“That lasted about five minutes.”
“You sound shocked,” I said to my neighbor, Margo, as we listened to the refrigerator door pop open, and slam shut, the cupboards bang back and forth.
Margo brushed the hair out of her eyes with her purple, dyed fingers and deftly peeled a hard cooked egg and popped it whole into her mouth.
“You kidddddss goeth to your roooomm,” Margo stammered, grinned, and chewed all at the same time.
I shook my head and watched the kids slam the last cupboard door. I think I knew we were in trouble after the kids dropped the last dye pellet in vinegar and the dog knocked it off the table and everyone was crying.
“It’s nothing.” Margo spoke clearly. “But your fault. If you hadn’t hid the Easter candy in the oven, we would still be dying Easter eggs.”
“And how did they find out the candy was in the oven?” I asked suspiciously.
Margo held up her hands in disgust. “After wiping up the dye, I came back up from under the table and I used the oven handle for support, the kids saw inside, and it was over.” She sighed.
Peeping over my coffee cup I murmured. “I guess so.” Nevertheless, it was true. I have run out of hiding spaces in my house. We must have a dozen Easter baskets and where do you put them? They do not fit in a drawer. If I store them in the garage, months later I find them holding nuts and bolts. It was discouraging. I felt like a fool. The way it stands now I can’t depend on any of my old hiding places.
You know the good ones. The oven lid drawer. Inside beach bags, the laundry bin, the canisters marked “flour” that no one has ever looked in except me.
I find Thank-You notes in those places now.
“You want to talk about hiding things,” I said to Margo who was now eating the Easter candy. “My husband, the thief, has more things that belong in this kitchen hiding in that garage of his.”
Margo stirred her coffee slowly. “Let me guess. You found your roaster pan and he used it to change the oil in the car.”
“Yes! OH, yes,” I said with relief. ‘Remember when I told you that things were mysteriously disappearing? My sewing scissors, kitchen knives, pots, juice jugs, the list goes on.”
“My goodness, that’s a lot of things,” Margo said, unconsciously lining the yellow marshmallow chicks in a row.
“Well, last night I go walking into the garage and my husband barks at me to stay back. “Why can’t I come in the garage? I asked defensively as I walked toward him.
“I don’t want you to touch anything!”
“Get serious,” I said, resting my elbows on the workbench, cupping my face in my hands, and looking up at him. (Sometimes you must act coy to catch them.)
His eyes narrowed and I had the feeling he knew, I knew, he was hiding something. We stared at each other. Then he half turned, and I heard a thud. On the floor was my best bathroom towel with an engine on it.
“Well, I’ve got to go home,” Margot said, as she leaned back in her chair and flipped a jellybean into the air and into her mouth. ‘I’m starved. I have to go home and fix dinner.”
As she exited thru the kitchen door, she poked her head back through and said, “Oh by the way, what are you going to do with five dozen hard-cooked eggs?
Here’s what you do:
SCOTCH EGGS
One of my all-time favorites. Great hot or cold. Portable and very filling.
¾ lb. pork sausage
12 hard-cooked eggs
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
Fat for deep frying
Divide sausage into 12 equal portions. Shape each portion into a flat patty and wrap completely around one peeled, hard cooked egg, then roll in breadcrumbs until completely coated. Place Eggs in preheated deep fat until golden brown and heated through, 6-9 minutes. Drain on absorbent paper.
PICKLED EGGS
For fun have kids throw a few peeled, hard-cooked eggs into the pickle jar. They are tasty even if a little green, other wise: 2 cups white vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings, I teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon whole mixed pickling spice, 12 hard-cooked eggs.
In medium saucepan combine all ingredients except eggs. Simmer over low heat, uncovered, until onion is tender.
Arrange eggs in each of two one-quart jars (save your pickle jars) with tight fitting lids.
Pour one cup vinegar mixture over eggs in each jar. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight to blend flavors. Eggs may be stored in the refrigerator up to two weeks.
HOPPY EASTER!