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Good morning, and happy Sunday! This week brought us another snowfall (that shut down Central Virginia), lots of baked goods, and plenty of kids’ basketball. 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. Now, let’s back up to last weekend…

Keith and I were still in Lexington on Sunday morning (for our anniversary trip); however, we quickly hustled out of town when we learned that a big snowstorm would be starting at 8:30 a.m.! After a quick breakfast of bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches, coffee, and fresh orange juice in the hotel restaurant, we were on the road by 7:45.

We drove over the mountains to scoop up the boys and the dog from my parents’ house…

…and made it back home just as the first snowflakes were starting to fall in Madison!

The rest of our cozy day included laundry catch-up, football on TV, and fresh baguettes in the oven! If you’re interested in baking homemade yeast bread, this recipe is a good place to start. With its short rising time, and easy-to-work-with dough, this is also one of the quicker options. Crusty on the outside, and soft on the inside!

Sliced French baguette on a cutting board

I used the baguette to make French Onion Soup for supper — topped with plenty of melty Gruyere cheese!

Side shot of a bowl of homemade french onion soup with baguette and cheese on top.

Monday was the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, so Keith took the boys sledding and out to lunch while I got work done at the house.

We made a pot of chili for dinner that night…

Close overhead image of classic beef chili in bowls with toppings.

…which I paired with quick and easy beer bread. The perfect meal on another snowy night!

Hands holding a cutting board with a loaf of easy beer bread recipe

Tuesday!

School was cancelled…

…so we headed back out to the sledding hill.

I also picked up a grocery order, got our eggs from my neighbor’s farm, and worked on a few new recipes.

We had salmon croquettes for dinner, along with rice, green beans, and cornbread muffins.

Salmon patties on a plate with a cold beer in the background

Since some of the mountain roads and side roads were still snowy and icy, school was cancelled again on Wednesday.

For those of you requesting more Yorkie content around here, this is Teddy’s “outfit of the day.”😂 A navy and white striped turtleneck sweater from Land’s End (last year’s version, this one is similar), with a reversible quilted vest on top from L.L. Bean. Hah!

We were all getting a little bit stir crazy at that point, so my mom came over for a visit and we made our way up to Culpeper.

I had to run an errand at the Verizon store, and we grabbed lunch at Panera while we were in town. Bring on all of the soup, baguettes, grilled cheese, and mac and cheese! My boys love that restaurant. And since I don’t have a picture of our meal, this is a shot of the cows from that afternoon!

In keeping with the warm meals for our chilly week, I served Chicken Stew for supper…

Overhead shot of hands holding a bowl of crock pot chicken stew.

…along with homemade dinner rolls.

Homemade dinner roll served on a blue and white plate

Book time! I finally read American Royals by Katharine McGee. It’s the first in a four-part series, in which the author imagines an alternate version of the modern world: one where the glittering age of monarchies has not yet faded–and where love is still powerful enough to change the course of history.

Here’s the premise: when America won the Revolutionary War, its people offered General George Washington a crown. Two and a half centuries later, the House of Washington still sits on the throne. Like most royal families, the Washingtons have an heir and a spare. A future monarch and a backup battery. Each child knows exactly what is expected of them. But these aren’t just any royals. They’re American.

I had heard rave reviews about these novels for years, so I’m glad that I finally got around to reading one. I really enjoyed the light, entertaining story. It kept me turning the pages, and it was definitely a fun read! That said, I felt like it ended very abruptly…without any real resolution. I suppose that’s why there are 3 more books in the series. I’m not sure if I’ll pick up the next one or not. Has anyone else read all 4? Does the plot come to an “end” at some point?!

The kids finally went back to school on Thursday, so I enjoyed a quiet day at the house. It’s amazing how productive I am when I’m not distracted! I also met my friend for a walk outside, which we hadn’t been able to coordinate in ages.

We had smoked sausage and crispy roasted potatoes for dinner (a new recipe that I was testing out for the blog, but this one is similar).

On the side, I also made a Caesar salad and a loaf of my dad’s no-knead Dutch Oven Bread. I’ll share the sausage recipe in the coming weeks!

Overhead shot of Dutch oven bread on a white table

On Friday morning I made a batch of Chex Mix to stash in our pantry (since I had all of the ingredients on hand)…

Side shot of the best chex mix recipe served in a big bowl

…and baked some Snickerdoodles for dessert that night.

Stack of the best snickerdoodle recipe on a wooden board

The rest of my day included work at the computer, a stop at Yoder’s for lunch meat and buttermilk, and a brief walk with the dog (we both thought it was far too cold to be out there for very long)!

We had spaghetti and baked meatballs for dinner…

Close overhead image of a spoon in a skillet of oven baked meatballs with sauce

…along with garlic bread and salad on the side.

Overhead shot of the best garlic bread recipe served on a wooden tray

Saturday was almost entirely devoted to basketball!

Our boys had games in the morning, and then we went to watch the high school varsity team play against Luray in the afternoon.

I took the night off from cooking, and instead we went out for pizza at Vinny’s in Ruckersville, followed by NFL football playoffs on TV.

And that’s it for today, friends! Thank you for joining me here again this week. I hope that you stay warm, enjoy cozy meals in the days ahead, and 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!

Read More

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. Your food looks so good and your Yorkie looks dapper as always. We are getting a mini goldendoode soon and my husband thinks Im crazy for wanting to buy him
    Cute little sweaters and vests. I have three girls tho so a boy dog is fun!!

    1. Aw, congrats, Sarah! That’s amazing. A new puppy is almost as exciting as a new baby. 🙂 I bet the mini goldendoodles are adorable. I’ve never seen one!

  2. Blair: I just wanted to tell you how much I look forward to your blog each Sunday morning. You have such beautiful pictures and your stories and recipes are wonderful. I have made many of them and always look forward to what you have cooked for the week. My step-son and daughter-in-law live in Virginia also, so I enjoy the pictures that you take while walking.
    Well, I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your posts and please keep it up. Thanks for doing such a great job!! 🙂

    1. Thank you so much for your kind note, Jackie. I really appreciate you reading each week, and it makes me happy to know that you enjoy both the recipes and the photos. 🙂

  3. Thanks for including Teddy in your beautiful pictures!! He is SO adorable….
    Looking forward to trying out the salmon croquettes-something new for me!!
    Also want to try the Bisquick dumplings-never been too fond of them but my husband grew up with them and loved them, so dumplings will be next challenge..

    1. IF you don’t like the “puffy” dumplings (when dropping them from a spoon into the broth), try rolling out the dough and cutting into squares or rectangles and dropping those into the simmering broth; cover and cook for 15 minutes. They will taste the same but the texture will be a little denser. That’s how my mom made them and that’s what I still do.

    2. Thank you, Sherrie! 🙂 I hope that the Bisquick dumplings change your mind — and make your husband happy!

  4. IF you don’t like the “puffy” dumplings (when dropping them from a spoon into the broth), try rolling out the dough and cutting into squares or rectangles and dropping those into the simmering broth; cover and cook for 15 minutes. They will taste the same but the texture will be a little denser. That’s how my mom made them and that’s what I still do.

  5. Blair,
    Like so many I do look forward to your weekly posts. You are inspiring with your daily activities filled with your family and activities all while working to motivate your readers to try new recipes! You remind me of my earlier days when I had 2 kids in the house and working….always an activity of some sort. Living fairly close to you I also enjoy your outings….Yoder’s is also a favorite of mine but I only do a run every couple of months. Thank you for sharing your family and your love of food creations!

    1. Thank you for your kind note, Sharon! We’re definitely in the phase of many kids’ activities, which is fun. We try not to let it get too overwhelming, but the boys definitely need to stay busy! 🙂

  6. Hi Blair! I do not judge you on dressing up Teddy! I adopted a beautiful tortoiseshell cat from the local SPCA two years ago. I live alone and she is a great companion…cuddly, playful and entertaining. Her name is Lady Bug. Because she is an indoor cat l purchased a pink pet stroller and she loves going for rides! We have become a great conversation piece! Lol! Anyone l meet in our travels is quite intrigued. My two married daughters think l’m crazy!! Lol!!

  7. What perfect timing for me to read this wonderful posting…I was just trying to find some recipes to make for my son’s family when the new baby comes in 3 weeks! These look wonderful, TRANSPORTABLE! (not my strong-suit) and I will be making several of these when the wee one comes home to meet his four siblings! ☺ I live in Oregon now but am from Catlett, Virginia. I LOVE seeing your pictures…I do miss Virginia…the snowy winters, fireflies and so much more! Your postings are a balm, soothing a bit of homesickness still, after all these years! ♥

    1. Thank you so much for your kind note, Clavell! I’m glad to know that the recipes will be helpful for your growing family. I’m also really happy that the snapshots of Virginia bring you joy. It’s truly a special place! 🙂

  8. Happy Monday Blair! I just had too add another comment in about the pictures, you took for us to see. The pictures were so fun and beautiful of the snow! It surely looks like your boys had fun with the sleds We grow up too quick, those are precious times to remember with family! As always, I always find great recipes, I would like to try from you. Your soups always look so yummy! Thanks again!! I wish you a safe and blessed week Stephanie

    1. Thank you, Stephanie! The boys did have a lot of fun sledding, and they were bummed to return for a full week of school today! Hope you have a nice week ahead. 🙂