Celebrating the 4th of July with 10 different sides!

Celebrating the 4th of July with 10 different sides to take to a BBQ, picnic, backyard grill or reunion! Here are 10 of my favorite sides! Happy 4th of July Weekend! 

Mama's Slaw

Sweet Heat BBQ Baked Beans

Southern Cornbread Salad

Broccoli Salad

7 Layer Salad

Potato Salad

Deviled Eggs

Simple Pasta Salad

Simple Fresh Fruit Salad

Sweet Pea Salad

Easter Eggs... Boiling the perfect Egg!

Deviled Eggs

The best way to insure beautiful, boiled eggs (without that ugly green film on the yolk) is to start off with the eggs in cold water. Bring the water to a boil, and boil for 3 minutes. Then, turn the heat off, cover the pot and let them sit for ten minutes. After ten minutes, put them in an ice bath to cool. 

To dye the boiled eggs, use small juice glasses or coffee cups. I like the glasses because you/the kids can see the egg. Add water and a tablespoon of vinegar to the glasses. (about halfway full) Then add a few drops of food coloring. Let the eggs sit for a minute.* Remove the eggs and let them drain and dry on paper towels. Don't try to wipe them dry.

* Tip... The longer you let the egg sit in the dye, the darker it will get.

 Easter Eggs ready to hide! :-)

I like to make deviled eggs, potato salad, chicken salad, tuna salad and egg salad with my left-over Easter Eggs! These have bacon added to them!

Deviled Eggs

6 eggs, hard cooked and peeled

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish (optional)**

pinch of salt 

fresh ground black pepper

Cut eggs in half. Arrange egg whites cut side up on a serving plate and put the yolks in a small mixing bowl. Mash yolks with fork then stir in mayonnaise, mustard, pickle and salt and pepper. Mash and stir all ingredients together well. 

* I insert a plastic bag into a cup or plastic container...

 Seal the bag releasing all the air...

Clip a corner of the bag with scissors and squeeze to fill each egg.

Bunches of eggs... on a mission! 

*If you are doing a small batch, just spoon a little bit of the mixture into each egg white half. Sprinkle eggs with red pepper or paprika, if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

** Tip of the day... If you have someone that doesn't like the pickle chunks, or kids that just don't like green stuff. Use pickle juice instead of the pickle relish. I do it all the time and no one ever notices! They even comment that they like mine because there aren't any pickles in it! You can do the same thing with onion!

Deviled Eggs

A few weeks ago, I had a request to make deviled eggs for a lady at church. She presented me with a dozen eggs. I told her, "You do know that makes 24 deviled eggs?" She said, "Yeah! What's your point???" LOL She has always said that she loves my deviled eggs! I guess so!!!

6 eggs, hard cooked and peeled

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish (optional)**

pinch of salt 

fresh ground black pepper

Cut eggs in half. Arrange egg whites cut side up on a serving plate and put the yolks in a small mixing bowl. Mash yolks with fork then stir in mayonnaise, mustard, pickle and salt and pepper. Mash and stir all ingredients together well. 

* I insert a plastic bag into a cup or plastic container...

 Seal the bag releasing all the air...

Clip a corner of the bag with scissors and squeeze to fill each egg.

 Oops! The bag split... LOL

Bunches of eggs... on a mission! 

Ready to be packed up and go to Miss Cyndi's house! :-)

*If you are doing a small batch, just spoon a little bit of the mixture into each egg white half. Sprinkle eggs with red pepper or paprika, if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

** Tip of the day... If you have someone that doesn't like the pickle chunks, or kids that just don't like green stuff. Use pickle juice instead of the pickle relish. I do it all the time and noone ever notices! They even comment that they like mine because there isn't any pickles in it! You can do the same thing with onion!

Deviled Eggs

For supper tonight, I wanted to cook some chuck-eye steaks. I bought them because they are cheaper than Rib-eyes, but being cheaper, means that they can be tougher also! I used a recipe a long time ago that put the steaks, whole, in a casserole of some kind and baked them in the oven. They were so tender and tasty! But, I couldn't find that recipe, so I improvised.  I heated up the onions and mushrooms that I caramelized in the crock pot the other day, cooked the steaks in the oven, and made deviled eggs.

6 eggs, hard cooked and peeled
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish (optional)
pinch of salt 
fresh ground black pepper


Cut eggs in half. Arrange egg whites cut side up on a serving plate and put the yolks in a small mixing bowl. Mash yolks with fork then stir in mayonnaise, mustard, pickle and salt and pepper. Mash and stir all ingredients together well. Spoon a little bit of the mixture into each egg white half. Sprinkle eggs with red pepper or paprika, if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

I sprinkle the steaks with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

I topped each one with 2 pats of butter. I covered them with foil,

and cooked them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

I removed the foil and baked them for another 5 minutes.

The steaks cook up to the texture of a good pot roast! 

Turned out really good... juicier than the picture looks!