We celebrate Veterans Day, honoring and remembering all current and past veterans. Thank you for your services. Without your dedication, we would not have the freedoms we have.

Welcome to November, which has been extremely dry and warm compared to last year. We’ve had limited rain since early October, and now, the state of NY is raising the warning flags to red, indicating the increased risk of brush fire due to dryness.

Unfortunately, our area has experienced several small brush fires in recent weeks. Most were dealt with on time. However, a large brush fire broke out last week, increasing in intensity, and on Saturday, it was 0% under control.

Local fire department crews have bravely been battling the fire, which has engulfed the area in smoke and ashes. As soon as you leave the house, you are greeted by the smell of fire.

When my son and I attended the Iron Maiden concert in Newark at 11 p.m., we could smell the fire when we left the venue. Newark is 50+ miles from the brush, but other brush fires are along the Hudson River and other places in North Jersey.

As of today, families have been asked to evacuate homes voluntarily until the fires are under control and no homes have been destroyed.

I’ve shared a few pictures from our area shared by the brave volunteer firefighters as they battle the smoke and flames.

Sadly, a young ranger was killed during the weekend. Our prayers are with his family; we are grateful for his services.

A New Path Forward

The presidential election circus has finally ended as we welcome President Trump back to the White House. There has been a mixed bag of emotions, especially on social media, but the mainstream media continues to whip up a nasty tone and various lies. It is not possible to have a civil conversation with people as someone always gets offended—too easily.

Millions have been spent persuading people to vote a certain way, although most people knew who they were voting for six months ago.

I’ve refused to watch the news for the past year or so. Instead, I use various news sources and assess each story based on what makes sense. I don’t believe the mainstream news channels, especially as they have been caught manipulating news stories to suit their narrative.

I have a great bunch of friends, and we have a variety of political opinions. We make fun of each other, share views on specific topics, and still part as friends.

We have regressed if we cannot have calm conversations about hot topics without attacking others for their views.

To celebrate the end of the election, I made a traditional American dinner: homemade brioche burger buns, locally sourced organic beef patties, grilled drumsticks, American beer, and “God Bless the USA” in the background.

Man, this is a beautiful and fantastic country, and I’m so grateful that we were able to experience the immigration process and achieve citizenship. God is great!

A Son’s Rock Education

I had the fantastic opportunity to spend quality time with my 19-year-old son on Saturday evening. It was just a tremendous father-son evening listening to excellent heavy metal.

Through work, I was invited to see Iron Maiden at the Prudential Center (Newark). I was in a suite with parking, food, drinks, snacks, and an excellent view of the stage.

To my surprise, the opening band was The Hu. In case you don’t know, The Hu is an extraordinary band from Mongolia that plays traditional instruments but with heavy metal distortion and traditional throat singing. They have a unique sound and fantastic music.

I’ve followed and listened to The Hu for several years, so this was an excellent experience.

And then we, of course, witnessed a superb performance by Iron Maiden.

This is the fourth concert I’ve seen with Iron Maiden, and the stage effects and props were more subdued. They didn’t bring the small fighter plane hanging over the stage, and Ed (the monster) did not appear as the Trooper.

Nevertheless, it was an excellent performance, and my son had a blast. He does not speak, but his face beamed with happiness as we rocked and smiled.

Week Forty-Six Meals

Despite the busy election week and a packed weekend, I still managed to whip up several nice dinners for the family. We continue with the stews and chowders to help us boost our immune systems.

We also need simple dinners this week as I’ve been selected for Jury Duty. Serving on a jury is a privilege and obligation, although it can significantly impact your daily activities and work. I’m “only” serving locally, not on a Grand Jury, which can be a lot more demanding on time.

School Lunches

The kids are off Monday to observe Veteran’s Day, so I only have to prepare four lunches. Our daughter is still eating for free at school, so I only have to care for our son.

I made a large batch of chicken on the Traeger for school lunch and my wife’s lunch, as she enjoys having protein-heavy lunches during the week.

We still have Amish bread (homemade) in the freezer, so I’ll use our new panini maker to create a stuffed melted cheese sandwich.

Dinner Time

Talking about protein and iron-rich dinners, I made a large portion of lentil soup with hot sausages. I’ve never been a fan of lentil soup as I suffer from lentil PTSD after being force-fed, a strange lentil soup my mother-in-law used to make for us. My version is much tastier, and our kids eat it, too.

Next, we are enjoying a delicious and creamy seafood chowder with salmon, shrimp, and bacon (of course), served with small potatoes. It has a super-rich flavor and is very filling.

Lastly, but not to be underestimated, I made hamburger steaks in a creamy thyme sauce and will serve it with fried mushrooms and cauliflower.

Meal Plan

	Lunch	Dinner
Monday	Veterans Day – no school = no lunch	Lentils with Chorizo and Manchego cheese crusty bread
Tuesday	Thai Chicken Bites with honey mustard dip	Seafood Chowder (salmon, bacon and shrimp)
Wednesday	Loaded Cheese Melt	Hamburger steaks in creamy thyme sauce with mushroom and cauliflower.
Thursday	Spicy Honey Lime Chicken with hummus	Leftovers
Friday	Egg Fried Noodles with Soy Sauce	Concert Date Night – takeout pizza

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.

Meal Prep Party Pictures

Here are a few mood pictures from the previous week since I did not prepare dishes this week.

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