Meals of the Week, June 28th - July 4th, 2026

 

Here we are, another Sunday, another Meals of the Week post.  The one where I share with you all the main meals I have cooked and enjoyed over the past 7 days.  If I eat out for one or two of them, I also always share a homemade alternative.

 I really like doing these meals of the week posts. It helps to keep me accountable and helps me to see what I am eating, if I may need to make improvements in my diet, and keeping track also helps to keep me fresh.  Being able to share these things with you keeps me excited about the things I am eating because I want to inspire you as well!  Since I started doing this my cooking has never been boring! 

At least not to me anyways! I cannot speak for you. Maybe you find my cooking very boring!  But I hope not!

I have had my oldest daughter staying with me for the last six months. This has also been fun.  I like having someone around to cook for and I know she enjoys eating the things I cook!  She has helped me out a bit as well!  Its been nice having her here, but that is all coming to and end now as she is moving into her own apartment on Wednesday next. We still have plans to do Wednesday night dinners together and to have Saturday night sleepovers, which is something to look forward to. 

Its a bit sad when your kids all grow up and move out of the house, you lose your spouse, and you find yourself living alone. It can be very tempting when you live on your own to want to take the easy way out and eat frozen dinners or other convenience foods. 

My goal has always been not to not do that. I want to cook for myself fresh and delicious meals every day of the week. This makes for a healthier and happier me.  So for as long as I can, this is what I will be doing, and hopefully you don't mind me sharing my meals with you.

Perhaps we can both be inspired! And so, here are my meals for the last 7 days.

 

SUNDAY, June 28th - Sunday Dinner with the family

Most Sundays see us sharing a lovely dinner together as a family. Normally my sister cooks. We used to share the cooking but with my father's mobility issues it is just easier to keep it at my sister's place for now. As always we are grateful that she includes us. On Sunday last she cooked a delicious Pot Roast with mashed potatoes and carrots.

In it's place I am sharing my recipe for Mississippi Pot Roast. A cozy, comforting dish if ever there was one. Mississippi Pot Roast is a melt‑in‑your‑mouth, fork‑tender beef roast cooked low and slow with dry onion soup mix, ranch seasoning, butter, and tangy pepperoncini peppers. The apple juice adds a gentle sweetness that deepens the savory juices, creating a rich, silky gravy that clings beautifully to the shredded meat. It’s incredibly easy — no browning required — and delivers big flavor with minimal effort. Perfect over creamy mashed potatoes, tucked into tacos, or enjoyed just as it is. A true family favorite in the making.

MONDAY, June 29th - Dinner Salad

It was quite a warm day on Tuesday.  I was not in the mood for cooking anything too much and was not overly hungry to be honest.  I made us a Dinner Salad.  I love Dinner Salads. 

This one has bits of leftover grilled chicken (although you could certainly use store bought cooked chicken), boiled egg, cucumber, tomatoes, chunks of avocado, lettuce, red onions, and a delicious homemade Honey Mustard Dressing.

It was perfect, and I enjoyed some delicious fresh cherries afterwards.  Win/win!

TUESDAY, June 30th -Air Fryer Nachos 

Another warm day so I made us some Air Fryer Nachos for our tea. I did not use leftover cooked chicken this time but replaced it with some ground turkey that I fried in a skillet with some tasty Tex Mex seasonings. I fried enough ground turkey to enjoy another night later in the week. You could jut as easily use ground beef. We enjoyed these with our favorite toppings and some sour cream and salsa on the side for dipping.

These Air Fryer Nachos are quick, cheesy, and irresistibly loaded — ready in just minutes and perfect for keeping the kitchen cool. Crisp tortilla chips are piled high with melty cheddar, fresh peppers, tomatoes, spring onion, and tender bites of crispy chicken (Seasoned ground turkey), then air‑fried until everything is hot, bubbly, and golden . They’re endlessly adaptable, wonderfully fuss‑free, and ideal for summer snacking or a no‑sweat supper.

WEDNESDAY, July 1st - Canada Day - Smoky Turkey Burgers

Usually on Wednesday nights we have a meal out at a restaurant with our dad, Cindy and Hazel. This week Canada Day fell on Wednesday so we had our own Canada Celebration meal here at home as nothing was open. I did us some delicious turkey burgers.

These Smokey Turkey Burgers are tender, juicy, and packed with warm, smoky spice — a flavourful twist on a lighter, leaner burger. A mix of turkey mince, fresh crumbs, herbs, mayo, mustard, and sweet + smoked paprika creates a moist, beautifully seasoned patty with just the right hint of heat and depth. They cook up gorgeously on a grill or skillet, staying succulent inside with a lightly charred exterior. Wonderful tucked into a toasted bun with tomato, lettuce, cranberry chutney, and mayo, or simply enjoyed on their own with sweet potato wedges. A simple, satisfying burger that delivers big comfort without the heaviness.

We both enjoyed these very much!

THURSDAY,  July 2nd - Taco Baked Potatoes

I love baked potatoes or Jacket potatoes as they are called in the U.K.  In the U.K. you can buy them ready cooked and frozen.  McCain made them. I miss them.  (on a side note I also miss their frozen mash!) 

Jacket potatoes make the perfect canvas for a myriad of toppings.  In this case I used a simple taco meat topping (using ground turkey left from the other night) which is ladled over the hot baked potato and then topped with your favorite taco toppings.  Simple and easy to make and incredibly delicious.  You could have some veggie sticks on the side or tortilla chips and dip. On this occasion we enjoyed just the potato with the toppings, on a bed of lettuce with some sour cream, guacamole and salsa.  These are very filling. You can use any ground meat you enjoy.

FRIDAY, July 3rd - Crispy Chicken with Creamy Garlic Pasta

My daughter and I both like chicken and this is a completely different way of cooking it that we both enjoy.  We were out and about for much of the day and wanted something really quick and easy.  This is all that and more.  Frozen crispy coated chicken breasts are cooked and while they are cooking you make a delicious creamy garlic sauce to toss with freshly cooked penne.

The two together are really delicious.  Tender and juicy pieces of chicken and that creamy pasta. So good, and done in less than half an hour. You can't beat it for a quick meal. We enjoyed a salad on the side.

SATURDAY, July 29th - Quick Naan Bread Pizzas

We both love these Quick Naan Bread Pizzas.  They use a simple Naan Bread base. You can use a garlic one, or a plain one.  They are brushed with some of the oil from a jar of marinated artichoke halves and then topped with a variety of cheeses and the artichokes and plenty of green olives, and some fresh thyme leaves.  

These are really delicious.  You could go the traditional route and use pizza sauce and regular pizza toppings, but these make a tasty change from the regular.

Again we had some salad on the side.  We didn't want to eat too much because we were going to have a movie night with some crisp vegetable dippers and homemade Garden Herb dip and some hummus.  We also had some grapes and cheese.  Yummy!

And that was the week that was!  My daughter and I ate very well and enjoyed a nice fresh variety of things.  Today we are going to my sister's for supper and we have a whole new week of things to enjoy together coming up! She will be moving into her own apartment on Wednesday but is still expecting to have dinner out that day with the family, all being well, which will be nice. I have really enjoyed having her stay with me these past six or so months and will really miss having her here.

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