The Best Tuna Salad Recipe Ever

    This is a very flavorful tuna salad recipe.  Once you try this recipe, I am sure you're going to take your old boring tuna salad recipe and toss it to the curb. 

The Best Tuna Salad Ever

1 (5 oz.) can tuna, drained, and flaked

1 sm. Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced

1/3 c. mayonnaise

1 hard boiled egg, crumbled up with a fork

1/4 c. chopped pecans or walnuts

2 T. sweet pickle relish

1 T. mustard

1/2 tsp. parsley

1/4 tsp. lemon juice

     In a medium sized bowl, add in the tuna.

    Dice up your apple.

   Stir in the rest of the ingredients.

         Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve on lightly toasted bread.   Sometimes we also like to add in some sliced green grapes.  Yum!

      I know some people like celery in their tuna salad but my husband HATES celery so I like to add the apples in to replace the crunch and seriously, I think it's better with the apple.

     Also, some people never put eggs into their tuna salad but with eggs is my preferred way.  Adding eggs is one way to add protein to the meal and it helps stretch the tuna salad further.

 

    So great to add in some homemade guacamole.  

 

    Be sure to check out my other delicious salad recipes:  Egg Salad, Potato Salad, my Old Fashioned Southern Ham Salad and Chicken Salad.

 

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I shared this recipe with the following blogs and link parties;
The Stitchin' Mommy 
Full Plate Thursday
Your Whims Wednesday

JZBRAIN Vacuum Sealer Review

    I was recently honored to check out and review the JZBRAIN vacuum sealer.  I have wanted a sealer for some time because we do process a lot of meat at home on our farm and being able to seal up the meat in dinner sized quantities would make life a lot easier.  

      Being able to seal our food will keep it fresh for so much longer and I won't have to worry about our food becoming freezer burned or absorbing smells or tastes from the freezer.  A friend of mine has a different brand of sealer and this one we got is soooo much better than hers and has a lot more features!  

     It comes with easy to follow directions and works wonderfully.  I was impressed that you can do dry food but also food that is wet or moist like steamed or poached, it has a mode to do those too.  You just push the button and it sucks all the air out and seals up the pouch perfectly.  

     I am so glad we got this and highly recommend it for anyone looking to purchase one in the near future.  

    You can buy one from the following link on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NRQQ98Q

How to Make Southern Style Sun Tea

 

     I have been enjoying sun tea as long as I can remember.  I had a gallon of it seeping outside recently when a friend dropped by and she asked me why I had a jug of dirty water sitting out.

After 30 minutes in the sun.

      I told her I was making sun tea and she looked at me like I had grown 2 heads.  She had never heard of sun tea before.  I asked around to some of my younger friends and they had not heard of it either.  I think it is so sad that it is a "thing of the past" so I thought I'd teach everyone who has not heard of it how to make it.  

    Making sun tea is great for many reasons but the main reason is because it tastes superior to "regular" iced tea.  Letting the tea seep for a few hours in the sun makes a really smooth and delicious tea that is so much better than any other type of tea you can drink.  Also, you don't have to turn on a hot stove when it is already over 100 degrees outside!

1 1/2 hours in the sun

        The first thing you need is a gallon sized glass jar with a good fitting lid.  You need a lid that will seal out any bugs or other creepy crawlers that might try to get into your tea as it seeps.  I found this gallon sized jar at Wal-mart.  I like that it looks like a canning jar.  I prefer not to use plastic jugs because the plastic can leach out into your tea and that can affect the taste and it probably wouldn't be too healthy either.   Any large food type jar will work...even old pickle jars, as long as they don't smell like pickles anymore.

     Pour water into your jug and add in 4 family sized tea bags.  I use Luzianne tea bags but that is just a personal preference.  Use whatever brand is your favorite.  Place the lid on the jug and place the jug outside in a sunny location.  Leave the jug in the sun for 2-3 hours, depending on how strong you like your tea.  Once it reaches the desired color, bring inside and throw away the tea bags.  Add sugar or any other add in you desire (lemon, lime or orange slices, mint, etc.) and serve the tea over ice.  

Sun tea always tastes great, especially when served in a mason jar!

     Keep the tea in the refrigerator.  The key to really good sun tea is not allowing the tea to come to room temperature so be sure to place the tea into the refrigerator soon after bringing it inside.  

     If you prefer to have herbal tea, it is the same directions except add in 1 cup of fresh herbs or dried flowers after adding the tea bags and putting it outside.  I especially like adding in hibiscus flowers but mint or chamomile can also be nice.

     I know there is a bit of controversy among some that say that sun tea is unsafe to drink but I have drunk it my whole life.  The controversy stems from people saying that sun tea is unsafe because bacteria can grow because they say the water does not reach 190 degrees or greater but the research is out that says that it is NOT the sun tea that is unsafe; it is the unsafe drinking water that is the issue.  So if you feel safe enough drinking your water then your water is safe enough to use to make sun tea or you can always use purified bottled water!

 

    Be sure to check out:  Southern Style Peach Iced Tea,  Lemonade Freeze, Homemade Cherry Limeade, and my Spiced Cranberry Apple Cider. 

 

 

 

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How to Freeze Fresh Blackberries

     

      We love fresh blackberries.  They are so delicious and really are one of summer times most scrumptious treats.  We are lucky enough to have a lot of wild blackberry bushes on the property but you have to be quick because if not, all the birds and bears will get them.  Also, blackberry season is really short so you have to be fast if you want any at all.  We try to go out and pick them daily during the 3-4 weeks they are ripening.  We eat what we want and we also freeze a bunch so we can enjoy them throughout the year. 

      The first thing you need to do is wash your blackberries thoroughly.  If you plan on using the blackberries in a pie this winter than I would toss the blackberries in sugar after washing them and then lay them out on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper and place the pan in the freezer.  Once they harden (2-4 hours), remove them off of the trays and place them in freezer safe baggies.  Remove as much air as you can and then put them back into the freezer until you need them. 

      If you plan on using them for anything else besides a pie, then follow the same steps as above but just don't toss them in the sugar.  

    Frozen blackberries can be stored in the freezer up to 1 year. 

    If you prefer to dehydrate the blackberries, it is easy to do also.  

     For us, the best way to enjoy frozen blackberries include:

• Blackberry muffins
• Blackberry cobbler

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Beefy Chili Noodle Skillet Meal

    This is a really easy and super-fast meal to get on your table that is also super tasty.  It is really hearty and delicious.  It is perfect for those busy nights that you need a dinner quick but want it still to be good and not something out of a "box".  This recipe is similar to Hamburger Helper meals but without all the preservatives and the mystery powdered cheese. 

Beefy Chili Noodle Skillet Meal

2 lbs. ground beef or venison

2 c. beef broth

1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1 package (16 oz) egg noodles

1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (15 oz.) corn, drained

2 T. flour

1 T. chopped onions

1 T. olive oil

1 T. chili powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. celery salt

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/8 tsp. pepper

   Brown the ground meat in a large pot over medium heat in the olive oil with the garlic powder and onions added.  

The ground beef, garlic powder and onions cooking in the olive oil.

     Once the beef is browned, do NOT drain.  If you drain it, you also drain off the flavors of the meat, onion and garlic, so do not drain it.  

       Stir in the flour into the beef mixture and mix well.  Cook and stir for one full minute.  Stir in the chili powder, paprika, oregano, celery salt, salt and pepper.  Stir and then stir in the tomato sauce, corn, and beef broth.  Stir well.  Add in the uncooked egg noodles.

    Cover the pot with a lid and turn the fire to low and allow it to simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the egg noodles are al dente.  By this time most of the liquid should also be absorbed.

    Uncover, turn the stove off and stir in the cheese.

Serve and enjoy.  

   Two cups of this pasta dish has 50 carbs.  I share this information because my husband is a diabetic on an insulin pump and needs to know the carbs in a meal to adjust his insulin.  

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Happy 4th of July!

I just wanted to take a second to wish each of you a very happy and safe 4th of July.  Much love to each of you!

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