We are kicking off this week with observing and remembering the great Martin Luther King, also known as MLK Day. Today, we honor and celebrate what MLK did for the civil rights movement and the vision he shared of nonviolence and racial discrimination.
MLK was unfortunately assassinated on April 4th, 1968, but the work he started and advocated for still lives on. Evil people are trying to derail and silence people, but thankfully, we can continue his great work.
Hail the King of Denmark
Something amazing and historical happened in Denmark this past weekend. The little fairytale kingdom that brought you the Little Mermaid (HC Andersen), Lego, windmills, bacon, potato schnapps, and several excellent TV series experienced an event that goes straight into the history books.
Our wonderful Queen, HM Margrethe II, has been at the helm for 52 years and is one of the longest-serving royalties in Europe and perhaps the World. She has been an amazing ambassador for Denmark and thoroughly loved the Farao Islands and Greenland – both are autonomous territories of the Kingdom of Denmark.
During her annual New Year’s speech, she announced that she would abdicate and hand over the throne to her son, Crown Prince Frederik.
The ceremony took place on Sunday, 14 January, and Denmark now has a king.
Not just any king, but a king of the people. Everyone in the Danish Kingdom adores HM King Frederik and has built strong relationships across the globe.
I watched the ceremony from the comfort of my kitchen in the US, and as he stepped out on the balcony to get cheered by thousands of people, a tear emerged in my eye.
It was a proud and wonderful moment in Danish history, and my Danish pride bloomed to new levels. HM King Frederik is a strong and skilled person and will take Denmark to new heights.
Week Three Meals
I recently bought a food magazine for casseroles and decided to attempt to make the meal plan from the new recipe source. As such, we are making three casseroles.
While casseroles are easy to make and somewhat delicious, all the ingredients are mixed. One scoop of the casserole contains everything. It is great for busy families but not a culinary adventure.
A casserole is basically a one-dish meal where you throw your mixture into a dish, bake it for 40-60 minutes, and then serve it.
Despite the lack of culinary experience, I wanted to try to make a few options for the week, but I did not capture many snaps from the process. Casseroles are not photogenic!
- Casserole #1: essentially the Indian butter chicken disk, but mixed with spaghetti and placed in a large oven tray. I’m sure the Indian community would dislike how this dish comes out, but I’ll provide feedback next week.
- Casserole #2: beef and broccoli with a nice soy sauce. Everything, including the noodles, is mixed in a large tray and baked. Again, I doubt the Asian community will applaud this dish.
- Casserole #3: it is meant to be a mushroom and pork dish with rice, but I substituted the rice with quinoa to reduce the calorie intake. Again, everything is thrown into a large tray and baked.
I made a large Detroit-styled deep-pan pizza for school with tomato sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. We found a new pizza dough recipe in “The Baker’s Companion” from King Arthur. Excellent dough!
The pizza will last for two days, and then we will have a few different sandwiches using a bun I made from the same baking book
New Tool
My wife surprised me with a new chef knife for Christmas, which only showed up a few days ago, but it a very nice knife that will be put to good use for this week’s meals, and future dishes I make.
I do not like the look or quality of the sheath; it’ll keep our fingers safe when we are not using it. The most important thing about the knife is how it handles, and so far, I’m impressed.
Meal Prep Party Pictures
Meal Plan
| Lunch | Dinner | |
| Monday | MLK Day – no school | Butter Chicken Casserole |
| Tuesday | Detroit-style deep-pan pizza | Beef Broccoli Bake (casserole) |
| Wednesday | Detroit-style deep-pan pizza | Pork and Rice Casserole |
| Thursday | Cubano Sandwiches | Casserole leftover delight |
| Friday | Tomato, Salami, and Cheese Sandwiches | Family Friday 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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