You've heard me rant about our dreadful peanut butter & jelly lunches we had growing up. I don't stand alone in hating the memory of having to choke down the dryness. My little brother would heartily agree. Lunches would often drag on for 2 hours because we weren't allowed to leave the table until we'd eaten our entire sandwich. One bright summer day holds this memory...
I had managed to ingest my sandwich, but my brother (in tears) was laboring over his outside at the picnic table. Dad had given him a time limit. If his sandwich wasn't eaten within that time-frame, he was going to be disciplined. His task seemed insurmountable and his world appeared to be approaching an end.
Nearby, a raven was watching the whole ordeal. Have you heard the saying "one man's trash is another man's treasure?" I'll rewrite that to fit this scene: "one boy's scraps is a raven's envied delicacy." After gazing at the sandwich for several minutes, the raven couldn't help himself. He swooped down and snatched that sandwich right off my brother's plate. To fly off with the sandwich must've presented too high a risk, so the raven landed on the ground and ripped into his cherished meal just feet away from us.
I can't say my brother was entirely unhappy about this. It's like God had looked down on his misery and provided relief in the strangest form, along with freakish entertainment for us all. No one told us it was a bad idea to pet a raven and the bird was so close, it just had to be done. So, yes, we stroked it, fed it grasshoppers, played with it's beak, chased it around the yard and let it pluck at our shoe laces. Who knew ravens could make such great pets? Each time we entered the house that afternoon, he would hang by the window and watch us until we came back outside. Bizarre? I think so!
Darkness fell that day and none of us wanted to retire for bed. Who wants to go to bed when you can play with a dangerous bird instead? But the demands of bedtime came and we headed inside, whispering prayers that the bird would remain in our yard until the next morning. But the sun rose again and he was nowhere to be found. And today he's just a distant extraordinary memory.
Moral to this story? Ravens love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Who knew? But time to ditch the p & b story. The only time these sandwiches are great, in my opinion, is when they entice ravens into becoming your pet for the day.
Chicken salad sandwiches, though? So good! This is one of my favorite sandwich recipes. The combined flavors are fabulous and it's so satisfying and refreshing. A great summer lunch. It's simple to throw together and won't disappoint.
Enjoy and while you eat it, share your outlandish summer story with a friend!
"...the word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart - that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."
Romans 10:8-10
Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Prep time: 20 min.
Yield: 12 sandwiches
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken (about 3 breasts)
- 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 - 3/4 tsp. pepper
- 2 medium celery stalks, chopped
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 2/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients; feel free to adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. For best results, refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
- Serve with 12 whole wheat buns. Add spinach to your sandwich for extra greatness!
*Little tip: Don't cube the chicken. The texture is so much better when the chicken is shredded!
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