Thanks Mom

I have always loved to cook and bake for as long as I can remember. As a little girl, I can still remember standing beside my mom as she made dinner. I watched everything she did. The magical way that she would turn ingredients into something  full of deliciousness. Some days, I can still see her in my heart, standing at the stove barefooted, with both of her big toes up in the air(something that I have inherited) and singing or humming as she worked her magic. 

Most of the time, unless she was trying a new recipe from my Aunty Gerty, or something that she had somewhere, she rarely used measuring spoons and cups. She just would "eye ball" the amount of ingredients that she would use. 

The first thing that she taught me to make were scrambled eggs. I stood on a chair in the kitchen right next to her.( I did the same thing for my daughter) Using one of her wooden spoons, I kept slowly stirring the yellow liquid around in the pan until the liquid magically became more and more solid. From  that moment,I was hooked!

I remember trying to make over easy fried eggs for my dad, which is something that I still have not mastered.

We would put a spoonful of bacon fat in the cast iron pan and then crack the egg right into the melted fat. Bacon fat! My mom always had a can of the jelled fat near the stove. My dad loved eggs, especially hers.
My favorite of her egg dishes were her deviled eggs. I love deviled eggs! My mom, even when she forgot how to make some of her other fabulous dishes, she still could make her eggs. They were always the first things that got gobbled up at any party which she so lovingly made them for.
I figured that I would share her recipe and hopefully you will be able to duplicate them. No measuring spoons were used, just eyeballing.
When I get going, I am always doing more than one thing at a time, so, I decided to try something new. I decided to use my rice steamer as an egg cooker. I wasn't sure how they would come out, but, they were perfect and the peeled so easily! No standing over the pot waiting for the water to boil. I will do it this way from now on.
I set the timer for about 17 minutes.  I don't know why that time, I just like the number I guess...but they came out perfectly, and I was able to go off and not worry about them.

Once they have cooled off, slice length wise and place the yokes in a bowl and mash them all up. Okay, here is where the "eyeballing " comes into play.

Add some of  your favorite mayonnaise, a squeeze of mustard, some sweet or dill pickle relish. Mix until well incorporated. Put the mixture into the egg halves sprinkle with a bit of paprika...and refrigerate for about 1/2 hour to get chilled,  arrange and serve.