Good Deviled Eggs

Who doesn't love a good deviled egg? Is a "good" "deviled" egg an oxymoron? What exactly makes them so devilish? Is it the fact that I want to eat all 12 of them? We happened to have an abundance of eggs and I felt like making some. Plus, summer weather makes me think of picnic food. And everyone knows that any good picnic will have deviled eggs. Just in time for Memorial Day.

Here's the recipe I used as a guide, courtesy of Emeril Lagasse:

Ingredients

• 6 eggs, hard boiled, cooled, and peeled
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I used regular mustard)
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped chives (you can omit them, I happened to have some)
• 4-6 squirts of hot pepper sauce (I used Franks Red Hot)
• Paprika
• Salt and pepper 

Directions

Slice all hard boiled eggs in half lengthwise and pop out cooked egg yolks into a bowl. Set aside empty egg white halves. Using a fork, work the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, chives, hot sauce and salt and pepper into the yolks to form a smooth paste. Taste. Add more hot sauce, salt or pepper if desired. Place this mixture in a baggie and cut the corner off (or use a pastry bag). Fill the egg white halves with the egg yolk filling. Top with paprika.

I could have made my filling look more decorative and less "blobby" if I used a pastry bag and star tip, but a baggie was so quick and easy to throw away after. I was also in a hurry to eat these bad boys, so I didn't care how they looked.

Enjoy!

Bathroom Remodel Reveal *Preview*

I am very excited to share this sneak preview of how beautifully our bathroom remodel turned out! I know some of you have been anxiously awaiting a progress update. I apologize for the delay. Christy, this one's for you! We are 99% done with our bathroom and it is working wonderfully. Whoo hoo! A "HUGE Rochester HUGE" thank-you to my amazing husband who did a tremendous amount of work, as well as our expert, Jesse. And me, the mastermind behind the design. All we have left is the trim. I would love to share more photos and details, but hopefully this will hold you over until I can post more and give our bathroom project the spotlight it deserves. We are VERY happy with how it turned out. I especially love my tablecloth-turned-shower-curtain. What do you think? More to come!

Name That Flower

These beautiful perennial "bell" flowers have started blooming (and multiplying) in my garden. Aren't they unique? I love the speckled detail inside each flower. I can't remeber the name of them though. Anyone know what these are? We planted 3 of them, two summers ago, and they have been spreading ever since. I'm just glad they keep coming back. Leave a comment if you know their name...

 

Thanks to Jo's comment, I learned that these are Digitalis Purpurea, also known as Foxglove. Look at this great vintage drawing I found here while doing some further research. It's a good size image, maybe nice for a framed art piece. 

Lilac Festival 2010

We went to the Lilac Festival on Saturday afternoon. The lilac's bloomed fairly early this year. This was the last official weekend of the festival, and there weren't as many blossoms left (probably due in part to fluctuating cold weather). We did see some beautiful fragrant blooms and enjoyed walking around Highland Park. It was nice to stop and smell the roses lilacs.

Tile, Tile and More Tile

Hello Friends! I have been MIA for a few days, working feverishly with my husband on our bathroom project. Nothing like an upcoming visit from the in-laws to speed up productivity! I don't have photos to share with you just yet. But here are a few items I have become well acquainted with over the past few days.

Trowel: any of various tools having a flat blade with a handle, used for depositing and working mortar, plaster, etc.

 Mortar: a mixture of lime or cement or a combination of both with sand and water, used as a bonding agent between bricks, stones, etc. (seriously dries out your hands)

Ceramic Tile, 3 inch by 6 inch, bright snow white. About 480 of these babies. That's right.

Tile Spacers: used to evenly space wall tile. (Tiny little things that tend to fall out. Repeatedly.)

The shower is starting to look good. We have a ways to go though. I'll have a full recap once it's finished. In the meantime, here is my twist on a classic song that currently fits my feelings about tiling:

"Tile" (A.K.A. "Smile")

Tile though your heart is aching
Tile even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by
If you tile through your fear and sorrow
Tile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through for you

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying
Tile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just tile

Happy Mother's Day!

My Mom, my Friend.

Caretaker, Encourager, Prayer Warrior.

Creative, Spirited, Hardworking, Loyal.

Stylish, Thoughtful, Kindhearted, Fun.

Shopping Buddy, Faithful Servant, Teacher.

Laughs, Songs, Love.

Meals, Walks, Talks.

Cards, Calls, Photographs.

Wife, Mother, Nana.

So Much of My Heart.

So Thankful for You.

I Love You Mom. 

Happy Mother's Day!

Three Tulips, Two Cats

Three pretty pink tulips brightened my day. As you can see, they were the lucky ones that didn't fall prey to whatever animal ate the heads right off the ones next to them! Maybe tulips are as delicious as they are beautiful.

Here are my two favorite felines, who also brighten my day (when they're not getting into trouble).

They are finally getting along. Lacey, in the foreground, prefers to nap, undisturbed, in a sunny or quiet spot. She's usually scared of guests in our home, and hides. This has given her a terrible reputation for being unfriendly, especially to little ones with loud voices. But she's really such a good cat and loves to cuddle with us on a blanket or our laps.

Lacey was our only cat until we introduced Chancho almost one year ago. He is anything but shy. He lives for affection and wants it 24/7. A curious and friendly guy, who likes to cuddle and play, but has a short attention span. His fur is incredibly soft (and unfortunately long). He makes us laugh and we like having him around.

Even though Lacey hated him the moment she laid eyes on him, thankfully that has changed. I wouldn't say they're best friends yet, but at least they will sit relatively close to one another, which a year ago, didn't look like it would happen. I think deep down, Lacey is happy to have a friend and playmate. Even if he does take her favorite spot in the window and provokes her to wrestle.

"They are releasing their wiggles." - Nacho Libre

Chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

I just made a batch of these delicious cookies - yum! I found the recipe at allrecipes.com 
I dropped rounded tablespoons of the dough, and it yielded about 24 cookies. I also chilled the dough in the refrigerator for half an hour before putting them in the oven, for easier scooping and to keep them from spreading too thin while baking. 10 minutes seemed to be the perfect time. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup peanut butter chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; gradually stir into the butter mixture. Mix in peanut butter chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Cool for 1 minute before placing on wire racks to cool completely.