good, old fashioned family gathering before the season parts and we are finding less time for such events. Build those memories while you can!