this has to do with feta grits, y'all

I've got to share with y'all a quick recap from our cozy family weekend - mainly because Audrey makes a freaking cute picture [I promise it's coming, Madre]. The week's lack of blogging can be blamed on a somewhat busy week at the office. I even brought a little work home this evening. Where the heck did my I'm-in-college-but-I-don't-do-too-much-homework life go?

Regardless of weekday to-do lists, it's important to me to cook and for our little family of two to eat together when at all possible. We've also had lots of discussions about our desperate need for healthier eating and exercise [more to come on that]. Our newly wedded and in-office sedentary lifestyles have certainly taken their toll since August. Yes, we've heard this post-wedding stage referred to as "fat and happy." We get it, thanks.

So after some slightly painful exercise and serious out-of-shape realizations, we whipped up a dinner of grilled chicken, a whole lot of roasted broccoli, and feta and basil grits. I know. Feta grits doesn't scream, "Eat this and say goodbye to those love handles!" But we didn't eat much. It was really mainly a dinner of broccoli. Really.

I used my parents' easy and awesome go-to chicken marinade [below], that roasted broccoli recipe that is very popular in the blogosphere, and my own little experiment for the feta grits since I have this incredibly beautiful vat of feta cheese [thank you thank you, Sams].


Feta Cheese and Basil Grits
[Note - feel free to add more feta. My husband doesn't like a really strong feta-y taste. Yes, this does put a strain on our marriage.]
1/3 cup instant grits
1 1/3 cup water
Cracked pepper
Salt
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoons dried, crushed basil leaves [or half the amount of fresh]
1/2 cup feta cheese [or more]

Prepare grits with water according to the package. I microwaved the grits and water on high for five minutes. After they are prepared, immediately mix in pepper, salt, olive oil, basil, and feta cheese. Stir until your feta it is fully mix in to the grits. That way, those you are feeding are totally floored by the flavor of what they thought were just plain ol' grits. Totally floored. I mean, if they share my love for this cheese.


Chicken Marinade
1 part Zesty Italian salad dressing
1 part soy sauce
Salt
Pepper

Salt and pepper the chicken to your tastes. Combine the salad dressing and soy sauce in a baking dish [be sure there is enough to almost cover the chicken]. Add chicken. Flop the chicken around so it's covered in the mixture [excuse all the technical lingo]. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Eight is better. We grill on the George because we're newlyweds with a little apartment that doesn't allow you to use a grill on tiny porches.


You're welcome, taste buds. You too, inner thighs.