Deviled Eggs

On Easter Sunday 2011, I made Deviled Eggs for the very first time in all of my 32 years.  I simply Googled "deviled eggs" and got a zillion possible links and chose the most appealing to me - why, Rachael Ray, of course!  I posted the link to Rachael's Deviled Eggs on my Twitter feed on Sunday and wanted to come back here with the nitty gritty.

Here we go! Step 1!

I boiled them exactly as directed, covered, then put them in ice water for 20 minutes and sure enough, just like "they" say, there was no weird greenish-gray at the edge of the cooked yolk.

As for taste, they turned out great, says hubby and daughter, with one minor exception: slightly too much salt in the finished product.  Note:  Son and Mommy did not partake in the deviled egg feast.  This is the problem with serving food that has not been taste-tested before hitting the table, and it is a big problem!  It tasted like a salt lick and I had no idea because I never even tasted it myself.  Ewww...deviled eggs?  No thanks!  I mentioned in a previous post - the husband is my best food sampler and yet I did not utilize him this time, to my own demise.  Although he ate them just fine.  Poor guy!

Left-Handed Cooking

My daughter loves to cook with me. Last night she helped me with the hard boiled eggs for Easter and with making Orange Chicken for dinner. Her job: shred the carrots. Yikes!

Safety lesson and shredding demo completed, I set her up and anxiously watched her begin. I was so afraid that she was going to shred her tiny five year old fingers right off that I missed one tiny detail - she's left-handed. No wonder she started out so awkwardly, jarring the carrot into the grating plane and punching the carrot through the holes rather than grating.

There are such valuable lessons to teach children in cooking. The prospect excites me because my daughter and son are both eager students. With two left-handed children, the kitchen may be where mommy becomes ambidextrous!

Cook With Me

I love the process of bringing ingredients together to make a delicious meal, feed people and make them happy.  My husband is the best food sampler and usually my biggest fan.  He is honest and raves when I've hit the mark, but he also lets me know when something isn't quite up to snuff (in the most loving way possible, of course).  Then I know I need to do some tweaking to the recipe, or sometimes throw it out of my repertoire altogether!

In the Works Now
I'm working on a post for you about how to roast green chilies and make your own Chili Rellano Casserole.  It's my mom's recipe, and it's muy bueno!  So stay tuned!




A sneak preview:

Roasting green chilies!

Sundays are Made for...

Big breakfasts.
Big breakfasts outside in glorious 70 degree temperatures.
Family.
Grandma and Grandpa.
Teaching the kids how to play tee-ball.
Watching the kids eat popcorn balls and make a huge mess.  Outside.
Crossing lingering projects off the ever-present list.
Laundry.
Naptime.
Mama and Papa relax-time.  Outside in glorious 77 degree temperatures.
Laundry.
Board games.
Finally buying the dining table and chairs to complement our dining room.
Laundry.
Grilling Sunday dinner.
Family.
Kids bedtime.
Laundry.
Mama and Papa relax-time.
Yep, I think that just about sums up my Sunday.  And a super one at that.

Workin' In My Cowboy Hat

Hey ya'll!

It has been a dream of mine for many years to pursue my writing career, to be able to freelance in the writing and editing worlds, to make my own schedule and be my own boss.  After much internal debate and long conversations with my husband, I quit my job and am following my dreams.  So here I sit today in my newly set up home office working away, typing proposals for freelancing work, brainstorming blog ideas and my "great american novel" concept.

And oh by the way, I'm wearin' a cowboy hat.  If you knew me, your first question might be, "WHY?"  I'm glad you asked, because I'm going to tell you why!  At first I thought it was wonderful that we did not actually NEED window coverings of any kind.  We don't have neighbors behind or beside us that can peer into our windows.  The occassional car passing on the highway can steal a quick glance in our kitchen window from afar.  That's no biggie if you ask me.  They are driving 65 mph out there so what could they possibly see?  Being able to have access to the cool country view by day and stellar city lights by night was a big plus.  But, when I went in search of a wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun out of my eyes so I could continue to work this afternoon, I realized there  was a benefit to installing window shades.  Not to mention two other weighty benefits:  energy efficiency and blackout options for the kids' rooms.  My mission this morning was to hit up all the stores and get some quotes.  I should only be working in my cowboy hat in the late afternoons for a few weeks longer.  I do like to say ya'll though.  That'll probably make an appearance every now and again.

For now, happy trails!
M.

Workin' in my cowboy hat