Let's Talk Tuna

 Okay, rolling of shoulders and clapping of hands.  Let's talk about something other than dementia, dead parents and all of that. I used to be fun.  Sigh.

We'll start with some controversy: I make Kevin's lunch every day.  I know, how mid-century housewife of me, right?

I've always done it and it's how most of our families do it.  There are days that I just want to hand him $10 and be done, for sure.  But if I did that, we'd be poor.  If I left him to his own devices, he would have cheese and crackers and grapes every day.

Also, and I have found this to be true, he says "It tastes better when someone else makes it."

Since Graves Disease and two bouts of COVID, he doesn't eat much anymore.  But I worked with young children for so many years that his lunch box looks like a toddler filled it.  Grapes, chips, crackers, luna bars, the occasional cookie. 

His current fixation meal is tuna sandwiches.  It was turkey deli sandwiches before that.   I had gotten to the point of hating making turkey deli sandwiches when he switched.  Now I'm starting to loathe tuna.

Anyway, he eats a half-sandwich every day.  Sometimes if he's called away or just doesn't want a packed lunch, he will share with his crew.  For instance, there's always an extra half on Friday.  He leaves it for his Saturday guy and  it doesn't go to waste.  Or he'll offer it to the office girl whose pregnant with her first baby.

Kevin has mentioned that "everyone" says how good the sandwiches are, which is nice but it's just a simple tuna sandwich.  How difficult can it be?

Not everyone  has been shown how to make a tuna sandwich.  It's just one of the things that my mom showed me as it seems like tuna sandwiches were her love language.  

Well, it occurred to me that while I was taught how to make these, I don't make them like that anymore.  They have evolved, if you will.  Not to Top Chef level because c'mon, it's me.  I'm out if a recipe states "crush the garlic clove" or "carmelize the onions"

So, here's how I do it:

• Canned tuna in water.  I can't with the plastic containers, so much waste and more crap in landfills.
• Drain and break apart with a fork.  I hate, hate, hate big chunks of tuna.  
• Dice up dill hamburger-style pickles.  My mom used relish...or, are you ready?  Sandwich spread. *hork*  (if you don't know what that is, click here)    **This part makes me...forgive the pun...stabby but it reduces sugar and tastes better than relish)**
• Mix the pickles with the tuna.  I tend to do more rather than less.
• I'm not picky about mayonnaise. But I try to do less rather  than more. Over mayo'd tuna is gross.
•  I mix into the mayonnaise: onion flakes, black pepper, and a little bit of celery salt.
• Mix it all together.  Add more mayo if you think it needs it.  However, like  spaghetti is better the next day, so it tuna.  Be cautious.

We use wheat bread only.  Kevin's adverse to whole-grain.  We've also used whole wheat deli buns but those are getting difficult to find.  (and that's a lot of bread but he'd only eat half)

Now it's over to you.  Everyone seems to make tuna sandwiches differently.  What's your go-to recipe?