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! I’m checking in this morning from the tail-end of our family’s beach vacation on Martha’s Vineyard. It’s been a week full of sunshine and good food! 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.

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. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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…

Sunday was Father’s Day, and it turned out to be a quiet one at home. After a foggy morning walk, I spent a few hours packing up the family for our week-long trip, while Keith and the boys played football in the yard.

The sun came out!

We planned a Father’s Day dinner menu to include a number of Keith’s favorite things, starting with Grilled Pork Tenderloin.

Front shot of a grilled pork tenderloin on a cutting board

I paired the pork with a simple green salad dressed in Buttermilk Ranch, a basket of my neighbor’s homemade dinner rolls, and a small batch of Aunt Bee’s Shrimp and Pasta Salad.

Front shot of Aunt Bee's Shrimp and Pasta Salad in a blue serving bowl garnished with sliced green onions

And for a special dessert, I made Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches using Heath ice cream (Keith’s favorite) and Tate’s chocolate chip cookies. Such a fun, easy summer treat that only takes about 10 minutes to make!

Close up shot of 3 cookie ice cream sandwiches stacked on top of each other

I finished another good book this week, which would be a perfect beach read if you’re looking for an easy escape this season. I remember when “chick lit” first became a popular genre back in the early 2000’s, and so many of my friends and I loved reading Jennifer Weiner’s books. When I saw that she had a new book out this month, I scooped it up immediately (partly for nostalgic reasons). I haven’t read any of Weiner’s work in almost 20 years, but I’m so glad that I rediscovered her writing with her latest novel, Big Summer. Definitely recommend this one!

Monday was a day of travel, so I don’t have too many interesting adventures to report. We left Virginia early that morning for a road trip up to my parents’ house on Martha’s Vineyard. A few hours into our drive, we found a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru in Maryland for some much needed caffeine and snacks!

Lunch looked like some very un-fancy peanut butter and apricot jam sandwiches on homemade honey wheat bread while driving through Connecticut.

Teddy’s first ferry ride!

And 12 hours later, we finally arrived at my folks’ house — just in time for dinner! Mom made Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta, which she served over pasta with a salad on the side. Dad made some deeeee-licious focaccia bread, too!

Tuesday was a perfect New England beach day! The sun was shining, the sky was clear, and the temperature was in the mid-70’s.

Twins with my mom!

The water was way too cold for my liking, but the kids didn’t seem to mind. We had the whole beach to ourselves!

When the fog rolled in later that afternoon, we headed into town for a walk to the lighthouse and an ice cream snack.

Followed by hamburgers and French fries for dinner at home!

Wednesday morning was cloudy, the waves were choppy and the water was frigid, but that didn’t seem to bother the boys one bit. They were happy to have another beach day (while I sat wrapped in a towel and watched from the chair)!

Our afternoon included bike rides,

and hunting for crabs (and other treasures) at Edgartown Great Pond.

Lobster Rolls for dinner on the deck!

Keith and the boys went out to dig for clams in Katama Bay during low tide on Thursday morning.

Appetizers for cocktail hour that evening!

We picked up fish for dinner at the seafood market, and then grabbed soft-serve ice cream for snack on the way home. My favorite!

An afternoon on the beach…

…followed by Grilled Fish Tacos with slaw (the cod is hiding under that slaw), chips and homemade guacamole for dinner.

I also finished another book that evening! After recently enjoying Ann Patchett’s latest book, The Dutch House, I decided to go back and read some of her previous novels as well. I read Bel Canto when it came out almost a decade ago (and loved it), but somehow I totally missed Commonwealth when it was released back in 2016. Patchett is such a beautiful storyteller, and this was no exception. It would be another great addition to your summer reading list!

Keith took the boys back to the beach on Friday morning, while Mom and I went shopping at one of our favorite local businesses: Chilmark Pottery.

An afternoon bike ride…

…and croquet in the yard.

My dad grilled steaks for dinner,

Sliced marinated grilled steak on a cutting board

which we served with baked potato wedges,

Front shot of a tray of Baked Potato Wedges

and Caesar salad (minus the chicken).

Close up shot of sliced chicken breast served on top of a caesar salad with croutons and dressing

We spent Saturday morning at the beach…

Back home for lunch, I made a pot of New England Clam Chowder to take advantage of the last of the clams that Keith collected. I’ll share my recipe soon, which is equally good with canned clams.

Close up front shot of a white bowl full of New England clam chowder with a bacon and parsley garnish

An afternoon walk…

…followed by ice cream at the harbor. Vacation mode!

My mom and I made a Southern Tomato Pie to have with dinner (our recipe will be on the blog on Wednesday, so stay tuned!)…

Overhead image of a Southern Tomato Pie in a blue pie plate

and paired the tomato pie with lobster salad, corn on the cob, coleslaw, and fresh loaves of my dad’s focaccia bread. Such a treat!

So there you go — another week of dinner ideas — this time, with a “beachy” twist! Thanks so much for joining me here today. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead!

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!

Read More

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

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. This sounds like a lovely trip and family vacay!! I have never been to Martha’s Vineyard but it looks lovely. It would be a bit of a road trip for us though – coming from NE.

    We are planning our annual trip to our beloved MN lake family camp (in cabins) so I was so happy to see that you were able to go during this time of stay-at-hone. We decided that our risk of being with others was relatively low so we’re going for it in about two weeks.

    Take aver! (as always your meals look so inviting – especially those lobster rolls!)
    Have a safe trip home.

    1. Thanks, Cathy! Yes, we were a little bit concerned about traveling at all, but we’ve found that it’s just as easy to stay socially distant here in our house as it would be at home. We’ve just avoided more crowded activities like shopping in town, and we only went to the grocery store once (at 7:00 a.m. before it was busy). We’ve made some small adjustments to feel safe, but otherwise have been able to enjoy a getaway. Have a great trip when you go to the lake!

  2. So looking forward to these upcoming recipes! . Every recipe I have tried on this site has been wonderful! And love that most have been very easy and prepared with ingredients which can be found rather easily. Thank you.,

    1. Thank you, Jane! 🙂 You’re so sweet to leave a note. I hope you enjoy the new recipes. So much summer goodness to take advantage of!

  3. Well…..I just drooled all over my phone…lol! The food looks wonderful and the pictures of the Martha’s Vineyard look so relaxing. I’ve always wanted to try an authentic New England lobster roll. Glad a good time was had by all!

    1. Hi, Helen! No, my mom’s hydrangeas haven’t quite bloomed yet. Those were along the sidewalk in Edgartown. 🙂

  4. I just finished reading Commonwealth too! And going back and reading some older Patchett books too, try The Magician’s Assistant!

  5. Is there a place you would recommend/ point me in the right direction to either rent a place or a hotel/ B and B for my family of four for a week? Would love to plan ahead for next summer.

    Thank you,
    Jo

    1. Hi, Jo! Absolutely! Contact Melissa Peters at Sandpiper Realty and she can help you find the perfect rental. She occasionally helps to rent out my parents’ house, too. Hope you can plan a trip — it’s a great spot for vacation. 🙂 A lot of the houses do book about a year in advance, so you’re smart to start thinking about it now.