By Teri Cayton
The Parsons Advocate
Isn’t it crazy when you hear a song from your past and it transports you right back to that time? A friend of mine sent me a video of Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show singing Sylvia and that song took me right back to my teens. The only problem is now it is stuck in my head and I catch myself singing it all the time.
If you are a Baby Boomer, someone born in the 1950’s, you should have heard this song at least once. If not you should Google it and listen to some real music. Music these days doesn’t have a story behind it and that is a real shame, I think it is just a bunch of noise.
I love the music from my era and it is like smelling something that reminds you of your past, the smell of real Christmas trees, mom baking bread, or fresh mown grass. Hearing those songs is just the same, it is a way of remembering things long gone; like your first love, playing in a mud hole after a spring rain or just hanging out with friends around a campfire. Momma Said, “Catch hold of those memories and they will keep you young.”
I really like the nostalgic feeling I get when I hear something that reminds me of my youth. Maybe I am getting to a stage in my life when I feel I am wasting time not getting out and doing some of the things I did when I was younger. Mom never slowed done until she finally got too sick to do anything and I admired her for that. She was and still is my hero.
Tuna Greek Salad
INGREDIENTS
- 2 (2.6-ounce) packages StarKist Selects E.V.O.O.® Yellowfin Tuna with Sun-dried Tomatoes
- 8 CUPS mixed romaine and red leaf lettuce torn into bite-sized pieced
- 1 CUP cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 yellow pepper sliced
- 1 cucumber halved and sliced
- 2 CUPS cooked pasta such as fusilli, rotini or cavatappi
- ½ CUP kalamata olives pitted
- ¼ red onion sliced
- ½ CUP feta cheese crumbled
- ⅓ CUP Greek salad dressing store-bought or see below
GREEK DRESSING:
- 2 TABLESPOONS red wine vinegar
- 1 TABLESPOON Dijon mustard
- 2 TABLESPOONS fresh oregano chopped
- ⅓ CUP extra virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Soak the sliced onion in water for about 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. (This will remove the harsh flavor and aftertaste of the onions.) Drain the onions and dry well with a clean kitchen towel.
- Place the romaine and red leaf lettuces in a large salad bowl. Add the StarKist Selects E.V.O.O.® Yellowfin Tuna with Sun-dried Tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, yellow pepper, cucumber, pasta, kalamata olives and red onions.
- To make the dressing, whisk the vinegar, Dijon mustard and oregano together in a bowl. Add the oregano and whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Drizzle the dressing over the top of the salad and toss the ingredients together. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve.