Nat King Cole only had it partially correct when he sang about those “lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer” – the crazy part. There has been nothing lazy or hazy about our 2019 summer. I’m not complaining – the not having to do homework or get to bed at a certain time is fabulous. But, the quintessential “summer pic” of a mom, sipping on a cool glass of lemonade while watching her kids play in the pool, is just hilarious!! Patrick and I did get a little break last week. We dropped our two off at Camp St. Christopher and they had a blast. I can’t tell you what we did – I honestly can’t remember!!
Not sure about where you reside, but here in Charleston, it’s getting too hot to eat anything but cold soups and salads. There aren’t enough cold soups I enjoy so I’m opting for salad options this week. Don’t worry – they aren’t your typical boring lettuce and protein mixtures – healthy, flavorful and simple is where it’s at this week! Enjoy!
MEAL PLAN FOR THE WEEK OF 7/14
Sunday, July 14th – One Pot Summer Pasta: This recipe is adapted from one of my new favorite cookbooks, Everyday is Saturday, by Sarah Copeland. You have a ton of room to play with this recipe as you can use whatever veggies you have on hand. I used zucchini, tomatoes and kale but any combo will be divine. I know, I said all salads, but pasta and veggies is kind of salad-y, right?
Monday, July 15th – Summer Macaroni Salad with Tomatoes and Zucchini: Again with the pasta but this @Skinnytaste recipe is crazy low in calories and full of flavor. To make this a meal, instead of a side, I tossed in some sautéed shrimp but I think I will do grilled chicken, or rotisserie chicken, the next time I make this one. ( Chicken Sausage would be great too!) I also added a half a cup of yellow and red chopped bell pepper for added crunch. Kid Tip – the beauty of this recipe is all the veggies are raw so you can add them in at any point. One of mine is a veggie eater, and the other a Chick-fil-a eater, so I pulled some plain pasta salad out for her, prior to adding the veggies.
Tuesday, July 16th – Spicy Tomato – Cucumber Salad: Spice + Salad = the perfect combo in my book. I love turning up the heat on lettuce. I added steak bites to my salad but any grilled protein will do. Kid Tip – Spice and kids don’t usually mix so I chopped extra cucumbers and tomatoes and served them plain, with a dippy sauce, and the steak bites!
Wednesday, July 17th – Chicken Zucchini Casserole – Have ten free minutes? You have the time to make this guy. I would let Regan make this recipe if I trusted she wouldn’t lick her fingers after touching the raw chicken. I suggest using chicken tenderloins, instead of breasts, or cube your chicken as the full breast takes too long to cook. If you opt to cube or use tenderloins, check this dish after 25 minutes. And play around with this one – I added tomatoes but artichokes would be awesome too.
Thursday, July 18th – Turkey Taco Bowls: This is a meal prep, lunch, recipe but it’s perfect for a family dinner. I served the adults over romaine lettuce – having a serious love affair with romaine lettuce these days – and put the taco meat in tortilla shells for the girls. I also used the pre-packaged taco seasoning instead of making my own because, well, it’s easier. If you use the pre-packaged stuff do not add water. The turkey will cook down and create enough liquid on it’s own!
Friday, July 19th – Hamburger Skillet with Thousand Island Dressing: I think I’ve shared some version of this recipe before but THIS @thymeandjoy guy is my favorite. The thousand island is on point. A few things – I subbed non-fat greek yogurt for the mayo, in the dressing, and I used soy sauce, not coconut aminos. KID TIP – serve the meat mixture on hamburger buns for a “sloppy joe.”
I hope you and your family have a wonderful week! Please tag and share your Dinner with the Duffy food pics on Instagram!
Cheers! XO ~ Kelly D.
Valerie says
Thanks so much for including my recipe!
Dining with the Duffys says
Absolutely!! I’m a big fan. Thank YOU for doing what you do!
Dining with the Duffys says
Hi Valerie,
Thank you so much for reaching out! I am so inspired by all of the talent in the space and am very excited to start to grow my site and share and create recipes! I intended to respond to your kind comment with the below, the other day, but I was in my car and then I just spaced.
To give you a little background, I started Dinner With the Duffys about one year ago after meal planning and home shopping for myself and my family all while working full time. I had heard time and time again, from friends and family, that they’d love to do what I do with our weekly meals and it’s kind of taken on a life of its own and I’m having so much fun with it. It’s a whole new world for me and I feel like I have so much to learn as I navigate through collaborations, working with brands, what to post, when to post, etc… This new blogging venture has been amazing in opening up new doors and meeting fellow creatives with a passion for food but to be honest, the day-to-day can sometimes be isolating and of course there is no training involved so I’m trying to learn as I go. I’ve definitely made some contacts from attending events and just through commenting on Instagram and blogs, but it would be amazing to connect with someone like yourself who has had so much success with it all.
I hope I’m not coming across too strongly but, I just love following you and thought since we are in the same area perhaps you would be open to meeting and having a cup of coffee and talking about this business and your experience.
Thanks so much for your time and let me know if you’re interested in meeting!
Kelly