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Hey, friends! We’re finishing up our first week of summer vacation, and I’m happy to report that I survived.???? Our week was full of sunshine, pool time, easy dinners, and a few challenging moments with the kiddos (life, right?)! Are you ready to jump right in?
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 meals 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 spent the morning photographing a few recipes, fed everyone lunch, and then we headed out for a walk before the rain rolled in.
Someone was grumpy…
Dinner that night was straight from the grill (as it should be on Memorial Day weekend!) — Italian sausages, salmon burgers, veggie kabobs, and a loaf of Italian bread from the bakery.
I cut the zucchini, peppers, and onions into bite-sized pieces, marinated them in Italian dressing, and then threaded them on skewers for easy grilling.
Dessert was s’mores by the fire pit!
On Monday morning I took advantage of having Keith at home for the holiday and headed out for a walk/jog up the road after breakfast. It was foggy and cool when I started out, but within a matter of minutes the sun was peeking through the clouds.
Next door neighbors!
The corn is growing...
By the time I got back to my house, the sky was blue!
It warmed up quickly, so we made a late morning trip to the pool before lunch.
The rest of our afternoon included dipped cones at the Tastee Freez,
followed by a stop at the farm stand next door to buy some new herbs for my garden. Mission accomplished!
For dinner I grilled a new recipe for “No Work” Marinated Chicken (recipe coming soon!), and served it with macaroni and cheese and steamed broccoli. An All-American supper to finish off Memorial Day weekend!
On Tuesday morning the boys were already bored and looking for entertainment by about 7:15 a.m. Welcome to Summer! By 7:35 a.m. they were outside doing arts and crafts! I quickly realized that it was going to be a very long day…
Painting birdhouses!
We ran errands later in the morning, including stops at the post office and Costco. Much to my surprise, we made it through the store without incident and without whining, so I let the boys pick out a treat in the bakery before we headed home for lunch.
Cookies!
Dinner that night was a pizza party! We met Gibbs’s soccer team for an end-of-the-season celebration, which the boys loved (of course).
After a walk around our property with Mollie on Wednesday morning, I packed up a picnic lunch and off we went! I took the boys to the library to check out some new summer books, and then made our way to the pool for a mid-day swim.
The pool was quiet and empty, but we spent the whole time listening to bluegrass music as everyone at the lodge was getting ready for the start of the Bluegrass Music Festival on Thursday.
There was plenty of swimming and dancing…
I served my Bacon Cheeseburger Pockets for dinner that night, which obviously made Keith and the boys very happy! There were french fries and a salad on the side.
I’m not gonna lie…Thursday seemed like a really looooooong day! Maybe because it started with a mess like this by 7:30 a.m.?!
We made a run to the grocery store (definitely not easy with 3 boys in tow), and picked up our CSA for the week at my neighbor’s farm. We got new potatoes, kale, and carrots!
Casey wasn’t feeling well and I could tell that Spencer was exhausted and grumpy after a week of trying to keep up with his brothers (and no napping). Since Keith was gone for the night I kept dinner very simple — this Dump-and-Bake Summer Pasta with Corn, Zucchini, Tomatoes and Chicken. It was the perfect solution for a stressful evening, and I will be sure to share the recipe on the blog soon!
We made another trip to the pool on Friday, where we listened to music from the Bluegrass Festival and snacked on this 5-Minute Fruit Dip that I brought along (recipe coming soon)!
Gibbs had a late soccer practice that evening, so we all ate an early dinner together. I was testing a recipe for 5-Ingredient Dump-and-Bake Spinach Ravioli Casserole, which turned out perfectly! Can’t wait to share it with you! I used these 4 ingredients:
Plus a batch of homemade 20-Minute Garlic & Herb Tomato Sauce (another new recipe for you — just in time for summer tomatoes and fresh herbs)!
And since we’re in the heart of hay-making season around here, you can be sure that Spencer has spent just about every free moment outside (on his own tractor) watching the farmers around us. Can you see the round bales and the rows of hay in the field across the street?
I went for a walk after breakfast on Saturday morning and came home to find these three guys trimming trees in the yard (and finding lots of poison ivy, too).????
I planned some meals for the week, wrote a grocery list, and then Spence and I went shopping after lunch.
Keith had a craving for smoked whole chickens for dinner that night, so that’s what we did! I bought the meat and a bag of charcoal at the store and I left him in charge. Keith used a really great Jack Daniels Barbecue Glaze to finish the chicken. The glaze was made by Keith’s coworker, who brought it to us at a recent cookout. YUM!
On the side I served the oven roasted new potatoes from our CSA and a BBQ Ranch kale salad.
Kid’s plate: the boys ate everything, but they really loved the chicken and went back for seconds on that! Plus some unpictured sugar wafer cookies for dessert…
And that’s where I’ll leave off for the week! We’re looking ahead to another busy day with a soccer game and a cookout with friends before starting a week of camp for the older boys. Check back tomorrow for a new easy weeknight dinner recipe!
Thanks for the lovely pictures. We had a pool at our former home and sure
had a lot of visitors. Kids loved having their friends over. well I have
a hot tube and I really enjoy that.
regards June
Hi, June! You’re right — pools are great for the kids! I have found that the pool is a great way to wear out the boys so that they come home and rest quietly. It’s awesome! 🙂
Thanks so much for reading the blog! Have a great week. 🙂
Wow!! You guys are busy. That pasta casserole w the zucchini looks delicious and I need that recipe. Does it have dairy in it tho? I’m dairy, whey and soy sensitive…. I have 2 kiddos and our week was wildly busy to since it was the first week off for us as well… I’m so glad to know someone else has a kiddo who has fits.
Love reading your updates!!
Hi, Tina! Thanks so much for your sweet note! I’m so glad that you enjoy the blog. 🙂 I will send you the recipe for the pasta casserole via email so that you don’t have to wait for the blog post (check your inbox)! 🙂 It does have cheese, but you can probably figure out an easy way to adapt it to make it work with your diet. And yes…my boys regularly pitch fits!!! 🙂
Wow – this kiddo isn’t mine – so glad it’s her parents that have to deal with them for the next 16 years!!! lol. Seriously I love her though. LOL. I will watch for the recipe. Maybe I’ll just leave out the cheese. Luckily no one here really likes it. I took a page out of your book a did a blog post about our activities this last week. I keep the kids ultra busy (because I am not a home body & most everything is FREE!) …. Have a great week – I’m going to steal a few of your recipes!
Just read your update post. So fun! I always enjoy seeing what others are up to! 🙂
Beautiful photos. Handsome family, gorgeous children and parents. Inspired messages. Thanks so much for sharing.
Hi, Alan! Thank you so much for reading the blog and for your kind words. You made my day! I so appreciate your support!
I always look forward to reading about your week – your meals, your activities, and your boys. I am in awe of the beautiful countryside where you live. It is gorgeous! I am curious about those pretty colorful plates that were used in this week’s blog. I would love to know what company makes them and where you purchased them. I have tried many of your recipes and appreciate how you include directions for adapting them for smaller-sized families.
Hi, Stephanie! Thanks so much for your kind note and for reading along with us!
The plates are from Anthropologie. I bought them a few years ago, but it looks like you can still find them (or something very similar) here: https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/sissinghurst-castle-dinner-plate?category=kitchen-dinner-plates&color=095
Hope that helps, and thanks again for your note. I’m so glad that you enjoy the recipes and the smaller portions! I appreciate your feedback!
Beautiful pictures of family and your home make me happy.
Hi, Gayle! Thank you so much for your note! I appreciate your support and it brings me such joy to know that the photos make you happy! 🙂
I would LOVE that dump and bake pasta casserole recipe! My family summer doesn’t begin until the end of this week but I’m determined to be ready! I have 5 kids and our summers used to be as busy as yours! Thanks for your great blogs!
Hi, Vicki! Thanks so much for your note and for reading the blog! I’ll send you the pasta recipe via email! 🙂
It looks like you’ve had absolutely PERFECT weather lately! I am so jealous because we’ve been stuck inside with torrential rain and so much wind!
Yes! It’s definitely been nice here recently (but we’re in the middle of a rain storm right now)…
Hope you’re staying dry!