Good morning, and happy Sunday! This week included a birthday dinner, the 8th grade dance, and beautiful spring flowers. 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.
This Week’s Meals
Now, let’s back up to last weekend…
We went to church on Sunday morning,
and the rain cleared so that we could get out for a walk after lunch.
I stopped by Adria’s farm to pick up some dahlia tubers,
and my parents came over that afternoon to celebrate my mom’s birthday.
We had grilled chicken shawarma for supper,
along with a Greek salad, pita, olives, feta, tzatziki sauce, quick pickled red onions, and crispy seasoned roasted potatoes.
Plus this one-bowl buttermilk chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Book time! This week I read Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister, a page-turning mystery-thriller with countless twists and turns. In this story, a new mother’s world is shattered when her husband is revealed as the gunman in a shocking London hostage crisis, forcing her to question everything she thought she knew about him. As the truth unravels, Camilla must confront devastating secrets hidden within her marriage — and the chilling message he left behind.
The kids returned to school on Monday morning, while Keith and I headed out for a foggy walk before starting work.
The roads are lined with fragrant flowers at the moment, and I absolutely love the smells!
Casey had a soccer game at the high school that evening, so I prepped an easy dinner in advance that I could just pop in the oven when we returned home: nacho casserole. Appropriate for Cinco de Mayo!
Plus extra chips, store-bought pico de gallo, and the kids’ favorite homemade guacamole on the side…
Tuesday included a walk with Ashley and our dogs, a dentist appointment, another game for Casey in Page County, and a practice for Spencer down in Charlottesville.
Keith and I picked up sandwiches from the Piedmont Deli for lunch after the dentist. Love The Rachel and The Whole Hog!
Gibbs requested shrimp po’ boys for dinner that night,
which we paired with one of Spencer’s favorites, hush puppies.
Wednesday was another gorgeous spring day in Central Virginia!
I walked with Mollie and Adria in the morning, and spent the rest of the day working while the kids were at school. Keith was gone that evening, so the kids and I had another one of their favorite meals after Casey’s practice: Goldfish baked chicken nuggets, these McCain potato Smiles that Spencer’s very into at the moment, and cut-up veggies with Ranch dip.
I met Ashley for a walk with our dogs on Thursday morning, and then spent much of the day on-the-go: errands in Culpeper, a quick stop at Yoder’s for a few groceries, and a dentist appointment for Gibbs that afternoon.
Casey loves lobster (and rarely gets it!), so when I saw some lobster ravioli at the store recently, I knew that I needed to use it in this 4-ingredient ravioli casserole.
We paired the ravioli with a simple green salad dressed in Dijon vinaigrette and some frozen garlic knots before Keith and Spencer headed to Charlottesville for another late practice.
Friday looked like Pilates with Adria, a work call mid-day, golf for Gibbs, and a trip to the garden center for some supplies.
Keith and Casey were gone all evening for Casey’s away game, so Gibbs, Spencer, and I stuck with our easy Friday night dinner routine — takeout pizza after golf.
And that brings us to the weekend!
The kids had haircuts on Saturday morning,
and Casey went to the 8th grade dance that evening. He had a great time with Khloe and their friends!
We had steak salad for dinner, along with a loaf of Ashley’s homemade sourdough bread. A perfect warm-weather meal!
So there you have it, friends — another week of easy dinner ideas. 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!
Thank you, Blair! I always am looking for potluck recipes to take to our monthly church fellowship meals, so since we often have barbecue as the main, I will definitely be adding Hawaiian Pasta Salad into rotation. Question: can it be made with gluten free pasta? Any adjustments?
Hi, Ann! Yes, the gluten-free pasta should work well. Just boil it to al dente according to your package directions. No other adjustments needed. Hope it’s a hit!
Thanks!!
How beautiful Virginia is!!! Thank you for the delicious looking recipes this week! Happy Mother’s Day!
Thank you, Candice!
Happy Mother’s Day Blair! Looking forward to reading about it next weekend.
I’ve made both your one-bowl chocolate, and vanilla cake, and highly recommend both! It’s also a great way to use up some buttermilk.
Thanks, Renee! I’m so glad that you enjoy those cakes. They’re definitely favorites around here, too. 🙂
Happy Mother’s Day, Blair!
Beautiful photos this week and spring is such a wonderful season! And look at Casey, such a cute photo before the 8th grade dance! He looks so much older all of a sudden.
Have a great week and thank you for all you do for us!
Thanks, Tylene. I know, these boys are growing up SO fast! They hit 13 and it’s like they step on the gas. 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day!
Happy Mother’s Day, Blair…from the 51st State!!! Sorry just couldn’t resist…I know you are having a wonderful day with your boys…Wow Casey is all grown-up…it’s fantastic being able to watch them mature and see them starting new chapters in their lives…thanks for sharing them with us..
Hi, Wendy! Thanks for following along from up North! 🙂 Yes, my baby is definitely growing up. It’s so fun to see them come into their own and enjoy their peers and interests. Hope you have a wonderful day!
Happy Mother’s Day, Blair! Have a joyful and peaceful day.
Hi, Aunt Carole! Happy Mother’s Day to you, too!
Happy Mother’s Day Blair! Enjoy the day with your family!
Thank you, Annette!
Your sons sure are growing up handsome! How has your son’s legs been doing? Virginia is so beautiful and green. As always, I miss that kind of landscape so much. Here, the mountains are pretty but sand and succulents just doesn’t cut it for me.
Hi, Marion! It’s definitely a pretty time of year here, since everything is so green. Once July and August hit, though, that grass will be dead if we don’t get much rain!
Casey took almost an entire year off from competitive sports to let his knees heal. It was so hard on him, but he’s been able to play soccer again this spring and he feels great. We’re hoping that he’s past the worst of the growth-related issues. Thanks for asking!
Same in Central Texas! I don’t remember the dry grass in Morgantown but I remember a lot of rain year around. I’m so pleased your son can play soccer again and I hope he has seen the last of his knee trouble. I hope all of you keep up golf, though. It’s a great game and easier physically. Golf was my maternal grandfather’s sport. He had rheumatoid arthritis.
Living in Madison Va, I know many of the places you talk about. It-s a great place to live!
Hi, Mary! I always love to hear from a neighbor! Thank you for following along with us. I agree; it’s a great place to live! 🙂