November 2 is a very special day. Other than it being the second day of my favorite month, it is also National Deviled Egg Day. Oh my goodness what shall I do to commemorate this spectacular day...if only I knew how to make deviled eggs! Soon enough, it'll be Thanksgiving, and I surmise that I'll be able to pop as many into my mouth as I please, or at least until the platter goes empty.
First of all, November is a great month for several reasons...the weather finally begins to turn cool and become predictable. Also, as I mentioned earlier, Thanksgiving occurs near the end of the month, and I can eat like I do only twice per year. College football actually becomes relevant for all fans, too. College football, the only sport without a playoff to determine it's national champion, sorts itself out with rivalry games, conference championship games, and visits from bowl representatives...and that matters because all of the good bowl games happen on New Year's Eve or later. Oh, yeah, and waterfowl migration peaks at this time in North Carolina - the Tundra Swans make their first appearances, along with thousands of diving ducks such as bluebills, redheads, canvasback, and buffleheads. And then, of course, there's deviled egg day.
About the cool weather...I have always argued that you can control body temperature much better than in the hot summer months. When you're hot, you cna only take off so many layers before you get to spend a night in the local lockup. However, if it's cool or cold outside, just keep piling on the outerwear...and the only thing I do not like about the cold weather is the annoying frost on car windows...or an ice storm that puts travel on ice. What a clever sentence that was...
Thanksgiving is great because, well, you get to eat Turkey and Ham and Turducken, all in the same meal. Green beans, sweet potato casserole, and deviled eggs round out the savory portion of my plate(s) on Thanksgiving. There's also the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, this overrated and over-the-top performance is worth a look on television, if only for the nostalgia it brings me. Also, desserts can be tackled with as much reckless abandon as the other foods, too. Oh yeah, there's leftovers, too. The Iron Bowl - Auburn and Alabama's rivalry game, which is one of ESPN's Top 10 rivalries in all of sports, commences on the following Saturday. I haven't missed an in-person appearance since 1994, and only one total miss since 1990...all thanks to my dad. I've been able to witness the transition of an Alabama-dominated rivalry, to one owned for the most part by my beloved Auburn Tigers. Oh, did I mention leftovers...
And the waterfowl migration is completely noteworthy because I'll spend the first two hours of daylight for nearly 45 days, watching and aiming at the elusive birds from the north. Each day's sunrise is a minor miracle and I can easily tell my friends that "yes, the sun will rise again." It always does.
Anyway, back to deviled eggs...for the longest time, I had relegated the DE to a dish prepared by only the oldest of women for the oldest of men at the weekly covered dish luncheon at church. There was nary a time, though, when I bypassed the platter of DE's without at least lifting one for my very own. I always assumed that "deviled" was in reference to a possibly spicy filling applied to the eggs. Either way, deviled eggs - or picnic eggs - are hard boiled eggs, which are subsequently peeled, sliced in half lengthwise, after which the yolk is removed and then mixed with a variety of items including, but not limited to or necessarily including all of the following: Mayonnaise, mustard, cayenne pepper, relish, parsley. After the mixture is made, it's scooped up and returned into the egg "cups", which were created by slicing the eggs lengthwise and removing the original yolk. Still, with all the work that is put into them, I can down one wholly. They are a truly southern hors d'oeuvre...
Enjoy the day...
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