Our Week in Meals #446

Good morning, and happy Sunday! This week included the Memorial Day holiday and the kids’ first week of summer break. You’ll find all of the highlights from the past few days, along with each of our dinners, in today’s roundup of Our Week in Meals.

For those of you who are new to the blog, Our Week in Meals is where I share a little bit about what we’ve been up to over the past week — as it relates to our dinners each night. This series gives you a glimpse “behind the scenes” at some highlights from our life, shows you how I balance a busy schedule with feeding my family, and offers a few new ideas for your own weekly meal plan.

Now, let’s back up to last weekend…

Spencer and I were in Williamsburg on Sunday morning for his last soccer game of the season. Back home that afternoon, I tackled the laundry and went for a short walk up the road with Gibbs before dinner.

Our meal was an easy one, since I knew I wouldn’t feel like cooking much after a weekend away: pulled pork nachos (using pulled pork that I had picked up at Yoder’s a few days before),

plus corn, beans, and plenty of toppings like picked red onions and guacamole.

Book time! “Beach read” season is officially here, and I kicked it off with a true winner: Emily Henry’s latest, Great Big Beautiful Life. In this novel, cheerful aspiring writer Alice and brooding Pulitzer-winner Hayden compete to write the biography of a reclusive heiress. It’s a witty, romantic mystery set on a small island off the coast of Georgia (again, perfect for the season!), and is a bit deeper than Henry’s previous books. It would be an ideal companion for the pool or for your next vacation!

Monday was the Memorial Day holiday…

I went to an early Pilates class with Adria, Keith’s parents stopped by for a visit mid-day, and Gibbs and Spence played a round of golf that afternoon. It was cool and gray (not pool weather!), but that didn’t ruin our plans.

Keith grilled New York strip steaks for supper,

which we paired with a baked potato bar (Spencer’s request). We topped the baked potatoes with garlic butter, cheese, and (canned) baked beans.

Plus a simple arugula salad with shaved Parmesan, toasted pine nuts, cucumbers, and sliced red onion dressed with lemon vinaigrette!

It rained off and on all day on Tuesday, so we stayed close to home and had a quiet day indoors.

I got out for a walk with Teddy that morning,

and made a quick stop at Yoder’s for a handful of groceries. I was happy to see a lot of fresh produce available, including some really delicious peaches that disappeared fast.

Dinner was an easy favorite with my boys: meatball subs (with frozen meatballs), plus potato chips, cut-up veggies, and Ranch dip.

More rain on Wednesday morning, which meant more work time at the computer.

Casey’s friends came over to play soccer and basketball in the yard all afternoon, and I fed my crew a quick meal before they headed over to youth group. On the menu: blackened shrimp with grits (or microwaveable rice for those who didn’t want grits),

3-ingredient biscuits,

and a quick semi-homemade coleslaw using a bag of coleslaw mix and this easy coleslaw dressing.

Thursday included a walk up the road, an orthodontist appointment for Gibbs, and football for Casey.

Dinner was served in stages (and easily reheated), depending on who was around. We did “breakfast for dinner” — my secret ingredient Bisquick waffle recipe paired with maple sausage and fresh fruit.

The sun returned on Friday! I had Pilates with Ashley that morning, and took Gibbs into Charlottesville for lunch and an appointment that afternoon.

We had baked chicken thighs for supper,

along with a skillet of cornbread, Rice-a-Roni, and steamed broccoli.

And that brings us to the weekend!

It was a beautiful Saturday to get outside (although our skies did get a little smoky as the day went on, thanks to the fires in Canada. Stay safe, friends!). So many wildflowers lining the roads…

Gibbs played 18 holes of golf with a friend, and then went to a party that night (living his best 15-year-old life).

Meanwhile, the rest of us took care of chores at the house, played in the yard, watched the Champions League soccer final, and ate a spaghetti dinner using my homemade spaghetti sauce (leftovers from the freezer), another salad with lemon vinaigrette, and frozen garlic breadsticks.

So there you have it, friends — another week of easy dinners! I hope that you’ve found something new to add to your own table in the days ahead. Thank you for being here and have a wonderful Sunday!