Bedeviled Ham and Eggs

Posted on August 2, 2009 by Amanda

I think it was about a year ago that I first had this dish. Whenever we come up north to visit my husband’s family, we always joke that we’re going to the resort, or the bed and breakfast, or some other vacation get-away. From the moment we turn down the half-mile of tree-covered road ~ sometimes snow-covered, dripping with fresh rain, or painted with golden rays of sun ~ it’s like we’re entering a separate little universe, where the pace is slower, even in the midst of large family gatherings with boisterous noise and fun.

Often, we get the call or email before we arrive to put in requests for favorite meals or snacks. This week, before the whole crew arrived, I literally jumped for joy when I saw the makings of this breakfast dish! Admittedly it is fairly time-intensive, but oh, so worth it! Thanks, Mom!!

Ingredients:
6 hard-boiled eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 2.5oz can deviled or “potted” ham
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
6 English muffins or toast points, toasted
Roma tomato slices
parsley and/or basil

Sauce:
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
6 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1/4 teaspoon dried dill

Peel and cut the hard-boiled eggs in half. Remove yolks and mix with melted butter, vinegar, sugar, mustard, ham and chives. Blend until smooth.
Stuff the yolk mixture into the whites as for deviled eggs. Arranged on a greased pie plate. (Note: Eggs can be covered tightly and refrigerated overnight at this point).
For Sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour to form a paste, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and bouillon granules.
Cook over low heat until bubbly and thick. Stir in the dill.
Heat stuffed eggs in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
Toast muffin halves. Place a tablespoon or so of sauce on the muffin. Place an egg half on sauce, then top it with more sauce. Garnish with tomato slices and/or parsley or basil.

Makes 6 servings

This recipe comes from the Wake Up & Smell the Coffeecookbook. This recipe in particular is from the Morningside Bed & Breakfast in Frankfort, MI.

Coming Together

Posted on August 1, 2009 by Amanda

Your family and your love must be cultivated like a garden. Time, effort, and imagination must be summoned constantly to keep any relationship flourishing and growing.
– Jim Rohn

Families are the compass that guide us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter.
– Brad Henry

The great gift of family life is to be intimately acquainted with people you might never even introduced yourself to, had life not done it for you.
– Kendall Hailey

Has it really been almost six years? I remember how my nerves made my stomach dance as I met everyone for the first time, knowing that in a few short months this would be my family. I remember being prepared in advance to be called the wrong name. I was. I remember that instead of feeling uncomfortable, I felt calm and relaxed because this was a family just like mine.

Now, my own children are introduced to aunts, uncles, and cousins. Pictures are taken to preserve memories, despite their limitations ~ how do you capture the smell of the breakfast prepared on the campfire, the spicy-ness of the gumbo that tickles your nose, or the sounds of squeals and giggling by the many great-grandchildren bustling about?

Again, we come together across the miles by air and by car, we have come together for a brief moment before going again our separate ways. Wanna glimpse of our family fun? Go ahead, take a peek!

All’s Fair ~ Wordless Wednesday

Posted on July 30, 2009 by Amanda

Check out more of our fair pics on Flickr!

Zip on over here for more Wordless Wednesday!

Our Family Grows Again

Posted on July 27, 2009 by Amanda

OK, so I know that at least a few folks who thought this was another odd “I’m pregnant” announcement. While I can’t deny some intentionality in my misleading, I can say that we’re NOT, I repeat, we’re NOT having another baby.

Instead, our family circle has expanded to include our lovable little Betta named Ernie. Calder was quite entranced by Uncle Luke and Aunt Ann’s Betta (Bert) when we visited them this summer.

A routine shopping trip last week became and resulted in the impromptu adoption of our fishy friend. Calder loves feeding him and he helped change his water today. The series below is when he met Ernie last week.

Entering the kitchen after nap…

I love this one…he’s looking back for Garth. I imagine he was thinking, “Hey, do you see this too?”

I can’t tell whose expression I love here more…

My best shot has to be the little pointy finger picture…it was then that he said, “It’s my fish?”

On a slight tangent, I’m in complete denial that it’s been 2 weeks since I’ve posted anything! I have SO MANY pictures to share, and fun things we’ve done….chances are, I’ll “backblog” a few of our fun summertime memories sometime this week! ‘Til then, we’ll try not to do anything fun and photoworthy so I can play catch up.

{crickets chirping}

I’m guessing that won’t happen…considering we’re headed back to da U.P. on Wednesday!! In any case, here’s to a fun-filled and not-enough-time-to-stay-caught-up-with-tech summer!

A Few Hours On a Thursday Morning

Posted on July 16, 2009 by Amanda

Life has always surprised me, but I find that as a mother I’m surprised more often and my vision more acute to the subtle changes, the slight differences that amuse and delight me. Like the day this spring when I was bustling around the kitchen trying to leave the house on time and Calder saw a packet of Equal in my hand. “Momma, you makin’ coffee?” he asked. A mundane task and one he watches and remembers.

Or last week when, after climbing into his booster seat indpendently and without being buckled (after all we’d just finished lunch) he sat there for a moment before announcing, “I be careful, else I crack my head!”

And this morning, as Seneca and I greeted him by coming in to play and he bounded out of bed and asked, “You sleep good Momma?” just the way I ask him every day. I suppose I’m painting a pretty rosy picture here, so to give myself some real credibility, the little ditty I made up that goes, “Calder Damien, Calder Damien, Calder Damien, Stop Picking Your Nose!” also gets recounted often complete with the nose-picking that originally altered the final lines of his little song in the first place!

In any case, it’s these moments, that make me realize just what an awesome privilege it is to raise these two little people. And today, I’m sure that my own mom didn’t know that she’d provided an amazing title to a poem or short story or piece of episodic fiction that I have yet to write when, basking in the gorgeous sun of a perfect summer day she commented on the perfection of the park we visited. “It feels like we’re up north camping,” she said, “and really it’s just been a few hours on a Thursday morning.”

I guess as children we’re always watching our parents. I’m thankful for such amazing examples and pray that I too can provide a model I’d be proud to have emulated.