Adventures in Marinating

Let's start with the finished meal...

(Chicken, Green Beans, Barley & Lentils)

I've never really marinated anything before.  I've always been more of a spur-of-the-moment cook, not so prone to planning things out ahead of time.  And for good reason...

Never marinate anything unless you KNOW exactly when you'll be cooking it. 

I put the chicken in the marinade around lunchtime one day...thinking maybe I would cook it that night?  Didn't end up having time to cook it until the next night.  Let me tell you....leaving chicken in apple cider vinegar for, oh, 30+? hours, maybe longer... really not such a good idea.  I mean, the marinade was a good idea. Apple cider vinegar, some Jack Daniel's Mustard, garlic powder, various herbs...should have been pretty yummy.  But...after all that time?  I baked the chicken...served it up...ate it...and all I could taste was vinegar.  That chicken had waaaayyyyy too much time to soak it up.  I should probably save marinating for a stretch of days when I'm NOT working.  So I have no excuse not to cook it after letting it soak for LESS than 24 hrs.  Maybe less than 12.  Man, that vinegar taste was strong.

 Gotta cut it open to make sure it's cooked all the way through.  How else can you be sure?

Looks so yummy...