Egg Salad Sandwich

Egg Salad is one of my family favorites!  It brings back loving memories of my Grandmother making it for my school lunches.  I would sit at the bar talking to her while she would get my lunch ready.  She was an amazing woman and such a huge part of my life.

I got a lot of my cooking skills from her that's for sure.  Grandmother was for sure the down home country cook and my mother made some but liked to dabble in more elegant like Roasted Duck etc... 

My husband, daughter and myself love egg salad.  To me it tastes like deviled eggs and we love those and want them more than just at the holidays so we eat these sandwiches off and on all year!  While my Grandmother would boil just 2 eggs to make my sandwich I boil usually 8 to 12 eggs for us!
So here's how to have a quick, easy and delicious egg salad sandwich!

Ingredients: Eggs

Mayonaise 

Mustard ( we like Dijon for the added flavor)

Lemon Pepper

Dill Weed

Boil Eggs - the secret to boiling a good egg is bring the water to a full boil then add your eggs; carefully one at a time and return to full boil for exactly 12 minutes.

Remove from heat and drain and rinse in cold water.  

I just dump them into a colander in the sink and run water over them. They are cooked and the shell comes off easily. 

Peeled and ready to mash!

Start mashing, this day I just used a fork (but normally use my pastry blender or potato masher) dice, smash, whatever you like just break them up to get your preferred texture.

All smashed up and ready to get dressed up with all those good spices!  

Here's where you make it your own.  I do not measure.  Where my Grandmother would use Mayonaise a little mustard, salt and pepper.  

I use a generous scoop of Mayonaise, a little less of the Dijon Mustard, sprinkle lemon pepper all over the top and then a lot of dill weed.  

Dill Weed is a special ingredient that just gives it a wonderful fresh flavor.  We all love it and I use it in Mac-n-Cheese too!  Kendall actually requests it!  

 So you blend in your ingredients to taste and load it up on what ever type bread you like and enjoy!

I often thank God for letting me have so much time with my Grandmother because I have so many memories with her and lots of them were centered around her in the kitchen, me at the bar which looked into the kitchen watching and learning from one of the greatest women who I've ever met and that God graced me to be a part of her life.  

A funny note:  She would send these sandwiches to school with me and honestly everyone would be grossed out by the smell thinking my lunch smelled like a toot!  The funny part is that it was all I could do to keep others from taking my "stinky" sandwich.  They all loved it!  :)

Caramel Apple Snack Mix

Caramel Apple Snack Mix...........Fall Snacks are fun, festive and so easy!  

Fall is such a fun time of year for many reasons like the cool weather, football, pumpkins, falling leaves, sweater weather, finally get to wear pants, apple pies, bonfires, s'mores, hot chocolate, warm apple cider, apple pies and my list goes on and on and this kick's off the Holiday Season and it just doesn't get better than this!  With this said I'm in full baking mode and one of the 1st things I make every year is this Caramel Apple Snack Mix.

This is a super easy, delicious and fun to share with friends recipe and so I am posting/sharing it for the first time.  Wishing you fun in making this as it is so easy and my daughter loves to help get it ready!  Let me know what you think if you try it!

So here are the ingredients you will need to make this fall snack.
1st:  Get a Large Roasting Pan to put all your dry ingredients in.

7 cups of popped popcorn
4 cups Crispix Cereal
4 cups Apple Jacks Cereal
2 cups salted peanuts
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 stick of butter = 1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

In large roasting pan, combine popcorn, cereals and peanuts; set aside.  Preheat Oven to 250 degrees.

 In a large saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup; bring to a rolling boil over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.

Cook without stirring until mixture turns a medium amber color, about 8 minutes.  Then remove from heat; quickly stir in vanilla and baking soda until mixture is light and foamy.

See, when you add the baking soda it puffs up a little and looks like caramel!   Light and foamy;  Ooo la la! My daughter thinks this is the coolest of the stages~ and~I agree!

I actually snapped this while I was stirring!

IMMEDIATELY  pour over cereal mixture and stir to coat.  ( the peanuts seem to stay at bottom and this is okay)

Bake at 250 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.  This will get those little peanuts coated and make everything nice and crispy!  :)

   Spread mixture onto baking sheet to cool completely.  Now you can store for gift giving surprises or just
   enjoy!  We usually keep half and package the other 1/2 in different ways to share!  Enjoy and beware...
   you will be asked for this recipe again and again!

"Under the Sea" happy dinner

With Finding Nemo 3D coming out this Friday, September 14, 20120  I was inspired to do a fun dinner from my childhood that my Grandmother and Mom used to make for me. If you want a quick, easy and yummy dinner that brings smiles just looking at it this is the one!!

I made this and our daughter asked me to please make this again and again, even my husband went back for seconds. Here it is and the tutorial to guide you too! Enjoy!!

Just look how cute these Octopus Hot Dogs on Mac-n-Cheese and Green Beans is!  We love their smiles and they make us smile!  Looks like these guys are holding hands!  :)

30 minutes start to finish for a dinner that will give you joy serving as your family smiles at these cuties!

Hot Dogs
Mac-n-Cheese ( I use Kraft) 
Frozen Green Beans

I open the bag of green beans and put into a microwave safe bowl and steam them for 20 minutes

2 pots filled with water on stove to boil. 
 I get all the things ready for the Mac-N-Cheese to be made.

While the water is coming to a boil I put 2 slits into top of hot dog for the eyes

Then I make another slit under the eye for their smiles 

Then about 1 inch under the smiles I make a slit down the middle to start their legs

Then lift the hot dog up put onto cutting board and carefully cut more legs I make 8 legs

By the time you've gotten through slicing your hot dogs ( I make 6 for the 3 of us) your water should be boiling!

Now add the hot dogs to the boiling water one at a time!  Easy!  Just plop them in doesn't matter how!  This is also when I add my macaroni for the Mac-N-Cheese, they cook about the same time 10 minutes... I prepare the Mac-N-Cheese right before I take the hot dogs out.  I add Dill Weed to our Mac-N-Cheese for taste...

When the Octopus look like star fish they are ready!  Now use tongs get them out and put them onto your plate and be ready for your family to be pleasantly surprised!