Happy Monday – today is actually Father’s Day in Europe, so Happy Father’s Day to all you cool and awesome dads in the European timezone; and elsewhere in the world that celebrates fathers this week.

It’s also the week when I celebrate my birthday. I’ve had plenty of birthdays so for me it is more important to hang out with my family, and less on presents and celebrations. I want to enjoy turning old without being reminded that I’m old.

To that extent, I bought myself a new, used trailer so I can move shit around. Actually, it is so we can transport our bicycles to enjoy more outdoor cycling adventures, given the US is not known for its bicycle-friendly paths and roads.

Helping Friends

It is very rewarding to help others. Even if you are not skilled at a specific task, you can always help lift, move, or provide entertainment.

I work with computers and intangible activities. I’m not a person you would call if you need something complicated done with carpentry, plumbing, landscaping, mechanics, etc. I rely on my friends (knuckleheads) to guide me.

I’ve learned a lot in the past five years by working with my group of knuckleheads. We have a strong group of friends that call each other when we need work done. We get paid in food, comradery, music, and good company.

One of my buddies asked for help redoing his patio deck and posts this past weekend, so the knuckleheads showed up and worked all day. I enjoy hanging out with my friends and don’t mind the hard labor as we have fun too.

Cool School Lunches and Simple Dinners

This week I invested a little more time preparing school lunches for the kids. For the past few weeks, they’ve been “stuck” with quick ‘n easy sandwiches. While it mightn’t bother the kids, it has bothered me as I’m not a huge fan of too much bread.

I made some simple yet fun lunches starting with homemade corn fritters, pigs in blankets, pizza cheese pocket, Caesar salad, and lastly, a hummus with chicken snack box. They love different lunches.

For dinners, we are back to enjoying chicken in two different ways. One meal was made with my favorite heart medication, bourbon, with some easy white rice. The other chicken meal is the drunken noodles.

Kent Rollins inspired me to prepare a slow-cooked cowboy stew with ground beef, sausages, and vegetables. The great thing about stews is that they simmer for 1-2 hours, so once you’ve started the base, the dish looks after itself.

Lunch & Dinner

	Lunch	Dinner
Monday	Corn Fritters with yogurt & garlic dip	Sweet Bourbon Chicken with white rice
Tuesday	Pigs in Blankets with BBQ sauce	Slow-cooked Cowboy Stew
Wednesday	Cheese Pizza Pockets (aka mini Galzone)	Birthday Surprise
Thursday	Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken	Drunken Noodles with Chicken
Friday	Hummus, grilled chicken, and rice	Birthday BBQ Delight

Have a fantastic week, my friends. I hope you enjoy these meal plans. It is much easier to make food in advance, although you must invest several hours preparing meals during the weekend.

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