Good morning, and happy Sunday! It was another full week, complete with a birthday celebration, a great book, and plenty of kids’ activities. 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 were out the door early on Sunday morning for Spencer’s soccer game up in Northern Virginia.
Since I knew we’d be gone most of the day, I planned a meal that would come together quickly: grilled hamburgers,
plus a bacon ranch pasta salad (prepped ahead of time),
and crispy roasted gold potatoes.
Shall we chat about books? I just finished a series called The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower, and I am so sad that it’s over! There are currently 8 volumes in total, but I understand that there are more to come. Each volume is very short (similar to a novella), so they’re easy to breeze through. It might take you 2 or 3 volumes to really get invested, but then you’ll devour every page!
Let me tell you: I loved these books! They’re historical fiction set in 1883 London, and they’re written as a series of journal entries by 21-year-old Emma. From that standpoint, they remind me of The Correspondent, but with characters that are funny, lovable, and just totally charming. You will fall in love with the people of St. Crispian’s! Needless to say, I can’t wait for the next release…
I had a lot of computer work to get through on Monday, so once the kids were out the door, I went for a short walk and then sat down at my desk for most of the day.
Gibbs had work after school and Casey had soccer practice, so we ate a later supper once everyone was home. I made Crock Pot BBQ pulled chicken,
plus the kids’ favorite Duke’s mac and cheese,
and this easy coleslaw (plus leftover pasta salad from the night before).
Tuesday included a walk with Mollie, a stop at Yoder’s for a few groceries, and another day of work at the house.
Virginia strawberries!
Keith went to watch Casey’s soccer game in Strasburg that evening, so they were both gone until very late at night.
Meanwhile, I took Spencer to his practice in Charlottesville, and then used some leftover Mississippi pulled pork to make pulled pork enchiladas for those of us who were home. Cinco de Mayo!
Plus a side of chips and guac, of course.
It was a rainy Wednesday, so I was especially glad to get out of the house for a lunch date with my mom and my aunt to celebrate my mom’s birthday.
We went to one of our faves, The Blue Ridge Cafe, where I had the club sandwich.
The boys’ practices were canceled that evening, so we had dinner together before youth group. On the menu: sheet pan shrimp and potatoes with vegetables with rice and dinner rolls on the side.
Ashley and I walked our dogs on Thursday morning, and then I spent a quiet day working before the evening rush.
Casey had an early soccer practice after school, Gibbs went to work, and Spencer had a late practice in Charlottesville. As a result, we ate dinner reheated at various points throughout the evening. This one was a request from the boys: shortcut sesame chicken paired with rice and steamed broccoli. A great weeknight option when time is limited!
I met Ashley and Adria for a walk on Friday morning,
and then came home to bake a loaf of no-knead focaccia bread to have with dinner that night.
Spring flowers! Adria gave me some ranunculus from her garden, so I added peonies and catnip from my yard. Vase made by my mom!
Gibbs had golf and Casey had a soccer game that night, so we ate a very late meal once we were all back home. On the menu: 4-ingredient baked ravioli casserole, plus the focaccia that I baked earlier in the day and a bagged Caesar salad.
And that brings us to the weekend!
I spent Saturday testing recipes in the kitchen, while Keith and the kids did yard chores and homework.
Gibbs went to work at the golf course for the afternoon, and Casey made me this easy chocolate chip bundt cake to have for a Mother’s Day dessert on Sunday. He added a vanilla glaze instead of the powdered sugar. Delicious!
I took a night off from the kitchen and let the boys pick our dinner. They opted for pizza…no complaints here!
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!
