Good morning, and happy Sunday! This week included another birthday and a soccer tournament in North Carolina. 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…
We went to church on Sunday morning, and then Spencer’s friend came over for the afternoon.
The boys wanted to go to the UVA men’s soccer game vs. UNC that day, so we spent the afternoon in Charlottesville and grabbed dinner on our way out of town.
We ended up at the Wood Grill Buffet: fried chicken, meatloaf, fried catfish, mac and cheese, greens, fried apples, cornbread, corn casserole, and so much more…plus a zillion desserts, including coconut cake, banana pudding, and cheesecake, just to name a few. What a night for the kids!
Let’s chat books! This week I read It’s Different this Time by Joss Richard, which seems to be getting a lot of buzz at the moment (for good reason).
In this novel, two former roommates are unexpectedly reunited when they inherit their old New York City brownstone, forcing them to face the heartbreak that tore them apart. As they spend four weeks together, old feelings resurface and they have to decide whether this second chance will finally make things right. Bonus: autumn in NYC vibes abound!
Back to work and school on Monday morning!
Keith and I got out for a walk, and then it was a day of cooking, filming, and photographing holiday recipes.
We had a night free from sports practices, so I made a homemade lasagna for dinner. This is the perfect cool weather meal, and I doubled everything so that I could stick an extra lasagna in the freezer for a busier future night. On the side, we had garlic bread and a green salad.
It officially felt like winter out there on Tuesday morning.
I met Mollie for a walk in the woods, and otherwise had another full work day at the house.
Spencer had soccer practice that evening, so we ate warm bowls of beef chili at various points…
…plus Jiffy cornbread with creamed corn on the side. A perfect make-ahead supper for chilly nights!
Another gorgeous, sunny fall day on Wednesday!
After a short walk, I took Teddy to the groomer and baked a batch of our favorite chocolate chip cookies (minus the sea salt on top), which were Spencer’s birthday request instead of cake.
I love that you don’t have to chill the dough, and they turn out thick and chewy every time. I tucked away most of these in the freezer so that they would be fresh over the weekend for his actual birthday, but of course left out a small container to enjoy right away!
Casey and Spencer both had soccer practices that night, which meant another dinner enjoyed in shifts. I made sheet pan sausage and potatoes with fried cabbage on the side, and just reheated everything when we needed it.
Thursday included a walk with Ashley, a dentist appointment, and two more soccer practices for the boys that evening.
Dinner was another kid-request: homemade chicken nuggets with this sauce from Walmart (that’s very similar to the sauce at Raising Cane’s), frozen waffle fries, veggies and Ranch dip.
Friday was a full one! I started at Pilates with Adria that morning, worked and packed at the house during the day, and then Spencer and I hit the road for a weekend away as soon as the boys got out of school.
We are in Raleigh, North Carolina for a soccer tournament this weekend, so dinner was enjoyed en route: Subway somewhere south of Richmond!
Saturday was Spencer’s 12th birthday…
He played two soccer games, and then celebrated with a team dinner in the hotel lobby that evening: Chick-Fil-A and the chocolate chip cookies that I baked for the boys a few days prior. Spencer thought this was the best birthday ever! haha
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!
Love your family adventures and beautiful pictures. You are a great mom!
Thanks for sharing.
Caneil
Thank you so much, Caneil!
Happy to read of your weeks activities. When your website wasn’t updated I worried that something might be wrong. I forget you have a busy life.
Hi, Leia! My website should still be updated — even though I’m busy! 🙂 If you’re not seeing updates, maybe try clearing your browser cache. I find that I have to do that sometimes, too. Let me know if you are having any other issues, though! Thank you for reading along with us.
Good morning, Blair! All of this week’s recipes look great and can’t wait to try them soon!
Thank you, Ann. Hope you have a great week!
Heading north to visit my grandchildren for a few days. I think we will make your chocolate chip cookies while I am there. My granddaughter loves to bake!
Random question alert–where did you get your purse? I love your purse (any link would be appreciated.)
Hi, Barbara! That’s a great purse — my friend, my mom, and my aunt have all bought it! It comes in lots of different colors, too. Here’s the link: https://amzn.to/4peeJGr
I hope that you and your granddaughter enjoy the cookies. They were a big hit this weekend!
Your pictures are beautiful. I was also wondering about your website, I read everyday to see what your recipe is for that day. And I would like to hear about your purse too!
Hi, Linda! Definitely refresh your browser cache. The site is still updating each day. Thank you for checking!
Here’s the link to the purse: https://amzn.to/4peeJGr
My oh my you do lead such a busy life and I know your three boys are so blessed to have such a great Mom…and Dad!!! Happy belated birthday wishes to Spencer (great name – my grandson is also a Spencer)….have a safe journey home….
Thank you, Wendy! It’s my mom’s maiden name! 🙂
Good morning Blair,
I always enjoy your photographs, but today, there were so many of them that are just absolutely stunning! Thank you for sharing your talents with us.
With autumn in full swing and winter on its way, and a busy holiday season ahead, you’ve inspired me to make your homemade lasagna recipe to enjoy and freeze one for later. I love that idea.
Your Bisquick sausage balls caught my eye also. I love the suggestion of freezing those to pull out when you have a party to go to. And you know those are just around the corner!
They sound like they’re easy to make and delicious. I’m going to try those this week as well. Thank you for all your great recipes and suggestions.
Have a wonderful week.
Thank you, Kris! I’m so glad that you’ll try the recipes. Hope you enjoy the rest of this beautiful fall!
You take the prettiest pictures. I love chocolate chip cookies. Can’t wait to try yours. Happy Birthday Spencer.
Thank you, Jill! I hope you’re well! 🙂
Whats “officially felt like winter” for you all ?
Here in southern New Hampshire… there has been plenty of mid 20’s degree nights… some snow fluries, our pond has had a thin coat of ice on it… several ski mountains up in north NH are open
I’m not ready for this yet…
Hahaha — we definitely have different versions of “winter”, Scott. 🙂 I would say it was in the 30s early morning, but warmed up as the day went on. No snow or ice here yet!
Hard to believe “your baby” is 12! We had mid 20’s here in the mountains and I also made your Beef Chili. So good and tastes even better leftover! I love the Wood Grill Buffet! A friend and I go to Charlottesville periodically to have a “girl’s day out” and the Wood Grill is a must on our list! Also we enjoy the wonderful second hand store Circa, Inc.
Thanks, Norma! I know…time is flying by! Yes, the Wood Grill buffet is such a fun outing. We had a great time!