Trumped Up Tuna

Hello Sweets,

I hope you all managed to get through your Monday.  My doctors appointment got pushed back until tomorrow and it couldn't come sooner because I am definitely getting worse!  I feel so awful that I almost didn't make my chunky tuna salad, but I didn't want to let you guys down, so I mustered up what energy I had and got my butt into that kitchen (see how much I love writing for you guys).

So as I said yesterday, I know tuna salad is a simple thing to make, but for whatever reason, I had a craving for really crunchy tuna salad lol.  So I looked through my magical crisper (lol) to see what I could add to plain old tuna, and I found all sorts of crunchy vegetables to add, so I now have a colorful and crunchy tuna salad made :)  Let us get on to the salad shall we?

Canuckette's Crunchy Tuna Salad

Ingredients

1 can of tuna (flaked or chucked, up to you)

1 celery stock

1 carrot (small-medium)

1 Spanish onion (just cut a 1/2" piece from the side)

1Tbs whipped dressing (or mayo)

2 baby dill pickles

pinch of salt

dash of pepper

Directions:

1)  Drain the excess water out of the can (too much liquid can make for a runny sandwich icky!), empty tuna into a Tupperware container.  Break up any large pieces with a fork, set aside.

2)  Chop up the celery, onion, and pickle into bite size pieces.  I chose to shred the carrot, but you can just chop it if you'd like.  Add to the tuna.

 

lots of vibrate colors :)

3)  Add the whipped dressing, I like light mayo in my tuna salad, so you may want to add more depending on your preference.  Add the salt and pepper, and mix thoroughly.

And there you have it!  A colorful and crunchy tuna salad that you can enjoy in a sandwich, as a wrap, on top of a salad, or even on it's own.  You can add even more vegetables in it, or play with the spices and make it your own.  This is what I'd like to call an updated version of my grandmother's tuna salad. :)  In school I loved tuna salad, but would only eat it when I came home for lunch (always in elementary school).  I know I was a weird kid, loved tuna or egg salad but when it came to regular sandwiches it was either PB & J, or meat and bread only lol.  I'm so glad that my pallet has grown with me, it really took a long time for me to enjoy sandwiches the way they were meant to be. :p  Just another silly fact about me lol.

So last night Nathan and I were FaceTiming (have to when your 2,163km away from each other), and he decided he was going to get me some "just because" gifts, I know keeper right?  The things he found on Think Geek might have bothered some girls, but I got super excited!  He got me this really cool measuring spoon (I will show you guys in all its glory when I have it) that allows you to use one spoon for all your "spoon" measurements.  It has different ridges that show 1/2tsp, 1/2tbsp and so on.  It even has an opening in the spoon handle for liquids, so cool!!!  Then he got me a molecular cuisine starter kit, which means I can make food look like a science experiment, so fun!  You can bet that it'll be a post all on it's own.  I'll be making foam and bubbles (among other things) with real food.  It will be tasty, scientific, and fun all wrapped up it one.  And finally, the Hungry Scientist Handbook, a DIY cookbook to make all sorts of fun science treats.  An example would be light up lollipops, yup you read correctly.  I am totally exposing my geek side, but hey I'll let my geek flag fly without being embarrassed :)  

I am completely stoked that I can combine my love of the kitchen with my love of chemistry and anything science related.  It feels good to be exercising the brain with the wonderment of learning.  I really do have a great boyfriend, and yes I'm going to get mushy for a minute, but when you find someone that compliments you in every way (like Nathan and I), don't ever let them go, and always encourage them to reach for their dreams.  I support Nathan in everything he wants to do (even if it means we have days apart once living together), and he supports me by encouraging to follow my dreams and even with the blogging (he is after all my editor and publisher lol).

Well sweets, I'm going to go make yet another cup of hot tea and relax with a movie.  What do you guys think of today's post?  Is there a sandwich from your childhood that you've revamped?  I would love to hear from you guys about anything and everything, I love my readers :)  Until next time...........

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxoxo

Journey into the unknown....Kale!

Hello Sweets,


Well I'm settled in Texas now which means Nathan and I did our first trip to the grocery store (I love having fruit to snack on).  Nathan always makes me smile and giggle a little in the produce section because he claims that I "pick the best cantaloupe and honey dew".  I'm always a little modest when he says this, because I always feel that when picking a melon it can be a little like Russian roulette.  Now I have my little tricks of course; knocking and listening to the sound, smell, and of course the general look always plays into it as well.  Well tonight was no different, a melon success lol!  As soon as we get home, I immediately start cutting up both the cantaloupe and the honey dew so the household can snack at will, yet another reason why Nathan loves when we buy them :)

Melon prepped and ready to eat

While in Tom Thumb, a light went off in my head.  My girly Sarah (www.mymostlyhealthylife.com), had tried Kale chips, and I thought since I like salty potato chips, this would be a great healthy substitute.  So I went online to search out some general guidelines.  I came across the website www.keeperofthehome.org, and got myself familiar with the basic premise.  Knowledge in hand, I forged forward on the kale chip journey, and since it was a success, I am passing my adapted recipe on to you!

Kale Chips (guided by www.keeperofthehome.org)
Ingredients:

1-2 bunches of kale

extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

chopped dry onions

cayenne pepper

garlic powder

red pepper flakes

Directions:

1)  Wash the kale and dry it, a salad spinner works great if you have one but I just patted mine with paper towel. 

 Looks like garnish leaf but smells like broccoli, weird lol

2)  Pull or cut the leaves off of the stalks.  Cut into chip sizes and place in a large bowl.

the darker green the veggie the healthier it is!

3)  Get your oil and all the spices together, and either shake or pour in the bowl and mix well with your hands.  Depending on your pallet, you can use more, or less spices, and even different ones if you're feeling adventurous.

4)  Place on a baking sheet and place in the oven at 350F for 15-25 minutes.

All spiced up and ready to go :p

5)  Shake the baking sheet while in the oven, and if the kale is crisp place in a bowl and enjoy!

Final product, YUM!

Now I was a little weary as this was my first time making it, and being in the great state of Texas (land of meat), I was nervous to say the least!  When the timer went off, I pulled them out of the oven, they smelled great but looked.....lets say interesting lol.  I tried one before venturing out of the kitchen with them and, surprise surprise they satisfied that salty chip craving.  So I bravely brought them out to the living room for Nathan, and his brother Mark to try (the real test).  Even my meat loving Texan, and Mark enjoyed them!  Now if that isn't a milestone to be proud of, then I don't know what is, and Nathan even ate them steadily and not to appease me :)  Now his dad, who always says to me, "why don't you make anything healthy?  Always with the sweets canuckette" (yes Nathan's dad calls me that regularly), did not like them, and not because they tasted bad, but because he said they wadded up in your mouth.  Lol.  Now Nathan and I didn't experience this problem, I just think his father couldn't get past the look of the kale chips.

Have any of you tried making kale chips?  Maybe with different spices/seasonings?  Or even some other delicious kale recipes?  Send me your comments of what you've done, and if you try the recipe let me know how it turns out :)  Until next time.

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo