Planning Dinner

Planning Dinner... I've gotten a lot of comments over the 2+ years with this blog from friends and family who either say "I'm just like you I plan everything on Sunday" OR more commonly "Wow you plan down to that level of detail on SUNDAY?".  Whichever statement  you identify with more, I hope you find this post interesting in some regard.

I'm a type A Planner which I am sure is evident by now, so I like getting things buttoned up at the end of the weekend for a big week ahead. I'm not married (though I do have one of those roommates who is also your significant other aka a second mouth to feed), and I don't have kids - so although my weekly responsibilities are most likely at an all time minimum compared to my life ahead, I still have lots going on. For starters I have a full time job that takes up more time than a full time job (woo hoo coconut water!), I am a devoted yogi and currently on this "Fall" Challenge in which I need to attend 21 classes in the 31 days of October, I'm a regular attendant of out of state weddings (Including two awesome ones this month, back to back weekends on opposite sides of the country - woo hoo to being a MOH!). Needless to say I've got stuff going on all week and I like to feel prepared because it takes the anxiety away (sort of) later in the week when I at least know I have time carved out to squeeze in a healthful homemade meal.

So without further ado (and further comments on my busy personal life) here are some examples of weekly meal plans as of late. I try to cook at home 3- 4 nights a week & I try to center the meal around a protein and make sure there are at least two sides usually either 2 veggies or a veggie and starch. You can see there are a lot of redundant staples and then a few new ones in there! Also note that as the week progresses and taste buds start screaming the meals get tweaked.

Week 1:
Night 1 - Chorizo & White Fish Stew
Night 2: Roasted Chicken with Brocolini and Sweet Potatoes
Night 3 : Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs with Brussels Sprouts and Corn on the Cob

Week 2:
Night 1: Old Bay Cod with Kale and Roasted Potatoes
Night 2: BBQ Slow Cooker Chicken with Green Beans & Sweet Potatoes
Night 3: Bunless Turkey Burgers with Baked Beans & Asparagus
Night 4: Grilled Italian Sausages with Sauteed Bell Peppers, Onions, and Broccolini

Week 3:
Night 1: Grilled Steak with Roasted Cauliflower & Asparagus
Night 2: BBQ Ribs with Green Beans
Night 3: Chicken & Veggie Stir Fry with Brown Rice
Night 4: Bell Pepper Tacos

Week 4:
Night 1 - Salmon & Broccoli 
Night 2: Cauliflower Pizza with Prosciutto & Arugula Salad
Night 3 : Slow Cooker Mexican Style Shredded Chicken with Black Beans, Kale and Avocado

Some of these links are to these exact dinners, some of these links are to similar ones. Hopefully you all find this helpful or interesting and are inspired to come up with some Dahlicious weekly menus yourself (or copy mine!)