Meal Planning is for Nerds

Well, maybe meal planning isn't really for nerds... not sure how you could over-generalize the population of people who take on the task of meal planning.  Regardless, this is something I'd like to get into more in the coming year.  Along with tackling my aforementioned goals of 2011, I'd really like to be better organized in the kitchen.  

In the Fall of 2010, I took on a huge task.  Along with my regular full-time job (which I'll get into later), I thought I should try my hand at teaching.  I taught two Interior Design classes at Scott Community College.  While I really loved it, it was way too much to do on top of another job, I had no time to get anything else in my life in order, and I basically felt in complete disarray throughout the end of summer and fall.  I chalk it up to an excellent lesson.  I learned that I really enjoy teaching, and will keep it in my arsenal for future endeavors, but tackling something so huge really wears on my overall health & sanity.
My fiancee and I love to cook together.  In fact, I think I fell in love with him in the kitchen.  I guess.  I don't know... I do know that I miss spending time with him in the kitch.  Also, I've been tagging millions of recipes that I want to try.  Get to it already!  My main focus is to make sure I have lunches ready in advance that are healthy, balanced, and aren't pre-packaged messes!  But I also want to tackle some dinner recipes I've been eying as well, perhaps with a Ben & Dorothy amp-up.  I mean, how good does this from Fork Spoon Knife look?!

Image Source

OMG for realz!

So to get started, I'm tackling this thing one week at a time.  I've organized some recipes & meals for the week of January 3 - 9.  Though we'll be out of town this weekend, so it's a short-planning week (definitely a good one to start on).

Breakfast options:  Green Monster Smoothie, Oatmeal, Curreal & Fruit... always with a cup of coffee on the side

Lunch options:

Sweet Potato-Peanut Bisque:  Eating Well

• Egg Salad - I have a bunch of eggs that need to be used, so this will be a great option for several days.  I think I'll have this on top of some salad greens, alongside a grapefruit, with 1/2 a whole wheat english muffin?
• Sweet Potato-Peanut Bisque - I love hot meals, and soup is perfect!  I can make a big pot on Sunday or Monday (for dinner) and eat throughout the week for lunch!  I'll eat this alongside a salad with vinagerette as the recipe suggests.  Love it!

So you may notice that both of these are from Eating Well.  That was the website that really spurred the desire to get back to meal planning, we'll likely be seeing lots more from them in the coming weeks (assuming these two recipes are winners)!


Dinners:

• Monday can be Sweet Potato-Peanut Bisque  I'll probably serve this along side some type of protein for the Man's sake.
• Tuesday I have a haircut appointment which happens to be right next door to my favorite falafel place ;)
• Wednesday we go out to dinner with my folks.
• Thursday - fridge scavenge.  Update to come
• Friday - Sunday we'll be out of town! 

That was easy, heh.  But like I said, I want to make sure I'll have lunches ready to go & well thought out (stop grabbing a package of Ramen... have you looked at the sodium... yes).  
Awesome.  I'll update with the results of the meal plan week! :)