Our Week in Meals #434

Good morning, and happy Sunday! Spring sports are in full swing, so this week’s recipes include lots of easy, quick-prep options for busy weeknights. 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…

Spencer had a soccer game on Sunday morning, we picked up groceries that afternoon, and I made a couple of honey garlic Dijon pork tenderloins for supper that evening.

Plus this easy broccoli casserole recipe, Rice-a-Roni, and yeast rolls on the side.

Shall we chat about books? This week I read a fun romance called Emma of 83rd Street by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding. It’s the first in the three-part “For the Love of Austen” series. This novel is a twist on Jane Austen’s Emma, set in modern Manhattan. It was light and predictable, but such an enjoyable read. I’ve already downloaded the next one, Elizabeth of East Hampton, onto my Kindle!

Back to the work and school routine on Monday! Ashley and I walked our dogs together, and I otherwise spent most of the chilly day at my computer.

That afternoon’s big excitement: Gibbs got his braces off! We now have 2 out of 3 kids done with orthodontics (woohoo!).

After Casey’s soccer practice that evening, I made a quick weeknight meal that consisted of pepper steak with onion paired with white rice and frozen egg rolls.

I had a golf lesson on Tuesday, which is always fun, and then Keith and I juggled multiple soccer practices for the younger boys that night.

I love how this simple vase of faux flowers brings spring cheer to my kitchen. It would be beautiful on an Easter table, too. The tulips are the most realistic looking (and feeling) I’ve ever found!

Vase | Tulips | Daisies

We had Goldfish baked chicken nuggets for supper, along with onion rings and bagged coleslaw mix with this easy dressing. My boys request these nuggets all the time!

Wednesday was a nasty, rainy day. Instead of a walk, I largely stayed dry indoors.

My morning included time in the kitchen — testing a new recipe, and baking a loaf of buttermilk banana bread to take advantage of the overripe fruit on our counter.

I had a meeting at the school board office that afternoon, and then came home to make a quick dinner before Casey had to head out to youth group. On the menu: shrimp pesto pasta, frozen garlic knots, and a Caesar salad.

It was so good to see the sun (and geese) again on Thursday…

Teddy and I spent the morning in Culpeper. First a walk at the park, and then a variety of errands to check off the list…

After Casey’s soccer practice that evening, we headed over to the high school to get him registered for his 9th grade classes next year! Keith was in charge of supper, so I kept it really simple: a couple of store-bought rotisserie chickens that he heated up, a baguette from Panera, a marinated vegetable salad,

and this Watergate salad recipe (both of which I prepped earlier in the day).

It was a pretty routine Friday — starting with Pilates in the morning with Ashley, followed by a stop at Yoder’s on the way home.

We had a full schedule that included two soccer practices and golf, so Keith and I made the carpool rounds all evening. Since I knew I would get home late, I prepped everything in advance and left Keith in charge. We had grilled burgers,

along with a classic pasta salad, the leftover Watergate salad from the night before, and potato chips.

And that brings us to the weekend!

Spencer had a soccer game on Saturday, and then Keith and I had a dinner date at The Bavarian Chef here in Madison.

I ordered the house salad, a personal favorite, because it has so many different pickled vegetables and a creamy dressing that’s perfection. Plus the Virginia apple smoked trout and a giant Bavarian pretzel. We left stuffed, as always…

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