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Can We Talk About the Last Four Months?

I realized something this week that I hadn’t really stopped to think about until now.

In the last four months, every single one of us has moved.

Jacob and Olivia moved into their first apartment. Ken and I moved (and then moved again). And this weekend, Ethan is moving into his new house.

That would be plenty of change all by itself, but the last four months have been a LOT.

Ken and I sold the house and bought land.

Jacob got engaged. Then he was diagnosed with MS, which was definitely not something any of us saw coming.

This week, he had his first infusion, and I’m very happy to report that it went really well.

I think we were all a little nervous going into it because we didn’t know exactly what to expect. He did great, though, and now the first one is behind him.

After everything that has happened this summer, an uneventful infusion day felt pretty damn good.

And this weekend I’m going to my best friend’s daughter’s baby shower.

She’s the first of all of our kids to have a baby.

How in the hell did we get here?

My best friends and I have been doing life together for a very long time. We were the ones having the babies.

Then we were raising the babies.

We watched them grow up, graduate, move out, get jobs, fall in love...

And now one of those babies is having a baby.

I’m not the one becoming a grandmother yet, so I plan to ease into this new phase from the sidelines. 😂

Meanwhile, while our children are out there doing all of these very grown-up things, Ken and I are currently living like this:

Yep.

That is a window air conditioner sticking through a piece of plywood where our RV door should be.

Fancy.

We are STILL waiting on the parts for the actual RV air conditioners. They’re supposed to come in on Monday, and I am cautiously optimistic that this ridiculous saga may finally be coming to an end.

Until then, I have absolutely no shame about our rigged-up AC situation.

It’s August in Texas. That sucker is blowing cold air.

Until the real AC units are working, she stays. 😂

Missing Sunday Dinner

Over the last month, family Sunday dinners have pretty much disappeared.

We didn’t decide to stop having them. We just haven’t had anywhere to do it.

We don’t have the house anymore. Seven people aren’t squeezing into the RV for dinner. Everyone has their own schedules and their own stuff going on.

So Sunday dinners got pushed to the side.

I didn’t realize quite how much I missed them until recently.

I miss making way too much food. I miss everybody sitting around after dinner, talking about nothing, laughing, and giving each other shit like we always do.

I just miss my family all being together.

So Sunday dinner is coming back this weekend, and Ethan gets to host (whether he likes it or not!) because, unlike the rest of us who apparently believe moving requires destroying our backs and bribing friends and family with pizza, Ethan has a big-boy job and decided to hire movers.

Look at him making good life choices!

By Sunday, all of his stuff should at least be inside the house.

Unpacked? Probably not.

Table set up? Who knows.

Enough chairs for six people? Doubtful.

I don’t care.

I’m making dinner, and we’re all going over there.

If we end up sitting on boxes or eating on the floor with paper plates in our laps, so be it.

For our first Sunday dinner in a while, I’m making Buffalo Chicken Pasta Casserole.

It feels like exactly the kind of food this particular occasion calls for. Nothing fancy. Just a big pan of cheesy, spicy pasta that I can carry into Ethan’s new house and that will feed everybody.

It starts with celery and green onions cooked in butter with garlic. Then I make a creamy sauce with milk, cream cheese, ranch dressing, and Buffalo sauce before adding plenty of cheddar and Monterey Jack.

The chicken and pasta get mixed right into the sauce, and then the whole thing goes into a 9x13-inch baking dish with more cheese and buttery panko on top.

I’m planning to put it together ahead of time and bake it when we get there.

I’ll serve it with a Simple Caesar Salad, Cheesy Cheddar Bay Biscuits, and some Gooey Butter Cake Bars for dessert.

We will eat everything on paper plates with plastic forks and call it a night! No dishes to wash, no mess to clean up. And the best part?? He has central air! ^😀

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Casserole

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 pound penne or rigatoni

• 3 cups cooked shredded chicken

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 celery stalks, finely diced

• 4 green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 2 cups whole milk, plus more if needed

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened and cubed

• 3/4 cup Buffalo wing sauce, plus more to taste

• 1/2 cup ranch dressing

• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 2 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

• 1 cup freshly shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided

• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

• Crumbled blue cheese, extra ranch and Buffalo sauce for serving, optional

Instructions

Heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Cook the pasta in generously salted water until about 2 minutes shy of al dente. Drain and set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery and white parts of the green onions and cook for 3–4 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute.

Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce begins to thicken.

Reduce the heat to low. Add the cream cheese, Buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, onion powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Stir until the cream cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth.

Add 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar and 1/2 cup of the Monterey Jack. Stir until melted.

Taste the sauce and add a little more Buffalo sauce if you want more heat.

Stir in the chicken, cooked pasta, and half of the green onion tops. If the mixture seems too thick, add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk. It should be nice and saucy going into the oven.

Transfer everything to the prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining cheddar and Monterey Jack.

Combine the panko with 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle it over the top.

Bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes, until hot and bubbly around the edges and golden on top.

Let it sit for 5–10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with the remaining green onions and serve with extra Buffalo sauce, ranch, or crumbled blue cheese if you like.

Favorite Finds

I have one little kitchen thing to share this week.

Swedish dishcloths.

I know. Try to contain your excitement. 😂

I had never used these before, but when we were staying at the lake house, they had them in the kitchen, and I became completely obsessed with them. So, of course, I came home and immediately ordered some for myself.

They’re sort of a cross between a sponge, a dish rag, and a paper towel. They soak up a ridiculous amount of liquid, rinse out easily, and dry really fast—which means they don’t get that gross damp-dish-rag smell. I’ve also noticed I’m reaching for paper towels WAY less.

And because I am at the stage of life where a really good dishcloth can genuinely excite me, I was very happy to find some that are actually cute.

These are the ones I bought on Amazon

Now I need to know—has anyone else tried Swedish dishcloths? Am I just late to the party? If you use them, tell me what you think. I’m curious if everyone else loves these things as much as I do.

Well, guys, that’s all I’ve got for now!

If you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, I’d love it if you shared it with a friend!

Spread the word – Invite a fellow food lover or travel enthusiast to join us on this journey.

Share Detour Ahead!

And if you try a recipe, have a question, or just want to say hello, drop a comment below—I’d truly love to hear from you! ❤️

~Holly

This post may include affiliate links, which means that I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.

Two at the Table has been on a bit of an unplanned break.

If you’ve been following along, you probably already know why. We’ve been consumed with moving out of the house, getting the property ready, moving the RV, and dealing with one problem after another along the way.

Dinner planning hasn’t exactly been at the top of the list.

But I’ve missed doing these menus, and at some point you have to stop waiting for life to calm down and just start again. So here we are.

This week’s menu is exactly what I need right now: five dinners, only three proteins to buy, and a couple of nights where part of the cooking has already been done for you.

We’re starting with a pound of roasted shrimp and intentionally cooking enough for two meals. Half gets served hot with Parmesan couscous and roasted broccoli, while the other half becomes shrimp salad croissants later in the week.

We’re doing something similar with the chicken. One portion becomes crispy hot honey chicken with smashed potatoes, and while the oven is already on, we’ll roast extra chicken for Southwest rice bowls at the end of the week.

Italian sausage breaks things up in the middle with stuffed zucchini boats and garlic-Parmesan basil orzo.

Five dinners with plenty of variety and one grocery list that uses everything with a purpose.

Buy what you need. Use what you buy. Make dinner for two feel easier all week long.

1. Garlic-Lemon Roasted Shrimp with Parmesan Couscous and Roasted Broccoli

Tender shrimp roasted with garlic, lemon, and smoked paprika, served with Parmesan couscous and crispy roasted broccoli.

2. Crispy Hot Honey Chicken with Smashed Potatoes and Green Beans

Parmesan-panko chicken cutlets baked until golden and crispy, then drizzled with buttery hot honey. Crispy smashed potatoes and roasted green beans round out the plate.

3. Italian Sausage-Stuffed Zucchini Boats with Garlic-Parmesan Basil Orzo

Fresh zucchini filled with Italian sausage, tomatoes, garlic, and cheese, then baked until the zucchini is tender and the filling is browned and bubbly.

Simple garlic-Parmesan basil orzo on the side gives us something buttery and garlicky to go with all those juices from the stuffed zucchini without making the meal too heavy.

4. Roasted Shrimp Salad Croissants with Tomato-Cucumber Salad

Remember those shrimp you hid in the refrigerator before somebody ate them?

They’re getting chopped and folded into a creamy shrimp salad with celery, green onion, Dijon and lemon, then piled into buttery croissants.

A fresh tomato-cucumber salad goes alongside. And if a handful of potato chips happens to land on the plate, I’m certainly not going to complain.

5. Southwest Chicken Rice Bowls with Charred Corn, Black Beans and Creamy Lime Sauce

We’re finishing the week with the extra chicken we cooked on Night 2.

Warm it with chili powder and cumin, then pile it over cilantro-lime rice with charred corn, black beans, tomatoes and avocado. A quick creamy lime sauce goes over the whole thing.

Friday-night dinner without having to cook another protein from scratch.

Five completely different dinners. One smart grocery list.

This week’s menu is built around buying fewer proteins and making the ingredients we do buy work a little harder.

• Shrimp: One pound covers two dinners. We roast all of it on the first night, serve half hot with couscous and broccoli, and save the rest for shrimp salad later in the week.

• Chicken: One breast becomes crispy Parmesan-panko cutlets for hot honey chicken. While the oven’s already on, we roast a second breast with simple seasonings and set it aside for the Southwest bowls.

  (One large chicken breat is usually enough for Ken and I, but if you have smaller breasts or have bigger appetities, feel free to cook more.)

• Cherry tomatoes: We’ll use them in the sausage-stuffed zucchini, tomato-cucumber salad and Southwest bowls. We’re buying two pints so we don’t have to ration tomatoes by the end of the week.

• Parmesan: It goes into the couscous, crispy chicken coating, smashed potatoes, zucchini boats and garlic-Parmesan orzo.

• Chicken broth: We’ll use it for the couscous, orzo and rice, and just a splash helps bring the leftover chicken back to life when we season it for the Southwest bowls.

• Garlic and fresh herbs: Garlic shows up all over the place, while parsley, basil and cilantro take the meals in completely different directions.

Use It Up: Don’t Let That Celery Go to Waste

There’s one ingredient on this week’s list that isn’t going to get completely used up: the celery.

We only need one stalk for the shrimp salad, and I’m not about to pretend that leaving it out is an option. Chicken salad, tuna salad, shrimp salad—I need that celery crunch.

So here’s what to do with the rest.

Chop it up and freeze it.

Frozen celery won’t have the crunch you’d want for snacking, but it’s perfect for anything cooked. The next time you’re making soup, stew, stuffing, pot pie or something that starts with onions, carrots and celery, grab what you need straight from the freezer. There’s no need to thaw it first.

If you know you’ll eat it before it goes bad, cut the remaining stalks into sticks and keep them in the refrigerator for hummus, ranch or peanut butter.

Either way, we’re not buying an entire bunch of celery to use one stalk and throw the rest away.

As for us, I wish I could tell you that we’re finally moved, settled, and sitting peacefully on our property wondering what all the fuss was about.

We are not. 😂

The RV is on the property, but getting everything actually working once we got it there has been a whole other adventure. We’ve also been tackling projects on the new shop that I honestly wasn’t sure Ken and I could pull off ourselves—including the 14-foot walls we built and stood up on our own, which felt pretty good once they were finally up.

Right now, life still feels like one long list of things that need to be fixed, built, moved, connected, or figured out. I keep thinking we’re going to reach the point where it all calms down, and so far that hasn’t happened.

But I don’t want to keep waiting until everything is settled to get back to the things I enjoy doing. And selfishly, I need these menus as much as anyone right now. When the rest of life feels completely disorganized, knowing what we’re having for dinner all week is one thing I don’t have to think about every night.

So Two at the Table is back. Even if I still don’t know where half of my kitchen stuff is. 😂

A few quick things will make these dinners come together even faster:

• Roast the full pound of shrimp on Night 1. Set aside half before serving, cool it promptly, and refrigerate it in an airtight container for the shrimp salad.

• When you make the chicken on Night 2, roast the extra chicken breast at the same time. Season it simply with olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cool and refrigerate it for the Southwest bowls.

• Make the hot honey ahead of time and refrigerate it in a covered container. Gently warm it before serving.

• Wash and cut the broccoli and green beans so they’re ready to roast.

• Grate the Parmesan you’ll need throughout the week.

• Chop the vegetables for the sausage-stuffed zucchini filling ahead of time if you’d like.

• Wash the cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs, but wait to cut the tomatoes until you need them.

You definitely don’t need to spend half your Sunday meal prepping. Just knock out a couple of these things when you have a few minutes, and you’ll thank yourself later in the week.

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Easy Dinners for a Very Messy Week

Well, friends, I owe you an update.

I didn’t send a newsletter last week. We were supposed to be out of our house by Sunday—and we weren’t.

After buying and installing two new air-conditioning units that worked perfectly at the old house, we moved the RV back to our new property…and something went wrong. What, exactly? That remains the very expensive question.

Ken, a mobile RV technician, and the local RV shop have all been trying to figure it out. So far, no one can tell us what in the hell is going on.

Meanwhile, the RV still isn’t ready for us to live in.

This is not how I pictured this move going.

Thankfully, we have been reminded again and again just how kind people can be. The doctor I work for offered to let Ken and me stay at his lake house while we sort everything out.

I know. Poor us, right? There are certainly worse places to land. 😂

But the truth is, we haven’t had much time to enjoy it. Nearly every waking minute has been spent working on the property, troubleshooting the RV, making phone calls, running for supplies, and trying to get our home live-in ready.

We haven’t had a working kitchen of our own in two weeks, and I am officially tired of eating out. I miss chopping vegetables. I miss throwing something on the grill. I miss sitting down to a simple dinner that didn’t begin with the question, “Where do you want to eat tonight?”

Most of all, I miss creating and sharing new recipes with you.

I’m sorry I haven’t been able to show up here the way I normally do. This newsletter—and all of you—mean so much to me. But right now, life is requiring more of my attention than I expected.

So this week’s menu looks a little different.

I’ve turned to a few of my Substack friends for the kinds of easy, comforting recipes we can make at the lake house without buying an entire new pantry or spending hours in the kitchen.

A Few Easy Recipes for a Week Like This

First up is ’s Paprika Chicken Bites. They’re quick, flavorful, and exactly the sort of low-effort dinner I need right now.

I’m pairing them with ’ Marinated Zucchini and Yellow Squash. Summer squash, a simple marinade, and very little fuss—perfect.

I’m also adding ’s 20-Minute Vermicelli Noodle Bowl to our list.

It’s filled with ground chicken or turkey, rice noodles, crunchy vegetables, mint, cilantro, and a bright lime and fish sauce dressing.

Sheryl says her family starts asking for “that noodle salad” when she hasn’t made it in a while, and I can see why. It comes together in about 20 minutes, makes enough for leftovers, and feels like exactly the kind of fresh, satisfying meal I’ve been craving after two weeks of eating out.

When a House Becomes a Home

I also keep thinking about ’s post When Does a House Become a Home? and what she shared.

That sentiment has stayed with me because it’s exactly where I am right now.

Our new property doesn’t feel like home yet. At the moment, it feels like a collection of unfinished projects, unexpected expenses, extension cords, tools, phone calls, and problems we still haven’t solved.

But it will be home.

Someday we’ll sit on the porch with a drink in our hands and laugh about the weeks when absolutely nothing went according to plan. We’ll remember the people who helped us, the lake house that gave us somewhere to land, and the meals that made things feel a little more normal.

I know all of this will be worth it in the end. We’re just stuck in the particularly messy middle right now.

If you need a few more uncomplicated summer dinners, here are some of mine that would be perfect this week:

• Hatch Chile Pimento Cheese Burgers

• Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken Kabobs

• Grilled Pork Chops with Fresh Peach Relish

• Grilled Beef Kefta Wraps

• Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad with Parmesan Croutons

  

You can find all five recipes at Two at the Table Week 15: Summer Grilling Made Simple.

This isn’t the newsletter I had planned to send, but maybe it’s the one I needed to write.

Life is rarely as tidy as it looks from the outside. Sometimes dinner is a beautiful meal cooked over the grill. Sometimes it’s takeout eaten between trips to the hardware store. And sometimes a friend hands you an easy recipe at exactly the moment you need it.

Thank you for sticking with me through this detour. I may be moving a little more slowly for the next few weeks, but I’m still here. I’m still cooking whenever I can, and I’m looking forward to sharing our progress—and getting back to our regular menus—as soon as life settles down.

In the meantime, I would love to hear from you: What is your favorite easy dinner when life is an absolute shit show?

Leave it in the comments. At this point, I’ll take all the ideas I can get.

Have a great week, friends.

~ Holly ❤️

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Instead of testing recipes this weekend, I’m packing a trailer.

Actually, that’s not even the half of it!

We have to be out of this house in 10 days 😲, and every spare minute has been spent packing boxes, working, driving to Jacob’s doctor’s appointments, and heading out to our property to get everything ready before we move into the RV.

If we don’t get it done this week, we won’t have water or electricity when it’s time to move.

No pressure, right?!!

Today we rented one of those giant augers to dig the hole for our temporary electric pole. We also rented what I can only assume was the last 1980s Ditch Witch still running in the state of Texas. It looked like it had been digging trenches since Reagan was president. 😂

But, somehow, that old machine kept chugging along...kind of like us.

It doesn't sound like much written out like that, but by the time we got home, we were absolutely wiped out.

It’s funny how the little things become the big victories.

House Progress This Week

✔️ The electric pole is standing.

✔️ The mailbox post is in.

✔️ The water line trench is dug.

✔️ We are one step closer.

Of course, the RV had to keep us humble. Both A/C units decided to quit this week, so now, on top of everything else, we're trying to get those replaced before moving day. Because moving into an RV in Texas in August without air conditioning sounds like a terrible life choice. 😅

Needless to say, there hasn’t been much recipe testing happening around here.

But I do have a book recommendation.

Well...an audiobook recommendation.

I still have 7 hours left in The Calamity Club, and I already know I’m going to be sad when it’s over.

I honestly can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a book this much.

I’m listening on Audible because I literally don’t have time to sit down and read right now. Between work, packing up the house, digging trenches, and everything else that’s going on, listening has become my way of escaping for a little while.

The audiobook has two narrators, and they’re both incredible. I don’t think these characters would have come alive for me the same way if I’d read the book myself.

Meg has completely stolen my heart. I just want to hug her.

The whole audiobook is almost 28 hours long, and I am so happy about that.

I’ve found myself sitting in the driveway for another five minutes after I get home just so I can finish a chapter, and there have been a couple of errands that I didn’t mind making because it meant I got to keep listening.

One of the things I’ve loved about the story is that it’s set in Mississippi. If you’ve been around here for a while, you know I have a soft spot for regional cooking, so naturally it had me thinking about some of my favorite Mississippi recipes.

If you’re in the mood for a little Southern comfort after finishing a chapter (or three), here are a few favorites from the blog:

Mississippi Fried Catfish

If you've never made fried catfish at home, don't let it intimidate you. The cornmeal coating is perfectly crisp, the fish stays tender and flaky, and a squeeze of fresh lemon is all it needs. It's one of those simple Southern meals that never goes out of style.

Get the recipe

Pressure Cooker Collard Greens

Traditional collard greens simmer for hours, but this pressure cooker version gets all that rich, smoky flavor in a fraction of the time. Tender greens, smoky bacon, and a tangy pot liquor make this an easy Southern side that's perfect for busy weeknights.

Get the recipe

Southern Hushpuppies

Golden and crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside—these hush puppies are impossible to stop eating. They're the perfect partner for fried catfish, but they're just as good all on their own while they're still warm from the fryer.

Get the recipe

You can also browse the rest of my Forks in the Road series if you’re looking for even more regional inspiration.

In ten days, we’ll be living in the RV.

Hopefully, we’ll have electricity. Hopefully, we’ll have water. Hopefully, both air conditioners will be working again. 🤞

As much as I’m looking forward to finally getting settled, I know I’m going to miss having Meg and Birdie waiting for me every time I get in the car.

Have you ever read (or listened to) a book that completely pulled you in?

The kind that made you sit in the driveway for five extra minutes just to finish the chapter?

Or maybe you stayed up way too late because you just had to know what happened next?

If you have, tell me about it in the comments. I have a feeling I’m going to need another great audiobook before this move is over.

Sometimes a detour isn’t a place.

Sometimes it’s a story that lets you step out of your own life for a little while before you jump back into it.

Well, guys, that’s all I’ve got for now!

If you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, I’d love it if you shared it with a friend!

Spread the word – Invite a fellow food lover or travel enthusiast to join us on this journey.

Share Detour Ahead!

And if you try a recipe, have a question, or just want to say hello, drop a comment below—I’d truly love to hear from you! ❤️

~Holly

Late summer is such a good time to cook.

Peaches are finally sweet. Tomatoes actually taste like tomatoes. A handful of arugula can turn a burger or crispy chicken cutlet into dinner. And the meals can still be quick enough for a regular weeknight.

This week’s menu takes full advantage of all of it.

We’re dividing one pound of ground pork between two completely different dinners: juicy pork burgers topped with warm peaches and goat cheese, and banh mi pizzas with mini pork meatballs and quick-pickled vegetables.

The rest of the week includes lemon-garlic shrimp pasta with asparagus, crispy chicken cutlets with a fresh tomato-arugula salad, and honey-mustard chicken with chunky smashed potatoes and green beans.

Five dinners with plenty of variety and one grocery list that uses everything with a purpose.

Buy what you need. Use what you buy. Make dinner for two feel easier all week long.

1. Ground Pork Burgers with Peaches, Goat Cheese and Arugula

Juicy pork burgers topped with warm caramelized peaches, tangy goat cheese, peppery arugula, and a drizzle of hot honey. Roasted baby potatoes round out the meal.

2. Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Tomato-Arugula Salad

Golden Parmesan-panko chicken cutlets topped with a fresh salad of arugula, cherry tomatoes, lemon, and shaved Parmesan.

3. Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta

Tender shrimp, fresh asparagus, and linguine tossed in a light lemon-garlic butter sauce with Parmesan and parsley.

4. Banh Mi Pizza with Mini Pork Meatballs

Crisp naan topped with melted mozzarella, mini pork meatballs, quick-pickled carrots and cucumber, jalapeño, cilantro, and sriracha mayonnaise.

5. Honey-Mustard Chicken with Chunky Smashed Potatoes and Green Beans

Skillet-cooked chicken coated in a sweet and tangy honey-mustard sauce, served with buttery smashed baby potatoes and steamed green beans.

Five completely different dinners. One smart grocery list.

This week’s menu is built around late-summer produce and ingredients that can easily move from one dinner to another.

• One pound of ground pork is divided between two meals. Half becomes pork burgers, while the other half is seasoned with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and sriracha for the mini meatballs on the banh mi pizzas. The two dinners don’t taste remotely alike, but buying one package of pork covers both.

• Arugula also gets used twice. It adds a peppery bite to the peach and goat cheese burgers, then becomes a fresh tomato salad for the crispy chicken cutlets. If you made breadcrumbs from leftover burger buns, you can use those for the cutlets, too.

• Baby potatoes show up on two nights without giving you the same side dish twice. Half are roasted until browned and crisp for burger night. The rest are steamed and roughly smashed with butter and milk for the honey-mustard chicken.

• Lemon, Parmesan, and garlic carry several meals, too. They flavor the shrimp and asparagus pasta, the crispy chicken coating, and the salad served over the cutlets.

Every dinner should feel like its own meal. The ingredients are what do the sharing.

Our house is a mess of boxes right now. Half of our stuff is still here, and the other half has already been moved to the land.

Packing is harder than it sounds when you’re still using half the things you need to pack. Every time I tape up a box, I realize there’s a pretty good chance I’ll need something from it tomorrow. 😂

In the meantime, we’re moving what we can and making do until the power is turned on at the property. We have an electric pole now, which feels like progress, but no actual electricity yet.

So, for the moment, we’re living somewhere between packed and unpacked, moved and not moved. It isn’t especially organized, but little by little, we’re getting there.

Weeks like this are exactly why I need a dinner plan. When everything else feels scattered, knowing what we’re having and having the groceries ready is one less decision to make. I may not know which box holds half of our belongings, but at least I know what’s for dinner.

A few quick tasks will make these dinners come together even faster:

• Make the mini pork meatballs for the banh mi pizzas. Shape them, cover them tightly, and refrigerate until pizza night. You can also bake them ahead and simply reheat them on the pizzas.

• Mix the honey-mustard sauce and refrigerate it in a covered container.

• Make the sriracha mayonnaise for the banh mi pizzas.

• Shred the carrot and slice the cucumber for the quick-pickled vegetables. You can pickle them ahead or wait until pizza night if you prefer a crisper texture.

• Wash and dry the arugula so it’s ready for the burgers and chicken cutlets.

• Trim the green beans and asparagus.

• Grate the Parmesan for the pasta and chicken cutlets.

• Prepare the chicken cutlets. Cut one large chicken breast horizontally into two equal portions, then pound them to an even thickness. Store them covered in the refrigerator until chicken cutlet night.

• Set aside the two smaller chicken breasts for the honey-mustard chicken.

None of this requires a full afternoon of meal prep. Even finishing two or three tasks ahead of time will take some of the work out of dinner later in the week.

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I had a completely different newsletter planned for this week

Instead, our family has spent the past week in the hospital with Jacob

If you’ve ever waited on test results, watched doctors come and go, or spent hours hoping someone would have an answer, you know how strange those days feel. Time moves incredibly slowly, yet somehow the whole week disappears.

We still don’t have definitive answers, but we finally feel like we’re on the right path to finding them. It’s been a long week of tests, waiting, and conversations with doctors, and we’re hopeful he’ll be able to come home today.

The timing has made everything feel even more surreal. Just one week before he was admitted, we helped Jacob and Olivia move into their very first apartment together. They were unpacking boxes, figuring out where everything belonged, and settling into this exciting new chapter of life when everything suddenly changed.

I couldn’t be prouder of Olivia. She has been right by his side through every test, every long day, and every difficult moment. Watching the two of them lean on each other has been a reminder that even during the hardest weeks, there’s still so much to be thankful for.

After a week of cafeteria meals, vending machine snacks, and more takeout than any of us care to admit, we’ve all reached the point where we’re dreaming about real food again.

Sometime around day four, our conversations started changing.

Instead of talking about hospital schedules and test results, they started with “When I get home...”

“When I get home, I want Moo Shu Pork.”

“When I get home, I want your chicken enchiladas.”

“When I get home, I want meatloaf.”

Of course, buffalo wings made the list too. They’ve always been Jacob’s favorite.

And before long, he added Chicken Spaghetti Casserole.

It made me smile because those aren’t fancy meals. They’re simply the foods that feel like home.

So this week, I thought I’d share the family favorites Jacob has already requested. Hopefully, sometime this week, we’ll be sitting around the table together enjoying a home cooked meal.

My “Famous” Chicken Enchiladas

If I asked my family to name the meals they grew up eating the most, these chicken enchiladas would be near the top of the list. Creamy, cheesy, and loaded with flavor, they're the kind of comfort food that always seems to make everything feel a little more normal.

Get the recipe

Moo Shu Pork

This is one of those dinners that surprises people the first time they make it at home. Tender pork, crisp vegetables, and a savory hoisin sauce all wrapped in warm flour tortillas make it every bit as good as takeout. After a week of hospital food, it's no wonder this was one of the first meals Jacob asked for.

Get the recipe

Classic Meatloaf

Sometimes the meals you crave most aren't the fancy ones—they're the ones that remind you of home. This classic meatloaf is tender, hearty, and exactly the kind of dinner that belongs on the table with mashed potatoes and green beans after a long week.

Get the recipe

Buffalo Wings (Jacob’s Favorite)

Anyone who knows Jacob knows this one isn't negotiable. Buffalo wings have been his favorite food for years, so there was never any doubt they'd make the list. Crispy, saucy, and just messy enough to require a stack of napkins, these are always a family favorite on game day or any day.

Get the recipe

Texas Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

Jacob has never liked traditional spaghetti. Even as a kid, he’d pick around the noodles while everyone else happily cleaned their plates. To this day, plain spaghetti still isn’t his thing. But cover every bite in a creamy, cheesy sauce with tender chicken, and suddenly he’s all in. This Texas Chicken Spaghetti Casserole has become one of his favorites, and after a week in the hospital, it quickly earned a spot on his “when I get home” list.

Get the recipe

Thank you to everyone who reached out this week with prayers and kind words. It meant more than you know.

We’re taking things one day at a time. Still questions ahead, but we’re finally moving in the right direction — and tonight, we’re hoping to trade this hospital tray for a real table.

Sometimes the unexpected detours remind us just how grateful we are for the road back home.

~ Holly ❤️

Please tap the ❤️ or the little restack icon at the top or bottom of this post. When you do, it helps more readers discover the newsletter—thank you for spreading the word!

The Only Chair Left in the Living Room

It's 5:00 in the morning as I'm writing this, and I'm sitting in the only chair left in our living room because the couches are gone.

Last weekend, we helped Jacob and Olivia move into their first place together. It feels like just yesterday we were celebrating their engagement, and now they're unpacking boxes and figuring out where to put the silverware. Since we'll be living in the RV while we build our house, it didn't make much sense to keep furniture we won't have room for. So now our couches are happily living in their apartment, and I'm drinking my coffee in a mostly empty room.

It’s funny how life works.

They’re collecting things to begin a new chapter, and I’m letting go of things to begin mine.

The move itself was quite an adventure. They were moving from a third-floor apartment to...a second-floor apartment. I suppose that’s an improvement, but after carrying box after box up and down all those stairs, I’m not sure my legs could tell the difference.

Somewhere between carrying boxes and assembling what felt like 900 pieces of Amazon furniture, I realized just how excited I am for them.

A new bed, desks, bar stools, an entertainment center...I’m pretty sure every box came with a billion screws and an instruction manual that assumed we’d built furniture for a living.

I also caught myself thinking things like, “I think that would look better over here,” or “Why don’t you put this in that corner?”

Then I had to bite my tongue.

This isn’t my home to decorate.

It’s theirs.

There’s something really special about watching your kids build a home together. Not because everything is brand new, but because they’re figuring out what works for them. They need the freedom to arrange the furniture, make a few decorating mistakes, and create a space that feels like theirs—not mine.

And honestly, that’s probably one of the hardest and sweetest parts of watching your kids grow up.

Meanwhile, back at our house, every cabinet I open turns into another round of “Do we really need this? Downsizing has a funny way of making you question why you’ve held onto things for so long.

When the kids left for college, I thought our next chapter would look completely different.

The plan was to sell almost everything, move into the RV full-time, and travel the country.

Then my dad had a stroke, and everything changed.

We moved here, remodeled this house, and built a life close enough to help take care of him. What we didn’t expect was how much our boys would still come home.

Weekend dinners kept happening. The table kept filling up. Even as they were building their own lives, they still wanted a place to land.

After my dad passed, we could have picked up the old plan right where we left off, but we decided that we weren’t ready to give that up.

If you’d asked me what my fifties would look like, this wouldn’t have been the picture in my head.

But I’m finding that fresh starts don’t have an age limit.

Sometimes they look like first apartments and hand-me-down couches. Sometimes they look like donation piles, moving boxes, and one lonely chair in the middle of an empty living room.

Speaking of empty rooms…

The kitchen has been a little quieter than usual these past couple of weeks.

Between moving apartments, packing up our own house, and trying to figure out which box I packed the tape in, I just haven’t been spending as much time in the kitchen.

Thankfully, Hatch chile season is almost here...which means my kitchen is about to smell like roasted peppers for the foreseeable future. I've been testing a few new recipes, and I think you're going to love what's coming.

In the meantime, I'm sharing some of my favorite oldies but goodies—recipes that have earned a permanent spot in our dinner rotation—and I've been working behind the scenes on next week's Two at the Table menu.

If life has taught me anything lately, it’s that there are seasons for unpacking boxes and seasons for unpacking groceries.

I’m looking forward to spending a lot more time doing the second one.

Buffalo Wild Wings Street Tacos (Copycat Recipe)

Skip the takeout and make these Buffalo Wild Wings-inspired street tacos at home. They're loaded with seasoned chicken, fresh toppings, and plenty of flavor for an easy weeknight dinner.

Get the recipe

Puerto Rican-Style Picadillo

This Puerto Rican-style picadillo is a family recipe made with ground beef, sofrito, olives, and simple pantry ingredients. It's a comforting dinner that's easy enough for busy weeknights and even better served over a bowl of rice.

Get the recipe

Philippino Chicken Adobo

This easy Chicken Adobo is made in the Ninja Foodi with chicken simmered in a rich sauce of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, and creamy coconut milk until it's fall-off-the-bone tender. Serve it over rice to soak up every last drop of the flavorful sauce.

Get the recipe

Nashville Hot Chicken

Crispy fried chicken gets brushed with a spicy, buttery Nashville hot sauce for the perfect balance of heat and flavor. Serve it with pickles and white bread for a Southern favorite that's easy to recreate at home.

Get the recipe

Possum Pie

Don't let the name fool you—there's no possum involved! This Arkansas favorite layers a pecan crust with sweetened cream cheese, chocolate pudding, vanilla pudding, and whipped topping for a rich, make-ahead dessert that's always a crowd-pleaser.

Get the recipe

Well, guys, that’s all I’ve got for now!

If you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, I’d love it if you shared it with a friend!

Spread the word – Invite a fellow food lover or travel enthusiast to join us on this journey.

Share Detour Ahead!

And if you try a recipe, have a question, or just want to say hello, drop a comment below—I’d truly love to hear from you! ❤️

~Holly

Hey guys!

If you are new to Detour ahead, welcome!

Some of you may know me from my blog, Entertaining the RV Life. This newsletter goes beyond the recipes—it’s where I share the stories behind the meals, the places that inspire them, and the people we meet along the way.

Every Sunday morning, you’ll get a snapshot of our week: stories, photos, and a weekly menu full of recipes inspired by the places we travel. From nostalgic comfort food to simple, seasonal meals, everything is written with real life in mind.

If this sounds like your kind of thing, I’d love to have you along for the ride.

You can sign up for FREE or upgrade to a paid subscription if you’d like to support my work and have access to fun extras like

The Gathering Table—a monthly themed dinner series featuring menus and recipes from around the world.

And

Two at the Table—A weekly series of simple, intentional meals for smaller households, built around overlapping ingredients to cut waste and keep dinner interesting.

Either way, I’m so glad you’re here!

This Week

I hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July and found a little time to slow down with family and friends.

Ken and I celebrated a little differently this year.

We spent most of the day working on our property. By the time the sun started going down, we were exhausted, so instead of heading to a fireworks show, we climbed up on top of the RV, stretched out, and watched our future neighbors light up the sky.

Just the two of us, looking out over the land that will someday be home.

It felt like the perfect way to end the day.

Occasionally, my husband has a really good idea. 😂

Most of our “free” time is spent working on our property these days.

A few months ago, it was just over three acres of raw land. Trees. Brush. Overgrown vines. A place where you had to use your imagination to picture what it might someday become.

Now it’s finally starting to take shape.

The driveway has been installed.

The pad for our future shop has been leveled.

And this Tuesday, the electric company is coming out to install the power pole.

If you’ve ever built a house—or even tackled a big project—you know these aren’t the glamorous milestones. There aren’t walls going up yet, and there’s certainly nothing worthy of an HGTV reveal.

But every one of these little steps feels huge to us.

For the first time, we can actually stand on the property and picture where everything will be. Instead of imagining where the driveway might go, we’re standing on it. Instead of wondering where the shop will sit, there’s a level pad waiting for construction to begin.

It’s starting to feel real.

Of course, all of this has been happening in the middle of a Texas summer.

By the time we finish working outside in triple-digit temperatures, neither one of us has any interest in spending an hour in the kitchen.

Lately, dinner has been all about keeping things simple.

We’ve been grilling more, leaning on recipes that come together quickly, and choosing meals that don’t heat up the house any more than necessary.

These are the dinners getting us through another week of 100-degree weather.

This Week’s Dinner Plan

Fresh Vietnamese-Style Summer Rolls (from my friend Betty Williams)

When it’s this hot outside, fresh meals just sound better.

My friend shared these beautiful Vietnamese-style summer rolls, and they’ve been at the top of my list lately. Filled with crisp vegetables, fresh herbs, and wrapped in delicate rice paper, they’re exactly the kind of dinner that feels refreshing after spending the day working outside.

If you’ve never made fresh summer rolls before, this is a great recipe to try.

Get Betty's Recipe

Pollo Asado with Lemony Zucchini

Bright citrus, garlic, and warm spices do almost all of the work in this Chicken Asado. After a few hours in the marinade, the chicken grills up juicy with just the right amount of char. Paired with sautéed lemon zucchini, it's one of those dinners that tastes like you spent all afternoon cooking—even though you didn't.

Get the Recipe

Tajín Shrimp Tacos with Peach Salsa

Peach season doesn’t last nearly long enough, so we’re taking full advantage while we can.

These tacos come together in about 20 minutes with juicy shrimp seasoned with Tajín and topped with fresh peach salsa. They’re light, colorful, and one of my favorite summer dinners.

Get the Recipe

Wisconsin Butter Burgers

If we’re cooking this week, chances are we’re cooking outside.

These Wisconsin Butter Burgers have quickly become one of our new favorites. Crispy-edged beef, buttery toasted buns, and melty white American cheese make them everything you want from a backyard burger.

I usually serve them with my Wisconsin Cheese Curds to keep the meal true to its roots, but with temperatures over 100 degrees this week, I’m not deep-frying anything! 😂

Instead, I’m opting for my German Potato Salad. Wisconsin has deep German roots, and that influence shows up throughout the state’s food traditions, making this tangy bacon-and-vinegar potato salad a natural partner for these rich, buttery burgers.

Get the Recipe

Smoked St. Louis-Style Ribs

Weekend dinners are made for the smoker.

If I’m already outside, I might as well let the smoker do most of the work while we check another project off the list. Pair these tender St. Louis ribs with creamy Green Spaghetti or my City BBQ Potato Salad, and you’ve got one of my favorite backyard meals of the summer.

Get the Recipe

Next weekend, if everything goes according to plan, we'll have electricity on the property. It may not sound like much, but around here it feels like another big step forward. I'll let you know how it goes.

If you end up making any of these recipes, I’d love to hear about it.

And if this felt like your kind of meal planning, please share it with someone who would enjoy it too.

Spread the word – Invite a fellow food lover or travel enthusiast to join us on this journey.

Share Detour Ahead!

And if you try a recipe, have a question, or just want to say hello, drop a comment below—I’d truly love to hear from you!

~Holly ❤️

One of my favorite things about summer cooking is how little it takes to make dinner feel special.

A hot grill, a handful of fresh herbs, a couple of ripe peaches from the farmers’ market, and dinner is practically done.

Around our house, once the grill comes out for the season, it ends up doing most of the cooking. It keeps the kitchen cool, and honestly, dinner just feels a little more relaxed. There’s no need to spend hours in the kitchen when a hot grill and a few fresh ingredients can do so much.

That’s exactly what this week’s menu is built around.

Five dinners that are fresh, flavorful, and easy enough for busy weeknights—all while sharing ingredients in a way that actually makes sense. The parsley you buy on Monday shows up again later in the week. The red onion gets used in three different meals. Even those extra hamburger buns become homemade Parmesan croutons instead of going stale on the counter.

Buy what you need. Use what you buy. Make dinner for two feel easier all week long.

1. Hatch Chile Pimento Cheese Burgers
Juicy burgers topped with homemade Hatch chile pimento cheese, crispy bacon, and quick-pickled red onions.

2. Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken Kabobs
Tender grilled chicken over lemon parsley couscous, finished with a bright homemade gremolata.

3. Grilled Pork Chops with Fresh Peach Relish
Smoky grilled pork chops topped with sweet peach relish and served alongside baked potatoes.

4. Grilled Beef Kefta Wraps
Warm naan filled with grilled beef kefta, cucumber yogurt sauce, and a fresh tomato-cucumber salad.

5. Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad with Homemade Parmesan Croutons
Grilled shrimp, crisp romaine, homemade Caesar dressing, and crunchy Parmesan croutons made from leftover hamburger buns.

Five completely different dinners. One smart grocery list.

• This week’s menu leans heavily on fresh summer ingredients.

• Five dinners. Five different flavors. Nothing feels like a repeat.

• Shared ingredients keep the grocery list practical. Fresh parsley, lemons, red onion, ground beef, and even a few extra hamburger buns all get used more than once throughout the week.

• Ground beef pulls double duty. Half becomes juicy Hatch Chile Pimento Cheese Burgers, while the other half is transformed into grilled beef kefta with warm spices and fresh herbs.

• Fresh parsley shows up everywhere. It adds brightness to the kefta, cucumber yogurt sauce, peach relish, lemon couscous, and the gremolata that finishes Friday night’s chicken.

• One red onion stretches across the week, too. It becomes quick-pickled onions for burger night, adds crunch to the tomato-cucumber salad, and brings just the right bite to the fresh peach relish.

• Even the leftover hamburger buns have a purpose. Instead of going stale, they’re torn into homemade Parmesan croutons for Monday night’s Caesar salad.

Every dinner should feel like its own meal. The ingredients are what do the sharing.

This week, I finally found peaches worth buying, and they were so good they inspired Wednesday night’s fresh peach relish. If you can find local peaches, I highly recommend picking up a couple. They’re sweet enough that they don’t need much more than a little red onion, parsley, and lemon juice to turn into something that tastes like summer.

A little prep at the beginning of the week makes these dinners come together even faster.

• Make the Hatch chile pimento cheese. You’ll use part of it for burger night, and the leftovers are perfect for snacking.

• Pickle the red onions. They’ll be ready for the burgers and the kefta salad later in the week.

• Shake together the Caesar dressing and refrigerate it until Monday.

• If you’re using wooden skewers for the kefta or chicken, make sure you have them ready to soak before grilling.

• Wash and chop the parsley so it’s ready to use throughout the week.

None of these tasks take very long, but they’ll make weeknight cooking feel much easier.

Read more

Hey guys!

If you are new to Detour ahead, welcome!

Some of you may know me from my blog, Entertaining the RV Life. This newsletter goes beyond the recipes—it’s where I share the stories behind the meals, the places that inspire them, and the people we meet along the way.

Every Sunday morning, you’ll get a snapshot of our week: stories, photos, and a weekly menu full of recipes inspired by the places we travel. From nostalgic comfort food to simple, seasonal meals, everything is written with real life in mind.

If this sounds like your kind of thing, I’d love to have you along for the ride.

You can sign up for FREE or upgrade to a paid subscription if you’d like to support my work and have access to fun extras like

The Gathering Table—a monthly themed dinner series featuring menus and recipes from around the world.

And

Two at the Table—A weekly series of simple, intentional meals for smaller households, built around overlapping ingredients to cut waste and keep dinner interesting.

Either way, I’m so glad you’re here!

This Week

This week, I’d like to report that I have everything under control.

Unfortunately, that would be a lie.

Lately, I’ve been feeling like there simply aren’t enough hours in the day.

There’s work, the blog, articles to write, emails to answer, laundry to do, and a house that somehow never stays clean for more than fifteen minutes. There are errands to run, appointments to keep, and a running list of things that need your attention.

There are grown kids who still need you, even if they don’t live under your roof anymore. There are friends you want to spend time with, and phone calls you’ve been meaning to return.

And then there’s marriage.

Because as much as I need to lock myself in a room and work until midnight every night, I actually like my husband and occasionally want to spend time with him.

Then, of course, we’re all supposed to be taking care of ourselves, too. Get enough sleep. Drink enough water. Take a walk. Lift weights. Practice self-care. Stretch. Meditate. Eat more protein. Remember sunscreen.

At some point, I would like someone to explain when exactly we’re supposed to fit all of this into a 24-hour day. 😂

As if life wasn’t busy enough already, Ken and I recently bought three acres of raw land. Most normal people would probably hire someone to clear it.

We are not most people.

We are what you would politely call “do-it-yourselfers.”

So naturally, when we walked the property and saw trees, brush, vines, and overgrowth everywhere, my first thought was:

“Where’s the chainsaw?”

I know.

I KNOW.

In my defense, I grew up in the country. I’m not afraid of hard work, getting dirty, or tackling a project myself. So last weekend I grabbed the chainsaw and jumped right in.

I was cutting limbs, dragging brush, hauling branches to the burn pile, and generally acting like I knew exactly what I was doing. I was also wearing shorts and a tank top because it was approximately one bazillion degrees outside.

Apparently, there was one small detail I overlooked.

Poison ivy.

Now, before you laugh, I need you to understand that I have somehow made it 52 years without ever getting poison ivy. Not once. So while I was happily grabbing vines and dragging branches around, I had absolutely no idea I was basically rolling around in the stuff.

A few days later, I started itching. At first, I thought it was chiggers. Then the rash started spreading. Then I did what every responsible adult does and consulted the internet.

The internet informed me that I have poison ivy.

The good news is that after looking at photos online, my case seems fairly mild. The bad news is that I am absolutely miserable.

I’ve tried Benadryl. I’ve tried calamine lotion. I’ve tried one of those all-natural remedies I found on Amazon at 11:30 p.m. while desperately searching for relief.

Nothing is working.

So if you see me scratching like a bear rubbing against a tree, just know this is where I am in life right now.

Busy. Behind. Covered in poison ivy.

And honestly, I suspect a lot of us are in a similar season.

Maybe your version isn’t poison ivy. Maybe it’s baseball games, aging parents, long workdays, home projects, doctor’s appointments, side hustles, volunteer commitments, or trying to figure out what on earth you’re making for dinner after an exhausting day.

Life is just full.

Good things. Important things. But still a LOT of things.

Which brings me to dinner.

Because when life feels like this, I don't want complicated recipes. I don't want a sink full of dishes. I don't want to heat up the house by turning on the oven. I want easy. Simple. Low-brain-power cooking — the kind of meals that get dinner on the table without a project plan attached.

This week, I’m leaning heavily on meals that do some of the work for me.

I’m planning to roast a couple of split chicken breasts in the air fryer over the weekend. One night, we’ll turn that chicken into Sesame Chicken Salad from my friend . Later in the week, the leftovers will find their way into Caesar Chicken Wraps. Two dinners, one cooking session, and a lot less work on busy weeknights.

We’re also making Shrimp Fajitas on the Blackstone. There’s something about cooking outside that makes dinner feel easier this time of year. We’ll pile the shrimp into warm tortillas and serve them with cold guacamole and a bowl of chips on the side.

And because I can always find room for salmon, I’m adding a quick Creamy Garlic Salmon to the menu too.

Nothing complicated.

Just a few dinners that help me get through a week when life feels a little fuller than usual.

Because sometimes the goal isn’t to do more.

Sometimes the goal is to make dinner easy enough that you still have time to hang out with your husband after the dishes are done.

This Week’s Dinner Plan

Roast Split Chicken Breasts in the Airfryer

This recipe has become one of my favorite ways to get ahead on meal prep without spending an entire afternoon in the kitchen. The chicken comes out juicy, flavorful, and with beautifully crisp skin, making it perfect for dinner the first night and easy to repurpose later in the week.

Get the Recipe

Sesame Chicken Salad (from Rebecca Blackwell)

Rebecca has a real talent for creating meals that feel fresh and interesting without requiring a lot of time in the kitchen. She and her husband split their time between an RV and a sailboat, so she’s no stranger to making delicious meals in small spaces with limited equipment.

This salad is packed with shredded chicken, crisp cucumber, peanuts, scallions, and a creamy sesame-tahini dressing that’s equal parts savory, tangy, and a little spicy. It’s the kind of meal that’s substantial enough for dinner but still feels light enough for a hot summer evening.

And best of all, it gives me another way to use that chicken I cooked earlier in the week without feeling like I’m eating the same meal twice.

Get the recipe

San Pedro-Inspired Shrimp Fajitas

Inspired by the famous shrimp trays at the San Pedro Fish Market, these fajitas are packed with juicy shrimp, peppers, onions, garlic, and a seasoning blend that’s somewhere between a seafood boil and classic fajitas.

We’ll cook them on the Blackstone this week because it’s entirely too hot to turn on the oven. Piled into warm tortillas with cold guacamole, a squeeze of lime, and a bowl of chips on the side, they’re exactly the kind of low-effort summer dinner I’m craving right now.

Get the recipe

Easy Chicken Caesar Wrap

These wraps are exactly the kind of dinner I need when the week gets busy. Tender chicken, crispy bacon, creamy Caesar dressing, crisp romaine, and chunks of avocado are tucked into a soft tortilla for a meal that comes together in minutes.

They’re filling enough for dinner, easy to pack for lunch the next day, and a great way to give leftover chicken a completely different personality. Add a handful of chips or some fresh fruit on the side, and dinner is done.

Get the recipe

Salmon with Creamy Garlic Sauce

I always seem to find room for salmon somewhere in the meal plan. It’s quick to cook, tastes like something you’d order at a restaurant, and usually leaves me with very few dishes to wash afterward.

This creamy garlic salmon comes together in about 30 minutes with a simple sauce that’s rich enough to feel comforting but not so heavy that it weighs you down on a hot summer evening. Serve it with a simple vegetable or a side salad, and you’ve got the kind of dinner that makes it look like you had a much better handle on your week than you actually did.

Get the recipe

If you end up making any of these recipes, I’d love to hear about it.

And if this felt like your kind of meal planning, please share it with someone who would enjoy it too.

Spread the word – Invite a fellow food lover or travel enthusiast to join us on this journey.

Share Detour Ahead!

And if you try a recipe, have a question, or just want to say hello, drop a comment below—I’d truly love to hear from you!

~Holly ❤️

Hey guys!

If you are new to Detour ahead, welcome!

Some of you may know me from my blog, Entertaining the RV Life. This newsletter goes beyond the recipes—it’s where I share the stories behind the meals, the places that inspire them, and the people we meet along the way.

Every Sunday morning, you’ll get a snapshot of our week: stories, photos, and a weekly menu full of recipes inspired by the places we travel. From nostalgic comfort food to simple, seasonal meals, everything is written with real life in mind.

If this sounds like your kind of thing, I’d love to have you along for the ride.

You can sign up for FREE or upgrade to a paid subscription if you’d like to support my work and have access to fun extras like

The Gathering Table—a monthly themed dinner series featuring menus and recipes from around the world.

And

Two at the Table—A weekly series of simple, intentional meals for smaller households, built around overlapping ingredients to cut waste and keep dinner interesting.

Either way, I’m so glad you’re here!

Over the Weekend

We’ve spent most of the weekend clearing trees and brush on our property.

We cut limbs, dragged branches, cleared brush, and slowly started making room for the RV.

By the end of it, we (Ken) had made a makeshift driveway, cleared a spot for the RV, and moved it onto the property for the first time.

After all of that, we loaded up our tired, scratched-up, chigger-bitten selves and headed back home.

If you’ve never experienced chiggers, consider yourself lucky.

If you have, you probably started itching just reading that sentence.

But even with the scratches, sore muscles, and bug bites, it felt good to see the RV sitting there in its new spot. It made the whole thing feel a little more real.

And after a weekend like that, Sunday dinner feels earned.

Sunday Dinner

When we get home, I want something fun, cold drinks included.

So I’m making Shrimp Nachos loaded with candied jalapeños. If you’ve never made candied jalapeños, they’re one of those things that seem a little extra until you try them. Sweet, spicy, and completely addictive.

On the side, Mexican Rice and Elote, and we are mixing up a batch of Micheladas from my friend at Betty Eatz. Tangy, refreshing, and slightly spicy, they pair perfectly with the shrimp nachos.

And because every good celebration dinner deserves dessert, I’m finishing things off with Sopapilla Cheesecake.

It’s exactly the kind of meal we want after a weekend of hard work.

Later this week

We still have a few candied jalapeños left, which means they’ll probably find their way onto burgers sometime this week.

That’s usually how meals come together around here. One recipe leads to another. Ingredients get used in different ways. Leftovers become lunch.

The older I get, the more I appreciate having a plan for the week instead of constantly wondering what’s for dinner.

Now I have an important question.

Do people outside of Texas know what chiggers are?

Or is that one of those words that immediately tells everyone exactly where you’re from?

Because I currently have very strong opinions about them. 😫

Now on to the recipes

Shrimp Nachos

Part appetizer, part dinner, and one of my favorite ways to use a batch of candied jalapeños. Every chip is loaded with shrimp, melty cheese, and fresh pico so you get all the good stuff in every bite.

Get the recipe

Mexican Street Corn (Elote)

I can't think of a better side dish for a summer dinner. Sweet corn, creamy sauce, cotija cheese, and fresh lime come together in a recipe that's simple to make and always disappears fast.

Get the recipe

Mexican-Style Rice

My easy Mexican rice gets a shortcut from salsa, which adds the tomato, onion, peppers, and seasoning all in one step. It’s simple, flavorful, and the perfect side for shrimp nachos, street corn, or just about any Tex-Mex dinner.

Get the recipe

Candied Jalapeños

Sweet, spicy, and completely addictive, these candied jalapeños are one of those refrigerator staples I always seem to find a use for. Pile them on burgers, nachos, tacos, sandwiches, or serve them with cream cheese and crackers for an easy appetizer.

Get the recipe

Sopapilla Cheesecake

Layers of flaky crescent dough wrapped around a creamy cheesecake filling and finished with cinnamon sugar. It’s one of those desserts that disappear quickly and always has someone asking for the recipe.

Get the recipe

Betty Williams’ Michelada (Mexican Beer Cocktail)

This refreshing Mexican beer cocktail skips the tomato juice and lets the bright flavors of lime, hot sauce, and cold beer take center stage. If you're looking for something a little different than a margarita, this is a great place to start.

Get the recipe

Well, that’s what’s happening in my kitchen this week.

If you end up making any of this, I’d love to hear about it.

And if this felt like your kind of Sunday, feel free to share it with someone who would enjoy it too.

Spread the word – Invite a fellow food lover or travel enthusiast to join us on this journey.

Share Detour Ahead!

And if you try a recipe, have a question, or just want to say hello, drop a comment below—I’d truly love to hear from you!

~Holly ❤️

If you are new to Detour ahead, welcome!

Some of you may know me from my blog, Entertaining the RV Life. This newsletter goes beyond the recipes—it’s where I share the stories behind the meals, the places that inspire them, and the people we meet along the way.

Every Sunday morning, you’ll get a snapshot of our week: stories, photos, and a weekly menu full of recipes inspired by the places we travel. From nostalgic comfort food to simple, seasonal meals, everything is written with real life in mind.

If this sounds like your kind of thing, I’d love to have you along for the ride.

You can sign up for FREE or upgrade to a paid subscription if you’d like to support my work and have access to fun extras like

The Gathering Table—a monthly themed dinner series featuring menus and recipes from around the world.

And

Two at the Table—A weekly series of simple, intentional meals for smaller households, built around overlapping ingredients to cut waste and keep dinner interesting.

Either way, I’m so glad you’re here!

We Closed on the Land

We drove straight from the title company to the property.

My hands were still a little shaky from signing what felt like a thousand pages, and Ken had a bottle of champagne tucked under his arm, and we just stood there at the edge of three acres of overgrown trees and popped it open.

No power. No water. No driveway. Just trees and possibility and a cool Friday in June in Texas — which, if you know Texas, you know is basically a gift.

The wind was moving through the trees the whole time we walked it. We kept stopping to say things like “what if the house goes here,” and “that tree has to stay,” and “do you think we can actually do this?” The answer is probably yes. Probably.

Here’s what the next few months actually look like: we have to clear the land before we can build anything. That means trees, stumps, brush — all of it. Then a driveway, so we can even get the RV onto the property. Then we move into the RV while the house goes up. And we have to be out of where we are now by the end of August.

So. Summer is about to get very real.

I’m not panicking. Much.

What I am doing is thinking carefully about dinner, because when you’re spending your weekends in the Texas heat pulling trees out of the ground, the last thing you want is a complicated meal at the end of the day. You want something that feels like summer. Something that feels like a reward.

This week’s Two at the Table menu is exactly that — five fresh, seasonal dinners built for the kind of summer we’re walking into. Smash burger tacos. Burst tomato beef pasta. Cold chicken salad on a croissant with fresh fruit. The kind of food that makes a hard week feel a little more worth it.

I’m sharing one recipe from the menu with everyone today: Salmon Bowls with Peach Salsa. It’s light, fresh, and exactly the kind of dinner I want after a long, hot day outside.

Paid subscribers get the full Two at the Table menu with all five recipes, recipe cards, and the interactive grocery list.

Not a paid subscriber yet? This is a good week to start.

Favorite Finds

A few weeks ago, I picked up this mini rice cooker, and I honestly wish I had bought it sooner. We're going to be cooking a lot of rice in the RV this summer, so this thing is already earning its place.

Most rice cookers make way more rice than Ken and I need, but this one is the perfect size when cooking for two. It makes just enough rice for dinner, takes up hardly any counter space, and automatically switches to warm when it's finished.

I used it for the rice in this week’s salmon bowls, and it was one of those tiny kitchen wins I didn’t know I needed.

Bear Mini Rice Cooker

Well, guys, that’s all I’ve got for now!

If you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, I’d love it if you shared it with a friend!

Spread the word – Invite a fellow food lover or travel enthusiast to join us on this journey.

Share Detour Ahead!

And if you try a recipe, have a question, or just want to say hello, drop a comment below—I’d truly love to hear from you!

~ Holly ❤️

This post may include affiliate links, which means that I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.

Most recipes are written for bigger families, and most meal plans assume you either want to prep everything on Sunday or eat the same leftovers all week. That doesn’t really work for us anymore.

Most nights, it’s just Ken and me. I still want real dinners that feel completely different from one night to the next, but I don’t want a fridge full of half-used ingredients and leftovers nobody is excited about.

That’s what this series is built around: one grocery list, five connected dinners, and ingredients that overlap on purpose. The flavors change all week, but the groceries make sense.

Buy what you need. Use what you buy. Make dinner for two feel easier all week long.

This week’s menu is built around the kinds of meals I know we’ll be craving as summer settles in. Fresh herbs, sweet summer produce, quick-cooking proteins, and dinners that feel satisfying after a long day without weighing you down.

Five completely different dinners. One smart grocery list.

1. Creamed Corn Chicken with Fresh Herbs
Creamy corn, bacon, parmesan, and fresh basil with tender chicken and crusty bread for soaking up the sauce.

2. Smash Burger Tacos with Watermelon Cucumber Salad
Crispy smash burger tacos topped with cheese, pickles, lettuce, and burger sauce, served with a cool summer side.

3. Chicken Salad Croissants with Summer Fruit
Creamy chicken salad tucked into flaky croissants for an easy no-cook dinner.

4. Burst Tomato Beef Pasta with Toasted Baguette
Ground beef, sweet burst tomatoes, fresh basil, and parmesan tossed with pasta.

5. Honey Lime Salmon Bowls with Peach Salsa
Rice bowls topped with salmon, avocado, cucumber, and fresh peach salsa.

The goal isn’t leftovers disguised as meal planning.

• Five dinners. Five different flavors. Nothing feels like a repeat.

• Shared ingredients keep the grocery list practical. Fresh herbs, chicken, ground beef, tomatoes, peaches, and corn all work more than once.

• Chicken shows up twice, but not the same way. One night is creamy corn chicken, the other is cold chicken salad on croissants.

• Ground beef works two ways. Smash burger tacos one night, burst tomato pasta another.

• Summer produce does the heavy lifting. Peaches, tomatoes, corn, and fresh herbs make the whole week feel fresh.

Every dinner should feel like its own meal. The ingredients are what do the sharing.

A little prep on Sunday can make the rest of the week feel much easier, especially if you’ve got a busy week ahead.

• Make the peach salsa. The flavors get even better after a day in the refrigerator, and it’ll be ready to spoon over the salmon bowls later in the week.

• Mix the chicken salad. One less dinner to think about when the temperatures climb.

• Wash and dry any berries, grapes, or other fruit you’re planning to serve alongside the croissant sandwiches. Future you will be grateful.

• Cut the corn off the cob and store it in an airtight container. It’ll save a few minutes when it’s time to make the Creamed Corn Chicken.

• Wash and chop any fresh herbs you’ll be using throughout the week so they’re ready to grab when dinner time rolls around.

None of this takes very long, but it turns a week of cooking into a week of assembling and enjoying.

Read more

Hey, welcome to Detour Ahead!

I’m Holly — and if you found your way here from Entertaining the RV Life, welcome back. If you’re brand new, I’m so glad you’re here.

This newsletter is where the blog spills over into real life. Every Sunday morning, you’ll get a snapshot of our week on the road — stories, photos, and recipes inspired by the places we travel and the people we meet along the way. From nostalgic comfort food to simple seasonal meals, everything here is written with real life in mind.

Free subscribers get everything that lands in the Sunday newsletter.

Paid subscribers get two ongoing series I’m really proud of:

Two at the Table — A complete weekly menu built for two — five connected dinners, recipe cards, and an interactive grocery list every time.

The Gathering Table — An occasional themed dinner series with menus and recipes inspired by places around the world. Think of it as dinner and a story.

Before We Jump In

It’s starting to feel like summer here in Texas, which means I’m already thinking about dinners that feel fresh but still have enough substance to keep us from wandering back into the kitchen an hour later.

This week’s menu is built around Italian sausage, shrimp, and chicken, with a handful of ingredients that show up in different ways: romaine, parmesan, lemon, garlic, fresh herbs, and a simple roasted garlic tomato sauce.

The Chicken Caesar Flatbreads were inspired by a fun nacho series my friend Betty Williams shared recently. She made Chicken Caesar Salad Nachos, and then we teamed up on a Loaded Shrimp Nacho dinner party menu with Mexican street corn, Candied Jalapeños, and Micheladas.

It had me thinking about all the ways Caesar flavors can turn into something a little more fun than a salad, so flatbreads felt like the right move for this week.

There’s also a skillet dinner, a bowl, pasta, and a skewer night that feels a little different from the usual weeknight rotation. Nothing too complicated, but enough variety to make dinner feel a little more interesting.

This Week’s Plan

How I Set Myself Up for Success

On Sunday, I'd make the roasted garlic tomato sauce first — it's the base for the shrimp fra diavolo later in the week and the dipping sauce for the skewers, so making it once covers two dinners.

I'd also cook the chicken for the gyro bowls and Caesar flatbreads at the same time. Keep the seasoning simple — olive oil, lemon, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Once it's cooked and cooled, slice or shred it, and it's ready to go. While you're at it, go ahead and cut the skewer chicken into cubes so it's ready to thread when grill night comes around.

If you want to get a little further ahead, wash and chop the romaine, slice the red onion, and make the cucumber yogurt sauce for the gyro bowls. None of it takes long, but having it done makes the rest of the week feel easy.

1. Chicken Gyro Bowls - Lemon herb chicken, rice, romaine, cucumber, feta, and a quick cucumber yogurt sauce. Fresh, filling, and easy to pull together mid-week.

2. Shrimp Fra Diavolo - Shrimp in a spicy roasted garlic tomato sauce over pasta with fresh parsley and lemon. Most of the work is already done if you made the sauce on Sunday.

3. Italian Sausage, Chicken & Bread Skewers with Fresh Bay Leaves - Chunks of Italian sausage, chicken, and rustic bread are threaded onto skewers with fresh bay leaves tucked in between. As they cook, the bread gets golden and crisp around the edges while soaking up the sausage and chicken drippings. Serve them with warm roasted garlic tomato sauce for dipping.

4. Italian Sausage & White Bean Skillet with Garlicky Greens - Sausage, white beans, onion, garlic, and tender greens in one skillet with broth, lemon, and parmesan. Hearty without being heavy.

5. Chicken Caesar Flatbreads - Cooked chicken, mozzarella, and parmesan baked until the edges crisp up, then topped with chopped romaine and Caesar dressing right before serving.

This Week’s Grocery List

Here’s a preview of how this week’s grocery list comes together. I’ve been experimenting with a more interactive format that makes it easier to shop, save, and keep track of ingredients throughout the week.

Read more

This recipe is part of this week's Two at the Table menu. Upgrade to get the complete menu, grocery list, recipe cards, and prep notes.

Subscribe now

This is one of the recipes from this week’s paid Two at the Table menu, and I’m sharing it here for free so everyone can try it.

If you've enjoyed my Chicken Parmesan with Creamy Marinara Orzo or my Creamy Chicken and White Bean Soup, I think you'll enjoy this pasta too. Like those recipes, it comes together with simple ingredients and doesn't require much advance planning, but it still feels like a meal you'd be happy to sit down to at the end of the day.

The chicken cooks first, then the sauce comes together in the same skillet with garlic, broth, cream, parmesan, lemon, and grated zucchini. Once the pasta goes in, everything gets tossed together until the sauce turns silky and coats the noodles. It’s easy enough for a weeknight, but still feels like something you’d actually look forward to eating.

Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken Pasta

Serves 2 | Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes
Ready in about 40 minutes

Ingredients

6 ounces spaghetti or linguine
1 boneless skinless chicken breast
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small zucchini, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup heavy cream
1 ounce cream cheese
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of ½ to 1 lemon, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley
1 tablespoon capers
Crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Before draining, reserve about ½ cup of pasta water.

While the pasta cooks, grate the zucchini into a bowl and sprinkle it lightly with salt. Let it sit for a few minutes, then transfer it to a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much moisture as you can.

Slice the chicken breast in half horizontally to make 2 thinner cutlets. Season both sides with salt and black pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 3–4 minutes per side, or until golden and cooked through. Transfer it to a plate and let it rest.

In the same skillet, add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Pour in the chicken broth, heavy cream, and cream cheese. Stir until the sauce is smooth.

Add the parmesan and lemon zest. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes until it thickens slightly.

Stir in the zucchini, then add the cooked pasta directly to the skillet. Toss everything together, adding splashes of reserved pasta water as needed until the sauce turns glossy and coats the noodles.

Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, capers, and fresh basil or parsley. Taste and season with more salt, pepper, or crushed red pepper flakes if needed.

Slice the chicken and serve it over the pasta with extra parmesan on top.

Follow the full Two at the Table menu

Recipe Notes

Zucchini: Squeezing out the extra moisture keeps the sauce creamy instead of watery.

Lemon: Start with the juice of ½ lemon, then add more if you want it brighter.

Pasta water: Don’t skip this. A splash or two helps loosen the sauce and makes it cling to the noodles.

Chicken: Cutting the chicken breast into thinner cutlets helps it cook faster and stay tender.

Capers: These add a salty, briny bite that works really well with the lemon and parmesan, but you can leave them out if they’re not your thing.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did.

If you make it, leave a comment and let me know how it turned out. I always love hearing what you’re cooking and any tweaks you made along the way.

And if you’re looking for the rest of this week’s dinners, grocery list, and prep notes, you can find the full Two at the Table menu here.

~ Holly ❤️

Cleaning it out.

Containers stacked on containers. Leftovers from three different meals, none of them bad exactly, just… nobody wanted them anymore. I’d stand there doing the math — when did I make this? Is this still okay? — and then spend the next twenty minutes throwing things away and washing Tupperware I didn’t even want to look at.

And the whole time I’d be thinking: I paid for that. I cooked that. And now I’m scraping it into the trash.

The waste wasn’t coming from being careless. It was coming from cooking the way I always had — big recipes, too many leftovers, giant packages of ingredients that made sense when the kids were home every night but didn’t really fit our life anymore.

Most nights it’s just Ken and me now.

But recipes are still written for families of six. And if you’re cooking in a smaller kitchen like I often am in the RV, there’s not a lot of room for ingredients that only get used once before disappearing into the back of the fridge.

So I started cooking differently.

Not with a rigid meal plan or some complicated system. Just with one simple question at the beginning of every week:

What five meals can I make where everything I buy actually gets used?

That’s really what Two at the Table is — a weekly meal-planning series built around overlapping ingredients, practical grocery shopping, and dinners that still feel different from one night to the next.

The lemon you buy for salmon on Tuesday might show up in pasta later in the week. A batch of marinara becomes two completely different dinners. Ingredients get used instead of being forgotten.

Paid subscribers receive a new Two at the Table menu twice a month. Every menu includes five connected dinners scaled for smaller households, plus recipe cards and an interactive grocery list you can pull up on your phone while you shop — because I got tired of standing in the produce aisle trying to remember if I already had cilantro at home.

Some weeks are simple. Some weeks are a little more creative. Sometimes we’re cooking at home, sometimes in the RV, where counter space is limited, and every ingredient has to earn its place.

But the goal is always the same: buy what you need, use what you buy, and make dinner feel a little easier at the end of the day.

If you’ve ever stood in front of the fridge feeling vaguely guilty about a container of leftovers you made with perfectly good intentions, you’re probably in the right place.

I’m so glad you’re here.

~ Holly ❤️

If you are new to Detour ahead, welcome!

Some of you may know me from my blog, Entertaining the RV Life. This newsletter goes beyond the recipes—it’s where I share the stories behind the meals, the places that inspire them, and the people we meet along the way.

Every Sunday morning, you’ll get a snapshot of our week: stories, photos, and a weekly menu full of recipes inspired by the places we travel. From nostalgic comfort food to simple, seasonal meals, everything is written with real life in mind.

If this sounds like your kind of thing, I’d love to have you along for the ride.

You can sign up for FREE or upgrade to a paid subscription if you’d like to support my work and have access to fun extras like

The Gathering Table—a monthly themed dinner series featuring menus and recipes from around the world.

And

Two at the Table—A weekly series of simple, intentional meals for smaller households, built around overlapping ingredients to cut waste and keep dinner interesting.

Either way, I’m so glad you’re here!

The cat is finally out of the bag

After weeks of knowing and not being able to say anything, Jacob proposed to Olivia, and she said yes!

We are all so excited for them, and truthfully, it feels like she has been part of our family for a long time already. Now we just get to make it official.

It feels like our family is stepping into a whole new season in more ways than one.

If all goes as planned, we'll close on the property where we’re living now in less than a month, which means we’ll be moving back into the RV while we build the new house. And when I say “build the new house,” I should probably clarify that we are starting with raw land.

As in, before we can even think about building anything, there will be trees to cut, brush to clear, and a whole lot of work to do before it looks anything like a homesite.

So the next few months are probably going to be a mix of packing boxes, making decisions, second-guessing those decisions, and trying to figure out what in the world we’re doing.

Normal, calm, well-organized people probably have a system for this.

We do not.

But we are excited. It is going to be a ton of work, and we will probably question our sanity more than once, but I know it will be beautiful once it is done.

Somewhere in the middle of all of that, Ken has also been working on getting his NASM nutrition certification, so we’ve been talking a lot more about protein lately.

High-protein meals are everywhere right now, and for good reason. As we age, we naturally start losing muscle mass, and with the project we are about to take on, we’re going to need all the muscle we can get. 😂

I’ve never been much of a big breakfast person, and most mornings I would rather just drink my coffee and move on with my day. But I’ve realized pretty quickly that skipping breakfast makes it a lot harder to get enough protein in by the end of the day.

So I’ve been working on a few quick, protein-packed breakfast and brunch recipes that make mornings a little easier. Nothing complicated. Just easy meals that help us get a good start without overthinking it.

And somehow, after all this time writing about food, I realized I haven’t shared many breakfast or brunch recipes here.

So we’re fixing that.

Ham, Cottage Cheese & Roasted Pepper Egg Bake

This is one of those breakfasts that works really well for the week ahead because it reheats beautifully and actually keeps you full. The cottage cheese melts right into the eggs, so it doesn’t taste like cottage cheese at all — it just makes the texture softer and adds extra protein.

Serves

4 generous servings

Ingredients

• 8 large eggs

• 1 cup cottage cheese

• 1 cup diced ham

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped

• 2 green onions, sliced

• Salt and black pepper

• Garlic powder

• Cooking spray or a little butter for the dish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2. Grease an 8x8 baking dish.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and cottage cheese until mostly smooth.

4. Stir in the ham, cheddar, roasted peppers, and green onions.

5. Season with salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

7. Bake for about 30–35 minutes, or until the center is set and the top is lightly golden.

8. Let it cool for a few minutes before slicing.

Protein Estimate

If you cut it into 4 servings:

• About 30–32g protein per serving

A Few Easy Variations

• Swap the ham for turkey sausage

• Use pepper jack instead of cheddar

• Add spinach or mushrooms

• Serve with salsa or hot sauce

Make Ahead Tip

This egg bake is perfect for meal prep. Bake it on Sunday, cut it into individual portions, and store them in the refrigerator for easy breakfasts throughout the week. Just reheat a slice in the microwave for about 30–60 seconds, and breakfast is ready with almost no effort.

Bagels with Lox (Smoked Salmon Bagels)

This is one of those breakfasts that feels a little special without being difficult at all. Toasted bagels layered with cream cheese, smoked salmon, capers, and thinly sliced red onion make an easy high-protein breakfast or brunch that comes together in minutes.

And of course, there’s nothing wrong with grabbing fresh bagels from your favorite bakery. But if you ever want to try making your own New York-style bagels at home, I’ve got a recipe for that on my website, too. I’ll link it below 👇

Serves

2

Ingredients

• 1 bagel, sliced and toasted

• 2 tablespoons cream cheese

• 3 ounces smoked salmon or lox

• 1 tablespoon capers

• Thinly sliced red onion

• Fresh dill

• Fresh cracked black pepper

• Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

1. Toast the bagel if desired.

2. Spread both halves with cream cheese.

3. Layer the smoked salmon over the cream cheese.

4. Top with capers, sliced red onion, fresh dill, and cracked black pepper.

5. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Protein Estimate

• About 25–30g of protein, depending on the bagel and the amount of salmon used.

Optional Additions

• Sliced cucumber

• Tomato

• Avocado

• A poached or soft-boiled egg

A Note About the Bagels

Store-bought bagels work perfectly here, especially if you can grab fresh ones from a local bakery or bagel shop. But if you ever want to try making your own homemade New York-style bagels, here’s the recipe: They’re chewy, golden, and absolutely worth the project on a slow weekend morning.

Homemade Bagles

Simple Cheesy Eggs on Toast

Warm mashed eggs mixed with melty cheese piled onto toasted bread and finished with garlic chile butter makes a quick, high-protein breakfast that works just as well for lunch or dinner.

It’s especially good on busy mornings because most of the prep can be done ahead of time.

Serves

2

Ingredients

Garlic Butter

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 clove garlic, finely minced

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Cheesy Eggs

• 4 large eggs

• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• Salt and black pepper

• 2 slices sourdough or whole-grain bread, toasted

Instructions

1. Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil.

2. Once boiling, cover the pan and turn off the heat. Let sit:

• 5 minutes for softer yolks

• 10 minutes for hard-boiled

3. While the eggs cook, make the garlic butter. Melt the butter and olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat.

4. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and paprika. Let it gently bubble for a minute or two, then remove from the heat.

5. Peel the warm eggs and place them in a bowl with the shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Use the back of a fork to lightly mash everything together while the eggs are still hot so the cheese melts.

7. Spoon over toasted bread and drizzle with the garlic butter.

Protein Estimate

• About 25–30g of protein per serving, depending on the bread and cheese used.

Optional Toppings

• Sliced avocado

• Fresh herbs

• Hot sauce

• Microgreens

• Crispy bacon

• Tomato slices

Make Ahead Tip

You can boil the eggs, shred the cheese, and make the garlic butter ahead of time. Then breakfast comes together in just a few minutes the next morning.

Cottage Cheese Protein Pancakes

These cottage cheese pancakes are soft, lightly sweet, and surprisingly filling. The cottage cheese melts right into the batter, giving them extra protein without tasting overly “healthy.” They work really well for busy mornings because the batter comes together quickly in the blender.

Serves

2

Ingredients

• 1 cup cottage cheese

• 3 large eggs

• 1/2 cup rolled oats

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• Pinch of salt

• Butter or oil for the pan

Instructions

1. Add the cottage cheese, eggs, oats, vanilla, baking powder, and salt to a blender.

2. Blend until mostly smooth.

3. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes so the oats can soften slightly.

4. Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat and lightly grease the pan.

5. Pour small rounds of batter into the skillet.

6. Cook until bubbles begin forming and the edges look set, then carefully flip and cook the other side until golden.

7. Serve warm with your favorite toppings.

Protein Estimate

• About 25–30g protein per serving

Optional Toppings

• Fresh berries

• Maple syrup

• Peanut butter

• Sliced bananas

• Greek yogurt

• Cinnamon

Make Ahead Tip

These reheat surprisingly well. Make a batch ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator for a few days or freeze them between sheets of parchment paper for quick breakfasts during the week.

A Note About Texture

These are softer and more delicate than traditional pancakes because of the cottage cheese and eggs. Keeping them smaller makes them easier to flip.

So that’s where we are this week — celebrating big family news, staring down a whole lot of change, and trying to remember that feeding ourselves well is part of getting ready for what’s ahead.

I’m excited to share these breakfast and brunch recipes with you. They may not be fancy, but they are practical, protein-packed, and exactly what we need right now.

You’ll find these recipes—plus plenty more—on the blog, complete with step-by-step photos and easy-to-follow instructions.

Entertaining the RV Life

Well, guys, that’s all I’ve got for now!

If you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, I’d love it if you shared it with a friend!

Spread the word – Invite a fellow food lover or travel enthusiast to join us on this journey.

Share Detour Ahead!

And if you try a recipe, have a question, or just want to say hello, drop a comment below—I’d truly love to hear from you! ❤️

~Holly

Hey, welcome to Detour Ahead!

I’m Holly — and if you found your way here from Entertaining the RV Life, hi again. If you’re brand new, I’m so glad you’re here.

This newsletter is where the blog spills over into real life. Every Sunday morning, you’ll get a snapshot of our week on the road — stories, photos, and recipes inspired by the places we travel and the people we meet along the way. From nostalgic comfort food to simple seasonal meals, everything here is written with real life in mind.

Free subscribers get everything that lands in the Sunday newsletter.

Paid subscribers get two ongoing series I’m really proud of:

Two at the Table — A complete weekly menu built for two — five connected dinners, recipe cards, and a grocery list every time.

The Gathering Table — A monthly themed dinner series with menus and recipes inspired by places around the world. Think of it as dinner and a story.

New This Week

A quick little update before we jump into this week’s menu…

This week I’m trying something a little different with Two at the Table. Instead of putting everything into a separate ebook, I’m testing out Substack’s recipe cards directly inside the post.

In theory, this should make the recipes easier to save, print, and pull up while you’re cooking without needing to download anything extra.

I’d really love your feedback on this because I’m still figuring out what works best for all of us. Do you prefer the weekly ebook format, or would you rather have printable recipe cards right here inside Substack? Leave me a message in the comments.

I may put together a quick poll later this week once everyone has had a chance to use them a bit.

This Week’s Plan

Everything connects, but nothing feels like the same meal twice.

Having a plan for the week just makes dinner easier. It takes away that end-of-day scramble where nothing sounds good and takeout starts feeling tempting.

When a few things are already prepped, and you know what’s coming, cooking feels a lot more manageable. You’re not standing in front of the refrigerator trying to figure it out—you’re just making dinner.

How I Set Myself Up for Success

On Sunday, I spent about an hour getting a few things prepped that made the rest of the week feel a whole lot easier.

I mixed up a quick batch of Caesar dressing that ended up pulling double duty all week long—for burgers one night and grilled Caesar salads later in the week with the salmon.

I cubed up a few hamburger buns and made homemade croutons ahead of time so they were ready for the grilled Caesar salads later in the week.

I also shredded the zucchini for the creamy lemon parmesan pasta and let it drain while I worked on everything else, so it would be ready to melt right into the sauce later in the week.

Before I cleaned up the kitchen, I chopped and quickly blanched the broccoli for the stuffed potatoes, cooked the chicken breast for the filling, and shredded all of the Parmesan and cheddar cheese I’d need for the week.

None of it was complicated, but having those few things already done made dinner feel much easier on the nights when I didn’t feel like starting from scratch.

1. Caesar Burgers - Juicy burgers layered with crisp romaine, shaved parmesan, thin red onion, and creamy Caesar dressing on a toasted bun. Paired with roasted sweet potato wedges, these feel a little like a steakhouse Caesar salad turned into burger night.

2. Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken Pasta - Tender chicken, spaghetti, fresh zucchini, and a creamy lemon parmesan sauce all tossed together in one skillet. The zucchini cooks down right into the sauce, making it silky and rich without feeling overly heavy, while the lemon keeps everything bright and fresh.

3. Shepherd’s Pie for Two - Savory ground beef cooked with onions, garlic, vegetables, and a rich gravy, all tucked under creamy cheddar mashed potatoes and baked until golden around the edges.

4. Salmon with Creamy Garlic Sauce and Grilled Caesar Salad - Perfectly seared salmon topped with a creamy garlic parmesan sauce served alongside smoky grilled romaine with shaved parmesan, homemade croutons, and a drizzle of Caesar dressing. This one feels a little like restaurant food at home, but it’s still simple enough for a weeknight.

5. Chicken Broccoli Stuffed Baked Potatoes - Crispy baked potatoes filled with creamy chicken, broccoli, cheddar cheese, and simple pantry seasonings that make everything taste warm and comforting. These are hearty enough for dinner but still easy enough to pull together on a weeknight.

Why This Menu Works

• The romaine and Caesar dressing get used for both the burgers and the grilled Caesar salads later in the week

• Extra hamburger buns turn into homemade croutons instead of going stale on the counter

• Parmesan gets used across multiple meals—from the creamy lemon pasta to the salmon sauce and salads

• The cheddar cheese gets split between the shepherd’s pie and stuffed baked potatoes

• A little Sunday prep work helped several dinners come together faster during the week

• The meals share ingredients, but each dinner still feels completely different from the one before it

This Week’s Grocery List

Here’s a preview of how this week’s grocery list comes together. I’ve been experimenting with a more interactive format that makes it easier to shop, save, and keep track of ingredients throughout the week.

A little planning up front, and the rest of the week just runs smoother. If you’re ready to cook, the recipe cards are waiting for you below.

Read more

Ethan has to work, and Jacob and Olivia are somewhere off in Mexico on a cruise, probably eating something good and forgetting what day it is entirely.

And honestly? It feels a little strange.

Not bad exactly. Just different.

I think Mother’s Day can bring up a lot of emotions depending on what season of life you’re in. Some mothers will have a house full of noise and hugs. Some will get a quick phone call squeezed in between busy schedules. Some are missing their own mothers. Some are grieving children. Some are carrying complicated relationships that don’t fit neatly into a greeting card aisle.

And some of us are just standing in a quieter house than we’re used to.

The funny thing is, this is what we spent all those years working toward, isn’t it? Raising capable adults with lives of their own. Jobs to get to. Trips to take. People they love. We want them to grow up and build beautiful lives.

It’s just that nobody really prepares you for how quiet the house feels once they do.

So today, whether your kids are sitting around your table or spread out across the country, I hope you feel appreciated for all the invisible things mothers do year after year. The meals. The worrying. The rides home. The late-night talks. The remembering of everybody else’s favorite everything.

That kind of love leaves fingerprints everywhere, even when the house is quiet.

This week’s recipe ended up feeling fitting for all of this.

I made Moo Shu Pork because it reminded me of a season of life I still think about often. Years ago, when we bought our very first home and I was pregnant with Ethan (my oldest), Ken used to bring home moo shu pork from this little Chinese restaurant we loved. I can still remember sitting on the floor eating it straight out of the takeout container like it was the greatest thing I’d ever tasted.

Maybe it actually was that good. Or maybe food just has a way of attaching itself to certain moments in our lives and keeping them safe for us.

Either way, this version brings it all back.

The smell of the ginger and garlic hitting the pan. The hoisin sauce. The warm tortillas. That mix of comfort and nostalgia you can’t quite explain to anybody else.

And maybe that’s part of motherhood too. Holding onto little moments nobody else even remembers.

So wherever the day finds you, I hope you eat something comforting. I hope someone tells you they love you. And I hope you know you mattered deeply in the making of the people you love.

Happy Mother’s Day, friends.

~ Holly ❤️

Moo Shu Pork for Two

Thin slices of pork cooked in a savory hoisin sauce with garlic, ginger, cabbage, mushrooms, and soft ribbons of egg all wrapped up in a warm tortilla — this easy Moo Shu Pork hits that takeout craving without leaving you with a sink full of dishes or a week’s worth of leftovers.

The pork stays tender, the cabbage keeps a little crunch, and everything gets tossed together in a savory sauce that tastes even better than takeout.

Get the Recipe

Hey guys!

If you are new to Detour ahead, welcome!

Some of you may know me from my blog, Entertaining the RV Life. This newsletter goes beyond the recipes—it’s where I share the stories behind the meals, the places that inspire them, and the people we meet along the way.

Every Sunday morning, you’ll get a snapshot of our week: stories, photos, and a weekly menu full of recipes inspired by the places we travel. From nostalgic comfort food to simple, seasonal meals, everything is written with real life in mind.

If this sounds like your kind of thing, I’d love to have you along for the ride.

You can sign up for FREE or upgrade to a paid subscription if you’d like to support my work and have access to fun extras like

The Gathering Table—a monthly themed dinner series featuring menus and recipes from around the world.

And

Two at the Table—A weekly series of simple, intentional meals for smaller households, built around overlapping ingredients to cut waste and keep dinner interesting.

Either way, I’m so glad you’re here!

Over the Weekend

We had one of those rare stretches of beautiful Texas weather this past weekend—the kind that makes you throw the windows open and leave them there all day.

No AC humming. Just a breeze moving through the house and whatever was playing on the radio drifting from room to room.

I spent most of the day on Sunday in the kitchen—barefoot, a pot of Homemade Marinara simmering on the stove.

Ken was in and out, helping me film a few reels while the sauce cooked, and by the time we got to the meatballs, Ethan had made it over and jumped right in.

Jacob and Olivia couldn’t make it this time, so it was just the three of us. And I’ve come to really appreciate weekends like that.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a full house, but when it’s one-on-one, everything slows down a little. We talked more. I asked all my questions. He filled me in on what’s going on in his life, and somewhere in between all of that, we were rolling meatballs like we used to when he was little.

It still feels the same.

He’s just taller now… and slightly more helpful. 😂

That marinara will carry us through more than just one meal.

Some of it went straight into the meatballs.
Some of it turned into a dipping sauce for the Toasted Ravioli we snacked on while we cooked.
And some of it will show up in the Chicken Parmesan we are having later this week.

We also decided to try one of the mocktails shares on her Substack, Betty Eatz. We went with the Grapefruit Coconut Paloma. It was SO good—we’ll definitely make those again.

Overall, it was just a really great day in the kitchen.

Sunday Dinner

Dinner itself was simple—meatballs tucked into a skillet with that marinara, covered in cheese, and baked until everything melted together. We ate them straight from the pan with toasted crostini so we could get the perfect meatball-to-bread ratio with every bite. It made it feel a little more fun and casual, like the way we used to eat it when the boys were younger.

I made a Caesar Salad with Homemade Garlic Butter Croutons to go with it—I always insist on having something green on the table—and this one is easy and dependable.

We finished with an Italian Ricotta Cake, which is simple, not too sweet, and exactly what I want after a meal like this.

It’s one of those dinners we used to make together when the boys were younger. I didn’t realize at the time how much I’d miss those little routines.

Turns out, they still hold up.

Later this week

Since it was just Ethan and we made a full batch of meatballs, there were plenty left for another dinner later in the week.

I’ve got some Boursin in the fridge from a meal I’ll share soon, so I’m already thinking stroganoff—warming the meatballs in a pan with mushrooms, adding a little broth and cream, and stirring in the Boursin at the end to bring it all together.

That’s usually how the rest of our week comes together… one thing already made that turns into something else without feeling repetitive. I’ll let you know how they turn out!

It’s days like these that remind me of how lucky I am.

A full afternoon in the kitchen, one of my kids standing next to me, music playing in the background, and enough food left over to carry us into the next few days.

These moments always bring me back to one of my favorite quotes by Robert Brault.

Now on to the recipes

Grapefruit Coconut Paloma Mocktail (Betty Eatz)

Bright and citrusy with just enough coconut to round it out. A really good one to have in hand while you’re moving around the kitchen.

Get the recipe

Homemade Marinara

A simple, from-scratch marinara that comes together with pantry staples and a little time on the stove. It’s the kind of sauce that ends up carrying more than one meal.

Get the recipe

Cheesy Skillet Meatballs in Marinara

Tender meatballs simmered in homemade marinara and finished with plenty of melted cheese in one skillet. Serve it with toasted bread and let everyone build their own perfect bite.

Get the recipe

Toasted Ravioli

Crispy, golden ravioli with a soft, cheesy center—perfect for dipping in warm marinara. These never last long once they hit the table.

Get the recipe

Caesar Salad with Homemade Garlic Butter Croutons

Crisp romaine tossed in a creamy dressing with warm, garlicky croutons. It’s the kind of side that holds its own next to anything else on the table.

Get the recipe

Air Fryer Garlic Butter Croutons

Crisp, buttery croutons with just the right amount of garlic, made in the air fryer in minutes. Once you make these, it’s hard to go back to anything store-bought.

Get the recipe

Italian Ricotta Cake

Light, simple, and not overly sweet, with a soft texture that makes it easy to go back for another slice. One of those desserts that works just as well after a big meal as it does with coffee the next day.

Get the recipe

Chicken Parmesan with Creamy Marinara Orzo

A simple chicken Parmesan made with leftover marinara, turned into two individual portions with a little cream stirred into the sauce and served over orzo. It’s the same base, just changed up enough to feel like a completely different dinner.

Get the recipe

Well, that’s what’s happening in my kitchen this week.

If you end up making any of this, I’d love to hear about it.

And if this felt like your kind of Sunday, feel free to share it with someone who would enjoy it too.

Spread the word – Invite a fellow food lover or travel enthusiast to join us on this journey.

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And if you try a recipe, have a question, or just want to say hello, drop a comment below—I’d truly love to hear from you! ❤️

~Holly