Our Week in Meals #322

Good morning, and happy Sunday! The kids returned to school this week, I finished a couple of good books, and we enjoyed plenty of easy suppers. All of the highlights, along with each of our dinners, are included in today’s roundup of Our Week in Meals.

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 Casey were still in North Carolina for Casey’s soccer tournament on Sunday, so I was on my own with the other two boys. I went for a walk, we cleaned the house, picked up groceries, and took Spencer to his roller hockey game. It didn’t even reach 40 degrees that day, so I was happy to have my rechargeable hand warmers in my mittens while I sat outside to watch him play!

I made creamed chicken and biscuits for supper (a quick rotisserie chicken meal),

along with buttered corn and fried apples. Perfect comfort food for a chilly night!

Time for this week’s books! I have a few mysteries and thrillers to share with you, starting with The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. This was a fun (and funny!) murder mystery with plenty of twists and turns. It’s the first in a series of three books, which Steven Spielberg is turning into a movie. Here’s the quick summary from Amazon:

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes; together, they call themselves the Thursday Murder Club. 

When a local developer is found dead with a mysterious photograph left next to the body, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly find themselves in the middle of their first live case. 

As the bodies begin to pile up, can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer, before it’s too late?

I also finished Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter, a winding, twisting thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat…

and The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager. Another creepy mystery-thriller, this novel is about a young woman who returns to her summer camp of 15 years ago in order to try to discover the truth about what happened to her three friends. You won’t want to put it down!

Keith and Casey returned home very late on Sunday night, and the boys all (reluctantly!) went back to school on Monday morning. I missed my buddies, but after 2+ weeks of winter break, I enjoyed a quiet house! My day was focused on laundry (so much accumulates after a travel weekend!) and work at the computer.

I kept dinner super simple and made a dump-and-bake meatball and veggie casserole that night,

along with garlic bread and Caesar salad. We needed a quick, hearty meal before heading out the door for the boys’ hockey practice.

A gray, chilly walk on Tuesday with my friend Mollie…

…and maple roasted chicken thighs for supper! I left out the sweet potatoes, and prepared a batch of rice and a side of the kids’ favorite frozen dinner rolls instead. I ate the Brussels sprouts, which I love, and I offered a side salad for those who don’t like the sprouts (i.e., all of the males in my house!).

After taking the kids to school on Wednesday, Keith and I went for a walk, and then I spent the rest of the day in the kitchen testing new recipes.

Lots of Canadian geese in a chilly winter sky!

We didn’t have any sports on the agenda that evening, so I made this One Pan Coconut Curry Chicken, but replaced the chicken with shrimp. I served the shrimp, broccoli, and broth over Thai rice noodles, with store-bought egg rolls on the side.

On Thursday, Teddy came home from the groomer with a pink Valentine’s Day necktie! Hah hah! 😂

I met up with my friend Ashley for a walk, tested a new recipe in the kitchen, edited photos, and scooped the boys up from school.

Casey had indoor soccer practice that evening, so we sat down for taco soup beforehand, along with tortilla chips, salsa, and guacamole.

The sun returned on Friday, and the temps warmed up, so Teddy and I got outside for a walk before settling into a day of work and meetings at the computer.

Gibbs had a golf lesson that evening, so I prepped dinner in advance, and left Keith in charge of the meal. We came home to oven-fried chicken breast, salad, and baked French fries.

Keith and Casey spent most of Saturday up in Fredericksburg for Casey’s soccer training, while I stayed home with the other two boys. I went for a walk up the road with my friend Barbara,

and then took Spencer to his indoor soccer game in Charlottesville. Plus frozen yogurt at Sweet Frog with my parents afterwards!

Keith and I are celebrating our 18th wedding anniversary today, so we went out to dinner last night for a special meal. We headed over to Graves Mountain Lodge here in Madison, where their Farm Restaurant offers “farm to table” food “from our neighbors’ farms and pastureland – many local organic, pasture raised meats, organic farm chicken, local vegetables in season, as well as foraged mushrooms and greens from the mountains and forests, craft wines and beers from the valley, and crafted spirits from 22 miles up the road.”

It’s a cozy, rustic spot with a roaring fireplace, buffet-style food, and live bluegrass music.

Keith really liked the smoked brisket, while I piled my plate high with meatloaf, cornbread and apple butter, salad, roasted potatoes and other veggies, and chicken and dumplings.

Plus a slice of apple pie for dessert!

So there you go — 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, and have a wonderful Sunday!