Our Week in Meals #165

Good morning and happy Sunday! We had multiple snow days in Virginia this week, so it has felt like the boys’ never-ending Christmas vacation. Going into the third week of January, we’re looking forward to some routine again (and some warmer weather). 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…

We woke up to a beautiful winter morning on Sunday, so I met my girlfriend for a hike before making my way to the grocery store.

I finished another book that afternoon, which was a really fun read. I enjoyed The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis, so I was excited to dive into The Address, too. The novel is about two women, a century apart, who both find their lives changed by the Dakota, Manhattan’s most famous apartment building. Part mystery, part historical fiction, this book is a quick, juicy story that will suck you in!

Afternoon hike with my bodyguards ????

We had Guinness Marinated Flank Steak for supper, which Keith grilled because the weather was so nice. We love that 3-ingredient marinade!

We paired the steak with Grilled Potatoes,

and Creamed Spinach Casserole.

The boys woke up grumpy on Monday morning, knowing that they had to return to school that day. Keith went back to work as well, and I buckled down to get my own work done at home.

Other than a couple of dog walks, I plugged away at the house — photographing recipes, editing photos, finishing laundry, prepping dinner, and just generally playing catch-up after the holidays.

The older boys had basketball practice that evening, so we enjoyed a simple Buffalo Chicken Casserole with side salads before they headed out the door. This casserole is great because it has subtle buffalo wing flavor, but it’s not too spicy for children (you can always add more heat, if you like)!

It’s a good thing that I was productive on Monday, because the boys were home again on Tuesday! Much of Madison County is in the mountains, so it doesn’t take a lot of snow for folks to panic and for school to be canceled.

Since the snow didn’t actually start falling until about lunchtime, the boys and I went to the gym in the morning…followed by donuts and cappuccinos afterwards!

In all, we only got about 1-2 inches, but it was just enough for these three to have some fun (and for me to do a lot of laundry).

I made my 5-Ingredient Cabbage Casserole for dinner that night, plus a side of rolls. With rice, ground beef, and plenty of cabbage in one dish, you really don’t need much else. A cozy meal for a chilly day!

The sunset was beautiful that evening…

Wednesday was snow day #2 for the kids, and since the roads were clear, we hopped in the car and headed south to visit my parents.

We walked the dog, played board games, went to an antique shop, and enjoyed tuna melts for lunch.

Casey was particularly excited about the “treasure” he found in the woods (a large deer bone), so my mom sent him home with rubber gloves to wear if he wanted to touch it.????????

In spite of the freezing temps, the boys have been asking for Dairy Queen for weeks. We’re rarely near one, so I finally granted their wish and made a pit stop for snacks as we were driving through Charlottesville on our way home. Snow day fun!

Keith was gone for a work event that evening, so I planned the easiest dinner that I could think of: soup and baguette. I thawed a small container of Tuscan White Bean Soup with Sausage and Kale from the freezer for myself, and gave the boys plain ole’ chicken noodle from a can. Everyone was happy, and I didn’t have to cook!

After a two-hour delay, the kids finally returned to school on Thursday morning. Since Spencer’s friend was with us for the morning, the four of them had a ton of fun “ice skating” (and falling) on the patches of ice on our gravel drive. ????

Once they were on the bus, I made a run to the grocery store to re-stock our fridge. I also tested a new stew recipe on the stovetop, and walked the dog up the street to pick up a loaf of bread and some cheese scones from my neighbor’s farm.

At Gibbs’ request, I finally made Goldfish Chicken Nuggets for dinner that night. He has been asking for these for months — definitely one of his favorite meals. Along with the nuggets, we also had sweet potato fries, salad and broccoli. Then the older boys were off to basketball practice for the night…

I spent Friday morning in the kitchen while the kids were at school and the dog was at the groomer — testing a new recipe and photographing another. After lunch, I met my girlfriend for a very muddy walk (thanks to melting snow), which was a great way for us to catch up because we hadn’t seen each other in weeks.

I made Sheet Pan Shrimp Tacos for dinner, which I served with slaw, corn, chips, salsa and guacamole. So good, and always a huge hit with the boys (minus the slaw)!

We stayed busy on a rainy Saturday keeping up with the kids. All 3 boys had basketball in the morning, followed by haircuts in the afternoon.

Our babysitter, Hannah, came over that evening so that Keith and I could go out for our anniversary. We’re celebrating 15 years (!!!) in a few days, so we took advantage of a free Saturday night.

We decided to go up to Culpeper, where we had dinner at PintoThai and followed it up with bowling afterwards. We had the Thai Green Salad with Peanut Dressing and Crispy Rolls to start…

…and we each got a curry for our main dish (this was my Green Curry with Chicken). The ingredients were so fresh and flavorful, and the level of spice was perfect!

There you go — another week of easy meal ideas! I hope that you’ve found a few new options to add to your own dinners in the week ahead. Thank you so much for stopping by today!