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Good morning, happy Sunday, and happy 4th of July! To my American readers out there, I hope that you’re enjoying a wonderful holiday weekend. 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…

Sunday started with an early morning walk up the road with the dog…

…followed by some recipe testing in the kitchen while Keith was outside and the kids were building forts in their bedrooms.

Look what Keith picked from our trees this week…

We got outside that afternoon for a short stroll, but didn’t make it too far in the heat. The kids and the dog kept trying to turn around!😂

We had baby back ribs for supper,

Close up side shot of baked baby back ribs on a cutting board

along with simple Amish Green Beans with Brown Butter from the farmer’s market,

Side shot of a bowl of fresh green beans cooked with brown butter and lemon

a quick stovetop mac and cheese,

Front shot of two white bowls full of stovetop mac and cheese

and a basket of corn sticks (I’ll share my recipe for the corn sticks in an upcoming post).

Close up side shot of a serving tray with Southern corn sticks and butter in background

We were out of the house early on Monday morning for Casey’s orthodontist appointment…

…and then made our way to the pool for a swim and a picnic lunch with friends.

Blackberries spotted on my morning walk!

I made a very fresh summer dinner that evening: Chicken Souvlaki. We had the chicken and homemade tzatziki sauce with warm pita bread, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese

Close overhead shot of marinated and grill chicken souvlaki skewers with pita and yogurt sauce

…and Couscous Salad.

Close overhead shot of a bowl of couscous salad with cranberries surrounded by lemons

Followed by my mom’s Peach Galette recipe for dessert. ‘Tis the season!

Close overhead image of a slice of peach galette with store bought crust on a server

This is how Teddy felt about our scorching heat and humidity this week! Let’s just say that he had zero interest in going for walks…

We had to stay home to meet a maintenance guy on Tuesday morning, so our only outing was a shady (but-still-sweaty) walk in the woods mid-day.

Gibbs had camp again that afternoon, while the younger boys and I stayed busy at the house.

Dinner was a quick and easy summer meal that didn’t require much cooking or effort on my part: BLT sandwiches with basil mayo, as well as chips, watermelon and peaches on the side!

Layering the ultimate BLT sandwich on a cutting board

I finished another great book this week, and it might just be one that you’ve already read. Since I really enjoy Fannie Flagg’s writing, I figured that I should circle back to one of her oldest (but most famous) novels: Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. While I had seen the movie years ago, I’d never read the book — probably because it came out back in 1991 when I was just 11 years old! Nevertheless, this timeless story is entertaining, funny and moving. Highly, highly recommend!

Wednesday we joined our friends at their farm for a swim in the pool…

…and I made my great grandmother’s Potato Pancakes for supper. Keith and I had smoked salmon alongside, while the boys got chicken nuggets

Close up front shot of potato pancakes on a blue and white plate with sour cream and applesauce

and a refreshing Cucumber Dill Salad. The perfect combination!

Overhead image of a blue and white bowl full of cucumber and dill salad recipe

After such a hot and humid day, the golden light at sunset was so lovely!

Maybe it’s time to prune the porch planters?!

Thursday was hot and sunny in the morning, but the rain and storms rolled in that afternoon.

My parents joined us for lunch, we stayed home to wait for an electrician, and I baked a batch of blackberry muffins with the fruit that Casey picked on the side of the road. I’ll share our favorite muffin recipe in a few days, so stay tuned…

Dinner that night was one of my personal favorite Chinese restaurant meals, which also happens to be a quick stir-fry dinner that we can make at home in less than 30 minutes: Moo Shu Pork. And just like a restaurant, rice and egg rolls on the side!

The sun returned on Friday, we had a meeting with our architect, and Casey joined me and the dog for a hike in the woods.

I made Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce for supper, which I served over noodles with a side of garlic bread,

Overhead shot of crockpot spaghetti sauce recipe in a blue and white bowl on a wooden table

and a green salad with red wine vinaigrette. That recipe makes a big batch of sauce, so I set some aside in the freezer for a later meal, too.

Close overhead image of green salad with vegetables and homemade vinaigrette

This week’s farmer’s market flowers on Saturday morning! The rest of the day was spent on errands, housework, and riding bikes at the school.

I was ready for a break from cooking and washing dishes, so Keith picked up takeout pizza for dinner that evening. Always a hit!

And that’s it for this week, friends! I’m off to bake a Texas Sheet Cake (with red, white and blue sprinkles) for our July 4th cookout, so I hope that you have a wonderful, safe holiday. Thanks 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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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

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Comments

  1. Blair, you are an outstanding photographer! The first thing I do when I receive your email is to look at and appreciate each picture. Then I go back and read everything and enjoy the pictures (and recipes) again. Happy Fourth of July,
    Mary fro Maryland

    1. Thank you so much, Mary! It makes me happy to know that you enjoy the photos. I have fun taking them, and it’s definitely something that I’m continually working to improve. 🙂

  2. Little Teddy looked pooped out and hot…….and very comfortable and still SO adorable!! I enjoy seeing your pup in the pictures along with the family and beautiful scenery!!!! Thanks! I want to try out the BBQ shrimp-never had them BBQ’d before-time to try it!

  3. HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY TO YOU AN ALL YOUR FAMILY…AND YES TEDDY, TOO FROM CANADA…as always love your photos of the beautiful state of Virginia and your handsome family…take care and have a wonderful week…

  4. Happy 4th! The best part of Sunday mornings is having my coffee & reading your weekly updates! Perfect timing on the buttermilk chocolate cake-I was looking for a chocolate cake to make with buttermilk. And it’s true-whole buttermilk is so much better. I have a coffee cake that I make with buttermilk that my family loves, & I also use it in waffles, muffins, & in a marinade, for a fried chicken strips recipe. Have a great week!

  5. Happy 4th of July, Blair!
    The Ribs, Chicken Souvlaki, Moo Chu Pork and the Peach Galette all look so so good! I will be tryingly hand at them all! Thank you. Your photos are spectacular. Really shows what a heavenly area you live in.
    We have been too too comfortable with temperatures the highest it has Ever been recorded in Seattle into 110, but now we are back into the 80’s so we can return to normal again.
    I hope you all enjoy a fun and relaxing holiday.
    Thank you Blair for the beauty and happiness you bring to your friends around the country and the world.
    Marina in Seattle

    1. Thank you, Marina! I’ve heard about the Seattle heat and it sounds like a crazy week you had. Glad that all has returned to normal again. Take care, and have a happy holiday!