Our Week in Meals #81

Hey, hey! We survived a week of almost non-stop rain, which wasn’t exactly ideal for our first week of summer vacation. That said, it’s all about keeping the kiddos entertained (and out of trouble) these days, which meant a trip over the mountains, a basketball camp, slime, and many easy weeknight dinners. Since it’s Sunday, it’s time for me to sit down and fill you in on the specifics from Our Week in Meals, so here we go!

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…

My early morning walk smelled amazing, because almost the entire gravel road was lined with honeysuckle!

I even picked some wildflowers, which I used in my photography later that morning.

The boys have been waiting for the pool to open for the past 9 months, so we made it a priority to get there around lunchtime before the storms rolled in later that afternoon.

This little guy was so happy…until he wasn’t. Apparently we stayed at the pool just a bit too long, so he ended up over-tired, hungry, and throwing a massive tantrum on the way out. Love the four-year-olds!

Gibbs had his friend Will come over for a sleepover that night and they requested pizza for dinner. Easy!

While the kids ate pizza and watched a movie, Keith and I tried a new recipe that a reader recently sent me for 5-Ingredient Tomatillo Chicken. This was really tasty!

Keith had his sliced chicken in a quesadilla and I served mine on a big “taco salad.” I’ll share the chicken recipe soon!

I’m not sure that the boys got much sleep on Sunday evening — having a friend over for a slumber party is just too exciting!

They were up doing artwork at 6:00 a.m., and were hungry for breakfast shortly after.

I made the boys a batch of waffles, and then I also put a loaf of my perfect One Bowl Whole Wheat Banana Bread in the oven. I had some overripe bananas on the counter that desperately needed to be enjoyed.

This recipe originally came from my friend Kristin, and it has been a staple in our house ever since. It’s such an easy make-ahead breakfast or snack for the boys!

PS — These Whole Wheat Banana Blueberry Muffins are also a great way to use up extra fruit!

It was another gray, rainy day, so instead of a trip to the pool, Keith and I dragged three tired, cranky, and restless kids on a walk after lunch. They were in need of some fresh air and exercise!

Keith’s dad stopped by for a visit (and some basketball)!

And our Memorial Day cookout included my favorite Turkey Burgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, and a green salad.

Keith returned to work on Tuesday, but the boys and I were officially home on summer break.

We made a trip to the library in town so that each child could fill a bag with some new books (we’re working hard to keep them busy with plenty of screen-free activities).

Our plan was to go home for lunch, and then spend the rest of the afternoon at the pool; however, that agenda changed when we realized that the weather wasn’t cooperating. Seventy five degrees and cloudy/rainy isn’t exactly great outdoor swimming weather.

Instead, we adjusted our plans for the afternoon and went on a mini road trip over the mountains to the Shenandoah Valley.

We arrived in Harrisonburg around noon, so we stopped for lunch at Chili’s first.

Kids eat free on Tuesdays!

We then spent the rest of the afternoon at the Children’s Discovery Museum in downtown Harrisonburg.

Gibbs’s 2nd grade class went there on a field trip earlier this year, and he was so excited to show it to his brothers.

This turned out to be the perfect afternoon activity for us. All 3 kids enjoyed the visit, and the museum was practically deserted…so I didn’t have to worry about losing a child!

Casey now wants a room full of these giant blocks at our house. Um…NO.

This basically says it all. Not sure if Casey’s brushing the teeth or brushing Spencer’s head! ????

We made a quick pit stop for frozen yogurt on the way out of town, and then headed back over the mountains to get home in time for water gun fights and dinner.

Nutella flavored fro yo with fruit, chocolate syrup, and chopped peanuts. Hit the spot!

I wanted to update some (very) old photos of my Slow Cooker Carnitas before including them on an upcoming Simply Mailed meal plan, so that’s what we had for dinner!

This is one of those delicious options that can simmer all day in your Crock Pot while you’re out and about — and it doesn’t heat up your kitchen. Perfect summer supper!

Wednesday morning was foggy and humid again!

The cows on our back fence line are growing up and they’re getting more and more comfortable when I walk over to them. They used to run away, but now they pose for the camera!

The older boys had basketball camp that morning, so this goofball and I headed up to Culpeper to run some errands.

We had a return to make at Target, so Spence picked out this Kinetic Rock kit, which turned out to be a great little purchase. It entertained him for HOURS that day, and Casey spent a lot of time with it after camp, too.

The kinetic rock is this crazy texture that sticks to itself (so that you can mold and shape it), but it doesn’t stick to your hands or make a mess. So fun!

I thawed some frozen shrimp from Costco for dinner that night so that we could have this 20-Minute Garlic Shrimp Skillet, served with rice and French-cut green beans.

I shared a live video of me preparing the dish on Instagram Stories — be sure to follow me here if you enjoy that sort of thing!

I had a Board meeting at the preschool in Orange on Thursday morning, so Mary Kate came to babysit Spence while the older boys went to basketball camp.

I had about 30 minutes after my meeting for a quick walk in the park with Mollie before I had to get back to Madison to pick up Casey and Gibbs. It was humid and warm, but I lucked out with a break in the rain.

Here’s how we entertained ourselves on another stormy afternoon:

Aunt Barbara gave this kit to Casey for his birthday and we’ve been waiting for the right time to pull it out.

It was a BIG hit with the kids (and not too messy, relatively speaking)!

Keith was working late that night, so I let the boys vote on our dinner menu. They requested “mac and cheese,” so I pulled together my 3-Ingredient Tuna Casserole. Those are 3 ingredients that I always have on hand!

After some early morning fog, the sun finally came out on Friday!

I snapped a photo of my iced coffee when I came home from my walk because I wanted to remember to mention it here. I’ve just been buying a bottle of the Starbucks cold brew at the grocery store (find it in the refrigerated section near the iced tea, juices, and milk). I add ice (duh!) and my regular creamer to it and it’s a really refreshing way to have coffee at home when it’s HOT outside. No more runs to the drive-thru for iced coffee!

Spencer and I had a couple of hours at home that morning while Gibbs and Casey were at basketball, so of course we made a delicious new dessert to share with all of you.

A reader named Stephanie sent me this recipe last weekend and I instantly knew that I needed to try it. OH MY GOSH. This Ice Cream Sandwich Cake just might be my boys’ favorite treat that I’ve EVER made (and I’m not exaggerating). Best of all, it takes about 10 minutes (max) to assemble and it only requires 5 ingredients. Thanks so much for sharing, Stephanie! I’ll post the full details on the blog next week — just in time for all of your summer parties!

We had an early dinner that night because Gibbs had soccer at 6:00 p.m. It was a pasta night, since I was busy testing a new recipe for Pomodoro Sauce. Coming soon…

There was rain in the forecast for most of Saturday, so we got everyone outside early to enjoy some fresh air before the weather took a turn.

I met Mollie for a walk while the dads entertained the kids at the playground nearby.

We then made a quick stop at the farmer’s market for flowers, eggs, bread, and cookies before returning home.

Keith took the older boys to see the new Star Wars movie that afternoon, and Spence and I met up with them afterwards in Charlottesville for a quick dinner at Qdoba.

There you have it! We survived the first week of summer and we’re looking forward to another busy one ahead…

Thanks for stopping by!

Need some help planning your family’s meals? When you join Simply Mailed, I will send you 3 quick-prep dinner recipes and a grocery shopping list each week (for about $1 per week!!!). This super-affordable service takes the stress out of dinner, saves you time and money, and brings your family together at the end of the day. There are even options for smaller households of just 1 or 2!

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