Holy Moly! This was a busy week indeed. We certainly felt that we are older, and can no longer survive on 4-5 hours of sleep. Even after a few caffeine shots! For the record, we did not drink alcohol during any of the concerts. We knew that even one beer would amplify the tiredness when driving home, and make the following morning worse.
It was important that my wife had an awesome week, with plenty of concerts. We have been locked up far to long, and getting out to attend some awesome live shows is the perfect cure.
We had date nights Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Each evening was better than the previous concert, although all three concerts were phenomenal evenings. Different music styles, and some decades apart.
I’m so happy that I insist on cooking meals every weekend for the coming week. It means that we have less to worry about, and the kids just have to heat up the dishes. And, we can use some of the leftovers for lunches as well. Win-win 🙂
Two Brothers & a banjo
I was first introduced to The Avett Brothers in 2011, shortly after arriving in the US. A cool dad blogger I became virtual friends with, shared a few of their songs. Soon after I bought an album, and since then have grown my collection further.
They are somewhat an American version of Mumford & Sons, although cooler and with a lot more great songs.
Their music and lyrics are storytelling from their lives, and you can relate to the messages. The music is catching and combines banjo, traditional bass, guitars, drums, keyboard, and excellent vocals.
We had the opportunity to see them live at the TD Pavilion at the Mann in Philadelphia. Great outdoors venue. The perfect setting for this country, rock, and folk band.
They played for about an hour and 45 minutes, and the crowd loved every minute and every song. At times, the audience joined the band and sang along under the starlit sky. We were witnessing a truly awesome concert, with a great band.
The only challenge – we had to drive 2.5 hours each way which meant we would be home well past midnight. I think we pulled into the drive at 12.30, and we had to wake up at 5.30 to get the kids ready for school. Damn, not cool.
A rock legend
Imagine seeing your rock idol in concert, almost 40 years after I first heard his equally iconic song “White Wedding”? It’s hard to believe that Billy Idol has been going strong for 40+ years, and we finally got to see him live.
As he walked on stage, it was clear that a true rock entertainer had emerged on the stage. He had this almost illumination around him, as he engaged and controlled the audience with his lyrics and his interactions. Not many performers have that skill, but Billy Idol does.
He entertained the crowd at this small venue, playing all his greatest hits, and had fun. We had fun! If I look that cool and had his energy levels at 65 years old, then I would be happy. I was still a little drained from the few hours of sleep from our previous night’s adventure.
Billy Idol will entertain you and absolutely worth seeing him if you get the chance.
Whiskey, dogs and Rock (& blues)
Our third concert was none other than the overly cool and calm Chris Stapleton. And, we drove to the beautiful venue of Bethel Woods – the original spot for Woodstock.
Unfortunately, the weather did not want us to have a nice warm fall evening under the skies. No, it was torrential rain most of the day, and while driving to the location.
We actually debated whether we should just turn back, but we had brought ponchos and changing clothes. It was going to be a great night nevertheless, and we continued to the muddy lawns at Bethel Woods.
It ended up being an unforgettable concert with plenty of great tunes rolling through the meadows. The rain actually stopped for a few hours, enough for us to drop the poncho and close the umbrellas.
Beards, 5 decades of rock and a ghost
Our last concert of the week was Sunday evening, again back at the original Woodstock location aka Bethel Woods. No other than ZZ Top were taking the stage.
We brought the kids to our last concert, mainly because tickets were fairly cheap, and also because this was a band that we had to experience as a family. The band has been around for more than five decades, delivering numerous great songs.
Unfortunately, 33% of the band would not be participating in person. Dustin, the iconic long-bearded bass player sadly passed away some months ago.
But, the show went ahead, and they still delivered a solid rock concert. They rocked the “house” for 1.5 hours, and the crowd loved every minute.
For the final song, they added in the voice of Dustin, making it a special ending to the show.
Meal planning – back to cooking
We have a few simple meals on the menu this week, but that does not mean that it is easy to cook, and we can ‘just’ sit back and enjoy the weekend. Heck no! There’s still poultry to grill on my beloved Traeger and a few doughs to mix on the trusty KitchenAid appliance.
I spent a couple of hours in the backyard, by the fire pit, hanging out with my son while we were grilling chicken. We love sitting by the fire listening to cool music.
I’ll be creating a traditional Danish left-over dish called ‘biksemad’. I guess the best translation to that is a mixed dish. It is originally made with potatoes, pork meat, and onion served with an easy-over egg on top. You just cut the potatoes, meat, and onions into small cubes and fry them on the pan with butter. Nothing fancy, but damn delicious.
The rest of the week, except midweek, is Mexican-inspired dishes; Taco Tuesday and my attempt at enchilada in a skillet. Both dishes are easy to make and simple to reheat. Perfect for a relaxing school week.
If we plan ahead, we can create great-tasting dishes that are easy to make and yet packed with plenty of flavors. It is not hard to join the meal plan wagon. All you need is a few hours on the weekend to cook the meals.
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 | Dumplings with soy sauce | Biksemad – traditional Danish left-over dish |
| Tuesday | Fruit cups | Buffalo chicken in a wrap with spinach and celery | Taco Tuesday – shrimps, onions & guacamole |
| Wednesday | Veggie sticks | Egg on a carrot & chia seed bun | Left-over lasagne from last week |
| Thursday | Fruit cups | Shrimp salad on a carrot & chia seed bun | Chicken enchilada skillet |
| Friday | Homemade granola bars | Mini pepperoni pizza | BBQ Galore |
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!