Our Week in Meals #219

Good morning, and happy Sunday! We survived another week of virtual learning at “Mom’s Homeschool” — thanks in part to the unseasonably warm, sunny, January 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 rented a condo on the James River at the Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, so on Sunday morning we woke up to a beautiful sunrise on the water!

Once we packed up, we ordered coffee and scones from Starbucks before making our way to Yorktown Battlefield. By the way, the new pistachio latte and the cranberry orange scone are both delicious!

This is the site of the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War, where in the fall of 1781, General George Washington’s forces besieged General Charles Lord Cornwallis’s British army.

The Visitor Center is currently closed, but we had fun wandering around outside (and we had the whole place to ourselves at that time of day)!

We made it back to Madison shortly after lunch, picked up an online grocery order, unpacked our luggage, and enjoyed a cozy homemade dinner. I thawed Beef Ragu from the freezer before we left, so I could just heat it up on Sunday evening. We served the ragu over pasta…

…and had sauteed zucchini,

…and garlic bread on the side.

Thanks to the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on Monday, Keith was home from work and the boys didn’t have any school assignments. I met two of my friends for a walk at Mollie’s farm that morning, and then came home to bake a cake, wash a zillion loads of laundry, and play catch-up after our weekend away.

I served Cream of Mushroom Pork Chops for dinner…

…along with Skin-On Mashed Red Potatoes and steamed green beans.

Early Tuesday before the sunrise…

Thank goodness it was a beautiful day, because after a morning of virtual learning, the kids and I were happy to spend a good chunk of the afternoon outside.

We had Shrimp and Grits for dinner,

along with side salads and cranberry muffins.

Wednesday turned out to be another pretty one!

We met my friend Ashley and her girls for a hike on a local trail. I forgot my phone, but Ashley snapped a pic for me!

While we were out in the woods, dinner was slowly cooking in the Crock Pot. On the menu: Slow Cooker Chicken Nachos…

…as well as 7-Layer Bean Dip that I had prepped earlier in the day. It was a fiesta!

Thursday was warm and sunny again, so after the kids slogged through a morning of class Zoom calls and homework, they were more than ready to run.

We had an outdoor “play date” at our friends’ house, where Becca and I walked the dogs along the river while the boys dressed in their best camo attire and played hide-and-seek in the woods. Perfect way to spend a January afternoon!

Keith wasn’t home for dinner that night, so I made the easiest meal I could think of: leftover Stuffed Pepper Soup that I thawed and reheated from the freezer. Tasted delicious (again)!

And I’ve got another great book to recommend this week! I grew up with horses, so my mother-in-law gave me The Eighty Dollar Champion by Elizabeth Letts for Christmas, knowing that it would be right up my alley. Sure enough, I loved this one! It reminded me a lot of Sea Biscuit, and was just an amazing true story about the bond between a rescue horse and his owner, as they rose to national fame in the show jumping world of the 1950s. Whether you’re a horse-lover or not, I think you’ll really enjoy this inspiring read.

A beautiful Friday morning sunrise, followed by school work, cooking…

…and more afternoon adventures in the woods with these three.

I made Patty Melts for dinner,

which we served with coleslaw, pickles, and potato chips.

Saturday morning!

We took a hike in the mountains after lunch, where it got a bit dicey when we had to cross the Conway River (some little guys may have come away with wet socks)!

And, in true Saturday form, I took a break from the kitchen (and dishes) that evening. Keith picked up pizzas — always a big hit around here.

That’s it, friends! I hope that you’ve found some new inspiration for your own kitchen in the days ahead. Thank you for being here, and have a great week!