July 25, 2010 Long Time No See

It almost looks as though I took the whole month of July off.  Well, from my blog, at least, I guess that's nearly true.  I've been doing some traveling, working and planning for fall, so I haven't spent much time in the kitchen other than making some of the foods I've already posted and some that aren't really all that interesting (baked chicken, steamed broccoli, etc.).

During my vacation travels in California, my mother did most of the cooking.  Since my mom is an AMAZING cook, I would have been a fool to spend any time in the kitchen myself, except to eat.  You just don't say no to that kind of pampering.

I discovered a few more ready-made items to suit my dietary needs, too, but I won't bore you with the details (unless you ask), since they don't really involve cooking. 

Last night, while I was watching "Julie and Julia" for the first time, I got hungry (who wouldn't?) and skipped to the kitchen to see what I could find to munch on.  I've been on vacation, and I like to leave as little as possible in the fridge when I'm away, so there really wasn't that much left in there that was already prepared.  I did have eggs, though, so I decided to make some deviled eggs.

Today's Find:  Eggs

Simple Deviled Eggs
hard-boiled eggs
mayonnaise
minced garlic
paprika
salt, to taste

Once your eggs are hard boiled (at least 2 minutes at a rolling boil) and cooled, peel them, rinse and dry them with a paper towel.  Slice each egg in half and pop the yolks into a medium-size bowl.  For every 2 eggs, add one tablespoon of mayonnaise and 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic.  If you've boiled 4 eggs, that's 2 tablespoons of mayo and 1 teaspoon of garlic.  If you don't have minced garlic, use garlic powder.  Mix together with a fork.  I'm never willing to mess up my electric beater just for this little bit, but if you feel ambitious or make a large batch, go right ahead.  Beaters make the mixture much fluffier. Add salt to taste, but beware that the mayo will already add salt to the mix.  Scoop the mixture into the egg white halves until it's all gone and sprinkle the tops with paprika.  That's it.

Sometimes I get creative and add other ingredients to the yolk mix, such as taco seasoning or oregano to give it a little ethnic pop, or even tiny tomato slivers for decoration.  Use your imagination.

Try it.  You don't have to wait for a party to have party food, and the next time you go to one, you'll have something delicious to offer.

Donations are welcome, because while I'm writing this, I'm not working.