This past weekend, we celebrated and honored the brave soldiers who fought and paid the ultimate price to safeguard the freedoms we enjoy today. Without their sacrifices, we would be unable to think and act freely, and our world would be very different.
We live in a small community, but we have many great military units and bases in the area, such as West Point, Marines, Air Guard, Air Force, Training camps, etc.
To show our appreciation for our active military units and their families, Towns 4 Troops supports hosting many events that allow military members to relax and celebrate with their families.
We march in the local Memorial Day parade and have made many great friends within the armed forces. We cannot thank them enough for their service and sacrifices.
This weekend is dedicated to saluting and thanking these fantastic people.
Most of the meals this weekend are made on the Blackstone, Traeger, or Breeo firepit. These are simple meals such as burgers, wings, sausages, seafood, etc. Nothing fancy, but delicious.
Week Twenty-two Meals
Honestly, I did not prepare well for this week’s meal plan. My mind was focused on the various BBQ meals I wanted to serve the family and getting my Blackstone Griddle ready for the weekend.
I spent a lot of time preparing and setting up the new outdoor kitchen and seasoning the Blackstone Griddle, which can take 30-40 minutes if you give it four coats of seasoning. In short, you heat the griddle, add vegetable oil or Blackstone seasoning grease, and rub it all over it. It will create a lot of smoke, and the griddle will change color.
You do that three or four times to get it perfect.
That said, I did create the meal plan and checked our pantry (and fridge) before I wrote the grocery list. However, I did not pick up anything during the weekend as I was busy with other projects.
I’m working from home on Tuesday, so I will make evening weeknight dinners, grill chicken for lunches, and caramelize the onions.
School Lunches
I have to come up with three lunches this week. Well, four, but our daughter is attending an end-of-8th grade full-day event; she will eat lunch with her classmates.
To keep it simple for that day, I’m making a quesadilla and will add some grilled vegetables.
For the rest of the week, I’ll make a few simple options:
- Momofuku noodles with green onions, grilled vegetables, and left-over pork belly.
- Cowboy-style grilled bologna with caramelized onions.
- Bahn Mi sandwich with grilled chicken, peppers, and cilantro.
As always, making lunch for the kids is fun as I get them to experience different lunch options, not the usual dull and unhealthy premade school lunches.
Dinner Time
Two out of the three dinners are prepared without making noodles or rice. I make the main meal and will store it in the fridge so we can reheat it during the week.
Making noodles, pasta, or rice in advance makes them sticky and dull. And they only take 10-20 minutes to make anyway.
The firecracker beef is, in my opinion, an Asian meat sauce with a few different spices and then served with noodles. I might use Momofuku noodles or pick up a large bag of egg noodles.
Indian food is probably our favorite cuisine, so I’m attempting a new version of the Chicken Tikka Masala. I have a few Indian recipe books, but this one I found on the net.
The third dish is a large sheet pan with vegetables and spiced-up chicken pieces. I throw it on the Traeger for 30 minutes (ish), and it is ready to eat.
Meal Prep Party Pictures
Meal Plan
| Lunch | Dinner | |
| Monday | Memorial Day | Seafood BBQ |
| Tuesday | Noodles with grilled vegetables and pork belly | Sheet Pan Thai Chicken |
| Wednesday | Grilled bologna sandwich with onions | Firecracker Beef Noodle |
| Thursday | Quesadilla | Chicken Tikka Masala |
| Friday | Chicken Bahn Mi Sanwich | Outdoor Cooking – fire-made food! |
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 