Our Week in Meals #353

Good morning, and happy Sunday! The boys went back to school this week, and we’re gradually settling into a new routine for the coming fall season. All of the highlights from the past few days, along with each of our dinners, are included in today’s roundup of Our Week in Meals.

Hydrangeas from my yard, colorful dahlias and zinnias from Adria’s garden, and the Farmer’s Pitcher from Farmhouse Pottery.

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…

I met three of my friends for a walk and visit at Mollie’s farm on Sunday morning, and Keith took the boys to the pool for one last swim before the season’s end.

Keith grilled baby back ribs and buttermilk marinated chicken for supper that night,

which I paired with hoe cakes (my fave!),

local corn on the cob, and a tomato, cucumber, and onion salad.

Shall we chat about this week’s book? If you enjoy a mystery-thriller with plenty of twists and turns, then you’ll definitely like With My Little Eye by Joshilyn Jackson. It’s a creepy page-turner that will have you guessing every step of the way!

Monday was kind of a crazy day, as we crammed a lot into the boys’ last day off.

Our former babysitter, Rebekah, came over for a visit in the morning; I took the kids to their dentist appointments in Charlottesville; I picked up groceries; and I packed up the car for two back-to-back soccer practices. We even had a team meeting after Spencer’s practice, so we left the house at 4:00 and didn’t walk back in the door until after 9 p.m.!

Soaking up the last of summer! Can you spot Teddy in the pic below? 😂

Since I knew that we would be on the go, and that Keith and Gibbs would be on their own at the house for supper, I planned a meal that we could easily transport in a cooler or assemble at home as needed. The menu was pretty darn simple: chicken salad sandwiches, potato chips, and fruit salad.

The boys started a new school year on Tuesday (8th, 7th, and 4th graders)!

I had a day of work at the house, I took Gibbs to an orthodontist appointment after school, and Keith took Casey to soccer. When we were all back home, I served a late dinner of 15-minute garlic and rosemary broiled shrimp, along with rice, dinner rolls, and steamed green beans.

Plus the easiest one-bowl brownies for dessert! These are a favorite with the kids (and adults), so I figured they would be a nice treat for the first day of school.

I went to Adria’s farm on Wednesday morning for a visit, where I exchanged hydrangeas for her dahlias, tomatoes, and cucumbers. A good trade if you ask me!

We had Spencer’s soccer practice on the schedule that evening, as well as a team meeting and photo session with Casey’s team. As a result, I left dinner warm in the Crock Pot so that we could eat in shifts as we were coming and going. We had chicken tostadas, along with chips, salsa, guacamole…

…and easy Spanish rice.

I met my friend Ashley for a walk with our dogs once everyone was off to school on Thursday morning…

…and my parents came for lunch around noon.

We had BLT sandwiches with basil mayo, along with potato chips, fruit, and leftover brownies for dessert.

Keith took Gibbs to play golf after school, while I took the younger two boys to Casey’s soccer practice. Once we were all back home, we had a late dinner of reheated roasted tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. This soup is a great way to take advantage of late summer tomatoes; however, canned tomatoes also work well.

Friday morning! I love when the crepe myrtles bloom each summer…

After another walk with Ashley, the rest of my day was largely devoted to running errands up in Culpeper — dog groomer, car wash, Target, Panera Bread, Dick’s Sporting Goods, etc…

Keith took Spencer to soccer, while the older boys and I enjoyed a quiet evening at home. A repeat of last Friday night’s meal: takeout pizza that Keith grabbed on his way home, along with a salad that I threw together using leftover Greek dressing from the week before.

And then it was Saturday! Our morning was off to an early start, as Gibbs’ friend arrived with his GrandDaddy to deliver a load of logs that Keith will use for firewood. That’s John Henry operating the lift and unloading the trees!

The day included a soccer game in Richmond for Spencer, a soccer game in Charlottesville for Casey, and a round of golf after supper for Gibbs. Good thing the weather cooperated!

This was the best pic I could get of the two of them at the fields (I promise, Spencer had fun. Hah!)…

Before Gibbs headed out for the course, we had pasta with baked meatballs and garlic bread.

So there you go, friends — another week of dinners! 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!