Champagne Shallot Deviled Eggs

I tried a new deviled egg recipe recently using Stonewall Kitchen's Champagne Shallot Mustard.  What motivated this original recipe was a Stonewall Kitchen challenge, however, I did not enter - I was just too busy with work and my own graduation to get my recipe entered in time.  Well, my Champagne Shallot Deviled Eggs were a huge hit!  I hope you enjoy them as much as everyone else did!

Ingredients

12 Eggs
1/4 + 1 tablespoon of cup Hellmann's mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Stonewall Kitchen Champagne Shallot mustard
1 teaspoon hot sauce (I use Franks)
1 teaspoon parsley (dried or fresh)
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Paprika (for dusting)

Directions

1. Cook and peel the eggs while warm, slice in half and scoop out the yolks.

2. Set the white egg half's on a paper towel to absorb any extra moisture.

3. Put the yolks in a separate bowl and mash, I use a pastry cutter to mash the yolks.

4. Add the mayo, mustard, hot sauce, parsley, salt and pepper mix.

5. Refrigerate mix for 15 minutes.

6. Add all the mixture to a plastic bag, cut off the tip and squeeze out and fill the white egg half's, sprinkle with paprika and E-N-J-O-Y!

P.S. I'd like to thank everyone who Follows my blog, I truly appreciate your friendship and comments.

Appreciation . . .

Did you know it was "Teacher Appreciation Week" this week?  It runs from May 8th through the 11th.  As a teacher, I can tell you we love receiving notes and hearing from parents. This week I was fortunate to receive a couple nice notes from parents.

Our PTO put on a lovely and delicious luncheon for us last Friday!  Today our principal gave us a beautiful plant and useful gifts - all unexpected, and all appreciated!

If you appreciate a teacher, your former, or your childs, please take a moment to acknowledge him/her by writing a note to him/her - you won't believe how much she'll appreciate it.

“The highest result of education is tolerance.” ~ Helen Keller 

Let's have some fun, please reply with your answers!

1. Who was your favorite teacher(s)? 

2. What grade did they teach?

3. What subject was your favorite?

4. Were you the "teacher's pet?"

5. Who do you remember as the nuttiest teacher?

6. Who was your toughest teacher?

7. If you ran into your favorite teacher what would you sat to her/him?

8. Were you ever called to the principal's office for being naughty?

My Answers!

1. Sr. Mary Coleman

2. 5th Grade

3. History

4. In 5th grade

5. Miss Kilroy

6. Sister Mary Immaculate (the thoughts of that woman still scare me to this day!)

7. Thank you for being kind and for encouraging me to be curious.

8. Nope, not once!

Student/Teacher Jokes!  Enjoy!!

IDIOTS (Teacher appreciation jokes) 
"If there are any idiots in the room, will they please stand up" said the sarcastic teacher. After a long silence, one freshman rose to his feet. "Now then mister, why do you consider yourself an idiot?" enquired the teacher with a sneer. "Well, actually I don't," said the student, "but I hate to see you standing up there all by yourself." 

14 Hands

Sometimes I wish I had 14 hands! What I did find recently was a delicious red wine called "14 Hands". I had this in my wine rack and cracked it open after scraping wallpaper for hours with my sister - she loved it too!  

In honor of yesterday's Kentucky Derby I thought I'd share one of my most recent finds "Hot to Trot" and a favorite!  Also, I'm not a gambler, but one of the people I work with is always running pools, so I handed over $20.00, left work forgetting to find out who I had, and my horse won!!!  My horse's name "I'll Have Another"  LOL!!!

14 Hands is one of Washington state's best kept secrets! As advertised on their website, the inspiration for 14 Hands wines recalls a time when wild mustangs once freely roamed the hills of eastern Washington State. 

These small horses, measuring a scant 14 hands high - a “hand” being equivalent to a man’s palm width and how horses were measured then (it took me a moment to connect the name of the wine and the horses) would travel down from the hills every day to drink from the mighty Columbia River and graze upon the luscious waist high grasses along the riverbank, and then retreat back up into the hills to cool off at night. Strong and tenacious, these little horses became known for their endurance and were revered around the world.

This unique and beautiful landscape that gave these unbridled horses their spirit and tenacity now feeds our vines. With loamy-sand and gravel soils, these hills require a strong and determined grapevine, and our 14 Hands vines revel in this unique and world class terroir. With the fruit from these tenacious vines, 14 Hands wines are handcrafted into big, bold, juicy fruit forward reds and crisp, fruit forward white wines that are laced with the unbridled spirit and legend of the region.

I love the history behind this wine and I wonder if any of those wild horses roam about today.   If you try it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

If you're lucky enough to receive wine through the mail, you can order on-line.  Also, here's another wine website that offers "specials" throughout the day!  WTSO (Wines Till Sold Out)

*I have not been compensated by this company, I just like their wine!

References

"Unbridled Spirit Discover Washington’s Best Kept Secret." 14 Hands Winery : Unbridled Freedom. Web. 06 May 2012. .

The Wedding Cake House

How beautiful is this house! Yes, it's a bit over the top, and it is unique. Just look at all the fretwork. I can't imagine how talented one had to be, and how long it took to add all this adornment.

If you've been to Kennebunk, Maine you have probably driven by this very famous and most photographed house in Maine. It's formal name is the George W. Bourne House. The home was built in 1825 by Mr. Bourne.  Mr. Bourne was a very successful sea captain who fell in love with the European Gothic style.  When he came home he began creating and adding his handiwork to his home.

Above: A close up of the fencing & the home's sign

Below: X's & O's on the posts & a long view of the fence

The "Wedding Cake" name was applied to the house due to its wedding cake-like appearance. There are at least two legends about how the house came to be. The first legend is that the busy Bourne, a sea captain, had done the carpentry work to atone for not having taken his bride, Jane, on a proper honeymoon.

The second legend is that it came to be that the carving had been done during the long lonely hours aboard ship by a recently married sea captain wh had to leave his bride before he even had time to eat his wedding cake! These legends are not the case, but it's a great story isn't it!

Bourne was a highly skilled carpenter and did all the work himself. It is said that his skill knew no limits. In 1852 the barn caught fire and Bourne had the carriage house demolished to keep the fire from spreading. Bourne rebuilt the barn with the assistance of one friend, that was his only help!

Bourne descendants lived in the home until 1983! I find it amazing that this home remained in the family for 158 years!

In 2005 this private home opened to the public for the first time, to raise funds for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. I'm patiently waiting for the next opening . . .

I found it amusing that the "Baker's" lived across the street from the Wedding Cake House! LOL!!

I hope you enjoyed my trip to Kennebunk, Maine and a brief history of the most photographed home in Maine!

What's Under Your Skirt?

I was raised not to show anyone what was under my skirt, as were most ladies, however, there is an occasional exception!  I purchased this cozy in Bermuda on our 5th wedding anniversary. I was told she was called a "Parlor Maid" tea cozy because of her fine outfit.  

Tea cozies are wonderful when you want to keep a pot of tea hot - they really work!  They are designed to insulate the teapot.  If you like tea, you'll love a tea cozy, especially if you're having a tea!  The first documented use of a tea cozy was in Britain in 1867!

Now, do you want to see what my little friend is hiding under her skirt?  

I have coveted this teapot since I was a young girl, it belonged to my mom, she received it as a wedding shower gift, and she used it all the time.  It now belongs to me, and it makes me smile, every time I look at it.  I can't wait to use it with friends and family when my dining room renovation is complete and my home is put back together!

To complete my mini tea party for myself, I broke out my Old Country Roses china tea cup, tea strainer and some Irish breakfast tea that I purchased at a farmers market in Maine.  I buy tea from Nellies Tea every time I see her at the market. She has the best tea around!  Stop by for a cuppa when you have a moment!

Brew, drink & enjoy!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Pie

My Stonewall Kitchen Peanut Butter & Chocolate Pie!

Most of you know that I make a lot of pies, and I spend a lot of time in Maine at our cottage.  One of my favorite stops is Stonewall Kitchen in York.  On a recent trip, I came across one of their recipe cards for Peanut Butter and Chocolate Pie . . . well, I stopped dead in my tracks!  I knew I had to make this!  I knew it would be a hit!  One of the things I admire most about stopping at Stonewall Kitchen is you can sample just about every product in the store - and when I sampled the Chocolate Peanut Butter Sauce I was sold!  This pie would be a winner!

I immediately thought I'd make this pie for a recent family get together.  When my 4 of my 5 nieces heard I was bringing this pie they ALL turned up their noses . . . HOWEVER . . . when they tried a slice they said it was amazing!  In fact, one of them brought back 2 slices back to college with her! 

I will tell you that this pie is extremely rich, and a nine inch pie will usually feed 6 to 8 people, however this pie will feed 12 - easily.  

Bake, eat and enjoy!

Ingredients

Crust:

●      1 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs

●      6 Tablespoons butter, melted

●      1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar

Filling:

●      1 cup Stonewall Kitchen Creamy Peanut Butter, room temperature

●      1 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted

●      8 ounces Mascarpone cheese, room temperature

●      1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

●      1-cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks

●      1/4 cup mini chocolate morsels

●      1/4 cup pecans, chopped and toasted

●      1/4 cup English toffee bits

●      Stonewall Kitchen Chocolate Peanut Butter Sauce, heat until pourable

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.     Crush chocolate graham crackers in a food processor fitted with a metal blade or by placing the crackers in a zip-lock bag and crushing them with a rolling pin.

3.      Add melted butter and 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar to the crumbs and mix. Place crumbs in a 9 inch pie pan, pressing to line bottom and sides of the pan. Bake crust 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

4.     In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment combine the Creamy Peanut Butter, 1 cup confectioners' sugar, Mascarpone cheese, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until combined making sure to not over mix. Gently fold in whipped cream and chocolate morsels. Spread the filling evenly in the baked crumb crust.

5.      Sprinkle the pecans and English toffee bits over the top of the pie. Generously drizzle Stonewall Kitchen Chocolate Peanut Butter Sauce over the top of the pie. Chill pie until ready to serve.

this photo is from Stonewall Kitchen's website because I forgot to
photograph a slice of mine!

Happy Easter & Passover Friends

Joy

The blooming lilies

The empty tomb

A welcome respite

from winters gloom.

Easter is here

To bring us joy

And happiness

to each girl and boy.

~Author Unknown