A peek into real life here: what my family actually ate for dinners during the past week. I hope this post gives you inspiration, something relatable, or is just fun to read.
One of the most common questions I get is whether the recipes I post are what we actually eat. They are — I don’t have time to make separate meals just for the blog. Since people ask, here’s a quick behind-the-scenes look at what we served for dinner this week.
Background & Daily Routine
I live with my husband and our two kids: Henry (8) and Viv (3). We’re just outside Washington, DC, with plenty of grocery and restaurant options nearby.
Breakfast and lunch are fairly routine. On weekdays we rotate protein waffles, oatmeal, cereal, hash browns, or scrambled eggs and bacon, always with fruit. If there’s time I’ll make pancakes or French toast. On weekends my husband often makes waffles or Henry’s favorite chocolate chip banana pancakes.
Lunch is usually leftovers, a big salad, or simple kid-friendly meals when they’re home: quesadillas, mac and cheese, pesto pasta, chicken nuggets, and the like.
My focus here is dinner — the meals we actually eat most evenings.
Our Week in Dinners
Friday 4/12: We ate out at Pupatella, a Neapolitan-style pizza spot we like. We had leftover chocolate cake from a gathering earlier in the week for dessert.
Saturday 4/13: Grilled steaks from ButcherBox, green beans, a simple salad, and garlic bread — easy and satisfying.
Sunday 4/14: A big brunch of cottage cheese pancakes with fruit and bacon, then sandwiches and grazing throughout the day between soccer and swim commitments.
Monday 4/15: I prepared two dishes earlier to photograph: an Italian tortellini pasta salad (already published) and honey garlic shrimp (coming soon). Monday is carpool night for soccer, so we grazed on these on the go.
Tuesday 4/16: Brothy Mediterranean beans and greens — a protein- and veggie-packed meal I’ll be sharing soon. The kids passed on it and ate leftover pasta salad and carrot sticks.
Wednesday 4/17: Sheet-pan mini pierogies with chicken sausage, peppers, and onions. Baking pierogies is effortless and produces a great texture; this recipe will be on the blog next week.
Thursday 4/18: Ground chicken tacos — again, because they’re super quick and consistently good. I popped into the grocery store with five minutes to spare before picking up my daughter, had time to hang out with the kids, and then put dinner together in no time.
And that wraps up our week of family dinners — a mix of takeout, simple grilling, make-ahead dishes, and a few new recipes heading to the blog soon.
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