Our Week in Meals #498

Good morning, and happy Sunday! This week included Memorial Day, family time, and the start of summer break. 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…

Spencer’s team was playing in a Memorial Day soccer tournament up in Northern Virginia, so Keith and I spent Sunday on the sidelines…

…while the older two boys played golf with their cousins down in Nelson County.

Back home, we had grilled beef shish kabobs for supper…

…plus rice and bbq baked beans.

Let’s chat books! This week I read Carly Fortune’s latest, Our Perfect Storm. Is there any better way to kick off Beach Read Season?! I absolutely loved this one, and now I want to drink grape soda and visit Tofino!

In this novel, Frankie’s wedding weekend falls apart when her fiancé leaves her, and her lifelong best friend George talks her into taking the honeymoon trip with him instead. What starts as a chance to heal her broken heart becomes one last attempt to save their complicated friendship. But as old secrets and long-buried feelings come to the surface, Frankie and George have to decide whether they’re meant to fall apart or finally become something more.

Monday was a rainy Memorial Day holiday…

Gibbs played golf with a friend, and we met my brother and his family in Charlottesville for a quick lunch date while they were briefly in town for lacrosse.

In spite of the crummy weather, we had a delicious cookout for supper: grilled bbq chicken breast and brats,

plus corn on the cob, a green salad with red wine vinegar dressing, and crispy roasted gold potatoes.

On Tuesday morning, the boys returned to school for their final few days.

I got out for a walk during a break in the rain, restocked the kitchen with groceries, and jumped on Zoom meetings.

Casey had soccer practice that afternoon, Gibbs went to work, and Keith played golf. For a late supper once everyone was home, we made the easiest burritos…

along with tortilla chips, guacamole, pico de gallo, and a Mexican street corn chopped salad kit.

Wednesday was a lot like the day before: a misty morning walk, a Zoom meeting, soccer practice after school, and youth group later that night.

I served my mom’s shrimp with ravioli for supper, which we paired with garlic bread and another green salad.

The sun returned on Thursday, so Ashley and I took advantage of the beautiful weather and walked our dogs together that morning.

I made a quick stop at Yoder’s for peaches and tomatoes…

…and Teddy said “hi” to the baby goats.

I wanted to take this guy home with me!

The kids wrapped up their last day of school that afternoon! Spence had an orthodontist appointment, Gibbs played golf with some friends, and we went to the high school for Casey’s soccer game that evening. Onto the next round of the regional tournament!

I knew we’d be hungry and tired by the time we returned home, so I planned one of the easiest meals I know: breakfast for dinner. We had 5-ingredient baked pancakes with pancake mix, maple sausage, hash browns, and fresh fruit.

Friday was a full day — even though the boys were officially on summer break.

Keith and I got out for an early walk, I photographed a couple of recipes, and I took the kids to get haircuts.

That evening, Spencer and I watched Gibbs at his golf lesson while Keith and Casey played 9 holes on the course. Finally home for supper, I made a delicious summer meal: Chick-Fil-A cobb salad served with waffle fries…

…and a peach galette with vanilla ice cream for dessert!

Another warm, sunny day on Saturday!

I did some cooking that morning, watched the Champions League final with the boys around lunchtime, and took Spencer to a friend’s house for the afternoon.

Once Gibbs was home from work, we had a classic summer supper: Keith smoked baby back ribs (here’s my slow cooker recipe if you prefer a more hands-off option),

which we paired with baked mac and cheese,

my grandmother’s easy potato salad, and some cornbread that I picked up from Yoder’s.

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!