So, for the last three weeks I've been doing all kinds of things to write about on the blog...but I've not had time to write! So now I've got a surplus of subjects, and a shortage of time. :/ Oh well! That's life. :)
Last month I did this project for my calling at church as an Activity Days Leader (for girls 8-11). I'd been looking for another way for them to practice their Articles of Faith. We've played great games and stuff (like Article of Faith Spoons: a favorite of the girls'), but once in a while you just need to change it up! So I found this pin for a free Article of Faith Flashcards printable! They are so cute! And the girls loved them so much that they are currently making their own. I made a few sets to use at an activity, but the girls really wanted to take them home. So now they're making them, too!
So one side has a picture and some key words along with the AoF number, and the back side has the whole thing written out.
I just cut them out and pasted them onto black cardstock. Then punched a hole and tied them together with a little piece of twine.
To the person who took the time and effort to make this adorable printable AND make it available for free, I say thank you soooooooo much!!! This has been a great blessing to the girls in our program! So thank you for sharing your talents with us!
Ok...so something else that I've been doing as lot of lately is....Deviled Eggs.
Back-story: I used to HATE them! I thought they were of the Devil (see what I did there??? Ha!). Seriously though, I thought they were disgusting! In fact, I don't remember having ever liked them until about a year ago. I was pregnant with my 3rd child. In fact, I was VERY pregnant! Probably about 8 months along. (Now, those of you who have been in my shoes may know that pregnancy can do some weird things to your taste buds...) I went to a baptism at church. It was after lunchtime, and somehow I had not had time to eat lunch before we went. But they had food afterward. I was quite hungry by this time, so I meandered over to the table, being careful not to be the first one up and grabbing food, but trying not to let too many people get ahead of me either. They had some lunchmeat and salads and other such foods. Then there we're these deviled eggs...I don't know what possessed me (teehee) to grab one, but I did. I ate all my other food before I ate it, but once I did...oh my gosh!!! I was in heaven!!! Throwing all etiquette aside, I raced over to the table to see if there were any more. I shamelessly took the last 2. And then I came home and found a recipe and learned how to make them for myself. Then I made them over and over again for a couple of weeks. ;)
So here it is! This is the recipe I use when I get on a deviled egg kick. I have taken a few things from different recipes and put them together to make it work for me.
Deviled Eggs
6 eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp white vinegar (or a little less depending on taste. I usually use slightly less)
1 tsp spicy brown mustard (or whatever mustard you have on hand)
1/8 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Paprika (for sprinkling on top)
Of course, you can always double the recipe if you're making them for a crowd!
Here's the step-by-step:
Step 1: Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with enough water that there's about 1-1 1/2 inches of water above the eggs. Add a splash of vinegar to help keep the whites from making a huge mess if one of the shells crack. (This really does help! It happened to me!)
Step 2: Heat on the stove-top on high heat until the water begins to boil. Then cover, and turn the heat to low. Cook on low for 1 minute.
Step 3: Remove from heat, and let it sit covered for 14 minutes.
Step 4: While you're waiting for your eggs to cook, mix the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper together in a mixing bowl, and set aside for later.
Step 5: When 14 minutes is up, take the eggs out of the pan and place them in a separate bowl. Run cold water over them continuously for 1 min.
Step 6: Crack & peel the eggshells. (Always crack & peel from the big side of the egg first. There is an air pocket on that side that makes it much easier!)
Step 7: I usually rinse my peeled eggs to get the rest of the shell pieces off. Then I pat them dry with a paper towel, and cut them in half lengthwise.
Step 8: Pop the yolks out of the egg white and into your mixing bowl that has the mayonnaise and mustard mixture in it. Place the empty egg whites on a serving platter.
Step 9: Mash the yolks into a fine crumble, and stir it all in with the other ingredients (it's ok if it's still a little lumpy).
Step 10: Roll the top of a ziploc bag over your hand while your hand is acting like it's holding a cup, and scoop the mixture into it. When it's full, twist the end closed and cut off one of the bottom corners of the baggie to make a hole.
Now you can use it like a piping bag and just squirt the yolk mixture into the egg whites. This makes it much cleaner and easier to portion evenly, compared to spooning it into the egg whites.
Last, but not least: sprinkle with paprika!
Holy yum!!!!! So delicious! I know it looks like a lot of steps, but it's really easy once you've done it a couple of times. The hardest thing for me was getting the eggs cooked just right. (Since you never really know until you open one up.) But this method has worked for me EVERY TIME. That's why I'm sharing it with you! But you may find you need to tweak it a little based on your stove, your altitude, or any number of circumstances that are different from mine. But I got my timing through trial and error and a lot of internet searches! ;) So I hope it helps someone out.
As Chara has mentioned a couple of times now, if you have any ideas of things you would like to see us try for you, let us know! Leave a comment. We would love to be your guinea pigs!
