We can no longer say Happy New Year, as we are already a week into 2024. I wanted to release this post on Monday, but WordPress is acting up regarding inserting pictures.
So, if you want to see the pictures of our winter adventures and the meals I made, please jump over to my Instagram page. I’m working to get these technical glitches resolved ASAP.
Using a more European approach, I have adopted a new way to label each post. In Europe, many people use week numbers instead of date ranges, so we refer to week #1 or week #2.
It assumes that readers have memorized the Georgian calendar, but it makes it simpler for me as my post can cover a whole week instead of having to look at a specific date range.
That said, the content will continue to focus on activities that strengthen mental health and, more importantly, share some excellent recipes we enjoy during the week.
I have started to create recipe cards for stuff I cook, but it is time-consuming. However, I have added it to my New Year resolution wishlist, so I’m sure it’ll get done! Just as running daily in my Viking spandex suit will happen. LOL
A New Beginning
My first week back was short. I spent almost two weeks at home, so it was nice only to have a three-day workweek. Being off is nice, but we must work to make a living. It is a necessary evil unless you have some strange influencer or high-powered position that can give you the freedom to invest and spend money without any care.
I have decided to look for a side hustle to help the family save money for nice vacations and other family-related activities. And I would love to be able to help pay for my daughter’s college. Any suggestions?
Roof and Solar
Shortly after Christmas, before the New Year celebration, we received a “nice” letter from our mortgage broker that our house insurance had expired. I quickly called our insurance broker, who said it was canceled because they deemed the roof too old.
Nobody visited the house to inspect the roof; instead, they looked at some satellite images and assumed it was outdated.
So, we had to shop around for a replacement roof, which was not how I anticipated spending my hard-earned PTO and downtime with my family.
A new roof ranges from $22-37K, and some of the salespeople are trained to sell underwear to a nudist or plastic surgery to Joan Rivers. They would throw their mother into the sales pitch to secure the deal.
They will give you an extra $1500 discount if you sign now!
We shopped around and eventually found a local company that would do the roof to code and also install solar panels that we own. It is a much higher investment, but we will no longer pay for electricity.
You will always pay somewhere, but owning solar panels saves us electricity. Because we went with a local company, they gave us a more significant discount on the roof replacement.
We need to plan the installation with Mother Nature, as we do not want to rip off the old shingles while keeping the workers safe.
I discussed having my knucklehead brothers do the work, but we all get old and do not fancy walking on a tall roof.
Elsa’s Kingdom
On Saturday late afternoon, the first snowflakes started to flurry, as predicted by the weather people. The forecast called for 6-12 inches of snow in our area over 24 hours.
I knew it meant getting some much-needed cardio and strength exercises when plowing, blowing, and shoveling snow. To alleviate the back and make the snow removal more fun, I invested in a UTV vehicle some years ago with a plow attachment.
Saturday morning was spent prepping the UTV, installing the plow, ensuring I had enough gas, starting and running the snowblower, and checking the snow shovels.
Once the snow started falling, it was a matter of sitting inside with the family, playing games, eating food, and enjoying a calm weekend, as most activities were canceled due to the weather forecast.
I should’ve gone out to plow Saturday evening before bed, but I probably had 1-2 too many bourbons and would’ve crashed the UTV.
Instead, I woke up early Sunday morning, dressed like a mountain man, and embarked on a 2-hour snow-clearing exercise. It is time-consuming because I want to ensure the main drive is cleared wide enough and remove any snow patches that could cause ice.
We must clear the walk to the house with the snowblower and shovels, as the large rock is blocking me from using the UTV.
It kept snowing until late afternoon, so we went outside as a family to clear the fresh snow mid-afternoon. It needed to be done and took only an hour at most.
Week Two Dinners
In true Viking Heart Within style, I spent Friday evening planning the upcoming meal plan, wrote down the grocery list, and checked the pantry for what we had. It’s part of a weekly routine, but it has helped us save money and reduce waste.
By midday Saturday, I had completed the snow checklist, attended horseback riding with my son, and wrapped up grocery shopping. It was a productive morning, but it allowed me to stay inside while Elsa’s Wrath covered the neighborhood under inches of snow.
I baked a large batch of baguettes for kids’ school lunches and will experiment with classic French sandwiches. My daughter loves French foods, and hopefully, these will be good.
I used one of the baguettes with my cauliflower, garlic, and cheddar soup. We cut it into slices, sprinkled it with olive oil and some cheese, and heated them in the oven.
The dinner options this week are exciting. Casseroles are always a sure winner for meal plans, so I made two options. Casseroles are easy and relatively fast to make. You could make the casserole filling and bake it on the Day you want to eat it. It only needs to bake for 40-50 minutes.
According to the recipe, the hot pot casserole is made with ground beef. However, I spiced it up and put some venison meat in the freezer. Using venison will give the dish a gamier taste.
The second casserole was a dish I saw when watching Matt from Meat Church cook his King Ranch Casserole on his YouTube channel. It uses exciting ingredients, such as Jalapeno soup and Doritos, and is layered with large tostadas.
I could not source Jalapeno soup in my area, so I used Jalapeno sauce and added a can of chicken soup instead.
Despite the looming and active snowstorm, I grilled chicken for the King Ranch casserole and the Peruvian chicken. Nothing can stop the Viking from cooking outside. The meat tastes much better when cooking on the Traeger or the Breeo firepit.
My oldest daughter has expressed interest in cooking and will be making tacos for the family on Friday evening.
Meal Prep Party Pictures
Pictures may be posted later once the technical issues have been corrected … updated
Meal Plan
| Lunch | Dinner | |
| Monday | Pesto & Mozzarella Bagel | Roasted garlic and cauliflower cheddar soup with baguette slices |
| Tuesday | French Sandwich I – Jambon Beurre (Ham and Butter) | Venison Hot Pot Casserole |
| Wednesday | French Sandwich II – Chèvre Tomate (Tomato and Goat Cheese) | King Ranch Casserole |
| Thursday | Chicken Caesar Bacon Wrap | Peruvian Chicken with Green (Jalapeno) sauce, served with rice |
| Friday | Fabolous Friday Pizza | Oldest daughter is cooking Tacos |
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 