Cute Chick Deviled Eggs for Spring

It's been a long, long time since I last posted.  I had to really get down to work, but I have FINALLY finished my thesis.  Yay!  Now I'm excited to have some free time to do some crafts, gardening, and of course, cooking.

Today's post was made and photographed by my Mom.  Every year, for as long as I can remember, we have deviled eggs that look like chicks in colored shells for Easter.  They are one of our favorite food traditions. These eggs can be a bit tedious to make if you are making a big batch, but they are so cute it is totally worth it.  Bring these to a picnic this spring and be prepared for everyone to go go nuts.

•eggs, hard-boiled and peeled

•mayo
•yellow mustard
•salt and pepper
•food coloring
•1 carrot, cut into tiny matchsticks, for the beaks
•several black olives, cut into tiny pieces for the eyes

Set out several bowls or ziploc bags.  Add some water to each bag and tint with food coloring to the desired shades.  Place several hard-boiled eggs in each container and set aside until the desired color is achieved.  Remove eggs from the dye and set aside on paper towels to dry.

Cut a small slice from both ends of each egg.  Set aside.  These will be the "hats" of the chicks.  Cut each egg in half with a zig-zag cut.

Remove the yolks from the eggs and mash with the mayo, mustard, salt, and pepper, to taste.  Or make the filling according to your usual deviled egg recipe.

Pipe the filling into each egg half.  Add carrots and olives for the beaks and eyes.  Top with the "hats".

Happy New Year's! Plus Two of Our Traditional New Year's Recipes

Well, there is another year over and a new one beginning.  Every year seems to go by faster than usual.  

New Year's Eve Japanese Baked Mussels

Since Wade and I have been dating we always stay in on New Year's Eve.  The yearly pub crawl just isn't our thing anymore.  We don't really do Valentines Day, so New Year's Eve is our romantic night in together.  I make Japanese Baked Mayonnaise Mussels as an appetizer and Wade makes homemade sushi.  Then, for dessert we always have root beer floats because that was a tradition in Wade's family.  We also, of course, have cocktails and a bottle of sparkling wine at midnight.  I'd like to share with you our mussel recipe which is adapted slightly from the one found here.  It is almost exactly like the mussels found on many menus at sushi restaurants.


•1 1/2 pounds black mussels, scrubbed clean
•1 large clove garlic, minced
•1/2 inch piece ginger, minced finely
•juice from 1/2 lemon plus 1/2 teaspoon zest, or 2 Tablespoons bottled juice
•1 1/2 teaspoons wasabi paste
•2 sliced green onions, plus 1 or 2 more for garnish (optional)
•1 teaspoon soy sauce
•1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
•1/2 cup mayonnaise (I like the olive oil mayonnaise because it is lower in fat but still tastes like mayo)
•Panko bread crumbs for topping


Preheat the broiler to high.


Saute the scrubbed mussels in a large skillet until for about 5 minutes, or until they pop open.  Pop the mussels apart and discard the empty shell half.  

Place the shells with the meat in a large baking dish.  Mix together the garlic, ginger, lemon, wasabi, green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, and the mayo.  Place a small spoonful of the mayo mixture into each mussel half. 

 Sprinkle each mussel half with a pinch or two of panko bread crumbs.  Broil until the bread crumbs are slightly toasted and the mayonnaise mixture is hot.  Top with additional green onions.

New Year's Day Hoppin' John

For the first time ever we are having company over on New Year's Day.  My parents and my Aunt Dani and her family will be coming over for a very Southern meal of Hoppin' John Soup, collard greens, cornbread, and a chocolate fondue with fruit.  I have been making the Hoppin' John for years, but this is the first time I have invited company over to enjoy it with us.  Now that we live in a house we have a lot more room than we did in our old apartment.  

The plan is to make everything ahead of time, in either the crockpot or the rice cooker.  I'll be putting the soup in the smartpot around 11:30 or so tonight, letting it cook about 9 hours, and then letting it stay warm until lunch time, which will be a bit early tomorrow.  The crock pot greens will also get turned on in another crock pot before bed.  Then tomorrow all we will have to do is cook some rice in the rice cooker, put the chocolate fondue in the little crock pot, and cut up fruit.  I have read about how great it is to entertain using only crock pots, and this will be my first try at it, so hopefully it all goes according to plan. The recipe I use for Hoppin' John is originally from Rachael Ray's Just In Time Cookbook, but I'm adapting it for our tastes and to work in the crock pot.

•3 cups dry  rice, white or brown, cooked your way on the side

•8 cups chicken stock 

•1 3/4 pounds andouille sausage, cut into 1/2" chunks

•6 cloves garlic, chopped

• 4 large stalks celery, diced into 1/2" pieces

•4 green bell peppers, diced

•2 large onions, diced

•2 bay leaves

•1 Tablespoon thyme

•2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into small pieces

•2 16 oz. bags frozen black eyed peas

•2 large cans diced tomatoes, undrained

•Pepper, to taste (you probably won't need salt since the sausage is pretty salty already)

•Lots of hot sauce to add at the table

Combine the chicken stock, sausage, garlic, celery, bell pepper, onion, bay leaves, thyme, sweet potatoes, black eyed peas, and tomatoes in a large crock pot.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Before serving time, cook rice according to your own method.  Place a scoop or two of rice in a soup bowl and top with the soup.  Stir and serve with hot sauce.

Photo Credit: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=879

Christmas Cavatini

I know that most families have their big Christmas celebration on Christmas Day.  My family is a bit different because we have always had our big celebration on Christmas Eve.  Everyone gathers at my Mom and Dad's house and we have dinner, open presents, play with the kids, and have hot coco and Christmas cookies.  We also hide a pickle ornament on the tree and have a contest to see who can find it.  Believe me, it's odd to explain that one to people who have never heard of the tradition before.  My Dad and I also have to watch It's a Wonderful Life at some point during Christmas, whether it be before bed on Christmas Eve or in the afternoon on Christmas.  On Christmas Day we laze around, have brunch with Grandma, and eventually we make it over to my sister's house to celebrate with her family and her in-laws.

My family always makes one of two dishes for Christmas Eve dinner: fondue or cavatini.  Cavatini is my personal favorite, and since this year is a fondue year I thought I'd share our recipe with you. The family has been making this casserole forever and ever.  Well, for at least 20 years or so that I can recall. So, I'm not sure how we originally came by the recipe. We will occasionally make cavatini other times of the year too as it is a great dish to feed a crowd or freeze for later.

•1 lb. ground beef
•1 small onion, chopped
•1 green pepper, chopped
•8 oz. can mushrooms, drained
•32 oz. of your favorite spaghetti sauce
•8 oz. tomato juice
•1 teaspoon oregano
•6 oz. sliced pepperoni
•1 1/2 cups corkscrew pasta
•1 1/2 cups wagon wheel pasta
•16 oz. Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350.

Cook the pasta until al dente.  Drain, but do not rinse.  Meanwhile, brown the ground beef, onion and green pepper together in a Dutch oven until the beef is cooked through.  Drain, if necessary.  Mix in the cooked pasta, mushrooms, spaghetti sauce, tomato juice, oregano, and pepperoni.  Spread into a 9x13 baking dish.  Bake for 20 minutes, stir, and then bake for another 20 minutes.  Cover with cheese and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is browned and bubbly.  Serve with salad and garlic bread or breadsticks.

What are some of your Christmas traditions and foods?

Photo Credit:  http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Christmas_g54-Golden_Christmas_Card_p49185.html

Owl Cheese Ball with Crackers

Cheese balls are my Mom's specialty.  She makes them in all different flavors like taco, pineapple with sunflowers and green olive and bacon.  She also has made a variety of shapes over the years such as Christmas trees, reindeer, and jack-o-lanterns.  This is my addition into the mix of family cheese balls. I got the idea for the owl shape at a blog dedicated to all things about owls, My Owl Barn.  The recipe is an adaptation from a recipe found online at Yummly.

•3 8 oz packages cream cheese (I used neufchatel), softened
•2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
•1 small bunch of green onions, thinly sliced
•1 Tablespoon chili powder
•1 Tablespoon Creole Seasoning 
•1 cup shredded white or yellow cheddar cheese
•1 cup finely chopped leftover ham

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.  Set aside.

Prepare garnishes.

For the Garnishes:

•6 oz. package sliced almonds (reserve about 1/3 of a cup.  Grind the rest in a food processor)
•1 pimento stuffed green olive, sliced in half
•a few slices of fresh carrot (leave 2 round, cut the edges off of a third round to make a triangle shape, and cut the last round into thin matchsticks to use as feet)

•2 pieces of cheddar cheese, cut unto circles slightly larger than the carrot rounds

•A few tablespoons of cream cheese mixture, reserved- for attaching the garnishes

Crackers, for serving.

Divide the cream cheese mixture in thirds.  Spread the ground almonds on a piece of waxed paper.  Place 2/3 of the cream cheese mixture on top of the almonds.  Coat evenly and gently shape the mixture into a ball.  Place the ball on the serving plate or a cheese board and press down, flattening softly.  Form legs at the bottom of the owl, as shown in the picture.  Place the remaining 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture on the remaining ground almonds and repeat, shaping into a ball.  Place the ball on the cheese board above the owl's body and press down slightly.  Form ears.

Spread a little cream cheese mixture on the back of the cheese slices.  Press them gently into the head to form the eyes.  Spread more cream cheese on the backs of the carrots and place on top of the cheese rounds.  Repeat with the green olive to form pupils.  Spread some cream cheese mixture on the back of the carrot triangle and place beneath the eyes to form the nose.  Press the carrot matchsticks gently into the feet to form the claws.

Gently spread the remaining cream cheese mixture on to the center of the body.  Starting at the bottom of the owl, place the almond slices on the body to form feathers.  Continue all the way to the top, filling in bald spots as you go.  Refrigerate until serving time.  Serve with crackers.