Accent on Natural Landscaping Inc

Donna VanBuecken

Deviled Eggs

Now that the Easter day celebration is over, it’s time to do something with those leftover eggs. One of my favorite uses for hard boiled eggs is Deviled Eggs. (Egg Salad isn’t far behind!) Over the years I’ve perfected my recipe (although it’s always slightly different in taste….) and I thought I’d share it with you.

Deviled egg container. Photo Courtesy of Shopko.com

To begin with you need a Deviled Egg container — something that will hold the eggs in place. I got mine as a Christmas present many years ago from my niece. It holds 24 egg halves. So let’s get started.

Deviled Eggs

18 eggs — Cover eggs with water and bring to a boil. Boil at medium heat for 5 minutes. Let sit until water cools. (typically 3-4 hours) Then crack shells all around by hitting gently on a hard surface. Peel broken shells away, rinse and drip dry on clean paper toweling. Then cut each egg in half, scooping out the yolk into a separate bowl. Place egg halves in Deviled Egg container.

Serrated Food Chopper. Photo Courtesy of Amazon.com

Chop the egg yolks in the bowl. Into the bowl with the egg yolks, mix:
1 heaping T minced onion (or to taste)
1 sprinkle of garlic powder (or to taste)
1 heaping T celery salt (or to taste)
1 T French’s salad mustard (or to taste)
1/4 c Miracle Whip (or more depending upon desired consistency, but it needs to be a little thick to hold its shape)

Once mixed, scoop up some mixture with a tablespoon in one hand. Then using a teaspoon in the other hand, push off an appropriate amount of the egg yolk mixture into the holes of the egg halves. After all the mixture has been evenly divided between the egg halves, sprinkle dill weed and paprika over each egg. (Looks like Christmas!) Be sure to keep refrigerated until being served, although they are their most tasty at room temperature.

Egg Salad

Chop the remaining 6 eggs, yolks and all, and follow the same recipe as above, except double the mixture. Serve on crackers or bread of your choice.

Notes:

  • I boil more eggs than necessary because it seems I always have a problem getting a couple out of their shells without complications, and you always want whole, unmangled eggs to use for Deviled Eggs. The broken eggs can be used for egg salad.
  • If you aren’t able to make your Deviled Eggs right away, refrigerate them until you’re ready. To make peeling easier, warn the eggs to room temperature. Four eggs for 30 seconds in my microwave is just right.
  • When drip drying peeled eggs, place on paper toweling that has been placed inside a bowl to keep the eggs from rolling away.
  • I used to use fresh onions and celery, but I found if the eggs sit more than a day, the mixture begins to weep. So to assure good-looking Deviled Eggs, I switched to dehydrated veggies.
  • Large size eggs are the best for Deviled Eggs. Get to know your grocer and the products they sell. I purchase large eggs from certain stores I know sell eggs which are on the largest end of the large-egg weight range. Certain chain stores in my community sell eggs on the small end of the large-egg weight range. Then you might just as well buy small eggs right away and pay the cheaper price.
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Autumnal Equinox

Have you noticed the days have been getting shorter? In fact, this past Friday at 3:02 p.m., we reached the autumnal equinox when the night was about as long as the day. This equality between night and day also happens during the spring equinox in late March. From now on (for 182 days) the days will continue to grow shorter until late December.

AUTUMN CHORES

The autumnal equinox also signals the time for landowners to begin preparing their yards for the coming winter. This year let’s try to keep as many leaves and twigs in our yards as we can. Many butterflies over-winter wrapped in leaves either as chrysalis or as caterpillars. Mulching the leaves, cuts them up. Removing them buries them in the local landfill.

Tiger Swallowtails, for example, overwinter. Their chrysalis look like a dried leaf and are typically attached to a tree or the stem of a plant in the garden.

Besides butterflies, there are many other insects that winter over in the fallen leaves and in and on twigs and stems. As the lawn and garden debris breaks down over the course of the winter season, they also provide much needed nourishment for the soil. If  allowing the leaves and twigs to remain where they fall, is just not acceptable, try dumping the leaves around nearby trees to provide a mulch cover for their thirsty roots. You’ll be amazed how good this will make you feel, knowing you’ve helped maintain the home of an overwintering insect or simply nourishing the soil.

WINDY DAY SURPRISE

Two migrating species, the Monarch (Danaus plexippus) and Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) butterflies getting some nectar on a very windy day, September 20, 2017. The Painted Lady is sitting just above the birdbath. Notice the Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’ in the photo. Neither butterfly was interested in this cultivar; only the native New England Aster (Symphyotricum novae-angliae). Nor were the many other insects anxiously buzzing around this garden area.

 

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Red-Spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax) on Virgin’s Bower (Clematis virginiana)

This rather tattered Red-Spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax) butterfly was nectaring on a native clematis vine known as Virgin’s Bower (Clematis Virginiana). The clematis grows beautifully in a partially shaded fence on the west side of our swimming pool, and very adequately provides privacy in that corner. See also Virgin’s Bower (Clematis virginiana) Pollinator Magnet

While researching the Red-Spotted Purple, I learned that they are a woodland butterfly. In our yard they would like Black Cherry (Prunus srotina), Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa), Cockspur Hawthorn (Crataegus crus-galli), American Basswood (Tilia americana) and White Birch (Betula pubescens) as their host plants. But in the neighborhood, they have their pick of Weeping Willow (Salix babylonica) and Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) as well. As adults they will nectar on small white flowers, hence this one’s timeout on the Virgin’s Bower.

When I first spotted this lovely creature, I thought it was a female black Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, but it did not have the distinctive tail of the swallowtail butterfly. The Red-Spotted Purple ranges from Alaska southeast of the Rockies into Central Texas, and east to New England and South to Florida.

Descriptions below were taken from University of Florida Entomology & Nematology. Click on the photos to enlarge.

Thanks Doug Tallamy for his assistance in identifying this beautiful creature.

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