Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.

Good morning, and happy Sunday! We made it through the first week of September, so we’re officially in “fall” mode and anxiously awaiting the cooler weather around here. My cooking has definitely reflected that mood change! 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!

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…

After an early walk with the dog on Sunday morning, we all piled in the car and headed about an hour south to visit the grandparents. The closest Starbucks is about 30 minutes away, so we always get pretty excited when we’re nearby. Of course, on this particular morning, we had to make a pit stop in Charlottesville for all of the pumpkin goodies!

That’s a pumpkin cream cheese muffin, plus my iced pumpkin spice latte and Keith’s pumpkin spice frappuccino. YUM.

We arrived at my parents’ house in time for lunch…

…where my mom served fried chicken, potato chips, local Honey Crisp apples with caramel, and veggies with ranch.

Plus a chocolate ice cream pie for dessert!

From there, we drove up the mountain to stay with Keith’s parents at Wintergreen for the rest of the evening. The boys spent the afternoon playing putt-putt golf, bungee jumping and mining for gems.

And dinner that night was a perfect Labor Day weekend cookout on their deck: grilled burgers, coleslaw, corn salad, tomatoes and strawberries.

Plus a small slice of Keith’s (early) birthday cake! We were spoiled by the grandmothers all day long…????

We were still at my in-laws’ house on Monday morning, so we took the dog for a walk after breakfast and then headed home before lunch.

I also finished another book that day! Of all of the books that I read this summer, The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg was definitely my favorite. I can’t recommend it enough! This well-written, heartwarming, quick read will just make you smile! Here’s a brief summary:

For the past six months, Arthur Moses’s days have looked the same: He tends to his rose garden and to Gordon, his cat, then rides the bus to the cemetery to visit his beloved late wife for lunch. The last thing Arthur would imagine is for one unlikely encounter to utterly transform his life. 

Eighteen-year-old Maddy Harris is an introspective girl who visits the cemetery to escape the other kids at school. One afternoon she joins Arthur—a gesture that begins a surprising friendship between two lonely souls. Moved by Arthur’s kindness and devotion, Maddy gives him the nickname “Truluv.” As Arthur’s neighbor Lucille moves into their orbit, the unlikely trio band together and, through heartache and hardships, help one another rediscover their own potential to start anew.

We had a low-key evening at home, complete with a delicious homemade dinner. I served Mustard and Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin (which Keith grilled instead of baking), plus creamed spinach, Southern Fried Apples, and crescent rolls on the side. I’ll share the creamed spinach recipe soon, so stay tuned for that!

Close shot of baked pork tenderloin with mustard marinade in background
Close front shot of fried apple slices in a skillet

Once the boys got on the school bus on Tuesday morning, I headed up the road for a walk with the dog.

Spotted along the way: a beautiful field of sunflowers,

the Blue Ridge Mountains,

fields of tall corn,

and my neighbor’s tree swing. Also spotted, but not photographed: a big black snake that I almost stepped on!???? You’re welcome.

The rest of my day included house chores, recipe testing, and work behind the computer. Before I knew it, the kids were home and I was rushing to get everyone fed and back out the door. Gibbs had a football game in Greene county and Spence had team photos here in Madison, so I did a lot of driving back and forth!

Long overhead shot of a baked chicken breast on a plate with fork parsley and rice

Before we left, I served 5-Ingredient Baked Chicken Breasts for supper, along with rice and green beans on the side.

Casey joined me for a short walk up the street on Wednesday morning before school. This child needs as much fresh air and running as possible if he’s going to sit at a desk all day!

I also squeezed in a hot and humid hike with my friend later that morning, edited photos and took care of computer work during the day, and prepped an early dinner that I could just bake when the kids arrived home. Casey had soccer practice and Spencer had a football game, so it was another late evening on the fields!

Before leaving the house, we had Johnny Marzetti Casserole with a big salad on the side (minus the green olives since Keith and the boys aren’t big fans). It may have been 92 degrees outside, but my mind has shifted to fall — and all of the cozy comfort foods and casseroles! Now I just need the weather to catch up with me…

Unfortunately, Casey woke up with a mild stomach bug on Thursday morning, so I kept him home from school. That obviously changed my plans for the day as well, since we were forced to stay close to home.

We did run out at one point to take the dog to the groomer and to deliver some little fall gifts for the boys’ teachers. I gave them each a “Harvest” candle, which is my new favorite scent for the season. It’s so good and adds the perfect cozy feel to your home. Teachers need to know they’re appreciated!

Speaking of things that smell good! When I decorated the house for fall last weekend, I decided that the kitchen soaps needed a seasonal update as well. The Mrs. Meyer’s dish soap (in Apple Cider) and hand soap (in Acorn Spice) from Target are great!

Dinner that night was an easy soup meal, inspired by last week’s lunch at Panera. I made my Crock Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup with Ham and served it with French bread for dipping. Delicious!

Spoon scooping up bite of Crock Pot Broccoli Cheese soup

Plus these Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches for dessert when we got home from Gibbs’s football practice! These are the store-brand from our local Food Lion, but I’m sure that Trader Joe’s and other grocery stores sell something similar.

I went to a yoga class in Culpeper on Friday morning, and then made a quick run through Target to pick up a few items while I was in town.

I recently received these Nature Valley Granola Cups as a free sample when I placed an online grocery order, so I brought them with me to have for a snack before my class. They’re really good and totally remind me of Do-Si-Do Girl Scout cookies with a thin layer of chocolate on the bottom!

Since Keith was working from home for the day, I also grabbed us lunch at the Panera drive-through before returning to the house. Clearly I’m on a soup kick at the moment, because I wanted the vegetable soup with a baguette on the side. BUT…when I got home, I realized that they forgot to give me my baguette! The horror!!!???? Instead, I improvised with a toasted Dave’s Killer Bread English Muffin topped with butter and apple butter.

For dinner that night, I made my mom’s recipe for Beef RagĂą, but I tweaked it for the slow cooker. I’ll be sharing it on the blog next month — it’s a winner! Served with pappardelle pasta, salad and garlic bread for a cozy fall meal.

Long overhead shot of a bowl of beef ragu with pappardelle pasta and fresh basil

Saturday was a warm, beautiful day!

We spent the morning at Casey’s first soccer game of the season. This kid was so happy to be back on the field!

It’s Keith’s birthday today, so our babysitter, Hannah, came over last night while Keith and I went out to dinner. He picked Piedmont Steakhouse in Culpeper, which is always a solid choice!

We started with salads and the homemade bread — I love the crispy fried chickpeas on top of the Piedmont Salad.

And for my entrĂ©e, I ordered the lobster and lump crab cakes, which were served with cheesy risotto and sautĂ©ed veggies. Keith had the “surf n’ turf,” and shared a spicy shrimp with me, too. A fun evening all around!

We’ll celebrate his birthday with the kids today, before we jump back into another busy week of school and work. Have a great Sunday, friends!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.

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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    1. You deserve so much more, Elizabeth! Teachers are the foundation for our children once they leave our house each day — and I’m so grateful for those of you who dedicate your careers to such an important role. xoxo

  1. My son is a teacher for middle school, 1 class period, and high school for 6 class periods….yes, teachers, especially, for the older grades, are a forgotten bunch….I’m glad you support your school and the teachers.
    Lisa

    1. Bless him, Lisa!! I hope that my boys have some male teachers when they’re that age, too. It’s such an important time in their lives to have positive male influences as coaches and teachers. Send your son my virtual thanks and appreciation! 🙂

    1. Hi, Creceta! There are quantities listed for each ingredient in the recipe card at the bottom of that post. Are you trying to view it on your phone or tablet? I’ve heard someone else tell me that he had trouble seeing the recipe quantities when looking at the recipes on his phone. I have no idea why that might be the case, but you should definitely be able to see them on the desk top. If not, let me know and I’ll send you the recipe directly via email. 🙂

  2. Hi Blair,
    I love the pictures of your morning walks. I went to visit one of my sisters last Friday . She lives in Clarkesville, Georgia. We went to Brasstown Bald (highest mountain in Georgia) & saw the Blue Ridge mountain. From the top of Brasstown Bald we can see the four states that surrounds Blue Ridge mountains. Awesome view! We also went to Long Creek, South Carolina., to Chattooga Belle Farm to pick fruits & had lunch @ their bistro & sat on the deck to look @ the four states again . Can’t have enough of the beautiful & awesome views.
    Live your newsletter.

    1. That sounds amazing, Cecilia! I would love to visit that area. You can’t beat mountain views!! Hope you have a great week!

  3. I always look forward to your Sunday posts and enjoy the scenery photos especially the fall ones as it makes me home
    sick for back home in upstate NY. I have a question, if I want to make apple cinnamon muffins besides granny smith
    apples what other types would be good? Thanks in advance!

    1. Hi, Cynthia! It’s great to hear from you again! I’m really looking forward to the fall foliage, too! 🙂 Unfortunately, it’s supposed to be in the 90’s again this week. It will happen eventually…

      For the muffins, you can really use any apples that you like. If you want a firm-flesh apple that holds up well in baking (like you would use for pies), you can go with Honey Crisp, Pink Lady, Jonagold or Fuji. This will give you chunks of apple in the muffins. If you prefer an apple that will break down more as it bakes (and be less noticeable in the muffins), you can go with something like a Golden Delicious, Rome, or Macintosh. Hope that helps! 🙂

  4. That sounds like an amazing way to enjoy your holiday the grilled chicken plus the chocolate cream pie sounds so delicious, I think I’ll be making the exact same things for my dinner party tomorrow.

    1. Hi, Angela! I still publish a weekly update post every Sunday morning. Email updates go out every Sunday morning as well. Are you on my list? If so, maybe check your spam or junk email filters to see if the emails are going there by accident. You can always visit my blog for the latest posts, too. Thanks so much for following along with us! 🙂