Good morning, and happy Sunday! This week included the county fair, easy summer suppers, and lots of 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…
Sunday morning started with an early walk and church.
I made a big batch of nut-free granola to have on hand for easy breakfasts and snacks throughout the week. It’s so simple and so good — crunchy, plenty of big clusters, and very customizable.
From the garden!
Keith spent all day smoking a pork shoulder so that we could have pulled pork for supper. He used this bbq dry rub and smoked the meat over charcoal and peach wood.
On the side, I prepped some crispy seasoned roasted potatoes,
leftover stewed tomatoes from a couple days before,
a salad with homemade ranch dressing (using this easy seasoning), and store-bought baked beans. What a meal!
Let’s chat books! My mom loaned me The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate, which was such a powerful novel! It took me a little while to really get into the story, but then I couldn’t put this one down (and I loved how it came together at the end). The book intertwines two narratives — one following three young women on a dangerous journey through Reconstruction-era Louisiana in search of lost family, and the other centering on a modern-day teacher who uncovers their story through a hidden book. It was a great cross between historical fiction and a page-turning mystery.
After an early walk, most of Monday was devoted to video recording recipes and attending a webinar. The kids and I had a failed attempt at swimming in the pool, since it started to thunder as soon as we arrived. Womp, womp…
Before Casey left to play basketball, we had chicken tacos for supper using this Crockpot Mexican chicken.
Plus chips and guac on the side!
Tuesday was a full day, complete with a morning walk with Ashley, a Zoom meeting, haircuts, and pick basketball for the younger two boys.
Once everyone was back home, we had the easiest dump-and-bake meatball casserole for dinner,
along with garlic breadsticks from the freezer, a simple green garden salad dressed in the homemade Ranch that I made earlier in the week, and a little bit of sauteed zucchini from Mollie’s garden.
I went to a friend’s house for a coffee date on Wednesday morning, and brought along a jar of cheerful flowers from the yard.
Back home, I took Casey and Spencer to ride bikes at the school.
It was the first night of the County Fair…
I prepped a quick and easy dinner earlier in the day, knowing that I wouldn’t have much time in the kitchen that evening. On the menu: seafood salad sandwiches on croissants with a side of potato chips and fresh fruit. Light, flavorful, and perfect for summer!
Thursday…
I had easy, one-bowl zucchini bread muffins in the freezer, so I thawed those for breakfast before the boys and I headed up to Culpeper for a few errands. They ate breakfast #2 at Panera on our way out of town (teenage boys are always hungry!)…
We went back to the fair to see the kids’ friends. Sheep showing was that morning, and Khloe and her lamb won!
The older boys went to weight training in the evening, and we had Big Mac salads with special sauce dressing for supper. Plus a side of French fries!
My Friday started with an early Pilates session with Ashley and Adria, followed by a busy day in the kitchen.
Gibbs had golf that afternoon, the younger boys had soccer, and I picked up pizzas for dinner in between.
We had planned to go to the rodeo at the fair with friends later that night, but the storms rolled in and we decided to stay dry indoors instead.
Saturday was a pretty quiet day at home. We restocked the kitchen with groceries, took care of laundry and other house chores…
…and got out for a short walk in the woods before another storm arrived.
Gibbs recently requested chicken Alfredo pasta, so I cooked this 5-ingredient Italian dressing chicken in the air fryer…
…and I used it to make dump-and-bake summer pasta.
We paired the chicken pasta with an easy fruit salad with vanilla pudding and a baguette from Panera.
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!
Good morning, Blair!
Always wondered why county fairs or the State Fair never fails to bring a lot of rain!
Congratulations to Khloe on her win!
So true, Ann! We had A LOT of rain this week! The plants are loving it, but the kids have been so frustrated that it’s getting in the way of their outdoor plans…
Wow, another great week of recipes! Congrats to Khloe on the bug win at the fair! I had one boy to feed, & I cannot imagine having 3 teenage boys in the house eating absolutely all the time. They seem to have a bottomless pit for a stomach. It’s great your kids like vegetables… mine would eat only potatoes, corn & green beans & Lima beans.. very picky. He’s 35 now, and thankfully his tastes have changed some. He’s more open to different foods now as an adult. Have a great day, Blair!
Hi, Leslie! The volume of food consumed around here is definitely impressive. I test a lot of recipes, and the leftovers disappear FAST!
My boys are certainly not big vegetable eaters. I make a lot of vegetables and hope that they’ll at least try them. Sometimes it’s a success, and sometimes not. Either way, I keep preparing them and keep serving them. If nothing else, I enjoy the produce and occasionally the kids find new favorites. 🙂
Blair,
We love your recipes. Thank you.
Your photographs are terrific. Are you or Keith the photographers.
We note that you read a book each week. Given all that you do
with your family, it’s wonderful that you find the time. I wonder if
you would be interested in reading an unpublished novel, called “Carunchio”.
It’s a multi-generational historical family saga that takes place in Italy, and Utica, NY
from 1871 to 1940.
Thank you again for your recipes, your photos and your growing family.
Best regards,
Charles P. Sciorra
Hi, Charles! Thanks for reading the blog! I take the photos for my website, but I wouldn’t consider myself a “photographer.” It’s just a hobby that I really enjoy and I’ve taught myself along the way.
I would be happy to read your novel!
Hi Blair
I just took out, from my recipe file, your one bowl zucchini muffin recipe to bake this week. I made them last year and loved them. Question….can I make mini loaves with the batter instead of muffins? If so, do I need to grease and butter the pans or just grease them?
Where was the fair that you attended…it looked like fun! Congrats to Khloe on her win!
Have a good week!
Hi, Paula! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the muffins! Yes, I think they would work well as mini loaves. I would just grease the pans well or spray them with nonstick baking spray. They will take a little bit longer than the muffins (maybe 25-30 minutes?).
The fair was here in Madison County, Virginia. It’s always great fun!
Breakfast #2 made me smile. That is happening in our home as well. Recipes that used to provide two meals here are barely making it for one! I have to step up my cooking game! Thank you for your meal ideas and for sharing your beautiful photos.
We’re glad you can relate! We hope you enjoy the recipes.
I have been a long time subscriber but for some reason did not receive the publication for July 21. Would you please check my subscription and make sure I’m still on the mailing list.
Hi Lillie,
Sorry to hear this! We will look into it. Be sure to check your spam folders as well, if you haven’t already!