Another month has passed and you’d think, after all the clear thinking bravado of my last post, that I was probably eating well and feeling better. Not really. Embarrassingly enough, I’ve allowed my obligations, the stress of non-stop scheduling, and just plain not paying attention to bowl me over repeatedly.

I have had two shining triumphs this week, however. First, was my attempt at Paleo Leap’s Tuscan Chicken Skillet. As if the recipe weren’t easy and delicious enough, we were able to make it even more so by using a Tuscan Herb infused olive oil from The Spicy Olive.

Being kid-free this weekend made something like finding a hidden gem like The Spicy Olive much more likely. Now that I have, I am sure it will become my most frequently visited store. Black Mission Fig Balsamic Vinegar? Need I say more?

Anyway, I digress.

This meal tasted fantastic, even though I only had regular diced tomatoes on hand [note to self: keep fire-roasted diced tomatoes in the cupboard]. I also added in spaghetti noodles made from rice because I am hopelessly ridiculous about the loss of noodles in my life. I know, I know–weak sauce! BUT, I did not sprinkle or grate on any kind of cheese, so there was zero food-induced discomfort from this meal.

Then, another Paleo Leap recipe appeared in my Facebook newsfeed and I pinned it to make ASAP. I pulled it together last night and had some then and more for lunch today.

This Broccoli and Apple Salad with Walnuts was easy to make and tastes fantastic. I’ve already decided that I’m going to alter this recipe a little to make Sunshine Sauce from The Clothes that Make the Girl the perfect compliment.

Anything that looks this pretty before it’s even completely finished HAS to be good, right? I swapped out raisins for the dried cranberries and forgot to mince a clove of garlic in the dressing, but it’s still AWESOME. And, I made my own mayo for the first time in a long time which was also fun. I should do it more often than I do, but I just haven’t.

In other news, it’s already nearly July. Summer vacation for my kids is halfway over and they are entertaining summer school work assigned by their respective educational institutions. I understand the rationale for summer work, but I don’t like it. So many other pursuits the kids would be working on if it weren’t for having to read and report on books of someone else’s choice or complete assigned math projects. I’m sorry if other parents don’t encourage their children to use their free time to investigate things that they don’t have time to investigate during the school year. Our house does that, but we’re severely limited if the school work is assigned and sitting on their to-do lists.

I suppose now is as good of a time as any to take my own advice and pursue some things that aren’t assigned or work-oriented.

You only go around once, right? Why is it spinning so fast?!