Summertime… (Gone a Bit Devilish Per your Request)

Heloooo there!  How's summer treating you? Is it hotter than hot?  I'll tell you, it is hotter than hot in Arizona.  That's why, we need to get a little tropical around here…

      

I made a fruit punch just for you…

And maybe even a deviled egg, or two ;)  I have Chinese parsley growing in my garden, so I used it for garnish…

      

Would you say it's about that time for making deviled eggs? 

Let's go for it.  My ingredients for deviled eggs are, Best Foods mayo, 3 garlic cloves, 1/8th of a sweet onion, a quarter piece of celery, a drizzle of white vinegar and paprika sprinkles for effect.  No salt.  The celery and mayo give you more than enough.

The amount of eggs you will make is completely up to you.

(the lighting is weird because of our sun shades on the windows)

      

The most important important important part of this recipe is that you "WILL NOT" use all of the garlic, celery and sweet onion mixture, unless you are making a hundred eggs :)  Please keep that in mind.

So, start by boiling your eggs until fully cooked.  Peel them, cut them in half (length wise) and remove the yolks (you will use them to make your egg filling).  Set all the parts aside to cool. 

(To cook/boil my eggs, I pop them in a pot of cold water and I put a teaspoon of salt into the water, which makes the water boil faster.  I cook them on the stove at a "medium-high setting" and as soon as the water starts to boil, I set my timer for 9 minutes and allow the eggs to boil for that amount of time.  When the timer rings, I ladle the eggs into a bowl of cold water that I have waiting in the sink.  I crack and peel them while running them under the cold tap – please be careful not to burn yourself.)

   

Next, you will need a hand mixer and a little electric chopper.  Pop your veggies into your chopper until they are minced to tiny bits. 

 

The reason I am not giving exact measurements is because I make my recipe "to taste" depending on how many eggs I am using.

Put your yolks in a bowl, add a couple tablespoons of mayo, just enough to make your mixture creamy, but not runny.  Add a cap full of white vinegar, and then a dollop of your garlic, sweet onion and celery mixture.

 

  

 

This is all I am using for 6 eggs.  About a tablespoon and a half.  It is better to use less at first, you can always add more. 

(I use the left over mixture for oodles of things, including making guacamole)

The reason you must use a hand mixer is because you want to break up the yolk very well, and you also want to break up the veggies a bit more while integrating them into the mixture. 

 

Once you arrive at a creamy texture, taste the egg filling to see if you would like to add more of the veggie mixture…

 

You can refrigerate your mixture (before putting it into the egg white shells) and it will thicken up.  I sometimes refrigerate my mixture overnight and fill my egg whites the next day.

I filled them right away this morning, which is why they look a bit creamier than usual.  That, and it is crazy hot outside…

But, that's it.  Those are my secret ingredients :)  A little paprika sprinkled on them at the end, because Mister must have his paprika, and a little garnish if you wish…

 

Voila.  I hope you like them.  They have a delicious flavorful kick.

Mister really loves you all who wanted the recipe because he got to have them for breakfast.  A nice treat in this weather.  Can you imagine, at 9 a.m. this is what the temp. was in the shade…

       

 

It's the time of the year where our water will now be warm to hot the rest of the summer.  No more cold water out of the tap.  No more cool showers even, unless it's 3 a.m.  Isn't that just peachy?  

It's the perfect time for dancing in fountains…

      

Yesterday was my parents 40th wedding anniversary.  They were in town because they were going to be flying out for New Mexico very early the next day.  We wanted to go to Vivace's new pizzeria (located next to the fine dining restaurant) but it was closed on Sunday.

So my cousins and siblings (college kids) suggested a traditional pizzeria we had never been to (I am not a pizza person at all unless I attempt to make it at home from scratch, which has only happened twice in my life). 

Into town we drove…

 

I was leery about the place at first.  But it turned out to be wonderful. 

 

It was fun and dare I say, for a non-pizza eater, the pizza was gooooood!

      

The monster thick pizza was not doughy at all.  It was crunchy in fact, and airy and perfect…

  

My cousin gave my Mammie a bottle of wine, which she appropriately popped in her handbag.  Saying "just in case."  SO funny.

       

 

Mama's Pizza, we'll be back…

  

As we were leaving, we stood outside chatting a bit.  That's when I felt a little finger poke my derriere.  I quickly turned around to see an adorable 7 year old (or so) asking me "Hey, what's your name?"  I could tell he might have a disability, his mother pulled him away from me apologetically, and said,  "I don't know why he does that.  It's so strange, sometimes he gravitates to a person, and he must ask their name."  I was so touched.  I wanted to hug the boy, but I smiled and told him my name and asked his.

Of course, my Mom gushed away telling him how sweet and handsome he was.  And then, another little face shows up and says, I am his brother, my name is…  And I tell you, these boys had this heartbreak adorable factor.  It just stuck with me big time.  My Mom was just going on and on telling them how handsome and lovely they were.  It was one of those experiences, where you think those two little boys have some "angel" quality to them for certain…

Precious moments I tell ya.

 

I also saved a couple bugs from drowning.  Silly rascals.  "Oh Vanessa leave them alone" is what I heard.  But I stuck my arm into the fountain and pulled them out.  Poor desperate little fellas.  Who knows, I mean, a bugs life can be rough 😉

      

I am certain I heard them say "Thank You Miss…" 

Driving home is always so pretty.  I love my city.  I love the mountains.  The country house is 30+ miles on the other side of these mountains (you go around, not through them).  This is the front side of the Santa Catalina Mountains, of which you see the backside from my garden…

 

Oh, and guess what?  I just found out, I have a new neighbor.  He is so dashing.  So gorgeous.  Such a physique!  He likes to hang out on his patio… 

 

He is Bachelor Cowboy's new roommate.  Did you know that all the properties that surround mine are inhabited by bachelors?  There's a little pointless trivia for ya 😉

I best be on my way, I have something important to attend to…

      

Cheers to summertime!  Here is a funny little summertime video for your start of the week… 

See you soooon!

🖤,V

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