What a week we had last week. Plenty of exciting activities, and we enjoyed some simple (yet delicious) dishes as part of the meal plan
Just to clarify – I’ve made all the dishes on my meal using recipes I’ve found on the amazing internet world – and adjusted them to suit my dietary preferences.
We began the week with some very good friends, enjoying Labor Day BBQ. Of course, food had to be involved. It is central to many of the activities we do. Food brings us together with family, friends, and new friends.
Food for Thought
During the week, I was invited to participate in a radio show, talking about food (of course).
A local businessman, who happens to be my main meat dealer, hosts a weekly radio show. He invites local chefs, politicians, and restaurant owners on his show to talk about food-related topics.
I was pretty excited being asked to join this show. It is not often that one gets to go on air, and talk to people in NJ, CT, and NY states – reaching a lot of people
Radio show will be shared once the recording has been released.
We had a great conversation about my story, how I worked through heart failure, and used food to help adjust my health. I tried to share why I take an active part in healthy eating, and how important it is for our kids to eat healthier. More importantly, how can we get kids involved in the kitchen.
It’s hard to believe, but I’ve been asked to come back on the show.
9/11 Anniversary
Saturday we observed the 9/11 20th anniversary. It was not a joyous moment as too many people lost their lives in this tragic event. We participated in a local event, reading out the names from our village that we lost that day.
We believe it is important to remember and honor the victims of this day, and also remind our kids of the dark day in history.
Working with the military community
In the last year, I’ve become more involved with a local charity group called ‘Town 4 Troops‘. The main purpose is to help local active military personal and veterans.
Granted, a lot of organization helps our military, but we go the extra mile and host activities for their unit and families.
We basically make food and host events for them, so they settle in better, reduce homesickness, bring new friends together, tailgating, rank advancement, and other social activities that involve food.
This past weekend we hosted a tailgating event for rank advancement at West Point. The Black Knights took on West Kentucky and won.
If you have not had the opportunity to visit West Point, please do. It is a phenomenal site, the museum is amazing, and attending a football game there is fantastic.
They fire real canons when the home team scores, deliver the game ball with a soldier parachuting in with the American flags. SOOOO cool!
On Sunday, we hosted the Iron Chef event, our main fundraiser event for the year. It has been running for eight years. Each competing team comes from a section of the armed forces; Marines, Air Guard, Army, Police, Firefighters, etc.
Last year I participated in the cook-out and came in second. This year I was helping out at the event and was asked to judge Best Burger & side. Not easy to pick a winner from the various creations.
Very busy weekend, but great all together.
Meal planning – leftover delight
Throughout the past many months, I’ve cooked many delicious, and at times not so delicious meals. My ability to calculate portion size is sometimes in question, so we end up with leftovers.
Instead of just throwing out perfectly good food, we freeze it for another evening. It’s always great to have ready-made dishes in the freezer that we can just nuke if needed. Often used when we’ve had a busy day at the office or school.
However, this week I need to clear up space in the freezer, so most meals will be based on left-overs
Btw, please remember to write on the bags or containers which meal is stored inside. I forgot to write on a couple of items, so it’ll be a surprise. Nothing wrong with a few surprises now and then.
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 | Snacks n’ Breakfasts | Lunch | Dinner |
| Monday | Homemade granola bar | Homemade oatmeal buns, with spinach, cheese, and salami | Scandinavian sausage pot with pasta |
| Tuesday | Fruit cups | Tuna salad (homemade of course) wrap | Chili con Carne – turkey style, with soft tacos and white rice |
| Wednesday | Veggie sticks | Oatmeal sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and hardboiled egg | Surprise bag (I forgot to write on the bag!) |
| Thursday | Fruit cups | Chicken salad; corn, grilled chicken, black beans, and shredded cheese | Surprise bag (I forgot to write on the bag!) |
| Friday | Homemade granola bars | Egg and Canadian bacon with spinach sandwich | Most likely BBQ night with the family; meat and salads |
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.
Stay in touch with me through social media!