Y’all, I love teaching, but I am glad the school year is ending. Getting up at 5 a.m., packing lunches, and working with teens all day is rewarding but exhausting, and I love that I get the summer to refill my tank.
I am so excited about spending the summer home with my girls. My excitement level will last approximately three more days, at which point I will actually be at home with my girls and remember that the youngest gets up at 5:45 a.m. for reasons inexplicable.
Nevertheless, once we finally settle into a daily routine, I love the rhythm of getting up and outside to play for a while before the heat becomes too much, coming in for a snack and a few chores, and lying down for a nap with my youngest after lunch.
For some reason, though, lunch remains a roadblock for me. Every day, it’s like I’m in denial that these children will need to eat meals not just once or twice a day, but three times, plus snacks.
I am not above offering them pizza, sandwiches, or chicken nuggets multiple times a week, but those foods aren’t so great for my blood sugar. It’s best if I have something in the fridge that will work for my diet — even if the kids won’t eat it — before I end up trying to parent while hot and hangry.
That’s why it’s nice to have something on hand like this tuna salad. I don’t love traditional tuna salad: tons of sweet relish and chunks of hard-boiled eggs just aren’t my jam. I adapted this recipe to suit my tastes from one called Barbie’s Tuna Salad on allrecipes.com. It’s best if made ahead of time and requires literally no cooking … that’s my kind of lunch.
KEN’S TUNA SALAD
1 large (6.4 ounce) pouch white tuna, flaked
6 tablespoons mayonnaise (more or less, to taste)
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese (the kind in the green can is best for this)
1/2 tablespoon sweet pickle relish + 1/2 tablespoon liquid from sweet pickle relish
1/4 teaspoon dried minced onion flakes
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 pinch curry powder
1 pinch garlic powder
Amelia Plair is a mom and high school teacher in Starkville. Email reaches her at [email protected].
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