Our Week in Meals #510

Good morning, and happy Sunday! This week included lots of kids’ sports, some beautiful late summer days, and an entertaining thriller. 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…

I got out for a short walk and some gardening on Sunday morning before the rain arrived.

Gibbs played a round of golf that afternoon, so we had supper once he was back home.

Keith grilled beef tenderloin from Costco (he also grilled the chicken for Monday night’s dinner at the same time, saving me some weeknight prep),

which we had with my favorite Southern Caesar salad,

pesto pasta,

and cheese drop biscuits. I could happily eat this meal every Sunday…

Book time! This week I read You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Such an entertaining, fast-paced story that kept me on the edge of my seat!

In this novel, Shay is lonely and struggling to find her place in the world when she meets two glamorous sisters who seem to have everything figured out. As they welcome her into their close-knit circle, Shay’s life starts improving, but she soon realizes that their friendship may come with some very dangerous strings attached. It’s a twisty psychological thriller about obsession, manipulation, and belonging that keeps you questioning who can be trusted.

Back to work and school on Monday morning!

The sun, heat, and humidity returned with a vengeance for my walk…

I ran a few errands later that morning, including a stop at Yoder’s for my weekly peaches, deli meat, and cheese.

I planned a meal that evening that I knew we could easily assemble and eat in shifts, since we had multiple kids’ activities on the agenda.

Keith grilled the chicken shawarma the night before, which we served in bowls with rice, naan bread, tzatziki, tomatoes, olives, marinated cucumbers, feta, and hummus. This one is always a favorite with the boys!

More garden flowers for the house on Tuesday!

Mid-afternoon, I headed off on a mini roadtrip over the mountains to watch Gibbs’ high school golf match at Bryce Resort for the evening.

Fortunately, the weather was beautiful!

Since I knew I’d be gone and Keith would be busy getting the younger two boys to their soccer practices, I left an easy dinner in the fridge for them to reheat: pulled pork and coleslaw (both of which I picked up from the Yoder’s deli the day before), plus Alabama white bbq sauce.

And for dessert, these giant M&M cookies and chocolate chip cookies, which I bought from my friend Jennifer’s new made-to-order bakery. Jennifer’s son plays soccer with Casey, so I’m lucky enough to have access to these goodies multiple times per week. Could be dangerous! lol

For local friends in Madison and Greene, you can check out her weekly offerings and order online from the Dogwood Bakehouse. She is SO talented!

I spent Wednesday morning at Mollie’s farm, catching up and getting some exercise.

We didn’t have any soccer practices that night, so we ate dinner as a family once Gibbs was back from golf.

I served shrimp tacos,

paired with tortilla chips, homemade guac, and homemade salsa (with canned tomatoes).

Thursday was another very full one…

Ashley and I walked our dogs together once the kids were off to school, and then I spent the morning running errands in Culpeper (including the groomer, the car wash, Target, and Panera).

Keith went to Gibbs’ golf match in Luray, while I took the younger two boys to Charlottesville for their back-to-back soccer practices. I knew we’d be gone all afternoon and evening, so I planned a meal that I could prep in advance and then pack in a cooler to-go.

I cooked these herb roasted chicken thighs earlier in the afternoon, and then used the meat to make sandwiches on baguettes that I picked up from Panera. Chicken subs with potato chips and fresh fruit were easy, transportable, and hit the spot on a hot evening.

While Spencer and I were waiting for Casey’s practice to finish, we even managed to see the first half of the UVA men’s soccer game against UCLA with a couple of his teammates. What a night!

Friday included Pilates and coffee with Adria, as well as a lunch date at the Blue Ridge Cafe with my mom and my aunt! I also snuck in some work, a grocery re-stock, and lots of laundry (less fun, but still necessary).

With no soccer practices on the schedule, we could all sit down for dinner at the same time once Gibbs was home from golf. I made this dump-and-bake chicken parmesan casserole,

as well as a green salad and some garlic bread.

Saturday was spent traveling to and from Northern Virginia for Spencer’s soccer game, while Gibbs played golf and Casey tackled his homework.

We made it back to Madison shortly before dinner, so I had Gibbs pick up our take-out order on his way home from the course (the benefits of a third driver in the house!). Pizza and subs from Gino’s hit the spot!

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!