Good morning, and happy Sunday! It was a busy week around here, complete with a switch to virtual learning, an anniversary celebration, and a quick road trip to another part of Virginia. 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…
A beautiful Sunday morning sunrise!
I met my two girlfriends for an early walk at Mollie's farm, and then returned home to test some new recipes in the kitchen.
We ran into our neighbors' chickens on our walk over to the pond after lunch!
This might look like a playful hug, but it quickly turned into an aggressive tackle...as they always do in a house full of boys...
And in between football games on TV, Keith grilled steaks for dinner, which we paired with salads...
...and oven-roasted red potatoes that I tossed in olive oil and seasoned with our favorite all-purpose seasoning. Roasted at 400° F for about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they were perfectly crispy and golden brown!
Our county closed the public schools this week, so the boys are now on a virtual learning schedule for the foreseeable future. Instead of heading to school on Monday morning, all three kids were home with me as we (once again) adjusted to a new "normal."
We met friends for a walk in the woods, but otherwise had a quiet day at the house. I finished another book that evening, which I suppose is one benefit of being home so much: Waiting Season by Melanie Lageschulte. Novel #4 in her Melinda Foster series focuses on Melinda's life on the farm during a particularly harsh winter. From the freezing water pipes to the wild animals too close for comfort, I could relate to a lot of what I read! If you're interested in diving into this series, I would start from the beginning with Growing Season. They're simple, feel-good books that aren't particularly action-packed or dramatic, but I find them to be cozy, easy reads. Sometimes that's exactly what we need!
Speaking of cozy, I made Stuffed Acorn Squash with Sausage and Apples for dinner that night...
...along with a loaf of Keith's favorite crusty No-Knead Bread. Comfort food for a chilly, gray evening!
Tuesday started out frosty and cold, but quickly warmed up and turned into a beautiful day.
After a stressful morning of many, many Zoom calls and school assignments, we were all ready to get outside for an afternoon in the woods.
I'm trying to focus on the positive aspects of "Mom's homeschool," and mid-week hikes with the boys are definitely at the top of the list.
So many rock towers...
We had Chicken Vegetable Soup for dinner,
along with leftover Cheese Biscuits from last week, which I pulled from the freezer and reheated in the oven.
Wednesday turned out to be another beautiful day, so we snuck outside for a couple of quick walks in between school work and the boys' afternoon check-up at the doctor's office.
I made a 4-Ingredient Pork Loin Roast for supper,
which I served with mac and cheese and steamed, buttered broccoli.
This was obviously the week of (healthy) doctors' appointments, because on Thursday morning I headed down to Charlottesville for a skin check at the dermatologist while Keith stayed home with the boys. Checking these to-do's off of my list at the beginning of the year!
We all took advantage of the spring-like weather and got outside that afternoon.
Dinner that night included spaghetti and meatballs,
plus a salad and garlic bread. Always a favorite with my boys!
Keith and I "celebrated" our 16th wedding anniversary on Friday, although the celebration obviously looked a lot different this year. We would normally leave the kids with their grandparents and escape for a weekend away on our own (or at least have a meal in a restaurant on our own), but that's not the case in 2021. Instead, it was a typical day at home that involved virtual learning with the boys and plenty of class Zoom calls!
I drove down to my parents' house that afternoon to drop off the dog so that he could stay with them for a couple of nights.
When I made it back home around dinnertime, I threw together a quick meal of quesadillas (no meat, just cheese this time)...
...plus corn, tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole. This is one of the easy go-to options that I serve when I know I won't be home to do much cooking! With a big cast iron griddle to cook multiple quesadillas at once, the meal comes together in minutes.
On Saturday morning, we all piled in the car and headed a couple of hours east to Williamsburg.
Our anniversary "getaway" turned into an overnight road trip with the kids in tow. They've all learned about Williamsburg and Jamestown in their Virginia history classes at school, so they've been asking to return for a few months now.
We wandered around the Colonial village and William & Mary's campus, ordered sandwiches from The Cheese Shop for lunch, and sat outside to enjoy our meal.
Tuna salad on French bread -- delicious!
It's tough to travel safely these days (as you all know), so we rented a condo at the Kingsmill Resort to avoid staying in a hotel or other more public place. Since most of the tourist destinations (including Jamestown) are completely shut down right now, we really just spent our time outdoors and did our best to avoid any other humans.😉
A sunset view of the James River from our condo's porch.
We ordered dinner from the resort's restaurant, which was a combination of chicken fingers, shrimp po' boys, cheeseburger sliders, a soft pretzel, and my Caesar salad with blackened mahi mahi. Everyone was happy, and it felt like a treat because we don't have any food delivery available at home!
The rest of our evening included football on TV, as well as the kids' horrific taste-testing experiment with these Harry Potter "Bertie Bott's Every Flavor" Jelly Belly jelly beans. The jelly beans were flavored like vomit, grass, soap, sausage, dirt, earthworms, boogers, and more disgusting things that boys find hilarious. The smell alone was enough to make me nauseous.🤢
That's it for now, friends! We're headed home this afternoon, so I'll update you on the rest of our adventures in next Sunday's post. Thanks for joining me here today, and have a wonderful week ahead!
Debbie Hill
I have your no knead bread on the counter, almost done with 18 hours rising ( will be good with the beef stew I’ve got going in the Crock Pot).
I did find a recipe that is the same as the 18 hour rise but rises just 8 hours. I tried that one... delicious but not the holes that the 18 hour has. BUT, if you forget to start the bread the day before...it is a great alternative to do the 8 hour that you can start in the morning and enjoy it that same day. Not exactly the same but still good.
Blair
Sounds like the perfect dinner, Debbie! Yep -- the dough can sit for a wide range of times...it's very flexible. Many recipes call for 12 hours, which works too. The longer it sits, though, the more flavor develops (and the better texture). You could even punch it down after 18 hours and let it continue to rest for probably twice as long. Hope you enjoy the meal!
Gina Saunders
Good morning, Blair. I always enjoy your posts so much. A couple of years ago, my husband had a conference near Williamsburg, and I tagged along. I had been there before, but he hadn't. So we stayed a few extra days to explore. Colonial Williamsburg is one of my favorite places to visit. It's so beautiful and interesting. We also took a day and went to Jefferson's Monticello. Virginia is a very beautiful state. Thanks again for posting - it brought back so many good memories. Have a wonderful week! --Gina
Blair
Thank you for your kind note, Gina! I'm so glad that you enjoy the weekly posts and that you could remember your visit to Virginia so fondly. It truly is a wonderful state, and I love sharing it with folks all over the world. What a special place!
Kay Pickett
I love your pictures! They are so different from CA where I live. Thank you for your posts!
Blair
Thanks, Kay! Hope you have a great week!
Elaine
Thank you for sharing.. These posts are a warm hug in some very interesting times. We're in full lock-out (home school, no travel outside 5km, only outside for exercise and can only meet one other person outdoors)here in Ireland for the foreseeable future so these updates are a lovely bright spot in otherwise pretty dull week.
Blair
Oh, wow, Elaine! That's definitely an intense situation. I'm so glad to be able to share a little bit of joy right now. Thank you for joining me here each Sunday!
Linda
There is a school right to the left of the Governor’s Palace in Williamsburg, Matthew Whaley. I had my first teaching job there, I lasted one year in first grade and moved to middle school. It is nice to have you in my neck of the woods. Consider coming and visitI got Yorktown some time. There is a beach for the boys, and lots of Revolutionary War references as well as a great walk down to Wormley Pond after you visit the Moore house. You should check it out. I love that you cook with familiar Ingredients with an eye on a busy life, by the way.
Blair
Thank you, Linda! That's so cool -- we were just in Yorktown this morning! It was cold by the water, but sunny and beautiful. The boys enjoyed the cannons and the battlefield, but the Visitor Center and some of the other stuff was closed. We'll be back again -- it's such an easy drive from the Madison/Charlottesville area. I also saw your former school when we were near the Governor's Palace yesterday. We love Williamsburg...such a great town! Have a nice week!
Cecilia
Happy 16th Anniversary Blair!
Blair
Thanks, Cecilia! 🙂
Beverly in Texas
Hello,
Thanks for another fun newsletter.
I want to try the taco quesadillas. If you had to rank them in order of best tasting which is #1 ,2 and 3 (skillet, microwave or oven)?
You have instructions to cook them on each side in the skillet. Do you flip them when doing it in the microwave or oven?
Have a nice week
Blair
Hi, Beverly! Always the cast iron skillet or griddle. It cooks the most evenly and gives you the crispiest exterior. It's also easier to adjust the heat in the skillet so that you don't burn the outside before the cheese melts. I've done them in the microwave in a pinch when a "hangry" toddler needed food FAST, but the skillet is always my go-to! 🙂
Megan
Your visit to Williamsburg brought back so many good memories and feelings. My husband and I went to William and Mary. I miss The Cheese Shop sooooo much. Looks like you guys had a wonderful time. Thank you for sharing!!!
Blair
That's wonderful, Megan! W&M is such a great school and a beautiful campus. We had fun visiting, and can't wait to go back!
E.
I applaud you for your positivity during home learning. Keep up the great work! I am curious if you could share some ideas for lunches? Being home, kids being home, and cooking ALL the time has exhausted my creativity and we’re in a lunchtime rut! P.S. I laughed out loud reading about those Harry Potter beans. My kids would LOVE them, but I might not tell them that they exist for now. Have a great week!
Blair
Oh my gosh, you're not kidding. Lunch is my LEAST favorite time of day, because everyone wants something different and I'm just so sick of preparing meals! At least for dinner we all eat the same thing. 🙂
My husband and I typically have leftovers at lunchtime, since I'm constantly testing new recipes. We just eat whatever I was photographing or testing that morning, reheat soup from a previous meal, or use leftover meat for sandwiches, chicken salad, tuna salad, etc. I also love a good PB&J when there's nothing else that needs to be enjoyed!
For the kids, I have a rotation of a handful of options that they all enjoy, so at least I can prepare the same thing for the 3 of them. I honestly feel like a school cafeteria lunch lady, because they really prefer a hot lunch. Here are our go-to options:
- Frozen pizza
- Chicken nuggets or fish sticks
- Canned Spaghettios
- Soup (the kids like chicken noodle or tomato soup best), and I'll often pair it with toast, grilled cheese, or cheese & crackers
- Quesadillas
- Peanut butter sandwiches or Nutella sandwiches
- Bagels with peanut butter or butter
- Occasionally "breakfast for lunch" like pancakes or waffles -- typically pulled from the freezer and toasted or microwaved; or Greek yogurt topped with granola and fruit
- Sloppy Joes (only occasionally, because that's a bit more effort than I usually want to spend) 🙂
- Turkey and cheese sandwiches
- Or, when I really can't deal with cooking, they don't mind Lunchables, which we'll pair with some fruit
- And I should mention -- the fast food drive-thru is always a big hit when it works out (which is maybe once a week or so). No shame! 😉
I hope that helps, and YES...do your best to avoid those jelly beans. Even the smell is horrendous! Have a great weekend!
E.
Thank you so much! You described our situation perfectly. We do a weekly rotation for breakfast and now I will use your list to start one for lunch as well. Having a plan lessens my mental load. I really appreciate you!
Blair
Awesome, so glad it might be helpful. I totally agree that a plan -- even if it's just a loose one -- is so much less stressful than figuring it out on the fly. Enjoy the weekend! 🙂