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Good morning, and happy Sunday! This week we put away our warmest winter coats, welcomed warmer, longer days, kicked off the outdoor soccer season, and celebrated St. Patrick’s Day. All of the highlights, 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…

After a snowy Saturday, it was nice to see the sun return on Sunday. Casey’s first outdoor soccer game of the season was cancelled due to icy fields, but Spencer was able to play in his championship basketball game that afternoon.

Keith grilled salmon for supper,

Overhead shot of the perfect grilled salmon recipe on a white plate

which we paired with rice and sauteed zucchini.

Overhead shot of the best sauteed zucchini recipe on a blue and white serving plate

The kids all returned to school on Monday morning, Keith went to work, and I sat down at the computer for some meetings and other tasks. After a week of taking care of a sick family, it felt so good to get myself organized and productive again.

Since we’re juggling three different soccer team schedules, we’ll be on the fields every single day of the week — Monday through Sunday. Our weeknight dinners will look a little wonky this spring! Sometimes we’ll eat at 4:00 p.m., sometimes at 7:30 p.m., and sometimes in various shifts of reheated leftovers.🤪 Make-ahead casseroles, sandwiches, salads, and Crock Pot meals will save me! That particular night I served a ground beef casserole with cornbread crust,

Overhead shot of a dish of the best ground beef casserole recipe with a cornbread topping on a wooden table

as well as store-bought crescent rolls and a house salad.

Close up side shot of a big bowl of house salad with cranberries and homemade dressing

Another beautiful 70°F day on Tuesday!

I spent most of my time photographing recipes, and then Keith took Casey to soccer practice that evening.

We had Chicken Broccoli Stuffing Casserole for dinner,

Overhead shot of hand serving chicken broccoli stuffing casserole recipe from a vintage dish.

along with store-bought cranberry sauce and apple muffins.

Hands serving a basket of easy apple muffins on a dinner table

I ran a couple of errands mid-day on Wednesday, spent time at the computer, and met a friend for an afternoon walk.

Gibbs and Casey both had soccer practices that evening, so we ate taco quesadillas in various shifts as we were coming and going…

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

…along with chips, salsa, homemade guacamole, and corn.

Side shot of an easy guacamole recipe served in a bowl with a wooden spoon

Thursday was St. Patrick’s Day,

and since it was nasty and rainy outside, I decided to bake a festive green Pistachio Bundt Cake for dessert that night.☘️ I even filmed a short video of me making the cake for Instagram Reels, which you can see here if you haven’t already (turn on the sound for music!).

Front shot of a slice of pistachio bundt cake on a small plate

We ate our Irish corned beef in the form of one of my all-time favorite sandwiches for supper — the Reuben,

Two halves of a reuben sandwich stacked on a wooden cutting board

along with potato chips, carrots, cucumbers, and 5-ingredient spinach dip,

Hand dipping bagel chip in a white bowl of Knorr Spinach Dip

plus Watergate Salad (another green food). Maybe not the most authentic Irish meal, but fun nonetheless!

Front shot of Watergate Salad recipe on a blue wooden surface with red and white stripe towel in background

Let’s chat about books this week, shall we?! I recently finished a novel called The Daughters of Erietown by Connie Schultz. This was recommended to me by a blog reader a couple of years ago, and I just now got around to it. I really do pay attention to your suggestions! The story was entertaining, well-written, moving, and a fascinating look at past generations. Here’s the quick summary from Amazon:

1957, Clayton Valley, Ohio. Ellie has the best grades in her class. Her dream is to go to nursing school and marry Brick McGinty. A basketball star, Brick has the chance to escape his abusive father and become the first person in his blue-collar family to attend college. But when Ellie learns that she is pregnant, everything changes. Just as Brick and Ellie revise their plans and build a family, a knock on the front door threatens to destroy their lives.

The evolution of women’s lives spanning the second half of the twentieth century is at the center of this beautiful novel that richly portrays how much people know—and pretend not to know—about the secrets at the heart of a town, and a family.

The kids had Friday off of school for a teacher work day, and Keith took the day off to split wood, so our weekend started early.

Gibbs had a friend come over for the day, I took the dog to the groomer, and I made a quick run up to Culpeper for a car wash and a pistachio latte.

My friend Mollie came over for a walk in the afternoon, Gibbs had soccer practice that evening, and I made baked chicken parm meatballs with spaghetti for dinner.

Hand eating ground chicken meatballs with a fork

Plus garlic bread,

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

and Caesar salad on the side. The kids have come to expect that garlic bread any time we have Italian food — it’s definitely a favorite around here!

Side shot of a classic caesar salad in a bowl in front of a black background

Casey played his first spring soccer game on Saturday.

My parents joined us at the fields in Greene, and then came over for lunch afterwards.

Dinner that night looked like our favorite Saturday takeout pizza, along with March Madness on TV (all day, every day right now).

And there you have it — another week of easy dinner ideas! I hope that you’ve found some new inspiration for your own table in the days ahead. Thank you 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. I’m happy to hear that you’re all back to being healthy again! Your weekly schedule of sports events for the boys reminds me of how crazy it was with my two sons! Remember at some time in the not too distant future, you will look back and miss the chaos! Luckily I am looking forward to it all over again with my 4 year old and 20 month old granddaughters! I hope you have a great week!

    1. Thank you, Tylene! I know, it’s hard to think that this time will fly by so quickly. Enjoy your granddaughters! I know that my parents have fun following their grandchildren to various events, too. 🙂

      1. Hi Blair! I was really happy to see life was normal again last week for you and your family! Isn’t a nice feeling to get the beautiful spring weather now! It looks especially beautiful in the region you live in. The pictures were so fun to see again! Especially the pretty horses. I was happy you shared the Watergate Salad recipe! I am a huge fan of dessert recipes, the fluff desserts are easy and perfect! Have a blessed week ahead!

        1. Thank you, Stephanie! Yes, the weather feels so good right now!

          I love fluff desserts, too (especially when I serve them as a “salad” with dinner)! 🙂 Hope you have a great week!

  2. LOVE the quick, versatile meals you serve on busy weeknights! Thank you! I have also come to rely upon your book recommendations. My Mom is a librarian and I forward your picks to her to purchase for our local library. Louise Penny has been my best friend this winter.

    1. Oh, that’s great! I’m so glad that you find the books helpful, too. I love getting recommendations from friends, so I’m always happy to share my favorites as well. Louise Penny is the best!