Our Week in Meals #169

Good morning, friends! We’re busy with basketball, birthday parties, and baking this weekend, but I wanted to pop in today with the regular Sunday update. 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 met my friend for an early hike, and then returned home to spend a couple of hours testing recipes in the kitchen while the boys played.

When everyone was hungry for lunch, we let the kids pick our destination, and (as usual), they opted for the Hibachi Buffet in Charlottesville. Not my favorite, but it sure is efficient and it makes them happy. This was plate #1 — beef with broccoli, sushi, Chinese barbecue pork and some veggies.

Keith’s parents stopped by for a visit that afternoon, and then it was time for the Super Bowl! Since it was a school night, we didn’t make plans to go anywhere. Instead, we made it feel like a party at home.😀 Keith set up a betting game for the boys, while I served a bunch of Game Day finger foods for dinner. We had wings that Keith prepared on the grill, pizza, Chili Dogs,

deviled eggs (recipe coming soon),

chips and salsa,

a veggie tray with dip,

plus Cracker Jacks and Puppy Chow for dessert snacking. Even though we weren’t rooting for a specific team, it was a fun way to watch the last football game of the season.

We were blessed with spring-like weather on Monday, so once the boys climbed on the school bus, Teddy and I took a long walk up the road.

Spencer “invited” me to join him for lunch at the school cafeteria that day, so after a morning behind the computer, I took a break for chicken nuggets with the kindergarteners.

And since I knew that I would be around the house for a couple of hours that afternoon, it seemed like a good day to prepare Crispy Roast Chicken with Vegetables for dinner. Plus biscuits on the side, then off to basketball practice!

I met a friend at the gym for a quick strength class on Tuesday morning, and then returned home to get work done until lunchtime.

Teddy hadn’t had a walk yet that day, so we took advantage of another warm afternoon and went for a stroll up the road after lunch.

Poor dog was so hot and tired after just a short walk that he quit before we made it back to the house, lay down in the grass, and refused to take another step until I carried him inside. Hah! 😂 We’re going to need to toughen him up before another Virginia summer arrives…

I used up some of the leftover chicken from the night before to make a pot of Chicken Tortellini Soup for dinner that night. We paired the soup with a baguette and side salads. Love it!

My uncle had an operation at UVA’s hospital on Wednesday, so my mom and I went to Charlottesville that morning to keep my aunt company for a little while and to enjoy lunch with her. We walked over to The Corner, where we grabbed a tasty Mediterranean lunch at Thyme & Co. I had the Chicken Shawarma Mezza Bowl, which included chicken shawarma, freekeh (a “super grain”), hummus, Lebanese pickles, tomato and pickled turnip, topped with homemade garlic sauce and warm pita bread. So tasty!

Once home, I prepped our easy dinner before the kids got off the school bus. On the menu: my 4-Ingredient Healthy Enchilada Casserole!

We paired the casserole with leftover tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole from our Super Bowl “party,” as well as these seasoned black beans that we tried for the first time. They were pretty good for a quick and easy side.

And for dessert: a slice of Chocolate Cherry Cake! My mom made the cake the night before and brought me some leftovers when we met for lunch that afternoon.

I finished another book that evening, too! My mom gave me This Tender Land, which she said was one of the best books she’s read in the last year. I agree — it was beautifully written, an entertaining story, and reminded me a lot of Where the Crawdads Sing. Sad in parts, but also incredibly heartwarming!

On a cool, rainy Thursday morning, I treated myself to a coconut caramel cappuccino after the gym…and brought home these heart-shaped brownie batter donuts as after-school snacks for my sweeties.❤️

We enjoyed a cozy pasta dinner before the kids’ basketball practice that night: Lightened Up One Skillet Shrimp Alfredo, which we paired with broccoli and garlic bread on the side.

I spent Friday morning up in Culpeper — at the gym with a friend, making a quick stop at Target for Valentine’s Day craft project supplies for Spencer, and hustling through the grocery store. While in town, I grabbed lunch for myself at the Chik-Fil-A drive thru, and then hurried back home to get on a conference call with my friends at Taste of Home.

Market Salad (before adding granola topping, nuts and dressing) + Ice Cream Cone = Balance, right?!😀

We had Make-Ahead Ham and Cheese Sliders for dinner that night, but I actually prepared half of the pan with turkey instead of ham, since that’s the boys’ preference. These are so customizable (I’ve also made similar Kentucky Hot Brown sliders and tuna melt sliders). We had the sandwiches with a salad and potato chips. Easy Friday night supper…

We watched the boys play basketball on Saturday morning, Gibbs went to a friend’s birthday party in the afternoon, and I worked on some cooking and photography.

Keith grilled some Italian sausages to have with my Grandmother’s Baked Eggplant Parmesan for dinner that night. We also served pasta with marinara and salads on the side. One of my favorite meals!

So there you go — another week of easy dinners! Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope that you’ve found some inspiration for your own meals in the coming days. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!