Quoted // Sally Clarkson

"All people need a place where their roots can grow deep and they always feel like they belong and have a loving refuge. And all people need a place that gives wings to their dreams, nurturing possibilities of who they might become."
-- Sally Clarkson, The Lifegiving Home

Easy Entertaining // Deviled Eggs with Bacon

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! Need a last minute appetizer? Here you go!

We love deviled eggs over here. Every time I make them, they are gone in a blink. So, I always double the amount I make for next time. Guess what? It doesn't matter. They still disappear. Anyway, it's another easy appetizer to keep in your back pocket because the ingredients are simple, and typically on hand. But your presentation can make them look fancy and impressive. 

For whatever reason, I think most people either forget about this option, or think they are difficult to make. That being said, if you show up with a platter of these babies at your next party, you are basically going to win the appetizers.

Here's the basic recipe and a few tips and tricks to make them even easier.

Deviled Eggs with Bacon

Hard Boiled Eggs
Mayo
Mustard
Paprika
Bacon

For the hard boiled eggs, I follow Martha's recipe and it's foolproof. The trick is to really wait for a full boil, not just a simmer before pulling them off the heat.

Once the eggs are cool, cut the eggs in half as evenly as you can. Dump the yolks into a bowl and lay the egg whites, dent up, into a tupperware for refrigerating. I've had better luck assembling on site than trying to take them with you pre-assembled. If I had a deviled egg container, I'm sure this wouldn't be an issue!

Once you have the whites separated, you can store them in the fridge until you are ready to assemble. 

Let's make the filling! In a bowl, mash the yolks with a fork or masher so they start crumbling. 

Now here's where I might lose novice cooks since I don't actually measure but trust me, you've got this! Trust your instincts and go slow. You can always add but you can't take away. 

Add a spoonful of mayo and mix in with the yolks. We're going for creamy texture, no bumps. 

Add a teaspoon of mustard. This is purely a matter of taste. I don't love them super mustardy but others do. Either way, you want the filling to be very creamy but not liquidy. How's that for directions?!

Once you have it mixed and tasting the way you want it, put it in a ziploc bag and toss it in the fridge.

You can use the ziploc bag to pipe the filling into the eggs. Just snip off a corner and you have a homemade pastry bag. This is where having a good consistency on the filling comes in handy so you don't get clogs while piping.

Now, you can be done right here. Or you can take it one step further. We like to add bacon to our deviled eggs, because what doesn't taste better with bacon?

Cook a couple strips of bacon on the griddle, in a skillet, in the oven - however you do. Once they are cooled a bit, dice up the strips and set aside until assembly time. 

When you are ready to assemble your deviled eggs, lay out they egg whites and pipe in the yolk mixture until full. Then, sprinkle the paprika on and add the bacon on top. I usually try to make sure there are a few chunks of bacon bits on each egg.

Then, stand back, because there will be a stampede of people coming at you trying to devour these Deviled Eggs with Bacon!

xoxo,
Alex

P.S. Try this delicious dip or these stuffed mushrooms for more gameday appetizer options!

Currently // February 2017

Well, we blinked and it's already February. Here's what I'm currently up to:

ANTICIPATING // Girls In STEM is next week! I love this event because it combines my full-time job with my full-time passion.

READING // Just finished Missing, Presumed and am in the middle of The Lifegiving Home. Recently, I was pretty entertained by The Assistants (a light read). And I kicked off the new year with Make It Happen.

LISTENING TO // Gaga. I can't wait to see her perform tomorrow! Will she top Bruno and Bey?!

PLANNING // My garden! I've ordered seed catalogs and am deciding what to grow this summer.

LEARNING // To find peace in the tension between being a mama and a professional.

LOVING // Watching Declan grow! I can't believe he turns one next month. Cue tears.

WORKING ON // A gallery wall for our family room. It's time to put a little life on these walls!

WEARING // These boots that Santa brought. I'm in love.

DREAMING OF // Sunshine and somewhere warm. February is always a bit blah, don't you think?

WATCHING // The Crown. Anyone else watching?


What are you currently up to?

xoxo,
Alex