Good morning, and happy Sunday! This week included a lot of soccer games, summer-like temps, and easy weeknight suppers. 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 spent Sunday outside — an early soccer game for Spencer, afternoon soccer for Casey, and a round of golf with a friend for Gibbs.
The Masters was on TV all day, and we had a casual Sunday supper once everyone was back home: Crock Pot pulled pork with coleslaw,
plus the family-favorite mac and cheese.
Let’s talk about books! I recently read The Tenant by Freida McFadden.
In this novel, a successful guy suddenly loses everything and ends up renting out a room in his home to a seemingly perfect tenant who might not be what she appears. As strange things start happening around the house and the neighbors act differently, he begins to worry that his past secrets are catching up with him. It’s a twisty, fast-paced thriller that keeps you guessing about who’s really in control until the very end.
After a week off for Spring Break, the kids reluctantly returned to school on Monday morning.
Keith and I got out for an early walk, and then we were back to work as well.
Since I knew that I’d be in Charlottesville for Spencer’s soccer that evening, I prepped dinner in advance and left Keith and the older boys in charge of reheating everything. After Casey’s practice, they pulled together the easiest burritos,
as well as tortilla chips, salsa, and homemade guac.
A beautiful sunset that evening (photo courtesy of my dad!)…
Tuesday included a morning walk with Mollie and Adria, followed by a stop at Yoder’s for a few groceries.
It’s Carolina strawberry season, and they’re good!
I took Spencer to practice that evening, while Keith went to Casey’s high school game out in Page County. That meant dinner on-the-go, and another round of Southern chicken salad croissant sandwiches. Plus fresh fruit and potato chips for a perfectly light, transportable meal on a 90-degree day!
Ashley and I walked our dogs together on Wednesday before a full day of work at the computer.
Casey and Spencer both had the night off from soccer, so we went to the girls high school game to cheer for Khloe and her friends!
Dinner was one of the boys’ favorites: dump-and-bake sesame chicken noodles with a side of egg rolls and an Asian chopped salad.
Thursday morning was devoted to a walk with Ashley and errands in Culpeper.
I prepped dinner at lunchtime, knowing that I’d be gone most of the evening. Casey had practice right after school, and then Spencer had a late practice in Charlottesville. We reheated my pasta with sausage and spinach at various times as we were all coming and going, and paired it with garlic bread. This one’s a big hit with the boys!
After morning Pilates with Adria and Ashley on Friday, I spent some time in the kitchen working on a new recipe.
It was another very busy evening, so we ate an early meal before heading out the door. Keith grilled salmon (a great 15-minute entree!),
which I served with Southern macaroni salad,
sauteed spinach, and a loaf of Ashley’s cheddar jalapeno sourdough bread. Then it was off to Gibbs’ golf, Spencer’s soccer game, and Casey’s soccer game. It was a very late night…
That brings us to the weekend! I took the boys to get haircuts on Saturday morning, before Keith and Gibbs played a round of golf that afternoon.
I was ready for a night off from cooking, so we went out for Mexican food at El Vaquero West in Orange. We enjoyed a boatload of chips and salsa, plus tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, grilled shrimp, and more.
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!
Good morning, Blair!
It’s certainly felt more like summer here this past week, but cooler weather is coming, so hopefully we can enjoy spring a little longer!
Exactly! Hope you have a beautiful week, Ann!
Wow, your photo is so beautiful. Sounds like you all had a great week. The recipes look so good, too. I live in KY, & I wondered what’s the best way to buy your cookbook? Amazon is always an option, & wondered if it’s less expensive elsewhere? Thanks for all that you do, & keeping us updated on what’s happening in your world.
Have a blessed day.
Hi, Leslie! Thank you for asking! Amazon is the only option right now for non-local folks. They do sometimes put it on sale, so I will try to check periodically and let you know if it’s less expensive soon!
I really enjoy your recipes – they are great – Frieda McFadden has become my favorite author – I think once before you posted about her book – got it and loved it – I now have most of her books – great work – Thank you very much….much love
Oh, good! Yes, I agree — her books are so entertaining! I think I’ve read most of them, but every time I look it seems like she has a new one. She’s very prolific! 🙂