Welcome to May 2022. I cannot believe four months have already flown by, and we are finally looking at warmer months and more outdoor cooking opportunities.
May 1st is also the international worker’s day, aka when many countries remember workers’ historical struggles and gains—also known as Labour Day in the US, which occurs on the first Monday in September.
Bring out the red banners, your worker boots, and march the streets to show solidarity with your brothers and sisters in the oppression of your rights!
Socialist Workers Party
On that day, you see an influx of people who either want to promote the socialist values actively or join to party. It is historically linked with the Communist party and other left-aligned socialist groups. Not my cup of tea, but I respect their right to protest.
Talking about red. What do you think of my “new” phone that I just got installed in my office?
It reminds me of the older movies where the president had a red phone connected to Moscow. You always see it in James Bond movies as the leaders catch up on political and critical issues.
Perhaps someone should call Putin on the red line to end this madness!
Mid Week Rock
A very good friend invited me to a rock (metal) concert last week. I usually don’t party on a school night, but I’m happy to make an exception at times. We only live once, and hanging out with great people is essential.
I normally don’t travel far to see a concert, but when I do, I go to Jersey City to experience The Sword!
I wasn’t sure what to expect, but we headed to Jersey City for a packed rock evening with three bands at White Eagle Hall, where The Sword was the headliner.
WEH is a beautiful venue in a lovely part of Jersey City. It looks recently renovated and with excellent facilities, staff, and good sound.
Honestly, I had no idea who any bands were, but I was utterly impressed by The Sword. The band has been around since 2003 and started in Austin, TX.
While some might disagree, I believe they are a solid rock/metal band and not a heavy metal band. They have a unique sound, but still the traditional rock chords, distortion, and a four-person band; lead guitarist, vocal/rhythm guitar, bass, and the drummer.
Some of their earlier tracks are inspired by warriors, myths, and battles. Perfect for the style of music and not uncommon for many rock/metal bands.
It was a pleasure witnessing The Sword live, and I’m certainly a fan of their music. Well done, lads, and until we meet again!
Cheat Meal Planning
I’m determined to make delicious food for my family and attempt to try cuisines worldwide.
Funnily enough, when the family traveled to Lourdes, France, a few years ago, she ate EVERYTHING and even licked the plate. She claims that she loves French food. So, time to test her resolve.
This week’s theme is French-inspired dishes that are simple to make yet packed with flavors. And not Michelin-star restaurant recipes that I can only master after being an apprentice in a Parisian kitchen.
Our youngest daughter is slowly turning into a slightly picky eater. She eats most things, but sometimes she eats the meat and not the sides. Other times she might only eat the side. But then, suddenly, it is too spicy or has an odd taste.
I completed the meal plan and grocery shopping early Saturday morning while taking my oldest Viking offspring to her horseback riding. My son helped with the groceries, although he was not too impressed with doing zigzag through the supermarket.
I’m going full out here and even baked traditional baguettes for the school lunches. The baking process takes time, as some bread needs to rise for 12-18 hours. I mixed the bread ingredients Saturday evening, so it would be ready to bake Sunday afternoon while I was meal prepping.
In addition, I made a country-style loaf on the Traeger, which is fantastic.
I wanted some dishes that I could make at home and use simple ingredients found locally. That’s the whole point of my meal planning adventure. There’s no point in creating dishes that you need to go specialty shopping to cook excellent food.
So, I selected a couple of chicken dishes and a beef stew.
The nice part of cooking French-inspired recipes is that they often use wine. With the proper planning, the chef will end up with 1-2 glasses of wine leftover, which is always appreciated.
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.
| Lunch | Dinner | |
| Monday | Jambon Beurvre | Bueuf Borguignon |
| Tuesday | Chevre tomato avec mozzarella et herbs de provence | Steak frites w/ bearnaise |
| Wednesday | Pan Baqnat | Cog au vin |
| Thursday | Croque monsieur on country loaf | Chicken gordon blue |
| Friday | Mozzarella and pesto on a potato roll | Traeger night |
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 in preparing the meals during the weekend.
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