Budgeting is a huge part of our family life, as we try to know and be intentional about where our money is going. I love budgeting because I know exactly how much money is spent in each category of my life, and I can choose to save or spend more in each of those categories depending on what is valuable to me. It is knowing where my money is that gives me power!

I am constantly appalled at how much money goes toward the grocery budget. I don’t feel like I eat well enough to merit the percentage of income we spend on food. So, I decided to cut my grocery budget by 25% and really get intentional about meal planning and using up the food we buy. I’m in the habit of buying boneless skinless chicken breast at Costco, so I always have it on hand and it’s what I’m used to using. But with my budget cuts I have been buying chicken thighs, which is a huge savings, and it has been a much easier transition than I anticipated. Thighs take a little time to trim, but the meat is richer, takes on marinades better and is overall very delicious and easy on the wallet!

I searched Pinterest for chicken thigh recipes and found this gem! Grilled Hawaiian Chicken is nothing short of amazing. Fit for a quiet night at home, or a 4^th of July party with 30+ people! The meat is so flavorful, tender and bright, it is one of my very favorite summer meals. It’s easy to cook up too!

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Here is what you’ll need:

• 2-3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• 1 cup pineapple juice

• 1 cup soy sauce

• 2/3 cup brown sugar, light or dark

• 1 tablespoon freshly grated or finely minced ginger (or use ginger paste)

• 6 cloves garlic, finely minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)

Start by putting your chicken thighs in a gallon-size ziploc bag. Then whisk together the rest of the ingredients for the marinade- pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic until the brown sugar. Pour half of the marinade over the chicken in the bag so the chicken is evenly coated. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 4-24 hours. Be sure to save the other half of the marinade in the refrigerator!

Once you’re ready to eat, fire up the grill to medium or medium high. Back inside, heat up your reserved marinade to a simmer, for 5-10 minutes, to thicken. With the grill hot, cook up the chicken for about 8 minutes per side, until the meat reaches 165 degrees at its thickest part. During the final minutes of cooking, baste the chicken with your simmered marinade. You can serve the chicken thighs with more warm sauce on the side, along with cilantro or coconut rice! Believe me, this will be one of your best meals this summer. Enjoy!