Our Week in Meals #220

Good morning, and happy Sunday! It was another routine week of work and school around here. Can you believe that it’s already the end of January?! All of the highlights from the past few days, along with our easy dinners, are included in today’s roundup of Our Week in Meals.

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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…

I walked with my girlfriends at Mollie’s farm on Sunday morning, and then returned home for a quiet day at the house.

I was happy to get some work done by the fire while Keith and the boys played an intense game of Monopoly (with 4 boys in the house, everything is a competition) and watched football.

We had Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork for dinner that night,

topped with quick pickled red onions,

and served alongside collard greens (I cut that recipe in half),

and honey cornbread.

Monday was a teacher workday, so the boys were all home from school. I made an early stop at Yoder’s Country Market, where I scooped up staples like buttermilk, yogurt, lunch meat and cheese, honey roasted peanut butter, snacks, and yeast.

I also found this “sweet” honey (or syrup) dispenser…

…and a gardening book that’s specific to Virginia. I love how the author makes different recommendations for planting based on the different regions of the state — for instance, the Tidewater area has a different climate than the mountains. Hopefully we’ll be able to add some more variety to our garden this year! PS — I checked on Amazon, and it looks like there are similar books in the series for other states (including North Carolina, Georgia, and South Carolina).

Our afternoon was almost entirely devoted to two orthodontist appointments for the older boys. We’re heading down that road, whether we like it or not.😬

I made a Buffalo Chicken Crescent Ring for supper that night, and paired it with steamed broccoli and potato chips for crunch! This would be a great option for a Super Bowl “party” in a few weeks — even if your party is just your immediate family.

Schools were closed on Tuesday (thanks to icy roads), so our day got off to a slower start.

I did some baking in the morning, including a loaf of our favorite Banana Nut Bread since I ordered way too many bananas in last week’s grocery pickup…

…and a loaf of No-Knead Bread to have with dinner that night.

We got outside for a walk in the woods after lunch (can you “find” Casey in his camo ghillie suit?!)…

…and I thawed the leftover ham from Christmas Eve to make a Layered Ham and Potato Casserole for supper. I left the peas out of the casserole since they’re not Keith’s favorite, and instead served them on the side. Plus the bread that I made that morning!

A foggy (but warmer) Wednesday morning!

Wednesdays are always virtual-learning days around here, so the kids took care of their assignments and Zoom calls on an otherwise quiet day at the house.

We had a plumber come to fix the garbage disposal in the kitchen, picked up a grocery order, and grabbed subs for lunch from Subway’s curbside pickup while we were out.

I served Lasagna for dinner that night,

as well as salad and garlic bread.

The kids returned to school on Thursday morning for the first time in 3 weeks, so I took advantage of my precious alone time and cranked out a lot of work! It wasn’t glamorous, but it was productive. I also squeezed in an afternoon dog walk before scooping up the boys.

We had Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya for dinner (I used rotisserie chicken instead of the turkey called for in that recipe)…

…plus Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits on the side.

I finished another great book this week: Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber. This was a recommendation from a couple of blog readers last year, and I’m so glad that you helped me discover a new author. The feel-good story reminds me a lot of Fannie Flagg’s writing — a captivating blend of magical realism, heartwarming romance, and small-town Southern charm!

I met Mollie for a walk on Friday morning, and then headed up to Culpeper for a Target run. I took care of the last of my Valentine’s Day shopping for Keith, the kids, classmates, and teachers…and then treated myself to another pistachio latte!

Keith took the afternoon off from work so that we could go for a hike before picking up the boys at school.

Found some snow and ice when we got a little bit higher in the mountains!

Dinner that night was the boys’ request: tacos! I swear, they would be happy with a constant meal rotation of pizza-burgers-tacos-spaghetti-chicken fingers. Typical, right? I do my best to incorporate at least a couple of their favorites each week. It makes mealtimes smoother!

Plus corn, chips, and guacamole on the side.

With snow in the forecast for that night, we decided to take advantage of a sunny Saturday with a mini road trip up north to Fredericksburg.

We visited the battlefield, grabbed drive-thru burgers and frozen custard for lunch, and then walked around the historic district in town.

Back home, takeout pizza was on the menu! I always appreciate the break from cooking and dishes…

So there you have it — another week of easy dinners and adventures from our little part of Virginia. I hope that you’ve found a few new ideas to add to your own meals in the days ahead. Thanks for being here!