I’ve said this in previous posts, but I cannot believe how time flies. We are already in May and getting ready to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. I enjoy tacos and tequila, not because I have any particular relations to the great Mexican nation.

Any excuse to drink alcohol works for me, especially if I can do it while making food.

Cinco de Mayo is not a major national holiday in Mexico, but it is a holiday that celebrates when Mexico kicked butt against France at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.

Like St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de May has become an international holiday where many people across the Globe suddenly become Mexican, eat tacos, drink tequila, and celebrate Mexican culture and heritage. I love it!

For Christmas, we bought tickets for our son’s trip to Broadway. He loves musicals, especially Disney musicals like Lion King or Aladdin. We attended the Aladdin show on Cinco de Mayo at the New Amsterdam Theatre, a performance hosted by TDF.

TDF is a fantastic organization that makes the Broadway experience available to individuals with special needs. It’s the same cast and performance, but some loud noises/sounds are reduced, and the lights are dimmed, not turned off, making it easier for people with special needs to cope with the performance.

Our son had a blast, especially when the Genie jumped on stage and when all his favorite songs were performed live by the amazing cast.

Week Nineteen Meals

I was inspired by the Aladdin show and asked my AI sidekick to create an image of a Viking flying on the magic carpet – it included a bowl of Danish pastries!

This weekend was particularly tough when it came to planning and making dinners.

I spent most of Saturday building my outdoor kitchen and attended a wonderful worship concert with my wife on Saturday evening.

We had the privilege of seeing Matt Maher live, and he did not disappoint. I came across his music when I was recovering from heart failure, and his messages resonated strongly with me and made me embrace the Lord.

I placed my trust and faith in Jesus to heal me, and I have fully recovered.

Listening to messages of hope, faith, and support through Christian music is an important part of my life, and the tattoo on my left arm has been dedicated to my religious journey.

Sunday morning was spent getting ready for Sunday mass, then some quick lunch, and then we headed to NYC to attend the Aladdin show.

We came back early in the evening, and then I quickly went to the supermarket and made one meal on Sunday evening. It was hectic, but I got to wind down after a busy weekend as I made the lobster bisque.

Every lunch and dinner will be as simple as possible, so I do not have to cook for many hours during the week. I made most of the remaining dinners on Monday evening, hence this post’s slight delay.

School Lunches

I insist on making somewhat healthier lunches for the kids. The lunches offered through the school are, in my opinion, useless and unhealthy. I have no real evidence, but I can only judge based on the lunch menus we received from the school. No wonder our kids have unhealthy eating habits.

• I grilled a fresh batch of chicken thighs that will be used for the wrap and the Caesar salad.
• I made simple breakfast sliders with beef patties, eggs, and cheese.
• Lastly, I prepared a few quesadillas Monday morning to honor Cinco de Mayo.

Dinner Time

I’m excited about the dinners I found and prepared for this week. Each dish took about 30 minutes to prepare, from start to finish, which is pretty impressive. I made three meals Monday evening while my lovely wife was at her Women’s group at church.

This week, I made dinners using chicken thighs and breasts. I grilled them, and I added some vegetables we had left in the fridge.

We need to utilize all the produce we buy to minimize waste. That is why I plan our meals based on what we have in the pantry and fridge.

Besides the lobster bisque, I made creamy sausage, pasta, cajun chicken (from scratch), and chicken and spinach (and chorizo).

Each meal was easy to prep and make, and I could make two dishes simultaneously.

I will attempt to create recipe cards for most of the meals. I cannot promise a timeline, but they will magically appear on my site.

Meal Prep Party Pictures

Meal Plan

	Lunch	Dinner
Monday	Quesadilla with Spinach	Lobster Bisque
Tuesday	Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken	Jalapeno, Mushroom & Peach Hasselbach Kielbasa
Wednesday	Chicken Avocado Wrap	Cajun Chicken with Rice
Thursday	Breakfast Sliders with Egg, Cheese, and Pork Patti	Creamy Sausage and Peppers Pasta
Friday	Breakfast Sliders with Egg, Cheese, and Pork Patti	Outdoor Cooking – fire-made food!

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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