Good Eats in the Empty Nest

Sometimes, I struggle to get motivated to cook. Do you? When the weather starts warming up, I tend to fix a lot of salads and sandwiches for our evening meals. I’m always looking to incorporate all of the delicious in-season fruit as well! Today I’m sharing one of our warm-weather favorites – a shrimp salad sandwich with a side of that nutritional powerhouse – blueberries. This meal is cool, refreshing, and good for you!
I pulled this recipe from our local newspaper years and years ago, and it has stood the test of time with our family. I’ve linked some of my kitchen tools in the recipe below. Once the kids left, I realized some of my tired old kitchen gadgets needed to be replaced. They served me well, but a refreshment was in order!

Shrimp Salad Sandwiches
1 lb. cooked shrimp (I buy the pre-cooked, frozen.)
1 c. celery (finely chopped)
½ c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp. pepper
1 loaf rustic bread or hoagie rolls
8 leaves butter lettuce

In a large bowl, mix defrosted and well-drained shrimp, chopped celery, mayo, lemon juice, Old Bay, and pepper. Toast bread or hoagie rolls in the oven at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Assemble the sandwiches by placing a lettuce leaf on bread or hoagie roll, then topping it with the shrimp mixture and an additional lettuce leaf on top. (Makes four sandwiches.)

I am a berry lover and blueberries are my absolute favorite! At only 80 calories a cup, blueberries provide a quarter of the recommended daily dose of vitamin C, along with fiber. Raspberries come in at only 65 calories a cup and are also high in vitamin C. Sprinkle a little stevia on top if your heart desires!

Blessings,

P.S. We eat more simply in the empty nest (healthier too), and we’ve actually (shockingly!) had some fun cooking together! Have you found this too? Since men love gadgets, I’ve invested in a few that have made Bob excited to pitch in and help. I’m sharing them below in case you need a dose of motivation (or just a fun new gadget for your man)! xoxo