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Hello, friends! Happy Sunday to you from a very hot and sunny Virginia! It’s time for another roundup of Our Week in Meals, so let’s get right to it!
For those of you who are new to the blog, this is where I share a little bit about what we’ve been up to over the past week — as it relates to our meals each night. I hope that 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. With that, let’s back up to where we left off last weekend…
Sunday was grey and cool, but the rain held off long enough for Keith and the boys to get some work done outside. They were hauling firewood from our friends’ farm, so I had an unexpected quiet (and productive!) morning to myself.
While the boys were busy climbing on tractors and riding in ATVs with their friends, I went for a run, packed school lunches for the week, folded laundry, and did some work on the computer — all without distraction (which almost never happens)!
For dinner that evening I made shrimp kabobs, which Keith was in charge of grilling. I first marinated the shrimp in a delicious Orange Glaze because I realized that I had two oranges in the refrigerator that needed to be used.
Served with broccoli and French baguette.
Here’s the quick shrimp marinade recipe if you’d like to give it a try:
Orange Glazed Shrimp Kabobs
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 lbs. raw peeled and deveined shrimp (I used frozen shrimp that I thawed in the refrigerator before grilling)
Instructions
- Place all marinade ingredients in a jar with a lid. Shake until completely combined.
- Place shrimp in a large zip-top bag. Pour marinade in the bag and place in refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes (but not longer than 1 hour).
- Thread the shrimp on skewers and discard remaining marinade in the bag.
- Grill shrimp for about 5-6 minutes over high heat, or until opaque.
Monday was a complete wash-out with rain all day, so Spence and I decided to check some errands off of our list. Somebody was exhausted from a busy weekend and crashed in the car on the way to Charlottesville at 9:00 a.m….
We picked up some “necessities” at Costco, like these marcona almonds that Keith and the boys are obsessed with.
And we never miss the samples! The day’s special was the Caramel Tres Leches Cake. Yes, please!
For dinner that evening I made the same Chili-Rubbed Pork Chops that we enjoyed last week while Keith was out of town. I had seasoned a few extra pork chops the week before, and then stashed them (raw) in the freezer. On Monday, I just needed to thaw them and cook them in the skillet. So easy, and they tasted great (again).
I sliced the pork and served it on top of a short-cut Caesar salad that I picked up at Costco that morning. I also toasted the leftover baguette from the night before, since my boys need their carbs!
The rain continued on Tuesday, so I spent my morning in Charlottesville at the grocery store while Spence was in preschool. My father-in-law came for a visit on his way through town in the afternoon, which included a lot of outdoor play in the rain with Pops!
While Gary entertained the kids, I got dinner in the oven — Aunt Bee’s Cheesy Turkey, Tomato and Zucchini Casserole. SUCH a HIT! We loved this healthy dish, so I’ll be sure to share the recipe soon. It will be a great meal to enjoy this summer when zucchini is everywhere! I served it with the leftover Caesar salad from Monday evening.
If there’s one good thing that comes from all of the rain, it’s definitely the lush green spring that greeted us on Wednesday morning!
Spence and I met Mollie (and baby Miles) for a walk early in the morning to enjoy the warm sunshine. This is getting trickier and trickier, since Spence is definitely at the age where he does NOT want to sit in a stroller and he fights it BIG TIME. A granola bar and Fireman Sam on my phone helped on this particular morning…
The lilacs are blooming in our yard, and I just wish that you could smell their amazing aroma!!
I tested a few recipes and took some photos when we returned from our walk, so my lunch was conveniently already made. I found the recipe for Ethel’s Curry Chicken Salad in my late grandmother’s recipe box. I have no idea who “Ethel” was, but I can assure you that the salad was delicious! It included chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, red onions, raisins, and almonds in a simple curry dressing. I’ll share the recipe soon…
Dinner that night was another batch of grilled shrimp (similar to Sunday’s meal), since I was testing a new marinade that morning. These will be on the blog soon, too! I served our shrimp with rice and broccoli.
On Thursday afternoon we hosted the boys’ friends for a play date after school, which included an ice cream cone snack in the 80-degree weather. Tis the season!
Since I was keeping track of 5 little boys all afternoon, I kept dinner simple with a prep-ahead meal: Amish Sausage-Stuffed Green Peppers. This is a recipe that I originally received from my Amish neighbor years ago when she shared a giant bag of green peppers from their garden. I’ve been making them ever since because it’s the best stuffed pepper recipe I’ve come across (on the blog this summer)!
Spencer and I spent Friday morning getting my car inspected in Culpeper and picking up a few items at Target. His mind was blown by the massage chairs in the waiting room at the car dealer!????
It got even better when he discovered the free baked goods.
Don’t judge the dirty nails…the boy loves playing in the dirt! I promise I cut them later that day! ????
We made it home in time for a lunch of leftover stuffed peppers from the night before (plus fish sticks for Spencer). Still delicious reheated!
The kids spent the rest of the afternoon playing outside in the beautiful (WARM) weather. Everything is so greeeeeen right now!
Dinner was back to our regular Friday fare — pizza from Giovanna’s. Always hits the spot…
My parents joined us on Saturday for a very hot and sweaty 90-degree day on the soccer fields.
We went to Orange for dinner at El Vaquero West last night — and started with the usual chips and salsa!
I also ordered a frozen margarita, which Casey kept trying to steal from me because he had a sip and realized that it tasted like frozen lemonade!????
My entree was the grilled shrimp salad, which was perfectly spicy and loaded with veggies, cheese, and avocado.
The kids requested ice cream on the way home, so we made a quick pit stop at Ryder’s Cafe for a few cups. The best way to end a hot day!
And that brings us to today! I hope that you all enjoy the rest of your weekend and have a great week ahead. Stay tuned tomorrow for another quick dinner recipe from my mom’s collection!
A family of beautiful eyes !
Thank you, Alan! You’re very kind! 🙂
Always s fun post to read! And so many yummy meals 🙂 I love how green and lush everything is there!!
Thanks so much, Kelly! It’s one of the best times of year around here!
I swear, your property is absolutely divine! How lush and green is it?!
Thank you, Kristy! It’s definitely one of the nicest seasons (in addition to the fall)!