I am the youngest of three children. Our momma taught my older sister, the home economics queen, all the good stuff when we were growing up. She was the one who helped cook dinner, while I was relegated to clean-up duty and mundane chores like peeling potatoes - I didn’t even get to mash them. Finally, around the age of 11, I’d had enough.
“I want to make something all by myself without any help. Pleeeeeze?”
Momma thought about this for a minute and made the all-important decision – she would allow me to make deviled eggs, something she figured I’d be hard put to make into a disaster. Let me tell you, I have a forte for disasters in the kitchen, but those are other stories. There I was, 11 years old, boiling eggs and getting the ingredients prepped.
“How long does it take for eggs to be hard boiled, Momma?” I yelled from the kitchen.
"About 10 minutes after the water starts boiling,” she answered from the next room.
“K”
I was blustering around the kitchen, so excited I could barely contain myself. I was cooking! I’d demanded my sister leave the room entirely and asked Momma if she’d sit in the adjoining dining room in case I needed her. She was agreeable to this arrangement. I’m not sure at what point in the making of the eggs I was so keyed up to actually be cooking that I fainted. Yep, keeled over right there in the kitchen. Slump, slam, thump, I fell to the linoleum. Next thing I know I’m waking up on the floor with a cold washcloth on my face and my sister and mother’s worried faces looking down at me.
“Wha’ happened?”
“You fainted.”
“I did?”
“Yes, you did. Now I have to finish the eggs,” my sister complained.
“Noooo, I want to do it. Please let me finish, y’all can sit and watch me, stand beside me, I don’t care. I want to make just one thing in my life by myself,” I pleaded dramatically.
I finally got the two of them to agree and the rest of the day is shrouded in mystery. I suppose it was so uneventful it was not memorialized in my mind. That was the first time I made deviled eggs.
I have since perfected deviled eggs to the point where now if there is a family gathering, a conversation with my sister will go something like this.
“You comin’ for Easter this year?” - My sister’s heartfelt invitation.
I hear her husband in the background. “Tell her to bring those deviled eggs of hers, and bring more than the 48 she brought last time – make THREE dozen this time.” I hear him laugh after he yells this.
“OK, we’ll be there with 72 deviled eggs in hand.” I answer.
“She’s comin’ with her eggs!” She hollers with the phone away from her mouth.
“Awesome!” he happily answers. I seriously believe we wouldn’t be invited if it weren’t for the deviled eggs.
Every time we get together, it’s always the same. Bring those eggs you make, or You bringin’ your eggs? or What is in those eggs? I’ve made them for a couple of potluck dinners since we moved to Rockport and now I’m getting the same thing here. Those eggs you make are so good; will you please bring them again? So I do and gosh-darn if word hasn’t gotten around.
Now you’re wondering what’s so special about Roxie’s deviled eggs. I believe it’s a couple of things. #1 is that I use farm fresh eggs I buy from a young man who has chickens running around wild in his rather large out-in-the-country yard. I pay $2.00 for a dozen and they come in light blue to a dark sack brown with several hues in between. They range in sizes from teeny to gargantuan. I don’t care what color or size they are because they’re the richest, most wonderful tasting eggs you’ll ever find. My recipe follows and you can double, triple or quadruple it if you wish. It’s tattered and torn and has all these math calculations over the top portion for those times when I make huge amounts for family gatherings or the giant potluck down the street. They taste slightly sweet but have a mild tang and are delicious. I think the olive on top adds a nice touch, too.
ROXIE’S DEVILED EGGS
Items needed for 12 deviled eggs:
6 hard-boiled eggs (large and farm fresh if you can find them)
3 tablespoons real not lite mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Splenda or sugar (I use Splenda)
1 teaspoon honey mustard dressing
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
6 pimento-stuffed green olives cut in half
paprika
To boil eggs, place eggs in enough cold water to cover completely, bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
Reduce heat to a lower medium boil and cook an additional10-12 minutes. (I find that I have to cook the farm-fresh eggs a little longer, not sure why.)
Promptly chill eggs so yolks stay bright yellow.
Remove shells from eggs, and halve lengthwise with a knife.
Carefully remove the yolks, and place in a medium bowl.
Mash yolks with a fork and add the next five ingredients, up to the green olives. Mix well.
Very carefully spoon mixture back into the egg white halves.
Place one of the pimento-stuffed green olive halves on top of the egg and gently smoosh down. Add a light sprinkling of paprika for color and presto, you have yourself a treat.
Enjoy!
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