Just a few weeks after celebrating a Pagan Scandinavian ritual, Mid-summer, aka Sankt Hans, we take pride in participating in yet another amazing event – the 4th of July—the US Independence Day.
Before I get into the 4th of July celebration and why it is so important to my family, let’s review a few other fabulous activities that kicked off this patriotic week.
Independence Day. On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence, announcing the colonies’ separation from Great Britain. The Constitution provides the legal and governmental framework for the United States.
Library of Congress
Starting on a High
Because of the upcoming 4th of July, I left work a little earlier on Friday, the 30th of June, and took off Monday, the 3rd of July. It gave me a nice long weekend and plenty of opportunities to make great food over the fire, a super date night, some more food, and a kayaking adventure with the missus. Oh, and I completed my first large outdoor wood project.
Local Food and Drinks
Supporting local businesses, especially breweries, distilleries, and eateries, is vital. And because I was home a little earlier than usual, my wife and I decided to go on a date night to celebrate our 21st year of marriage.
The evening began with visiting a brewery to sample some locally made IPAs and sample food while participating in a table quiz. We are not huge fans of IPA beer, but that doesn’t mean we couldn’t indulge a little.
After a beer and food, we visited a hidden gem, which surprised us. We had driven by the place a few times, as it is close to our favorite kayaking spot, and have often discussed visiting it. It is a whiskey bar with a large (200+) selection of whiskey and bourbon.
The whiskey bar is a fantastic off-the-beaten-path location that only seems to be known to locals. It has live music in the garden. A large crowd of people our age. Excellent selection of bourbon and a nice menu of mixed drinks using either whiskey or bourbon. Too bad I was the designated driver.
When we came home around 9 pm, we started a fire and enjoyed a few adult beverages while chatting about life.
Fire & Meat
On Saturday evening, I started another fire in our Breeo firepit. I’m a big fan of over-the-fire cooking and spend many evenings around the fire pit with family and friends.
I prepared Picanha steaks on large grill spears and stuffed (rolled) skirt steaks with cream cheese and parsley. The meat was seared and roasted on the Breeo grill and sear plate until perfectly cooked – medium rare.
The Brazillians know a few things about butts!
Juicy butts on the beaches, and excellent beef butt cuts – both from Brazil.
Pichanga is an extremely delicious and tender cut from the butt area, with a nice thick fat layer. Ask your butcher. You will not regret it!
We mixed a nice bowl of lettuce, tomatoes, red peppers, and a heart of bamboo in slices—a scrumptious and simple dinner.
Kayak & Icecream
We started kayaking around Memorial Day. It has quickly become our favorite spare time activity, and we tend to go out in the mornings.
I recently built a kayak stand as I didn’t like cramming the kayaks into our shed. It made it difficult to get kayaks in and out for the family, and the new stand lets us stove away the kayaks securely.
On Monday morning, after the kids went to extended school and summer camp, my wife and I packed the kayaks into the truck’s bed and went to our favorite lake.
We are kayak snobs for getting in and out of the water. We prefer using kayak boat ramps, and not many lack in our area have a dry boat launch installed.
We spent almost two hours gliding around on the lake and encountered bass fish splashing, turtles sunbathing, otters surfacing near lily patches, geese flying in to land on the lake, and a majestic Bald Eagle scouring the horizon from a tree for food.
On the way home from the lake, we made a mandatory pitstop at our favorite ice creamery. No, not Ben & Jerry’s, but proper ice cream made from actual cows. Another local business.
Talking about food – I made smash burgers on the Blackstone griddle for the family that evening. Simple and delicious, although not a healthy choice. But anything in moderation can be good.
A Patriotic Day
Our family arrived in the US in 2011. It was a transfer with work that made a move to the US possible, and we became US citizens in 2018, 2019, and 2022.
Becoming a US citizen is an extraordinary honor, yet it takes time. You need to show five consecutive years of tax returns before you can start the process to demonstrate a commitment to the US economy and that you can provide for your family.
There are many steps along the path to citizenship, starting with fingerprints, background checks, and many forms (typical government). Then we had interviews and a test. The latter is not complicated to pass if you read the materials provided.
Assuming everything is completed satisfactorily, you get sworn in as a US citizen.
It is an extremely proud and passionate moment when your citizen journey culminates in a ceremony where you recite the Oath of Allegiance.
We are honored to be accepted as US citizens and have been very well received by our community and friends. Becoming a US citizen is special!
We proudly participate in and observe the national holidays and important events, such as the 4th of July, not just because of the food and celebrations but also because we are connected and part of the US.
BBQ, eating out, and concert tailgating
This week’s meal plan is rather light. Most evenings are occupied with various activities, and we will spend much time grilling meals while we have time off together as a family using the Traeger, the Breeo, or the Blackstone.
I am making some excellent lunches for the kids to welcome them back to the extended school year and girl scout summer camp. We might as well enjoy grilled food for lunch too.
For the 4th of July adult beverage, I made some great smoked bourbon lemonade. You smoke the lemons drizzled with honey and sweet BBQ rub for two hours at 225F, let it cool off, then add sugar and water.
Once cold, add 10-12 oz of your favorite bourbon to a large mason jar, 2 cups of smoked lemonade, and a good quantity of ice.
Super delicious summer drink.
Next weekend I’ll experiment with ice-tea, making a jug with strawberries, limes, and a few cups of bourbon—another “dangerous” adult summer drink.
Lunch & Dinner
| Lunch | Dinner | |
| Monday | Smash Burgers & Cheese Melt with picanha | Chicken Curry Noddle Soup (Khao Soi) |
| Tuesday | 4th of July Lunch (something on the BBQ) | Independence Day BBQ |
| Wednesday | Chicken Sandwiches | In-law Dinner – neutral ground introduction to two families |
| Thursday | Sliders with slide beef, sauerkraut, and American cheese (of course) | Chris Stapleton Smash Taco Burgers |
| Friday | Sliders with slide beef, sauerkraut, and American cheese (of course) | Fly & Swim BBQ |
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 much easier to make food in advance, although you must invest several hours preparing meals during the weekend.
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The Viking Heart Within 