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Good morning, and happy Sunday! We had a pretty “normal” week around here — warm, spring-like temps, a return to school, and plenty of outdoor play. 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.

First, though, a quick note to let you know that my latest recipe for Copycat Panera Lemon Chicken Soup is over at Taste of Home! This light, healthy and flavorful soup is a perfectly cozy weeknight supper that comes together easily on the stovetop. I hope you’ll check out the recipe and try it in your own kitchen soon!

Now, let’s back up to last weekend…

Sunday was still very cold, but at least the sun was shining! I met my girlfriends for a walk at Mollie’s farm early that morning, and then headed back out with the kids that afternoon for a walk and outdoor “play date” with their buddies.

The boys really miss seeing their friends at school regularly, so we’re doing what we can to facilitate social activities safely outside (even when there’s still ice on the ground)!

Since there was snow in the forecast (yet again) that evening, I decided on a cozy meal for supper. I simmered a pot of chicken broth on the stovetop…

Close overhead shot of a ladle in a pot of the best chicken broth

…made a batch of easy homemade egg noodles, and then cooked the egg noodles in the broth (with the shredded chicken off the bones) to make a simple-yet-flavorful chicken noodle soup. One of the boys’ favorite meals!

Old fashioned egg noodles served with broth in soup and two white bowls

Gibbs has been asking for more English Muffin Bread recently, so I also baked a couple loaves of the quick no-knead bread to serve on the side with a green salad.

English muffin toasting bread on a plate with butter and jam

Not much to report from Monday! Spencer returned to school, Keith went to work, and the older two boys stayed home with me to take care of their virtual learning. The sleet and freezing rain kept us inside most of the day — it was nasty out there!

We had Cottage Pie for dinner (which is basically the same as Shepherd’s pie, but with ground beef instead of lamb). I replaced the frozen peas and carrots with a bag of frozen corn to appease my non-pea-loving husband.😬 Plus dinner rolls and steamed broccoli (for something green!) on the side…

Close up shot of cottage pie in a white cast iron skillet

The sun returned on Tuesday, and spring-like temps melted the last of the lingering ice.

We did school work in the morning, I tested a couple of new baking recipes, and then we met our friends for a walk that afternoon.

I made oven-fried chicken for dinner, which I served with store-bought potato salad,

coleslaw,

Close up shot of homemade coleslaw in a blue bowl

and lemon poppy seed bread on the side.

Loaf of lemon poppy seed bread sliced on a cutting board

We were blessed with another beautiful day on Wednesday, reaching 66° F here in Central Virginia. My parents stopped by for lunch, and then I took the boys over to our friends’ farm for a walk to the river, some outdoor play, and jumping on the trampoline. We took full advantage of the sun while it was out, and everyone came home exhausted!

I made my great-grandmother’s Stuffed Cabbage Rolls for dinner that night, which I paired with pasta and bread. One of my childhood favorites — even if I’m the only one in the house who loves cabbage!

Close up front shot of stuffed cabbage rolls on a plate garnished with bacon and parsley

Plus Strawberry Cake for dessert, since I had photographed it earlier in the day. Can’t wait to share this easy recipe with you soon!

I have another good book to share this week, too! I recently finished The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel, which was inspired by an amazing true story from World War II. A young woman with a talent for forgery helps hundreds of Jewish children flee the Nazis in this unforgettable historical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Winemaker’s Wife.

All 3 boys returned to school on Thursday, so Teddy and I went for a nice walk to enjoy the sunshine before I got started on my work for the day. A quiet house is always productive!

I kept it simple with a kid-favorite that evening: quesadillas, plus tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole on the side.

Close up shot of ground beef quesadilla in a bowl of salsa

I squeezed quite a bit into my Friday while the kids were at school!

After a morning walk with my girlfriends, I took Teddy to the groomer in Culpeper.

While I was waiting for him to finish, I ran a few errands — picked up donuts for a special after-school snack for the kids, bagels and lunch at Panera’s drive-thru, and a handful of Easter items at Target.

I also stopped by my neighbor’s farm to pick up one of our packages that was accidentally delivered to their house. It won’t be long before those beautiful lavender fields are in bloom!

Gibbs requested fried shrimp for supper that night, and I was happy to oblige!

Side shot of an easy fried shrimp recipe on a table with a blue and white checked towel in the background

We paired the shrimp with creamy mac and cheese and a side of steamed green beans. Almost felt like summer…

Close up shot of a spoonful of creamy baked mac and cheese

It rained most of Saturday morning, so I spent some time in the kitchen working on new recipes. Once it cleared that afternoon, we were all ready for fresh air and a walk outside…

…followed by a stop at the high school football game! They’re currently having an abbreviated fall sports season (since everything was cancelled last August), so the kids wanted to see the team play.

Keith was in charge of supper that evening, so he picked up our regular Saturday night pizzas. Hooray for no dish washing!

And that’s all for now, friends! I hope that you’ve found some new meal ideas for the week ahead. Thanks so much for being here!

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!

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Comments

  1. I certainly look forward to your Sunday morning Post. I was up early this morning… we have Will. He spent last night with us and just before 6 he was ready to get up.
    I had to chuckle about your Cottage Pie. Billy doesn’t eat peas either so I always make my Cottage Pie with corn also. The store bought mashed potatoes have certainly made making this dish so much easier! I use to have to take the steps of peeling, cooking, and mashing the potatoes! I also make mine easier than your recipe. I brown the ground beef and then just add a can of Manwich, simmer a couple minutes and ready to assemble the Pie.
    The egg noodles sound delicious but the 1 and 1/2 -2 hour time is holding me back. However, I know the dumplings I make for my chicken and dumplings ( called chicken and pastry in NC) is so much better than bought ones. But what I make for that dish is so simple and fast…. just flour and water…. roll out thinly….cut into strips with a knife… immediately put into boiling chicken broth. But I may try your egg noodles since I know how good homemade tastes.

    1. Yes! I knew that you had Will, and we were trying to meet for a walk, but this weather isn’t cooperating. Maybe Sallie will pick him up sooner and you can take a nap! 🙂

      I really want to make your chicken and dumplings (Pastry) recipe at some point. Do you have an official “recipe,” or do you just wing it? If there’s something in writing, can you send it to me? Your cottage pie sounds delicious — can’t go wrong with Manwich!

  2. I will be trying the chicken broccoli braided crescent roll recipe-everything about it sounds SO good!
    Do you know of any “old-fashioned” poppyseed cake recipes? When I was a kid that was my favorite cake!! My Mom made it as a layered cake with lemon filling in between the layers. I don’t even remember what the frosting was!! I think she soaked the poppyseeds (if I remember right).
    Thanks for the cute picture of Teddy-he is SO adorable!

    1. Hi, Sherrie! I don’t have a cake recipe like you’ve described, but I’m definitely going to look into it. Sounds delicious! I’ll let you know if I come up with one. 🙂

      1. THANKS!! Wow that is exactly what the cake and filling looked like… My Mom did frost the entire cake, but this was perfect as I could see the “cake”!.
        Thanks so much-was very nice of you☺️❣️ Definitely brings back great memories….

  3. Please post a printable version of your Copycat Panera Greek Lemon Chicken Soup recipe. Taste of Home just shows it as an article with no way to print. Thank you

    1. Hi, Sandra! I know, it’s frustrating that it’s posted that way on their site. I can’t re-publish the recipe here, but I can send it to you via email. Check your email now, because I will send it right away — and let me know if you have trouble receiving it for some reason. Hope you enjoy! 🙂