“Hanging out at the beach with a Jersey Mikes sub is one of our favorite things to do during summer,” shared Liz Martinell. “We moved out to Florida in 2020, and we settled in Pensacola. It was the best decision we ever made! The beaches and weather are amazing! We love it here, people are so nice and sweet — we have made great friends here!”
Liz married Jordan in 2009, and together, they have one daughter, Ava (11). Jordan is retired from the Air Force, and Liz works at Lipscomb Elementary as a Kindergarten and First-Grade Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Teacher.
This summer, the Martinell family has been enjoying every second of their time together.
“We were finally able to reset and relax this summer — but ugh, it did fly by,” shared Liz, a self-proclaimed lover of all things humid, hot, and sunny. “We were able to go to the beach on random weekdays — which was so nice. We spent a lot of time together, having conversations and just hanging out. I loved that, especially having a pre-teen and being able to talk to her a lot more.”
This month, as Liz and Ava head back to school, getting organized is a big priority. Liz utilizes meal plans each week and ensures she pulls that crockpot out to help with dinner many weeknights.
“Being a teacher is a lot of fun. I love working with kids, and I have great co-workers,” Liz said. “It is hard work, though, when you come home and have to still care for your family and take care of home duties. When I am organized and getting enough sleep, it makes the week a lot less stressful.
One of Liz’s favorite go-to meals is an easy and budget-friendly Air Fryer Chicken Drumstick recipe. During the summer and fall seasons, this chicken dish graces their dinner table often, served with their favorite sides of herbed skillet potatoes, elote Mexican street corn, and a Caesar salad.
“Dinner time for us is either eating at our dinner table or outside on the patio. During the summer, we even have a special tradition for this meal — we decorate our patio area where we eat,” Liz explained. “We’ll add flowers, a special tablecloth, napkins, plates, and cups. We’ll play music and just enjoy dinner and our little family.”
Liz loves to cook, and because of this, eating at home happens almost every night. She enjoys it most when Ava is in the kitchen with her, learning “mommy’s recipes”.
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, optional*
- 2 lbs. chicken drumsticks, about 5-6 pieces
- 1 ½ Tbsp olive oil
Directions:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF.
- Combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
- Place the chicken drumsticks in a separate bowl and drizzle the oil over the top.
- Sprinkle the prepared seasoning over the drumsticks, then toss until they’re evenly coated in oil and spices.
- Place the seasoned drumsticks in the air fryer basket in a single layer, making sure no pieces overlap.
- Air fry for 12 minutes on the first side. Flip the drumsticks over and air fry for another 10 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 175°F.
- Serve hot with your favorite sides!
*Recipe from www.budgetbytes.com
*Side Dish Recipes
- Herbed Skillet Potatoes – https://www.jessicagavin.com/skillet-potatoes-garlic-herb/#wprm-recipe-container-46801
- Elote Mexican Street Corn –https://www.isabeleats.com/wprm_print/elote-recipe-mexican-street-corn
