Zesty Tuna Salad

Now, I am not a huge fan of tuna. period. I rarely eat it. But I found a recipe that sounded really good. I mean, come on, it's better than the tuna and mayo slush they have at Scumway. (I can call it that, I use to work there!)
I found this recipe on allrecipes.com
I made it better, I added a bit more mayo mixing fat free and regular, to keep the taste but not the calories. I also added an additional teaspoon on sweet relish. it sounded so good, then it tasted good too!

2 (6 ounce) cans tuna, drained
2 teaspoons mayonnaise (or 4)
2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish (or 3)
2 teaspoons Dijon-style prepared mustard
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Mash tuna in a small bowl with a fork. Add mayonnaise, pickle relish, mustard, celery, onion, and black pepper; stir to combine. Chill and serve.
And it's delicious on a croissant!

keeping cool...

In this heat wave, I am trying to have cool thoughts. I decided on popsicles. I have several keeping cool ideas but I'll just share this for now. you can use a popsicle tray or plastic cups and wooden popsicle sticks.
So here's my recipe:

Mango Pineapple Pops
1 Mango, peeled and sliced
6-8 chunks of pineapple (preferably fresh)
1 large scoop of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt
less than 1/4 cup of orange juice 
honey


Place first 3 ingredients in the blender. Use orange juice to help with movement in the blender (but not to much- you want it thick). If you have a sweet tooth use a squeeze of honey to sweeten the deal. Pour into tray (or cups) add tops (or popsicle sticks). Place in freezer.
Makes 6 small popsicles.

I used the leftovers with club soda and cranberry/pomegranate juice to make a sweet little drink for right now!

Other Ideas:
Gogurts- Pop them in the freezer instead of the frig. They make excellent popsicles and are a bit healthier than the sugar loaded popsicles you can buy in the freezer section.

inspiration....

I found a few things hunting around. I really should focus on real-life houses. My house would probably not be very comfy if it looked like a showcase. But it's fun to dream about colors and ideas.

Love the green and cream!

 My latest favorite thing is brown and lavender/lilac. it's a beautiful combination of colors especially mixed with creams!  This I could do!

here's more of the brown and lilac tones. lovely!

befores and afters

While this "before" picture has the unfair advantage of already being cute and accessorized quite nicely, you have to realize I got this for $22 ( after a 30% discount!) and I am too cheap to spend a lot of money. It's bargain hunting for me, baby! But I might have to make my own letter blocks!

This is the rough draft "after" picture. I am still hunting thru totes so the end result will probably be a bit different but...
I have my blue bottles from Spain.
my black frame that is barely holding on.
Some antique books from El Rastro in Spain.
My favorite $2 chair from Goodwill.

and fresh flowers- It's a must!

Extreme Makeover- Home Edition - auctioned. :(

We went to visit the Extreme Makeover House in Rose Hill, KS for the open house before the auction.

 living room from above

 bedroom

 bedroom

 bedroom

 love the Paris bedroom!!

 um, yes!  mini Eiffel tower!!

 some antiques scattered throughout!

 kitchen- lovely!

 part of Ty's secret room -the garage.

the house from the yard...

chicken pad thai

I thought I had shared this recipe, but apparently not. I will now! This is a favorite of ours! We eat it all the time!!!
1 (12 ounce) package rice noodles or 4 packages of ramen noodles
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/8 tablespoon crushed red pepper
2 cups bean sprouts (optional)
1/4 cup crushed peanuts
3 green onions, chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges

For rice noodles: Soak rice noodles in cold water 30 to 50 minutes, or until soft. Drain, and set aside.
For Ramen noodles: Cook as directed. Throw away flavor packets.
Heat butter in a wok or large heavy skillet. Saute chicken until browned. Remove, and set aside.
Add softened noodles, and vinegar, fish sauce, sugar and red pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. Mix while cooking, until noodles are tender. Add bean sprouts, and mix for 3 minutes.
Garnish with crushed peanuts, chopped green onions and wedge of lemon.

skedaddling my area of america...

 Mater and I! Found him along Route 66.

 In Springfield MO, one beautiful house after another...

 they have done a great job preserving homes in that area!

the open road! take to the streets - steering wheel in one hand, camera in the other!