2021 comes to an end – finally. Another shit year in regards to COVID, restrictions, limited travels, and too many hours spent at home.
That said, we did have a great year and made a lot of wonderful new memories.
We made it to Florida a few times. Introduced a new dog to our family. Strengthened bonds with friends. Supported local charity events cooking for the military. And I created a meal plan for each of the 52 weeks in 2021.
At times I struggled to post weekly meal plans. Not because I couldn’t find content or had ideas, but because I wasn’t sure if anybody actually read my posts.
Honestly, it doesn’t really matter if my posts are read or not. I enjoy finding and trying new recipes and hope to inspire my kids to learn how to cook.
Christmas was great
Every year since leaving Denmark, with the exception of 2008 and a few trips to Denmark for Xmas, we have celebrated Christmas as a small family.
I always attempt to make an authentic Danish Christmas dinner, which is a success every year.
- Roasted duck
- Grilled pork sausage
- Pork roast with crackling skin
- White boiled potatoes
- Baby potatoes glazed in sugar
- Red cabbage relish and pickles
- Risalamande with cherry sauce (dessert)
We clean the plates by licking the last bits and relaxing around the TV watching the kids open their presents.
Christmas is about bringing the family together, eating lovely food, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company.
For us, it is less about the gifts and more about the family. As such, we try to keep it less about presents, although we always ensure that our kids get a few nice presents.
The Final Week
After eating too much on Christmas eve, snacking on Christmas cookies, and perhaps a little too much alcohol, I want to keep the meal planning light this week.
I let the family sleep in every day, and they can prepare their own lunch. As such, my main focus is preparing dinners.
Again, let’s keep it simple; left-over TV dinners.
Most meals this week are based on leftovers, simple dishes, and perhaps a little grilling – of course.
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 | Snacks, spreads, eggs, and other do-it-yourself lunch | Left-over Christmas lunch dinner thing; cheese platter, spreads, bread, egg salad, potato salad, and celery sticks. | |
| Tuesday | Snacks, spreads, eggs, and other do-it-yourself lunch | Biksemad; excellent Danish left-over dinner with spuds, pork roast, onions, and easy over eggs. | |
| Wednesday | Snacks, spreads, eggs, and other do-it-yourself lunch | Chicken thighs hot sandwiches with home fries | |
| Thursday | Grilled (over-the-fire) sandwiches, using Ciabatta bread, spreads, American cheese, pesto, and a grilled steak. | Spaghetti with meat sauce | |
| Friday | Snacks, spreads, eggs, and other do-it-yourself lunch | New Years Eve – meeting friends for light grill food, snacks, and plenty of laughs We might have a few beers too, next to the firepit |
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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