Spring is here! It’s time to cook over the fire again. I can’t wait!
The last few days have led me to a mad rush to prepare our outdoor areas for a hopefully fantastic spring and summer. I love hanging out on our deck or by the fire pit, enjoying delicious meals cooked over the fire. There’s something special about food cooked on the grill or fire pit.
Since I extended our deck last summer and fall, I’m not starting a second deck project to optimize my outdoor cooking options. I’m building a 10 x 12 (feet) pergola in a rustic theme, with galvanized sides and roof, so my Blackstone Griddle and Traeger are protected from the elements, and I can cook in an excellent cover in case it rains.
I will attempt to document the journey of building a pergola from scratch and hope it resembles the picture I have in my head.
Having an outdoor kitchen where I can prepare and cook meals will be fantastic. I have access today, but it is not easily accessible from the house, and now I get an excuse to build a small bar next to my BBQ stations. It is a win-win.
Starring at the Sun
As you would’ve read last week, our welcome to the US in 2011 consisted of a few freak weather and disasters that made us rethink why we moved to the US.
About ten days ago, an earthquake in the NJ, NY, PA, and CT areas rocked our houses and elevated the sense of doom. The end of the world proclamation was enhanced when we, a few days after the earthquake, experienced the solar eclipse.
Our area was on the eclipse’s path, although we would only experience a 93.3% eclipse.
The anticipation was immense in our area. New York state was handing out free eclipse glasses ripped from the shelves. We did not get glasses from the various outlets, but we were lucky to get two pairs from our son’s school.
In true Viking spirit, I was going to craft a few eclipse glasses from old DVDs until I read that we cannot use DVDs. I have some obscure recollection that we used DVDs in the past, but I guess not. Perhaps that explains my poor vision!
Using the proper solar eclipse glasses makes it impossible to see anything, so walking around was tricky, trying to find the sun with the clouds and trees covering the sky.
I want my money from the New York State tax as clouds obscured my solar eclipse. We did not get the advertised 93.3% eclipse; in actuality, we only achieved a 92.4% eclipse, and the overall experience was lackluster. Perhaps New York State can refund me a few bucks.
I believe that the states and areas with a total 100% eclipse had a fantastic experience. Looking at the pictures and videos shared, it was spectacular.
Week Sixteen (candles) Meals
Do you see what I did? Sixteen Candles. In case you are of the younger crowd, it is a great, fun, teenage love movie from the 1980s.
In the spirit of making things from scratch, I continue to cook as much as possible, limiting our consumption of premade bread and other food. Homemade food tastes better. It’s a fact!
The biggest challenge with meal plans is finding suitable meals I can make during the weekend, store them in the fridge or freezer, and then reheat during the week.
I spend many hours looking for delicious dinner and lunch ideas throughout the week, scrolling through the internet pages, social media, and all my cookbooks.
Each meal has to be relatively simple to make, be packed with flavors, and offer a variety of meat such as chicken, beef, and seafood.
School Lunches
We receive the weekly school lunch from our kids’ schools, and while they have improved, I can guarantee they are less healthy. It’s fast food in disguise. I question the ingredients and additives in the food being offered at schools.
I have to provide my kids with healthier meals, even if it means I have to cook more.
Last week, I experimented with making oat and banana muffins. They were a success, so I made a fresh batch for the kids’ snack bag – and perhaps a few for me to bring to work.
This week, I made a few delicious lunches.
Using our quarter cow, which we bought from a local farm late last year, I turned some shredded beef into a Philly cheesesteak mix. I added green pepper and onions and spiced them up with spices from my friends at Fragout Flavor.
I whipped up a few locally grown eggs with some almond milk and oregano and filled the egg mixture into a muffin tray. Half was added with green pepper pieces, and the other half stuffed with tomatoes. Then, I sprinkled grated cheese on top and baked them.
To make their lunch even better, I baked a large loaf of bread on the Traeger, sliced it, and made sandwiches with homemade tuna/cucumber salad and a cheese-crusted Hawaiian melt.
Lastly, I wrapped grilled chicken thighs and avocado slices into a tortilla.
Dinner Time
We are attending several concerts this week, but I want to make nice dinners. Just because we have activities does not mean we can’t eat well. While I love some French fries and chicken burgers from the venues, they are not good for my summer body ambitions.
Anyway, I made three dinners from scratch and then used some ham I smoked two weeks ago to make delicious Danish soul food. It’s called biksemad, a dish we often ate as kids in Denmark. You pan-sear some meat and potato in a large pan with onions and serve it with an egg on top. Simple but excellent.
We will enjoy a pan-seared cod fillet with a bean mixture on Monday evening.
When my wife and I attend a concert midweek, we’ll leave the kids with chicken basil with rice.
I butterflied and stuffed a pork loin with greens, cream cheese, and sundried tomatoes, then seared and grilled it until the internal temperature reached 145F.
When I hang out with Judas Priests on Friday, the family will enjoy pork loin.
Meal Prep Party Pictures
Meal Plan
| Lunch | Dinner | |
| Monday | Sourdough bread with tuna and cucumber salad | Pan Seared Cod fillet with Kidney Beans |
| Tuesday | Breakfast egg muffins | Danish Soul Food – Biksemad |
| Wednesday | Philly Cheesesteak Bowl | Basil Chicken in Curry Sauce with Rice |
| Thursday | Crusty Cheesy Hawaiian Melt | Concert, Burgers, and Pizza |
| Friday | Avocado and Chicken Wrap | Stuffed Pork Loin with Roasted Baby Potatoes |
One day, I might get so organized that I will link the meals below to my recipes. We can only live in hope!
Have a fantastic week, my friends. I hope you enjoy these meal plans. It is much easier to make food in advance, although you must invest several hours preparing meals during the weekend.
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