Our Week in Meals #408

Good morning, and happy Sunday! This week included a getaway in the mountains, a lot of kids’ sports, and some cozy fall flavors. You’ll find all of the highlights from the past few days, along with each of our dinners, 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…

After Spencer’s soccer tournament finished up on Sunday, we made our way south to Nelson County for a visit with Keith’s parents at their mountain house.

First stop: ice cream at Black Bear Creamery in Nellysford. The maple walnut flavor was delish!

The boys hit balls at the driving range that afternoon, while I took Teddy for a short walk.

For supper, we had a classic Labor Day weekend cookout: grilled burgers, sausages with peppers and onions, corn on the cob, salad, and all of my mother-in-law’s delicious treats for dessert — brownies, cookies, and cupcakes galore!

Shall we chat books? This week I wanted to share a fluffy, predictable, and fun romance that reminded me of a Hallmark movie (in the best way): Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center. This easy end-of-summer read would be perfect for a beach vacation…or for a cozy mountain getaway!

Keith and his dad took the boys to the golf course on the top of the mountain for a tee time on Monday morning.

It was so foggy and cool — just like playing in the clouds! Meanwhile, in the valley down below, it was sunny and warm.

While the boys played golf, my aunt Barbara (who lives right nearby), joined me for a visit. We rode along in the carts for the first few holes (Teddy came too!)…

and then took a walk and got some coffee while we waited for the guys to finish up. I had the new Starbucks apple crisp oatmilk shaken espresso, which was delicious — and felt like the perfect treat for the fall-like weather we were enjoying.

Back at the house, Keith’s mom and I had a delicious lunch before the rest of the crew returned home: a shrimp salad sandwich on a croissant with a salad and potato chips on the side. I felt spoiled, and thoroughly enjoyed not having to think about lunch for once!

We drove back to Madison that afternoon, and didn’t have much time or energy to cook dinner.

Instead, we cleaned out the vehicles, unpacked the suitcases, did the laundry, took care of the boys’ homework, and ordered takeout pizza for dinner. An easy end to a very busy holiday weekend!

They weren’t happy about it, but the boys returned to school on Tuesday morning.

Ashley and I walked our dogs together, and then I buckled down and took care of a lot of computer work that needed my attention.

While I took Spence to soccer practice that evening, Keith took Casey to the driving range and Gibbs went to his golf team practice. I prepped most of our dinner in advance, so the last-minute cooking was pretty easy. Keith grilled marinated chicken thighs,

which we paired with corn on the cob, a Southern squash casserole, and Gibbs’ favorite Duke’s mac and cheese. This was originally supposed to be our Labor Day meal on Monday evening, but we just didn’t have time to make it. Since Keith had Tuesday off from work, it was easier to just push the menu back a night.

On Wednesday, I met Mollie for a walk in the woods. It was a gorgeous, crisp fall morning!

Casey and I went to Gibbs’ golf match that evening, while Keith took Spencer to soccer practice.

Since we were coming and going at different times, I planned easy leftovers for supper. We used the extra chicken from the night before to assemble grilled chicken caprese sandwiches, which we paired with potato chips. These sandwiches are the best way to take advantage of late summer tomatoes and fresh basil! And if you don’t have grilled chicken? No problem — roasted chicken or store-bought rotisserie chicken also work well.

Thursday included a morning walk up the road and a stop at the Three Springs Farm store (right near our house) to pick up a few items after lunch.

Keith and the younger boys had a tee time for later that evening, so I served a very early supper beforehand. Gibbs got reheated leftovers after his practice!

We had sheet pan sausage and potatoes, along with steamed and buttered green beans and frozen yeast rolls.

Friday morning was devoted to errands in Culpeper — including a Pilates class with friends, a grocery run, and flu and covid vaccines for myself (among other fun tasks). Hah!

Keith took Spencer to soccer practice in Charlottesville that night, while I took Casey to the driving range and picked up Gibbs from his team practice. Back home, we had our favorite spaghetti sauce with pasta for a late dinner, along with a baguette and a salad.

And that brings us to the weekend! Keith and I got out for a short walk on Saturday morning, and then I took Spencer to his soccer game after lunch.

We were celebrating Keith’s birthday a little bit early, so he requested drinks and dinner at Bald Top brewery here in Madison.

We had pizza and pretzels,

listened to live country music,

and the kids spent a long time looking for their lost aerobie in that field somewhere.

So there you go, friends — another week of easy dinners! I hope that you’ve found something new to add to your table in the days ahead. Thank you for being here, and have a wonderful Sunday!