This week will be a little subdued in regards to meal planning or a country-themed approach.
I’m heading to Boston on a business trip and will be away until Wednesday evening.
It is good to test the family’s ability to fend for themselves, although I still wrote the meal plan, giving them some direction. I premade as much as I could. I’m not a cold bastard and will always help my family.
The past weekend was too hot for the pale Viking, topping 34C / 93F. It was so hot that when you stepped out of the AC-cooled house, it felt as if you had entered an open-air sauna.
Saturday was my personal “spa” day, where I also visited my barber and set up a tattoo session. Part of my bucket list before turning 50 years old is to finish my tattoo sleeves on both arms. One arm (right) is 100% done, but the left arm is only 70% complete.
Spending time with my barber and tattoo buddies is like therapy. We talk about everything from faith to heavy metal and everything in between. It is a great way to clear out some thoughts you have been building up, and I see these as valuable mental strengthening.
Many of these professions have a positive impact on mental health. They can talk to every client and make it a more wholesome experience. I value that.
Nothing fancy
Indeed, nothing fancy on the menu this week.
Planning and shopping for this week’s meal plan are relatively straightforward. The family enjoys simple dishes when I’m away, and I know they are not comfortable cooking themselves.
We used some left-over grilled chicken for the pesto mozzarella sandwich, hard-boiled a few eggs, and I got to play with my Blackstone griddle grilling a few excellent breakfast sandwiches.
For dinner, I have a few ideas for some simple meals. First, my wife makes a fabulous (kids’ favorite) pasta dish with corn and spinach. Next, we defrosted some chicken soup, and I bought a couple of bags of dumplings – the family loves dumplings.
Once I return to the domicile Wednesday evening, I’ll prepare a few meals for the school lunch, and then we wrap up the week with a BBQ feast.
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 | Chicken pesto and mozzarella on a ciabatta | Spaghetti with corn and spinach |
| Tuesday | Breakfast sandwich; egg, beef/pork patty, and grilled/melted cheese | Left-over; chicken soup |
| Wednesday | Egg sandwich | Dumpling feast |
| Thursday | Black bean and quinoa salad | Shrimp and Salmon teriyaki fried rice |
| Friday | Pesto pasta with salmon pieces | Family grilling on the Traeger |
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.
Stay in touch with me through social media!