We start this week by celebrating Pentecost, or ‘Pinse’ as we call it, in my native Viking land of Denmark. The old Vikings were Pagans, but as they conquered the more Christian regions like Ireland and England, they started to appreciate and adopt Christianity. The awesome Danish (& Norwegian) Viking king Harald Blåtand (aka Harald Bluetooth) started. And completed most of the Pagan transformation to Christianity.
A fearless dude from England, a Franciscan monk, attempted to convert Swedish Vikings in 830, but they had little or no interest. The missionaries were forced to flee. The Order’s followers came back in 930 to try again. They were more successful.
The Christian Day of Pentecost is celebrated on the 50th day (the seventh Sunday) from Easter Sunday. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem celebrating.
Most Danes are no longer active Christians. Churches across the kingdom are often empty, yet Danes happily pay church tax as part of their income to fund the Lutheran Churches. A tiny group of Danes will attend Sunday mass or other important Christian events. On the flip side, they observe all the holidays that come with the religion; Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, Ascension Day, and a few more events.
Many couples still get married in a church, get the kids baptized and confirmed, and most will depart from this earth at a church funeral.
I wonder if the younger generations even know the meaning and history of many traditionally Christian holidays? For them, it is just another day off work or school. We need to teach our kids the stories behind these important dates. Not to force them into the church, but to ensure that they understand and appreciate these holidays.
Time to talk about food
This week’s meal marks the beginning of a different diet, removing as much carb as possible for 3/5 of the family and still having some nice family dinners. I will be making my usual healthy dishes but substitute some ingredients with even healthier alternatives. Instead of rice, we will be consuming quinoa and coconut cream instead of heavy cream. Hopefully, it’ll be nice.
Fire up the Traeger. Ready your Dutch oven. Go shopping, and let’s start cooking—another Sunday in the Kitchen with music on the magical Demerbox and wonderful aromas filling the room.
| Weekday | Lunch | Snacks | Dinner |
| Monday | Brioche sandwiches with roast beef, lettuce, and boiled egs. | Homemade popcorn | Pork loin in mustard sauce served with quinoa and boiled beans |
| Tuesday | Deep pan pizza (on the Traeger, of course) | Fruit cups | Grilled salmon with quinoa, tomato, feta, and olives |
| Wednesday | Pizza buns (on the Traeger, of course) | Granola bars | Lemon chicken with steamed asparagus and cauliflower rice |
| Thursday | Cesar salad with grilled chicken | Fruit cups | Quiche fiesta; spinach & mushrooms, and ham & cheese |
| Friday | More fluffy buns with shrimp and egg salad | Granola bars | Spicy chile tomato soup with shrimp and sausages |
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 so much easier to make food in advance, although you need to invest several hours during the weekend to prepare the meals.
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The Viking Heart Within 