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.

Good morning, and happy Sunday! This week we saw glimpses of spring, kicked off a new sports season, and finished a couple of good books. 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 Williamsburg on Sunday morning to finish up Casey’s soccer tournament, while the other two boys and I had a quiet morning at the house. I tested some new recipes in the kitchen, and then took Spencer to his roller hockey game after lunch.

Big win for the Junior Bruins!

Everyone was back home that evening, so I made a pot of Virginia chicken gumbo with ham and oysters, which we served with rice

Side shot of a spoon in a bowl of chicken gumbo

…and a side of cast iron cornbread.

Piece of cast iron cornbread with a pat of butter and drizzle of honey on a blue and white vintage plate

Let’s chat about this week’s books! I absolutely loved The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. It was one of the best mystery-thrillers I’ve read in a long time. The novel isn’t scary or too dark, but it’s a page-turner that I just couldn’t put down. One of those great stories that you’re trying to figure out all along, but then it hits you with a surprise at the end. So much fun!

And then, for a totally different type of story, I read The Riviera House by Natasha Lester. My friend Adria loaned me this WWII historical fiction, which was a beautiful story of love, loss, and humanity. I really enjoyed both plotlines — that which took place during the war, and that of modern day Remy. As usual, though, I find this topic and setting to be so, so sad. I have to take long breaks in between WWII novels, or it becomes too heavy for me to read at bedtime!

Back to the routine on Monday morning! I made blueberry muffins for breakfast…

Blueberry muffins cooling on a wire rack

…and then Keith and I took a walk up the road once the boys were off to school.

Back home, I baked a loaf of banana bread for the builders who are working on our house. They’ve become great taste-testers and always love when they smell something baking in my kitchen (since they know I’ll share). Hah!

Front shot of four slices of banana nut bread stacked on a wooden cutting board

With both hockey and soccer practices on the agenda, I planned an easy meal that we could assemble quickly for an early supper that evening: Crock Pot pulled pork with apricot preserves in sandwiches,

BBQ pulled pork on a brioche bun with a side of coleslaw and pickles

with (store-bought) coleslaw and Duke’s mac and cheese on the side.

Close overhead shot of a pan of easy mac and cheese with a serving spoon

Fortunately the fog lifted on Tuesday morning,

…bringing us a beautiful, sunny day. With no sports practices on the agenda that evening, the boys enjoyed plenty of free time in the yard.

I had leftover taco meat in the freezer, so I used that to make beef nachos for supper. The kids always love this meal! We paired the nachos with corn and beans, guacamole, salsa, and store-bought pico de gallo.

Baking sheet full of the best beef nachos recipe

Wednesday morning included a walk with my friend Ashley…

…and spring green leaves spotted on our willow tree!

Back home, I did some recipe testing and photography, and also used a store-bought rotisserie chicken to make our favorite chicken salad for lunch.

Front shot of the best chicken salad recipe served on a sandwich in front of a white wall

I took Gibbs to hit golf balls after school,

and then made chicken Milanese for supper. We paired the chicken with pasta and marinara sauce, garlic bread,

Close overhead shot of pan fried chicken cutlet on a white plate

and a simple green salad with red wine vinaigrette.

Side shot of a green salad in front of a white brick wall

I met Mollie for a walk on Thursday morning, and stopped at Yoder’s for our weekly buttermilk and deli meat re-stock.

Casey had soccer practice in Charlottesville that evening, so I served a really early dinner before Keith took him into town. We had roasted shrimp po’ boys, along with veggies and Ranch dip, as well as potato chips.

Baked shrimp po boy recipe served on a white plate with pickles and remoulade sauce in the background

I spent most of Friday in the kitchen — testing new recipes, and updating the photos for some older content. Keith and the construction crew were happy to help me polish of the leftovers for lunch!

It rained all afternoon and evening, but that didn’t get in the way of the boys’ after-school activities. Keith took Gibbs to a golf lesson, while I drove Spencer to Charlottesville for outdoor soccer in the cold, wet, mud. Needless to say, I waited in the car!

Since I knew that dinner would be later than usual, I left our meal in the Crock Pot while I was gone so that it would be ready and waiting for us when we returned. On the menu: slow cooker garlic brown sugar chicken, paired with rice, steamed broccoli, and a store-bought egg rolls. Casey and Spencer request this meal regularly!

Bowl of rice with sesame garlic chicken

That brings us to the weekend! We were happy to see the sun shining again on Saturday, so I met Adria and Barbara for a walk up our road before getting Spencer to his final two hockey play-off games that afternoon. Meanwhile, Keith spent the day in Fredericksburg for Casey’s soccer training. Divide and conquer, right?!

Look at those bright blue skies and spring blossoms on the trees! The seasons are changing in the Blue Ridge!

Hockey wasn’t over until fairly late that evening, so I took a night off from the kitchen and picked up Giovanna’s pizzas instead.

So there you have it — another week of easy meals! I hope that you’ve found some new inspiration for your own table in the days ahead. Thanks for being here, 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

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Thank you, got several new recipe ideas to try! Enjoy the early spring, it’s blooming early where I live, as well!

  2. Hi Blair!

    Thank you for sharing your family with us! I’ve been following your blog for about a year now….I can’t believe how the boys have grown! As a former teacher, it’s nice to see the boys participating in so many sports….healthy outlets!

    Question….are you going to share pictures of your new home with us?

    Thank you for all you do!

  3. I saw in one picture that the Weeping Willow tree is turning green…..and some of the fields have a light green hue to them…..Spring is coming. Wish I had a Yoder’s Market in my area. I looked at their website and it is amazing!

    1. Yes! Spring is on the way, for sure! Yoder’s is definitely a favorite. Maybe you can order some of their products?

  4. Nice recipies. How do I get your weekly Sunday’s emails? I love to cook.

    Thanks

    Phil Elmira Ontario Canada

    1. Hi, Phil! I went ahead and added your email to the list. We send out a weekly newsletter email every Sunday morning. If you don’t receive it, be sure to check your junk/spam filter. Thanks for following along with us. I hope you enjoy the recipes!

  5. Hi Blair! I’m so enjoying your website, and have already made several of your recipes. All six of my kids are adults now, and I have found it difficult to dial back the quantity of food that I prepare, as well as trying avoiding getting stuck in those typical occasional ruts. I find that we cook very similarly, and your recipes are super adaptable, so I usually have everything I need to execute them, which is a big plus!
    I’m from your neck of the woods (Fauquier Co.) Spent a date afternoon at Copper Fox distillery, then we hopped over to RPK and the Corner Store. I see what you mean about the CS’s meat and fish selection. Really nice. Thank You!

    1. Thanks, Bonnie! It’s always fun to hear from a “neighbor.” I’m so glad that you tried RPK — it’s definitely one of our favorites!