Deviled Egg Day, November 2
One of my mother’s cooking specialties was her deviled eggs. Hers were not only delicious, they were all smooth uniform ovals. She’d serve them in a heavy glass deviled egg dish.
Mine taste okay, but they look like they’ve had a hard journey getting to the table. I admired Mom’s deviled egg plate, so I bought one–in case I’d ever went to the trouble of assembling the delightful morsels.
In 2015, Mom spent just the last six weeks and two days of her very long life at the Stuart Care Center. She’d lived with my sister Gloria on the farm for over a dozen years before that. Gloria still lived closer, so she did most of the care-taking even when Mom was in the nursing home.
I’d go out and stay with Gloria on the farm so I could visit Mom in Stuart two days in a row. What might she appreciate having that they wouldn’t serve for meals there?
I decided to make deviled eggs, just for her.
Mom’s eyes lit up when she saw them. She looked in my eyes and smiled. Those last days she didn’t talk very much, but you could tell she was glad to have us visit. She pointed to the eggs.
“No paprika?”
Paprika! How could I have forgotten the paprika! That and springs of parsley always dressed up her deviled eggs.
It’s just a poignant little memory, but never again will I forget the paprika. If I ever go to the trouble to make deviled eggs.
Mom's Deviled Eggs 9-10 eggs, hard-cooked 1/4 cup minced onion (red) 1/3 cup finely chopped celery 1/3 cup finely chopped sweet-dill pickles dash of pepper and celery seed minced parsley 1/c cup Miracle Whip paprika Garnishes: parsley springs or sliced stuffed olives Cut eggs in half lengthwise, put yolks into a small mixing bowl. Mash with a fork. Add onion, celery, sweet dills, pepper, celery seed, minced parsley, and Miracle Whip. Mix. Add a little pickle juice or Miracle Whip is too stiff. Fill egg whites with rubber scraper until nicely mounded. Sprinkle with paprika and garnish with parsley sprigs or sliced olives.
Sweet-dill pickles, which Mom said are the secret to her recipe, are sometimes hard to find. I’ve used dill pickles which I’ve marinated in juice from sweet pickles for a week or so.
I’ve inherited Mom’s precious deviled egg dish. Just maybe I’ll practice making a batch of her recipe again.
I love Deviled Eggs, and my mom made the best! I make them from time to time, as hubby likes them too, and guests are always impressed. You don’t see them served here in Spain, so I guess it’s more of a North American thing. I always use paprika, which is very popular here. Such good memories.
Paprika, yes!
Yummm. I need to make some of these. The family all loves them!
Yum! Thank you, Vero.
I’ll think of you when I eat one! 👍😄
Good one, Vero!
My mother had a heavy glass deviled egg dish. I can see it now filled with eggs on her lace table cloth.
I don’t make deviled eggs, but I do marinate boiled eggs in beet juice and have one every day for breakfast. Full of protein–––and pretty. Thanks for sparking the memory.
I make pickled beets and have a couple every morning! Marian, your eggs in beet juice remind me of Chinese tea eggs. (A Chinese church meets in our church building.) They crackle the shell before marinating in tea.
When the dill is available in the spring & fall, I add some finely chopped dill to the deviled eggs. We took some to church yesterday for our Fall Fest.
Thank you! That would taste terrific and look inviting.
I once brought deveiled eggs to a church picnic and my biggest memory were how shocked two ladies were at how good mine came out? It was sorta a good thing – but indirectly rude – hard to explain – and enjoyed your post and the featyre photo makes me wish I could try some deviled eggs now
Maybe you knew a secret they didn’t? Yvette, thanks for sharing your memory.
Huge fan of deviled eggs and I have my moms crystal deviled egg plate 🙂
Denise, you rock!
I love the many delicious things we can do with eggs, but this one ranks right near the top.
So right you are, Pete! I’m thankful for all those options.
I LOVED my mother’s deviled eggs (with paprika, of course). She made them for special occasions.
Thanks, Liz!
I love deviled eggs. I mix up the yolk part and put it in a frosting bag using a large floral tip. The decorative waves keep folks wondering. Yes, paprika is a must.
Wow, John, you know what you’re doing in the kitchen!
I do. Thanks, Joy.
Oh…that recipe looks familiar! One of Sue’s specialties? Yep! Deviled eggs…and I’m like you, Joy. When I read this, I laughed out loud:
“Mine taste okay, but they look like they’ve had a hard journey getting to the table.”
Mmmhmmm. I lack technique, or something! 😜❤️😜
Ha, lack of finesse! Thanks, Vicki!
Definitely – true! 😜
I love deviled eggs. Our daughter enjoys making them and she makes them very well. She does add paprika 🙂
Aha, maybe it skips generations?
My mother always put paprika on her eggs as well! It does ‘dress’ them up! Thank you for sharing this recipe! I have never used miracle whip…
Thank you, Linda. We never had mayonnaise at home, and now I never buy Miracle Whip. hmmm
The deviled eggs look good, Joy. It’s nice that you got them back then and that you made them for your mom. Growing up, I almost always had pancakes.
Yum, pancakes!