On the Menu

It always seems like I have the best intentions with blogging and then my everyday life gets in the way. We've been pretty busy around these parts - going back to work, organizing/getting rid of items around the house, a student teacher on my part, one sick dog last week and a trip to the emergency vet with the other dog this weekend..long story.
But through all the busyness of life, Cody and I have done pretty good with our meal planning and sticking to it (minus a few crappy days at work and a not feeling good day by me). I'm trying my best to stick with healthy, well thought out meals that are quick to put together during the weekdays. Since I'm like 90% of the American population and trying to eat better with the new year upon us, I've been doing my research to find quality, tasty - food I actually want to eat - healthy meals. And I have to say, we did just that last week.
Now, I'm not claiming to be a professional health nut, nor do I pretend to be one on TV or on this blog for that matter. But through my 25 years of life, I've gotten a pretty good grasp on healthy vs. non-healthy. 
Vegetables & fruits = good.  Candy, carbs & chocolate = bad. (my three favorite C's) So needless to say, our meals might not be perfect, but they aren't double cheeseburgers from McDonalds. Although, that does sound nice. Anyway. I wanted to share what our dinner menu looked like for us last week because I LOVE seeing what other people plan for dinner during their weeks. It gives me inspiration and I know that they wouldn't be posting it if it was a complete waste of time Pinterest recipe. Plus, some of these are some freakin' awesome recipes that we really liked and will totally make again in our household. They have been officially approved by us.

Sunday Crockpot Thai Peanut Chicken from Rachel Schultz
I can only give credit to Christina at Carolina Charm for introducing me to this one and for introducing me to Rachel Schultz, who quickly became my new favorite person to go to for interesting meals that are simple and realistic for the everyday kitchen. Anything in the Crockpot gets automatic bonus points from me. We put it over some brown rice for a warm dinner on a chilly night. Monday Better-Than-Takeout Chicken Fried Rice from Rachel Schultz
Although I didn't follow the steps exactly - I used a rotisserie chicken instead of cooking my own. Total time saver by the way. It turned out just as promised - better than takeout. And much healthier.
Tuesday We ate at Outback. Oops. Ashley and Paul invited us out for dinner, and it was just one of those days at work. Although we ate out, I tried to stick to a healthy dinner - steak, salad with a vinaigrette dressing, and rice pilaf. Although the pasta sounded much better. Ugh.
Wednesday Turkey Sausage with Roasted Spiced Carrots from Rachel Schultz Because eating healthier does cost more at the grocery store, I tried to save a few dollars by buying a cheaper protein that wasn't high in calories. Not the healthiest food in the world, but the Butterball turkey sausage is sooo delicious and full of flavor cut up in rounds and cooked with olive oil. I've been on a brown rice kick (sorry Cody) the last few days, so I added that and the most delicious carrots ever. Honestly, they didn't even taste like carrots. They tasted exactly like sweet potato fries, which was AWESOME. You could totally pair those with a hamburger and not even miss the fries. And coming from the queen of carbs, that means a lot.
Thursday Oven Roasted Fajitas from Rachel Schultz Another delicious recipe from Rachel Schultz. Cody, who hates onions, even ate one of these cooked onions. And liked it. Talk about miracle. Cody stuffed his fajitas in a tortilla, while I piled mine over you guessed it, brown rice.
Friday Salmon with Asparagus
Cody and I are total salmon lovers. Which is weird for me, because I don't like fish. I found this recipe on Pinterest awhile back, we tried it and felt like professional chefs because it came out so perfect. It's a simple recipe with simple cleanup and that's how we like it around here.
Saturday I had a delicious meal planned from my favorite gal - Rachel Schultz, but I felt terrible all day, plus a trip to the emergency vet led our tired butts to Cracker Barrel.  We are not ashamed.
Where do y'all find dinner menu inspiration? I'd love to know! Let me know if you post about your dinner menu for the week so I can check it out! :)