Bacon Devilled Eggs

Ok, so I guess making food techinically isn't crafting, but oh well. It's my blog & I'll post what I want, lol! ;)

So my most recent go-to for bringing to potlucks are these bacon devilled eggs. They are super yummy, contain no mayo, and have no dill in them. I'm not a dill fan. They're also super yummy because BACON. And Sriracha. Seriously, I have to be sneaky & make these when my husband isn't home, because he will eat so many of them before they ever hit the egg carrier! I almost never get out the door with a full batch in hand!

You can make these with or without avocado. They're just as good, either way. I don't much care for avocado, so I prefer them without it, but the hubster looooooooves avocado & likes them better with it. You'll win either way. (PSA: Some people are allergic to avocado. If making these for a group, you may want to check if anyone cannot have avocado before you include it.)

I meant to make these today for my family's New Year's Eve party, but I got slammed by a pretty nasty head cold. In the interest of not infecting anyone, I'm going to avoid handling food meant for public consumption. Sadly, that means no pics for this post today, but I'll add some the next time I make these.

Here's the recipe:

Bacon Devilled Eggs
(or I like to call em Classy Redneck Devilled Eggs)

You'll need:
12 eggs, hardboiled, peeled, & cut in half lengthwise
6 strips of bacon, crumbled
6 Tablespoons liquid fat (ie bacon fat, olive oil, a combination of these, etc.)
Sea Salt
Paprika
Sriracha (or other hot sauce of your choice)
Optional: 1 avocado, peeled & diced

1. Pop egg yolks into a mixing bowl. Set aside egg whites.
2. Add to the bowl your 6 Tbsp of liquid fat, 2/3 of the bacon crumbles, & the avocado (if using it). Mash, mix, or blend together with your squishing implement of choice (fork, handheld mixer, etc).
3. Fill egg whites with this mixture.
4. Top eggs with remaining 1/3 of bacon crumbles. Sprinkle with salt & paprika to taste. (I like a light touch of salt & a whole lot of paprika.) Finish with a small stripe or dot of Sriracha on each egg. (A little goes a long way!) Serve chilled.

Note: If using avocado, make eggs as close to serving time as possible, as the avocado will brown the longer it is exposed to air.

Amish Puzzle Ball

I made a LOT of crafty projects this holiday season! (And I'm not done yet, either!) Hopefully I'll get most of them up on the blog for you all to enjoy! Here's one of my favorites from the list: a crocheted Amish Puzzle Ball for my 18-month-old niece.

Here's the pattern on Ravelry. The ball is made up of three rings, each of which have 4 wedges. You slip the rings over each other to form the ball.

This was a nice stash buster pattern. But don't be fooled: it EATS both yarn (for the wedges) & stuffing! Overstuffed is best on this one, as it will help the rings interlock better.

Made mine with worsted weight cotton yarn, because I had it already, rather than buying the DK yarn the pattern called for. The yarn deviation made the finished ball delightfully huge--probably about 6 or 7 inches in diameter, I think.

I don't know what brand the mixed-color yarn is. A ball of it was gifted to me. I had no idea how I was going to use it at the time, but this project was perfect for it! I ran out of that yarn just before I finished the last wedge piece of the green ring. Having nothing that blended well with that mixed yarn, I chose to complete the wedge with the green of the ring band. When the ball is put together, you can't even tell!

The blue, purple, & green yarns were harvested from an abandoned project: a hexagon pieced baby blanket I meant to have done before this niece was born. I didn't even get enough of it made to be a decent scarf, so it was all banished for a good long while, until the ball project came up. Still not sure what I'll do with the original blanket, but I don't think I'll be returning to it.

I'll definitely be keeping this ball pattern on hand! Fun to make, only three yarn tails to work in at the end, no batteries required, washable, soft & cuddly, etc. I'm not sure how my niece liked it, since she was pretty distracted by the other toys she'd just unwrapped which blinked & booped & such (we're a whole family of ADOS: Attention Deficit--Oooh Shiney!!!), but the adults were all pretty impressed! ;)