Our Week in Meals #444

Good morning, and happy Sunday! This week included a Mother’s Day brunch, a day off from school, and a trip to the amusement park. 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…

Sunday was Mother’s Day!

We went to church, planted our raised beds and potted flowers for the porch,

…and enjoyed the Mother’s Day buffet at Graves Mountain Lodge here in Madison.

The menu included fried chicken (my favorite), country ham, roast beef; so many salads and sides (like cornbread with apple butter, Southern yeast rolls, corn pudding, baked apples, and Southern collards); and desserts like strawberry shortcake and coconut cake.

Let’s talk about books! This week I read A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall. In this page-turner, Theodora Scott visits her fiancé’s remote family estate, only to uncover eerie clues linking her forgotten childhood to the secluded retreat. As cryptic messages and disturbing memories surface, Theo realizes someone is desperate to keep the past buried — and that her life may be in danger. This chilling psychological thriller unravels secrets that tie love, memory, and survival together in a deadly winter setting. You won’t know who to trust!

The boys headed out for their second to last week of school on Monday. They’re largely done with their big exams and homework, so they’re now gladly coasting through field days, field trips, and class picnics before the official start of summer.

I got outside for a walk with the dog that morning before the rain arrived later in the day.

For dinner, Casey made 10-minute teriyaki ground beef, which we paired with jasmine rice, steamed broccoli, and frozen egg rolls.

It rained almost all day on Tuesday, so I spent most of my time in the kitchen testing a couple of new recipes.

The kids’ soccer practice and games were canceled, so we had an unexpected quiet evening at home. I made my mom’s shrimp and grits recipe, which we paired with a house salad and some yeast rolls from the freezer. Those who didn’t want grits got boxed mac and cheese with their shrimp instead!

It rained so much on Tuesday that the schools were closed on Wednesday due to local flooding. Of course, the boys were thrilled with this unexpected day off in May…

Casey and I walked up the street to check out the high water.

While soccer was canceled again, we had our own little family cookout before youth group that evening. On the menu: grilled cilantro lime chicken,

tortilla chips with guacamole, coleslaw (with a bagged mix and my easy coleslaw dressing),

and cowboy baked beans. We’re ready for summer!

The sun (and heat!) returned on Thursday, the boys went back to school, and I met Ashley for a walk with our dogs.

At a Chick-Fil-A lunch date with my parents in Charlottesville, my mom and I both ordered the cobb salad — which reminded me of this copycat recipe. The homemade version is a great summer dinner!

Once Casey was home from soccer practice, Keith grilled marinated beef and vegetable kabobs…

…which we paired with Hawaiian pasta salad. I prepped all of this earlier in the day, which made the evening routine much easier.

After Pilates with Adria and Ashley on Friday, I spent the rest of the day cooking and taking photos.

Keith went to Casey’s soccer game that evening (which was ultimately canceled due to more rain), while Spencer and I took Gibbs to play golf.

Since it was just the three of us at home for supper that night, we took our usual Friday night easy route and picked up pizzas on the way home. Everyone wins! The kids were happy and I didn’t have to wash dishes…

And that brings us to Saturday!

We kicked off Casey’s birthday celebration with a day at King’s Dominion.

It turned out to be a beautiful day for roller coasters, flume rides, and boardwalk fries.

Back home, Keith was in charge of supper. He grilled bbq chicken breasts…

…which we paired with grilled potatoes,

and roasted yellow squash.

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!