Another Loss

I’m always saddened when folks lose loved ones. Not too long ago I discovered a fascinating couple through the wife’s blog. Now both are gone. On the bright side, they lived long and fruitful lives.

Don’t misunderstand me; I believe every honorable human uplifts the species. But this couple’s contribution amazes me. For those who never knew their story, here is her obituary. I am sorry that my links will not work tonight and you must copy and paste if interested. Blessings to you all.

https://www.stanleyfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Mariette-Van-Den-Munckhof-Vedder?obId=34153025

Yum

I regret being absent of late and hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. My brain seems not to have caught up with how much my husband’s health and mobility have improved. Some days I have trouble getting out of bed when my heart and mind should be rejoicing. Please do not feel bad for me, though, as I will get there.

That said, he keeps me entertained with Youtube videos, including one by a darling food blogger named Emmy. I don’t use social media beyond blogging and thus am grateful she covered a recipe for tuna salad shared by actor Mathew McConaughey. As my title proclaims, it’s fantastic (!) to someone who’s not even a huge fan of canned tuna.

The balance of heat, mild sweetness, and crunch proved astounding. I generally dislike raw onion yet didn’t omit it. And, wow, the small amount didn’t upset my stomach one bit. Also, I didn’t try any until it sat overnight; that might have helped mellow the small bits of onion.

In case you’re unaware as I was, the recipe is below. Please let me know if you try it and your resulting opinion.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise, plus more as desire

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons wasabi paste

2 teaspoons Italian dressing

3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

3 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickles

1/3 cup crispy jalapeño chips (my guy found these on Amazon)

1/4 cup chopped apple

1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (I cooked them along with the peas for two minutes in the microwave and let them cool)

1/2 cup frozen peas

10 ounces quality tuna packed in olive oil, drained (my Albacore tuna came packed in water so I added a drizzle of olive oil)

Directions:

Stir mayonnaise together with vinegar, lemon juice, wasabi, and Italian dressing in a medium bowl until combined.

Add in onion, pickles, jalapeño chips, apple, corn, and peas, and stir.

Fold in the tuna until well combined. Add more mayonnaise if desired.

Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Do you enjoy any canned fish? And isn’t amazing how some foods, like many soups and stews, improve with a day or two refrigerated?

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Progress – & – Projects

All the kind words left on my almost abandoned blog are much appreciated. My annoying upper respiratory infection is fading every day to the point my husband and I went grocery shopping together. I consider this not only progress in my health but also attitude.

The fact our lives turned around so fast has left my emotional responses behind. We all know many caregivers never see conditions improve and I have unending respect for their forbearance. Thus I also feel shame over some lingering depression.

But his regained interest in food, and thus my cooking and baking adventures, has provided a huge boost. Roasting my homegrown pumpkins, their seeds, and trying my hand at smoking meats and baking various breads, pies, making apple butter, and even turning apple scraps into apple cider vinegar are rewarding busywork. We are even considering a little distillery kit to make my vinegar less watery.

Did you know there is such a thing as Mother of vinegar, and that it’s a symbiotic relationship between beneficial yeast and bacteria? Are you a fan of vinegar in general or specifically?

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