Tuna Salad Stuffed Tomatoes and Couscous Salad

First of all, I apologize for the hiatus.  There has been some stress in my life that has made time for blogging scarce.  That is hardly an excuse, I know, because well... when isn't there stress in one's life?  But I have to say, the past couple weeks have certainly taken the cake for this year so far.  I won't get into the details, but my job was at stake, and there was a brief period where I was sure I would have to look for another one.  All is resolved and I do not have to look for another job, thank goodness, but I found it hard to be productive when all that was going on as well.

How do you deal with stress?  I find that I do any one of a number of things, which are both productive and counterproductive.

1. I get irritable.  Now I am normally a pretty easygoing person, but when I feel overwhelmed, the people living with me know it.  I try not to take things out on people, but it's hard not to let a little spilt milk bother you when you already have so many pots boiling over on the back burners.

2. I take baths.  Even without the bubbles, sometimes it's very therapeutic to allow your muscles to relax while they soak in hot water.

3. I drink.  I'm not proud of this, but occasionally I do find solace in a bottle of 2/$10 Flip Flop Chardonnay and a bag of Doritos.

4. I cry.  This may seem counterproductive, but it's one of the easiest and most cathartic ways to let out your emotions.  Holding it in is never the answer.

5. I treat myself to things.  Like food.  And... well, mostly food.  But I don't overdo it.  Usually, it's small amounts of chocolate, or sushi, or a nice meal out.  Fast food does not bring me joy like it used to.  It's gotta be good food.

I probably did all five of these things during the past two weeks.  Another thing I did was let myself not be productive.  I knew I was too distracted to get much done, so I allowed myself to relax and have a week where I mostly watched movies and ate.  It really helped to decide to slack off for a little while, without the pressure of a to-do list looming overhead.

So for the next time I get stressed out (and I'm sure there will be a next time eventually), what are your best recommendations for de-stressing?  What works for you?



These tomatoes were something I'd ordered at a restaurant before, and they were so refreshing.  They're incredibly easy to make, and I knew they would be, so I decided to hollow out some tomaters and git 'er done.  The couscous was another recipe I made for our office barbeque last month, and although many people were not familiar with couscous at all, everyone who tried it liked it.  Success!

Tuna salad!

Mmmm, chunky.

'Maters.

Core those puppies.

Tomato bowl!  A little-known relative of the Rose Bowl.

The stuffed tomato.

Tuna Salad Stuffed Tomatoes

4 large beefsteak tomatoes

4 5-oz. cans albacore tuna in water, drained

5 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 1/2 teaspoons sweet relish

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/4 teaspoon each of: salt, pepper, all-purpose seasoning (ie. Nature's Seasoning), oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, celery seed

Mix tuna and mayonnaise in a medium bowl.  Add relish, onion, celery, and seasonings and stir until well blended.  Set aside.  Using a serrated knife, cut a circle around the top/stem of each tomato, the size you want the opening of your tomato "bowl" to be.  With your fingers, twist the piece you just cut until it pops off.  Using a metal spoon, scoop out the core, seeds, and pulp from the inside.  (Eat whatever you remove if desired. :] )  Pour all juice out of tomatoes so the inside of the tomato is empty.  Fill each tomato with tuna salad.  Serves 4.

Couscous - so nice they named it twice.

The meal.  The two go very nicely together, and this is a dinner that is very healthy and filling.  Cucumber flowers are optional.

Couscous Salad

1 5.8-oz. box couscous mix (I used Near East Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil)

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 large cucumber, diced

1/2 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

Prepare couscous per instructions on box.  Allow to cool while vegetables are chopped.  Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.  Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.