Bless The Mothers Of Bygone Days!! My Mother's Kicked Up Contribution!!

As I have mentioned in past posts, I am very envious of cooks who have recipes from their mothers, fathers, grandparents, etc. that have been shared through the years. I have also mentioned no one in my family really was what you would call a cook. I have no family recipes that bring back wonderful memories of family gatherings. My mother could have cared less about cooking or passing down memories. We were not even allowed to cook and make a mess. I am guessing that is why I do what I do.

My mother did, however have a few simple "recipes" if you want to call them that, that she made over and over and over again. She did use celery and onion salt and garlic salt in everything, whether it needed it or not. Bless her heart she did try and kept us fed on a very tiny food budget. One of the things she made in that over and over rotation was tuna and egg salad for sandwiches. Not separate, mixed together with onion salt, chopped celery, garlic salt and Miracle whip. For many years after I left home, I could not look at tuna. But then I needed to cook on a tiny budget myself and tuna showed up in my life again. Maybe mothers did know best. It was healthy, cheap and my family would even eat it, well some of them......

Through the years I, of course, doctored up the recipe, making it more interesting and every once in a while, it comes back in my meal rotation.

Here is what I do:

1 can/seasoned packet of a good quality tuna, this is important

3 large hard-boiled eggs, diced

2/3 cup of diced celery, preferably inner stalks including leaves

2 Tbsp. of a lite ranch dressing

1 heaping teaspoon of dijon mustard or mustard of choice

1/4 cup of mayonnaise of choice, we use Hellmann's in our house

I don't use any extra seasonings, of course that is up to you

Mix well and refrigerate at least several hours

Ways I serve this salad:

Sandwiches, stuffed in lettuce leave rolls, stuffed in a tomato, with crackers, as is or even in a pasta salad combo