A peek into real life here: what my family actually ate for dinners during the past week. I hope this post gives you some inspiration, something relatable, or is just fun to read.

Collage image of a tomato meatball soup, brown butter sage skillet chicken, creamy tomato tortellini, and a cheeseboard, with overlaid text reading,

One of the most common questions I get from friends and acquaintances is whether the recipes I post on the blog are what we actually eat for dinner. I’m happy to report that they absolutely are; I don’t have any extra time to cook different things! But given the frequency of this question, I figured people might be interested in this little glimpse behind the scenes.

Background & Daily Routine

I live with my husband and our two little-ish kids, 8 year old Henry and 3 year old Viv. We live just outside of Washington, DC and are very fortunate to have a huge variety of grocery stores and restaurants nearby.

Honestly, breakfast and lunch are pretty boring around here. Weekday breakfasts are a rotation of protein waffles, oatmeal, cereal, hash browns, or scrambled eggs and bacon, always with fruit. Time permitting I will make a quick batch of pancakes or French toast. On the weekends my husband takes over and will often make waffles or Henry’s favorite chocolate chip banana pancakes.

Lunch is also pretty predictable: leftovers, a big salad, or something very simple for the kids if they are home. Quesadillas, mac and cheese, pesto pasta, chicken nuggets, etc.

Although our dinners may be only marginally more exciting, that’s what I’m going to focus on here. 🙂

Our Week in Dinners

Saturday 2/17: Creamy tomato meatball soup with pearl couscous. So good, and delightful to share it with my step-daughter, who is dog-sitting down the street and coming by for dinners this weekend.

Angled view of creamy tomato meatball soup served in small bowls.

Sunday 2/18: A cheeseboard wins the day, dinner-wise.

Photo of a gorgeous cheeseboard filled with cheese, crackers, meat, dip, veggies, and fruit.

Monday 2/19: No real dinner plan, but I take both kids to the gym with me at 4:30pm, and on the way home Viv is filled with a passionate need to go to the playground right now. I typically love saying “yes” to these types of requests, but obviously this is right about the time I need to be making dinner. Unfortunately, this logic does not go far with a 3 year old.

After some waffling in my head, I call my husband to consult and decide to drop off Henry — who just wants to get home — and take Vivi for a quick spin at the closest playground. The tortellini I’d been sort of planning to do something with will keep until tomorrow. My husband pulls a garlic chicken pasta thing out of the freezer — like one of those “family meal kit” things, to be clear, not something I’d prepped — and warms it up. Dinner is simple but done when I get home with a happy Viv. I actually like the food, but everyone else thinks it’s so-so. Maybe it tastes better just because I didn’t make it myself.

Tuesday 2/20: Tortellini in creamy tomato sauce. Satisfying comfort food and so easy after a jam-packed day. The tortellini cook directly in the sauce so it’s truly a one-pan main. 

I make it with steam-in-bag peas and some baby broccolini that seems to be a new product at my local Trader Joe’s. The broccolini roasts delightfully fast in the Breville I got for Christmas, and I love how the crisp roasted edges complement the tender tortellini.

Wednesday 2/21: I’ve been itching to remake this brown butter sage skillet chicken that I published ages ago and absolutely love. It could use a more comprehensive post, and although the original photos were not bad, I figure it’s worth trying to re-do them more in my current style. Most importantly, it’s every bit as delicious as we remember. 

We have it with egg noodles — the brown butter sage sauce drizzled on top is so good — and a Caesar salad for my husband and I, steamed green beans for the kids.

Close-up of a chicken breast cooked in a skillet with sage-infused brown butter.

Thursday 2/22: Both kids requested a repeat of the simple ground chicken tacos I made last week, and I do take requests, so that’s what we eat for dinner tonight. So easy and just as tasty. I’m extra happy for an easy meal because I’m having a couple of friends over for drinks in the evening, and it’s nice to have minimal clean-up.

Friday 2/23: Pizza + movie = everyone wins. Another week done!

And that’s a wrap on our week(s) in family meals!

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