It’s been a week since I started my second round of the Whole30 and to be honest, it’s been great this time around.  Last time, I remember thinking, “It’s only 30 days, I can get by on mostly salad for that amount of time.”  That’s part of what contributed to me having a hard time with it.  Trying to get by on salad and smoothies for days on end (salads that can only be dressed with oil and vinegar, by the way, since your favorite dressing from the store actually contains sugar) is not ideal, especially for someone who’s used to eating a wide variety of flavorful foods!  So this time, not only have I been researching and making more unique and delicious dinners, I’ve been getting creative with breakfasts and even finding snack foods that are Whole30 compliant.  It’s a lot of work!  But it’s been fun, and worth it.  I’m totally in love with these mocha energy balls I made over the weekend and I already made a second batch to get me through this week!  I was also struck yesterday as I did my grocery shopping (once in a while it’s nice to actually go to the store and shop rather than use the to-go services, especially if I only have one child with me–that was a treat!) at just how many aisles and sections of the store I skipped because I’m on the Whole30 and only buying whole foods (mostly–I still have 4 other people in the house to feed, and they still like their dairy and grains).  It wasn’t the first time I thought about what’s in our food at the grocery store, but it definitely made me think about it more.

Here’s just some of the delicious food I’ve enjoyed this past week.  Hover over the picture to see the description…

Chicken thighs with bacon brussel sprouts and apple in apple jus.

Apple-dressed pork chops with roasted apples and potatoes, and balsamic carrots.

Snack time! BBQ chicken dip with veggies and the crackers are for Randy. 😉

Twist on breakfast: Whole30 chicken salad and avocado on top of toasted sweet potato slices.

In homeschool news, I introduced new centers this week (as I plan to every Friday).  This week we were in tight quarters as we’re in the process of swapping out our living room entertainment center, but we made do.  So far, the kids LOVE these as a general idea.  They look forward to “center day” and it really has worked at keeping them occupied during regular school hours when I need one-on-one time with one of them.  I’ve started keeping a log of my ideas and it helps to plan ahead.  I think I have the next few weeks planned now, but I still have to do the prep work, which can be time consuming.  So glad I finally have a new laminator ($20 on amazon, thank you very much)!  It helps to know that the work I’m doing now can be used for siblings in the future by keeping it laminated and protected!  If you’re interested in this week’s centers, take a look:

“Dot” art: an exercise in artistic expression and following directions, also fine motor skills!

“Muffins for Monkey!”

Place the picture over the correct letter corresponding with the beginning sound.

“Roll the Dice” ADDITION!

I love the dry-erase pocket. One of the staples in my classroom when I was a public school teacher.

Shape Outlines: I ended up putting brads into the corners of the shapes to help the string stay put more easily. I think it will be a welcome improvement, this was tough for him.

Puzzles!