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Hello, hello! We’re finishing up another week around here, so I’m stopping by with a recap from the past few days. Let’s back up to last weekend…

Sunday Funday! After a morning at home, we headed out to one of our favorite hiking trails here in Madison — Whiteoak Canyon in Shenandoah National Park.

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The weather was cloudy, but it finally felt like fall — we went from almost 90 degrees on Saturday to about 60 degrees on Sunday. A drastic (and very welcome) change around here…and perfect for hiking!

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We then made our way a few miles up the road to DuCard Vineyards for a tasting and cocktail party that my friend Maggie organized on behalf of the Shenandoah National Park Trust.

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The boys just had fun running around with their friends (and eating) until Spencer had a melt down and needed to get home for bed!

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I took Spence into Charlottesville on Monday morning for our weekly Art & Tumbling class with my friend Kristin and her son, Jonathan. This is always a highlight of our week!

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Since we were already in town, I stopped at the mall on the way home so that I could do some shopping. I was on a mission to find new outfits for our upcoming family photos, and I scored some great deals with sales at J. Crew and Lands End. Spencer was grumpy and restless, so it was a very short trip — but at least he got to ride the merry-go-round at the end.

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My mom visited in the afternoon, I did some work, and we had a very fast and delicious dinner: Spencer’s 5-Minute Buffalo Chicken Wraps.

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I joined Mark and the girls for a Kickboxing Tabata class at the gym on Tuesday morning, took the kids to school, and then enjoyed a cool fall walk with 3 of my girlfriends while Spence was at preschool. When I picked him up, he was wearing an Apple Print Headband…and I just HAD to take a photo. He was so proud!

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And when Casey got in the car that same afternoon, he was wearing his own Johnny Appleseed Hat. Another photo op! Can you tell that it’s Apple Harvest season here in Central Virginia?!

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Gibbs had soccer practice that evening, so dinner was planned early in the day to accommodate our various schedules. I pulled out one of my All Day Slow Cooker Freezer Meals, thawed it in the refrigerator overnight, and dumped into the Crock Pot on Tuesday morning. Eight hours later, we could sit down to hot bowls of Meatball Soup (served with garlic breadsticks on the side)!

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Wednesday was a wash-out! The rain started early in the morning and it never really stopped. Spence and I were supposed to meet his preschool class at the orchard at Graves Farm for a hayride and apple picking, so we put on our gear and were all set to go…

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but it was pouring and I just couldn’t bring myself to drag him out there! Instead, we opted for a grocery shopping trip (not as fun for the little guy, but at least he got some chips out of the deal)!

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I came home and roasted veggies to have on hand: this is 2 bags of fresh broccoli/cauliflower florets + 1 sliced acorn squash. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast in a 450 degree oven for about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Easy side dish that takes about 5 minutes to throw together, and a nice alternative to salad when the weather is cool.

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We had chicken noodle soup for lunch and stayed indoors for most of the afternoon. Dinner was a roasted Garlic & Herb Pork Tenderloin, along with the roasted veggies, salad, and some waffle fries. The pork and the fries cooked on the same sheet pan for an easy 30-minute meal (with very little clean-up). Love that!

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Thursday was another dreary day. While Spence was at preschool for the morning, I headed off on a walk with Mollie and two other girlfriends. The weather forecast said that the rain would hold off until noon, but we were caught by surprise when a 5-minute downpour completely drenched us halfway through our walk. I was water-logged by the time I made it back to my car,

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but a short while later I sent Mollie this text:

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I guess I’m either lazy, short on time, low-maintenance, or all of the above! ?

The kids played outside in the rain after school (what is it with boys and PUDDLES?!), and for dinner we had a Sausage and Pepperoni Crescent Roll Casserole (will share the recipe soon). It was basically like a deep-dish Meat Lover’s Pizza…and Keith was in heaven. ? I made sure to add a giant salad on the side for GREENS!

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I needed to get some cold cuts at Yoder’s Country Market on the way home from dropping the older boys off at school on Friday,

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so Spencer lucked out when we remembered that The Donut Kitchen truck would be there too! The rain did not keep this guy away from a hot glazed donut!

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At home I did some cooking while Spencer played, and we made a couple of trips outside to check out the puddles and play in the gutter.

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Since it was cool and gray all day, it seemed like the perfect evening for a cozy meal. I served Maple-Glazed Roasted Turkey Breast (recipe coming this fall),

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along with cornbread stuffing (from a box!), steamed broccoli, and this ah-mazing Apple and Sweet Potato Casserole. The dinner was a huge hit! The boys all had 2 or 3 servings of the turkey and said that the sweet potato casserole tasted like pie (it did!). I’ll share the recipe for that treat soon, too!

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We spent yesterday morning on the soccer fields, as usual. It was gray and cool, but we managed to avoid the rain!

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My big project for the afternoon was sorting through the kids’ fall clothes. The good news is that I have three boys, so there are always plenty of hand-me-downs. The bad news is that I’m drowning in little boy clothing (of all sizes) and it takes FOREVER to figure out what fits each child every season, to wash it all, and then to find a spot for it in the drawers and closets. I’m still not finished, but at least I’ve made progress. They won’t be wearing shorts and t-shirts by Halloween! Aaaaand…my own closet is next on my list. ?

Late afternoon we headed into Culpeper for a walk around town and then stopped at Chili’s for a quick dinner before making our way home. Dining out is always an adventure with this crew (and Keith and I were REALLY enjoying the margaritas)…?

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And now, before I head off for the day, a quick announcement: this will be the last Weekend Recap (at least for awhile) for a variety of reasons — but mostly TIME. There are a lot of changes coming to The Seasoned Mom in the next couple of months, as I re-brand, re-design, and re-focus. My goal is to strike the right balance between creating high-quality, valuable content that benefits as many of YOU as possible, while also finding time for my family. I’ll share more details soon, but I will be prioritizing the FOOD around here since it’s clearly the favorite topic among my readers. I want to bring you the simple, quick-prep, family-friendly mealtime solutions that so many of you have requested, while also working to develop other exciting products and services. And don’t worry — if you enjoy these peeks behind-the-scenes at our daily shenanigans, I’ll still be including plenty of that within my posts and on my other social media channels. As always, thanks for reading, thanks for your feedback, and thanks for your support! Have a great week!

blair

Hey, I’m Blair!

Welcome to my farmhouse kitchen in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Inspired by local traditions and seasonal fare, you’ll find plenty of easy, comforting recipes that bring your family together around the table. It’s down-home, country-style cooking!

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Square overhead shot of hands serving a chicken pot pie recipe with biscuits
Overhead image of a bowl of chili mac on a dinner table with cornbread
Hands serving a platter of sheet pan sausage and potatoes

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Comments

  1. What a nice weekend!! So jealous of your gloomy weather in the 60s. It’s still hotter than Hades here in Florida, of course, and I would love a little glimpse of fall! I just made crescent ring myself with some Italian deli meat, but your sausage and pepperoni one looks even better! Hope you enjoy the rest of Sunday!

    1. Oh, lunch meat actually sounds delicious too! I need to remember that since I always have lunch meat in the refrigerator. Sounds like a great party appetizer or last minute dinner!

  2. The re-brand & re-design sounds exciting!!? Can’t wait for that Apple & Sweet Potato Casserole recipe! Yum!

  3. Oh I for one will really miss you week re-cap. I have loved watching your boys grow. I hope you will be able to do this again soon. It will be missed

    1. Hi, Terri! You’re very kind, and I do understand that some of you will miss these weekly updates. Stay tuned, though — I’m going to do my best to incorporate some of this day-to-day stuff in my food posts as well, so we won’t disappear completely! 🙂 Thanks so much for your support!

  4. I will also miss the Monday recap. I do understand if it is time consuming but it is by far my favorite E-mail to receive of the week & I receive many. It makes me feel like I am losing a friend.

    1. Hi, Jeanette! You’re not losing a friend! I hope you’ll stick around and stay in touch! I’ll still be sharing some of our life — just in a different format. 🙂 I so appreciate you!

  5. Hi Blair! I am looking forward to your maple roasted turkey breast recipe! Also, I have enjoyed reading your Monday recaps. As I read along, I think; how does she do it? 🙂

    1. Hah! Thanks, Joanne! Can’t wait to share that turkey! And you’re very sweet for reading along. It’s so much to keep up with (and I’m sure you can relate to the juggling with little ones)!

  6. It looks like you guys definitely got a taste of fall with the weather this past week!

    That glazed turkey looks INCREDIBLE!