Here's my Saturday newsletter: I've selected 7 weeknight meals + 3 summer salads (for the upcoming week of July 21-27, 2024). Plus, check out my life update at the bottom—I’m back hiking in Colorado! My last week's meal plan + photos from last week's BVI sailing trip are here.​

DAY 1: Cilantro-Lime and Black Bean Shrimp and Rice (30-Minute, One-Pan Meal)​

You can use fresh basil or parsley instead of cilantro! This recipe is dairy-free and gluten-free.

DAY 2: Mexican Chicken Pasta with Bell Peppers, Green Chile, and Creamy Cheddar Mozzarella Sauce​

DAY 3: Creamy Sausage Gnocchi with Spinach and Tomato Sauce (30 Minutes, One-Pan)​

DAY 4: Greek Salmon with kalamata olives, green olives, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and feta cheese mixture​

Gluten-free. Make it dairy-free using vegan feta cheese.

DAY 5: Cilantro-Lime Chicken Bowls with Peach Salsa​

You can use fresh basil or parsley instead of cilantro. You can also use mango, apricots, or nectarines instead of peaches.

DAY 6: Ground Beef Ramen Noodle Stir Fry with Bell Peppers, Spinach, Cashews, and Sesame Seeds​

DAY 7: Mediterranean Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Artichokes, and Capers​

30-Minute, One-Pan, Low-Carb Meal. Serve it as is or with pasta, store-bought ravioli, or tortellini, or flavored rice. Low-carb sides include zoodles (spiralized zucchini) or roasted spaghetti squash.

SALAD 1: Blueberry & Peach Spinach Salad with Pecans, Prosciutto (or Bacon), and Balsamic Dressing​

You can use mango, nectarines, or apricots instead of peaches.

SALAD 2: Strawberry Spinach Salad with Bacon, Feta, and Toasted Almonds​

SALAD 3: Creamy Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad with Corn and Bacon​

LIFE UPDATE

After returning home to Colorado from our sailing trip to the British Virgin Islands last week (you can read all about it here), I had a lot of catching up to do. I am still in a catch-up mode. The funny thing is, I’m heading back to the BVI again in just 2 days. Don’t ask me why. It’s kind of crazy to travel that far (all the way from Colorado to the Caribbean) to the same place again so soon. But there are other islands in the BVI I wanted to explore that we didn’t get to visit due to the sketchy weather from Hurricane Beryl two weeks ago. And, the bottom line is, the sailboat is available, it won’t cost much, and it’s probably my last trip to the BVI in years, so why not? This time, though, I’ll have to do a lot of sailing work as the first mate since it’ll just be my husband and me. In the meantime, over the past five days, I did indulge in one of my favorite activities: spending a lot of time outdoors and hiking!

It's been raining a lot here (which I love because it reduces wildfire risk), so I've seen so many fresh wildflowers spring up everywhere. So many of them are purple - I love it!

Look at these huge dandelions - they were the size of my fist. They are everywhere, even after intense rain and thunderstorms.

I'll miss hiking next week and the beautiful views. I really love Colorado summers.

These are flowers that are growing right outside of my condo - aren't they stunning:

I'd love to hear from you!

If you try any of these recipes, I would love your feedback in the comments section for each recipe on my website. Please do not respond to this e-mail (I might miss it!). If you have questions, feedback, or any other concerns, please use the comments section for a particular recipe on JuliasAlbum.com or leave a message on my ABOUT page. I always check the comments shared on my website. If you would like to share a photo of what you made, tag me #juliasalbum or @juliasalbumblog on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliasalbumblog/​

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