Tuna Melts with Avocado

We used grape tomatoes from our garden on these delicious tuna melts!! And that was very exciting. I didn't follow the instructions exactly, but these were a really great dinner after a long day of swimming. Filling and delicious. I really like the combination of tuna and avocado and so did my family.

Here is the recipe for Tuna Melts with Avocado from Cooking Light
* I used a whole wheat baguette instead of french bread
* I didn't read the instructions all the way through, so I put the tuna mixture on the bread, then sprinkled the cheese and then broiled them

Cucumber and Celery Salad with Tuna

This was the second salad I made with my daughters when we were discovering more about salad. I chose this salad because it didn't contain lettuce or greens of any kind, so we talked about how many different choices there are when it comes to making salad. We threw this together quickly, on a Sunday afternoon, right as we walked in the door from church and it was ready it just a few minutes.

My daughter measure the ingredients for the dressing and stirred it all together. She loves to chop, so she did that too.

I would have preferred that this salad contained less sugar in the dressing, but that is probably because I don't really care for sweet dressings.

We decided to serve this salad on top of some red leaf lettuce leaves from our garden. It was very good and quite refreshing.

Cucumber and Celery Salad with Tuna
Everyday Food, June 2011

2	teaspoons poppy seeds
3	Tablespoons rice vinegar
1	Tablespoon sugar
2	Tablespoons olive oil
2	cucumbers, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch moons (6 cups)
3	celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch pieces, inner leaves reserved
2	cans (5 ounces each) solid white tuna in water, drained and flaked coarse salt and pepper

In a medium bowl, stir together poppy seeds, vinegar, sugar, and oil. Add cucumbers, celery, and tuna; season with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat. Sprinkle with celery leaves and serve immediately (or refrigerate, covered, up to 1 day).

Green and White Bean Salad with Tuna

I love eating fresh salads all year round, but they just seem to fit in with the weather better right now. We have enjoyed a couple of months of beautiful weather and after a pretty hot week last week, this week it seems that the weather has decided to cool down quite a bit. This type of weather makes me want to load up on fresh fruits and veggies and to make lots of cool salads.

This salad has a double dose of beans- green beans and cannellini beans, which loads up this salad with lots of fiber and protein. It also has sliced pepperoncini, which I have really grown to love in the past couple of months. They give this salad a nice little zing. This was a quick dinner that I threw together the other night, after we got home from a baseball game. I'm actually eating the leftovers for breakfast right now. :D


Green and White Bean Salad with Tuna from Everyday Food
3/4 pd green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Tbls white wine vinegar
2 Tbls olive oil
1 can (15.5 oz) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 can (5 oz) solid white tuna, packed in water, drained and broken into pieces
1/4 cup thinly sliced pepperoncini (about 9)

1. In a medium pot of boiling salt water, cook green beans until bright green and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain, rinse under cool water to stop cooking, and pat dry.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add green beans, cannelini beans, onion, tuna, and pepperoncini and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Wheat Berry Salad with Lemon-Cumin Tuna

I bought some wheat berries a couple of weeks ago because I wanted to try this recipe that was in Ellie Krieger's So Easy.

I took this salad to a family dinner and was really hoping that there would be leftovers for me to eat the rest of the week for lunch.
Everyone tried it and most people liked it.
Wheat berries are really chewy, so you definitely get a chewing workout. They also require quite a bit of cooking time, but I read the recipe thoroughly in advance so I knew how much time they would need.

Once again, I wasn't sure how the dried cherries would work with everything else, but they added just the right amount of sweetness and tartness with each bite.
I used canned tuna instead of chicken to top the salad and modified the lemon-cumin dressing to work with the tuna.

I really love having this type of salad for lunch during the week. Filling, nutritious and so good.


Recipe for Wheat Berry Salad
Ellie changed this up in her new book and served it on a bed of spinach leaves
* I added a can of drained, rinsed chickpeas
* I used pecans instead of walnuts
* I mixed 2 cans of tuna with lemon juice, a little olive oil, 1 1/2 tsps cumin, salt & pepper and then mixed that into the wheat berry mixture

Tuna Salad Wraps

Tuna is one of those foods that kinda gets a bad wrap for some reason. Tuna salad too.
I understand it, because some people's only memory of tuna is something that is smothered in that horrible white stuff (mayo), which I find absolutely disgusting.

I think tuna has lots of possibilities and we eat it often at our house.
If we are having plain old tuna sandwiches, I always mix it with a minimal amount of plain yogurt (don't like it sopping wet), add lots of chopped celery, dill pickles, to add some crunch and make sure there is lettuce and toasted bread involved.

Canned tuna can be so delicious is other ways too. It can be wonderful in pasta dishes and you can never go wrong with a vinegar/olive oil dressing to perk up your tuna salad.

This was inspired by something I saw in a magazine briefly, but I didn't have the magazine with me when I was mixing this up, so I guess I was just inspired by it.
The radishes and lemon zest give a nice boost of flavor, and garbanzo beans round out the whole thing.
My girls helped me mix it up and they ate the other half of the garbanzo beans while we were fixing this.
I didn't measure out the vinegar and olive oil with measuring spoons, I just drizzled some into the salad, and then we tasted it to see if it needed more. We used more vinegar than oil for sure.

My kids really liked this, as did my husband. This was a no utensil night, since we ate these with our fingers.


Tuna Salad Wraps
6 stalks celery, chopped
5 radishes, thinly sliced and quartered
2 cans tuna, drained
1/2 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
Juice of 1 lemon
zest of 1/2 lemon
red wine vinegar
olive oil
salt
pepper
green leaf lettuce

Combine celery, radishes, tuna and garbanzo beans in a large bowl and mix together.
Add lemon juice and zest, a few dashes of vinegar and oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Stir together and add more vinegar, oil, or salt/pepper- to taste.

Serve on large lettuce leaves and wrap to eat.

Whole Wheat Linguine with Tuna, Spinach, Lemon, and Breadcrumbs

Here is a quick pasta dinner that we enjoyed a few weeks ago.
I saw it in an issue of Everyday Food Magazine and knew it would be quick and easy, which makes getting dinner on the table a little bit easier.

I changed a couple of things in this recipe. I used whole wheat linguine instead of normal spaghetti. I usually try to use whole wheat pasta whenever we have pasta dishes just to get some extra nutrition and whole grains into our meals. No one in my family can tell the difference between whole wheat and "normal" pasta. This isn't a picky food for us.
I used black olives instead of kalamata olives simply because I already had them in my pantry and my family likes the taste of black olives better than any other olive.
I also used albacore tuna.
I decided to wilt some spinach and add it to this dish because I wanted it to have some vegetables.

The fresh breadcrumbs and lemon flavor in this pasta really make it a winner. Everyone here really enjoyed it.
I saved the leftover breadcrumbs in a little baggie and then re-used them when I reheated the pasta that was leftover.

I also included the link to the recipe in its original form, in case making it that way sounds more appealing to you.

Whole Wheat Linguine with Tuna, Spinach, Lemon, and Breadcrumbs adapted from Everyday Food Magazine

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3/4 pound whole wheat linguine
  
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons sliced black olives
• 2 cans (6 ounces each) albacore tuna in water, drained
• 5 or 6 oz bag spinach
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse bread and 1 teaspoon oil until coarse crumbs form. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden, tossing occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Steam spinach in microwave or on stovetop. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot. Add lemon zest and juice, parsley, olives, and 1 tablespoon oil; toss, adding enough pasta water to coat. Add tuna; toss gently. Stir in wilted spinach. Serve sprinkled with breadcrumbs.

Recipe for Spaghetti with Tuna, Lemon, and Breadcrumbs

Tuna Panzanella

I've mentioned before how much I really love Panzanella aka Bread Salad. Ina's recipe is the first one that I tried and I make it quite regularly.
Basically if I ever see a variation of Panzanella, I want to try it-like this Edamame Bread Salad that I posted about a couple of months ago.

I saw this really easy version of Tuna Panzanella in an issue of Good Housekeeping and found it intriguing.
I made it for dinner back in August and was really pleased with the results. My husband really liked it and asked for seconds (picking out the tomatoes, of course), but I still saw that as a success. I packed him the leftovers in his lunch the next day and he really enjoyed it.

I only made a couple of changes- I used cherry tomatoes and added a chopped yellow bell pepper to have more veggies mixed in there (and because I knew my hubby was going to pick out the tomatoes).
The recipe claims to be ready in 30 minutes and it was. Nothing tough here. The only thing you have to do is toast the bread cubes, open a few cans, and then throw everything else together.

If you have any tomatoes or basil that need to be used and want one last taste of summer, make this today!

Recipe for Tuna Panzanella

White Bean and Arugula Pasta Salad

Do you ever get tired of the same old pasta salad type dish? I know I do.

I made this in the heat of the summer. I didn't want to turn on the oven, I wanted something that would be ready in a matter of minutes, and I wanted it to taste good.

I saw this recipe in the August issue of Southern Living Magazine. I was at the library with my kids and was thumbing through it- the picture just looked really good, and besides, sometimes you just want a dinner or dish that is easy-peasy.

This is a variation of the recipe, that was provided- which added a couple of cans of tuna, in my mind turning it into an acceptable main dish.
I had most of the items on hand, which was another plus.

The original recipe called for sun-dried tomatoes, but I didn't have any, and my husband thinks tomatoes are poisonous, so I decided I preferred that he live, so I just chopped a red bell pepper and called it good.

I usually only use whole wheat pasta, but when we were unpacking our food boxes that we brought from Utah, I found a box of the cute mini bowties, so I used those.

I love the arugula in this, which adds a nice little peppery bite, but you could also use spinach. The feta could also easily be swapped out and you could use chickpeas instead of white beans.

I couldn't remember the exact name of the recipe when I did my picture, but when I found the recipe later at myrecipes.com, I realized that I messed up the name a little bit. Oh well, you can call it whatever you want. All I know is that it was easy, tasty, and left us feeling quite satisfied.

Recipe for Pasta with White Beans and Arugula

One Year Ago- Tilapia Fish Sticks, Millet Pilaf, and Kale Chips

Greek Tuna Salad Pasta

It is really hot today. Don't you think so? We have been swimming everyday in grandma's pool and today we decided that we would go to the library. It was about 10:30 in the morning and I was thinking about what else we could do to keep ourselves busy.
I thought too soon.
We stayed at the library for 4 1/2 hours.
We missed lunch. My youngest took a nap on my lap. And I was the one who finally spoke up and said that I was hungry so we had to go.
That really has nothing to do with this post, but I just found it humorous that my children were so entertained by the library.
Now on to the food.
I made this pasta salad about 6 weeks ago. I don't remember all the things I changed about it, but as soon as I made it, I wrote down the changes to the recipe and so, the recipe below is my version of the recipe.
I added a couple extra vegetables and used whole wheat pasta.
This would be a really great option for a really hot day (like today), because you only have to boil the pasta and if you have some leftover, cooked pasta in the fridge, then you can just whisk up the dressing, have a quick lunch or dinner, and keep your house nice and cool, by avoiding the use of the oven.
I hope everyone has a great Father's Day weekend! We are grilling out and I get to make a cake! (I haven't baked a thing in 4 weeks, so I am a little excited about the cake!)

Greek Tuna Salad Pasta adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine
1 pound whole wheat penne rigate pasta

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2-3 Tbls fresh lemon juice

1- 15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cucumber, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped

1 cup matchstick carrots

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
Two 6-ounce cans solid white tuna in water, drained and broken into chunks
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain and spread onto a baking sheet to cool.

2. Meanwhile, pour the vinegar into a large bowl and whisk in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Stir in the tomatoes, cucumber, yellow pepper, and carrots. Add the pasta and parsley and toss; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tuna. Top with the feta.

Up Next- Carrot-Zucchini Muffins

Weekly Lunchbox-Blueberry Bites, Butterballs, Breadstick Mummy Dogs, Ham and Cheese Roll-ups, and Tuna-Garbanzo Salad

Welcome to another edition of our Weekly Lunchbox. We took last week off because the kids had a couple of 4 day weekends, but now we are back in business. First up are Blueberry Bites. The recipe for these cookies came in a little insert to a magazine and they looked perfect for the lunchbox. I filled some with strawberry jam, but I had leftover Raspberry Cream in the fridge from some cookies a little while ago so I used some of that as filling too. Since I was making cookies anyway, I got out the Butterballs that I didn't bake from a couple weeks ago and baked them up too. I used some of the ganache filling for both cookies and filled some of the butterballs with raspberry cream as well. Lots of choices for the lunchbox!
Next up were the Breadstick Mummy Dogs that I saw over at Picky Palate. I personally don't eat hot dogs, but my kids (and hubby) love them on occasion. I thought these were super cute and the leftovers made it to the lunchbox.
Then a simple tuna and garbanzo salad and some little roll-ups.
Enjoy!

Blueberry Bites by Gale Gand
1/2 cup unsalted butter, (1 stick) cut into pieces
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup strawberry jam
1 pint blueberries
1. Combine butter and brown sugar with hand-mixer or paddle attachment of stand mixer. Add salt, flours, and cornstarch, and mix just until dough comes together.
2. Using your hands, roll dough into a 1-inch thick log on a lightly floured surface. Cut off about 24 equal pieces and roll each into a ball.
3. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Place dough balls in nonstick mini-muffin tins. Bake until golden but not brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven.
4. While cookies are still hot, make a depression in the center of each by pressing a 1/2 teaspoon measure or the tip of a wooden spoon handle into the top. Lett cool in muffin tins, then carefully remove.
5. Fill depression with a small portion of the strawberry jam and fresh blueberries. Serve cookies the same day they are filled.

Breadstick Mummy Dogs adapted from Picky Palate
1 roll/pkg Pillsbury Breadstick dough (12 count)
12 hot dogs
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Unroll all 12 breadsticks from package. Stretch breadstick out as long as you can get it to go and wrap around 1 hot dog starting from the top of the hot dog. Leave a small space towards the top of the hotdog to make mustard eyes. Continue wrapping all dogs then place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
2. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes. Use mustard or ketchup for the eyes.

Tuna-Garbanzo Salad by Mary Ann

1 6-oz can albacore tuna

1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2 ribs celery, chopped

3-4 small tomatoes, chopped

a little less than 1/3 cup light balsamic vinagrette

dehydrated onion flakes

salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Serve with crackers.

Ham and Cheese Roll-ups by Mary Ann

1 pkg. Pillsbury reduced fat cresent rolls

8 pieces of ham or other lunchmeat

8 thin slices of cheese

baby spinach leaves (optional)

mustard (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll cresent dough and separate into 8 sections. Squeeze a a small amount of mustard on the wide end of the dough. If using spinach, place a leaf or 2 over the mustard. Roll 1 piece of cheese up in the ham and place on top of the spinach. Roll the cresent up as you normally would and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until golden.

Coming Tomorrow- Enchiladas in Pumpkin Sauce and my mom's Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Weekly Lunchbox- Popcorn Squares, Stuffed Pitas with Tuna, Egg and Corn, Italian Lentil and Bulgur Salad, and Simple Chicken Parm Sandwiches

This week's lunchbox is super yummy! The Popcorn Squares were in Family Fun magazine and I decided to rework a granola recipe I made a few weeks ago so that we could have some homemade granola but also so I could use some in this recipe. It was a favorite. The Stuffed Pita is from a really cute Annabel Karmel cookbook called Lunch Boxes and Snacks. It has some of the best lunch ideas that I have seen. I doubled this recipe because it looked great and the rest of us were able to enjoy it too.

The Lentil Bulgur Salad is yummy and unexpected, because it has Italian Seasoning, I added some cooked chicken to the leftover and it made a great snack/lunch.

And last, the Simple Chicken Parm Sandwich. I doubled Prudy's Great Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns recipe and made them into minis, so I had great buns for sandwiches. I also had some leftover chicken, marinara and provolone, so I threw them all together. Delish!

Stuffed Pitas with Tuna, Egg and Corn adapted from Annabel Karmel's Lunchboxes and Snacks

2 eggs

1 6-oz can tuna, drained

1/2 cup corn

2 Tbls fat-free mayo

1 tsp white wine vinegar

4 scallions, chopped

salt and pepper

few drops of Tabasco sauce ( I used 3 drops)

alfalfa sprouts

2 whole wheat pitas

Put the eggs in a saucepan of cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, 7-8 minutes. Drain and cool under cold water. Peel the eggs when cold.

Meanwhile, flake the tuna with a fork and mix with the corn, mayo, vinegar, scallions, salt, pepper, and Tabasco. Roughly chop the hard-boiled eggs and add the the tuna mix with the sprouts., stirring well.

Cut the pita breads in half to make four pita pockets and divide the mixture among them.

Italian Lentil-Bulgur Salad by Mary Ann

1 cup bulgur

2 Tbls fresh lemon juice

2 Tbls olive oil

1/2 English cucumber, halved and sliced

1 1/2 cup fresh green beans, blanched

1 1/2 cups brown lentils, cooked

2 Tbls fresh parsley, chopped

2 Tbls. Italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

2 small tomatoes, chopped

Boil 2 cups of water and pour over the bulgur, that is in a large bowl. Cover and let bulgur absorb water. When water is absorbed fluff bulgur with a fork. Add lemon juice and olive oil. Stir well. Add cucumber, green beans, lentils, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt and pepepr. Mix well and adjust seasoning to taste. Add tomatoes and stir gently to combine. Refrigerate.

Popcorn Squares from Family Fun Magazine
1/2 cup honey
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup homemade granola*
1 cup roasted and salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
3 cups plain popped popcorn

Step 1 Line an 8- or 9-inch square pan with foil. Heat the honey in a large saucepan until it boils, about 2 minutes. Add the peanut butter and stir until mixture is well blended.

Step 2 Remove the pan from the stove and stir in the granola, the peanuts, and the popcorn until everything is coated.

Step 3 Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Refrigerate the pan until the mixture is cool, about 30 minutes. (I refrigerated them over night and cut them in the morning).

Step 4 Cut the mixture into small squares . The treats will be a bit crumbly, so you may want to serve them in paper candy cups.

* Homemade Maple Peach Granola by Mary Ann

5 cups oats

heaping 1/3 cup wheat germ

heaping 1/3 cup flaxseed meal

1 1/4 cup macadamia, walnut, and pecan pieces

2/3 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup peach nectar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 T canola oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup raisins, or other dried fruit

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until well mixed. Spread on a large jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes, or longer, until dry. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.


Simple Chicken Parm Sandwiches by Mary Ann
whole wheat mini buns (Thank you Prudy)
cooked chicken
marinara sauce
Provolove cheese slices

Spread marinara on both sides of the bun. Fill with shredded chicken, top with cheese. Pop in the microwave until cheese is melted and sammy is warm!

Weekly Lunchbox-Rachael Ray's Bento Lunch, Feta and Pasta Salad, Homemade Lunchable, and Apple-Date Bars

Welcome to this week's lunchbox. First we have Rachael Ray's Bento Lunch which consists of Candy Sushi (isn't that fun?), Tuna Pinwheel and Cold Sesame Noodles.
Next is a really delicious pasta salad, which you make the night before,as you do most of the Bento Lunch. I also make enough for those of us who stay at home, so we can have a great lunch too. My son is always begging for Lunchables, but I think they are too expensive. not to mention, unhealthy, and really how hard would it be to cut up some cheese, use a cookie cutter on a piece of lunchmeat and throw in a veggie? So, we made our own "Lunchable" and I felt much better sending it with him, because it was less-fattening and more fun. Lastly, a healthy little snack bar- The Apple-Date Bars, a yummy little sweet treat. So, have fun this week with something a little bit tastier in your lunchbox!

Candy Sushi From Every Day with Rachael Ray

4 large marshmallows

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/2 cup rice cereal

2 cherry or strawberry twists, such as Twizzlers

2 fruit roll-ups

In a small saucepan, melt the marshmallows with the butter over low heat. Add the rice cereal and stir to coat; let cool slightly. Cut the cherry twists to the length of the fruit roll-ups. Unroll the fruit roll-ups and peel off the plastic film. Place half of the rice cereal mixture on the edge of each roll-up. Place the twists in the center of the rice mixture and roll up the candy sushi. Cut into 2-inch pieces.

Was-sup Tuna Salad Pinwheels From Every Day with Rachael Ray

1/4 teaspoon wasabi paste, a blob the size of a pea

1 tablespoon tamari (dark soy sauce), eyeball it

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 scallions, chopped

One 6-ounce can water-packed tuna, drained and flaked with a fork

1 large (10 inch) flour tortilla

1 cup fresh baby spinach

1. In a small bowl, mix the wasabi with the tamari and the oil; add the scallions and tuna and mash with a fork to combine.

2. Heat a large skillet over high heat and blister the tortilla for about 30 seconds on each side to soften and toast. Transfer the tortilla to the countertop and let cool for about 1 minute.

3. Top the tortilla with an even layer of the spinach and then the tuna salad. Fold 2 sides of the tortilla over the tuna and tightly roll up the tortilla to enclose the salad. Cut into 1-inch-thick slices to make the pinwheels.

Cold Ginger, Soy and Honey Sesame Noodles From Every Day with Rachael Ray

2 teaspoons peanut butter

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons tamari (dark soy sauce), eyeball it

1 teaspoon sesame oil (eyeball it)

1 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1/4 pound whole wheat spaghetti, cooked and rinsed under cold water

1 tablespoon light sesame seeds, toasted over medium-low heat for 3 minutes (optional)

In a medium microwavable bowl, heat the peanut butter in the microwave oven on high until melted, 15 to 20 seconds. Whisk the honey and tamari into the peanut butter, then whisk in the sesame oil and ginger. Toss the spaghetti with the sauce and top with the sesame seeds, if you want to go really groovy with the noodles.

Feta and Pasta Salad from kids' healthy lunchbox by cara hobday

1 cup whole wheat pasta

2 Tbls olive oil

6 oz reduced fat feta, cut into cubes

3 Tbls salsa

3/4 cup bottled roasted red peppers, chopped

2 zucchini, diced

1 cup fresh green beans, chopped or broken into pieces

Cook pasta according to pkg directions. Drain and rinse with cool water. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, and salsa. Add the peppers, zucchini, feta, and green beans. Stir in the pasta. season with salt and pepper and let refrigerate overnight.

Homemade Lunchable by Mary Ann

6 or more crackers (I used whole wheat Ritz)

6 slices mozzarella cheese (I cut it myself)

6 circles of low-fat lunchmeat, cut with a small round cookie cutter

very thinly sliced cucumber

Pack all slices in a plastic container and let child stack at school.

Apple-Date Bars slightly adapted from Lunch Lessons- by Ann Cooper and Lisa Holmes
5 Tbls butter, plus extra for the pan
2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

3 Tbls 2% milk

1/2 cup peeled and chopped apple

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground allspice

1/2 cup walnut pieces

1/2 cup pitted and chopped dried dates

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a 9x12-inch pan.

Cream the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the egg and milk. Stir in the apple. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, mix thoroughly. Stir in the nuts and dates. Spread the dough in the greased pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until firm to the touch. Remove from oven and all to cool for 10 minutes before cutting in 18 2x3-inch pieces.

Fon-Tuna Melts and Papaya

Here is one of the ingredients in our Tuna Melts- Anchovy Paste. It may sound a little gross, but just a little dab of this stuff adds great flavor to so many things.
A simple, yet beautiful fruit salad- strawberry, kiwi and papaya
The inside of the giant papaya
The interesting papaya that I couldn't pass up at the grocery store. It actually had a great flavor and we froze some for smoothies in the future.

Fon-Tuna Melts from Rachael Ray's magazine. These were really good. Rachael Ray doesn't like mayo, so these had a lemon juice-olive oil dressing on the tuna that we all really liked. We also used provolone cheese instead of fontina. Yum-O! (as she would say)