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Good morning, and happy Sunday! We celebrated Keith’s birthday this week, started a new soccer season, and got the house ready for fall. 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 Sunday walk with 3 of my friends at Mollie’s farm…

…while the boys entertained themselves at home.

My parents joined us for a cookout that evening to celebrate Keith’s birthday a few days in advance. Keith grilled hamburgers and hotdogs,

Close up shot of grilled hamburgers served with iced tea and potato salad

my mom brought my grandmother’s potato salad,

Close front shot of an easy potato salad recipe in a blue and white bowl

and I made the house salad,

Overhead shot of house salad recipe with creamy salad dressing on a wooden table

and Crock Pot mac and cheese.

Close up front shot of crock pot macaroni and cheese recipe on a plate with a fork

Mom was in charge of dessert: a Peach Galette (still hanging onto summer’s delicious stone fruit!), as well as a pan of brownies.

Overhead image of a spiced rustic peach galette on a green wooden table

Monday was the Labor Day holiday, so we enjoyed a slower start with Secret Ingredient Bisquick Waffles for breakfast.

Pouring syrup on a plate of crispy Bisquick waffles with fresh berries

We then made our way up to a park in Culpeper, where there are paved paths for the boys’ scooters, bikes and hoverboards.

Keith smoked a turkey breast for dinner, which we paired with Stove Top stuffing, store-bought cranberry sauce, a loaf of pumpkin bread, and an easy broccoli casserole. I finally took pictures of the smoked turkey so that I can share Keith’s recipe here in the coming weeks. It’s a family favorite for Thanksgiving and for regular weekend meals. Plus, the leftovers make great sandwiches the next day!

Everyone was back to school and work on Tuesday morning, so I kept myself busy in the kitchen — testing new recipes, prepping dinner, and making a pie for Keith’s birthday the next day.

A heart-shaped apple!

And the last of the crepe myrtle blooms…

We had mini bacon-wrapped meatloaf for dinner, along with mashed potatoes, peas and steamed green beans.

Close up shot of mini bacon wrapped meatloaf in a baking dish

Wednesday was a quiet, routine work day.

I did have to go up the road in the afternoon to pick up eggs from my neighbor’s farm, since I was prepping dinner and realized that we were totally out!

We had crab cakes that evening, which I paired with French fries and coleslaw.

Two crab cakes on a plate with lemon wedges

And for dessert, Key Lime Pie!

Overhead shot of homemade key lime pie recipe on a white surface

I have a great book to share with you this week, too. I flew through Liane Moriarty’s Nine Perfect Strangers, which is a page-turning novel that’s part-thriller, part-mystery, with a little bit of romance and humor thrown in. It’s not too heavy, just a fun, quick read that will keep you guessing!

Thursday included a walk with a friend, a mid-day work Zoom call (that I took at Keith’s office for faster internet), and the boys’ first soccer practices of the season.

I’m coaching the older boys’ team, and we all had to be at the fields a little after 5:00 p.m., so there was no time to eat dinner beforehand. Instead, I prepped our meal in advance so that we could quickly eat when we walked in the door later that night. On the menu: Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas, tortilla chips, guacamole, salsa, and corn. The kids go crazy for this dish!

Close up side shot of chicken sheet pan fajitas garnished with fresh lime and cilantro

Friday was another gorgeous day! I met three of my friends for a morning walk once the kids were all in school…

…and then ran a few errands in Culpeper before returning home to an afternoon of work calls and computer time. I treated myself to my first Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, since it’s a rare occasion when I’m near a Starbucks. It was good!

We had homemade pizzas for dinner, plus salads on the side for something green…

Close up side shot of a cast iron skillet pizza on a wooden board

We spent Saturday morning on the soccer fields, and then headed up north to Keith’s parents’ house to celebrate his birthday with family.

All 7 grandsons together! It was a lively bunch…

We had smoked brisket, bbq chicken and pork bbq for dinner, followed by my mother-in-law’s Texas Sheet Cake for dessert. Such a fun day!

And that’s it for now, friends! Thank you so much for joining me here this week, as always. I hope that you’ve found some new inspiration for your own table in the days ahead. Have a wonderful Sunday!

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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  1. Billy’s birthday was Labor Day. He also requested pie instead of a cake. His favorite in Mrs. Yowell’s Apple Pie in the local Madison Cookbook, I think publication date was 1976. It is a very different type of apple pie. Not traditional. I think I’ve told you about it.
    One other thing, I always screenshot your books…. A question this time,,.
    Your picture of the book shows Nine Perfect Strangers. You wrote
    Nine Favorite Things.
    Are they both good?

    1. Oops!!! No, it was Nine Perfect Strangers! Sorry about that confusion…fixed the typo. 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!

  2. I am anxiously awaiting Keith’s smoked turkey breast recipe. My husband enjoys his smoker but we prefer a traditional roast turkey (and usually baked ham) for our Thanksgiving meal. I think this would make a wonderful fall weekend meal though!!

    Happy Birthday, Keith! I agree with your choice for birthday desserts! I have long prefered pie . . . and a weiner roast for MY birthday meal.

    1. Oh, good! I’m so glad that you and your husband might give the smoked turkey a try. It’s one of my kids’ favorite meals!