Boys to Men

The excitement around here was palpable this weekend. After counting down for months the big day had finally arrived – Liam and Dylan turned four. Our little guys are growing up!

We started the day off with a run to the bagel shop for birthday bagels. And the fun continued with presents from mommy & daddy and older bro. Although Brian and I imagined our presents would be torn open with screams of joy – Matthew totally upstaged us. When Liam and Dylan saw what was inside the little packages Matthew had meticulously wrapped they could barely contain their excitement. I guess nothing can compare to getting a rock from your older brother. Who needs Amazon anyway? Next year, it is dirt and leaves for everyone!

When I asked the boys what they wanted for their birthday dinner it was unanimous. Chicken Sticks! Translation: chicken kebabs… I added peppers to the mix and let them pick their own colors at the store. Liam chose green, Dylan the red. Including them in the decision process is a great way to get them to eat some veggies, so fingers crossed. And adding a pointy sword-like stick to dinner always goes over well.

Ingredients:

1/3-cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)

2 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 tsp salt1/2 tsp black pepper

2 Lbs boneless, skinless, chicken thighs

2 large peppers (insert your favorite vegetable here), seeded, cut into 1” pieces

15-18 wood skewers

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine lime juice, honey, olive oil, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper. (Marinade can be made ahead and refrigerated)

Cut chicken into roughly 1” chunks and place in a shallow baking dish. Pour marinade over the chicken and turn pieces to coat evenly.  Cover and place into refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.

Note: If you choose to do white meat for the chicken I would suggest putting peppers on a separate skewer. The cooking times of the meat and peppers will vary and the meat may dry out.

Prepare grill to medium-high heat. Soak wooden skewers in water while grill is heating.  Thread chicken and pepper onto skewers and brush with olive oil. Grill kebabs until chicken is cooked through and charred in spots and peppers are tender. Turn skewers occasionally, approximately 12-15 minutes per side.

Transfer to plate and serve with rice and lime wedges.

And the VERDICT is:

Matthew (age 5): “Why couldn’t you just make chicken?”

Liam (age 4): “Rice please. When I am six I will eat peppers…”

Dylan (age 4): “I’m just eating the chicken”

For the record, Matthew did eat three skewers, peppers and all!

Visit my blog for more kid-friendly recipes: House of Bedlam