Have I told you how much I love a good Easter egg hunt?!?

When we were kids there were several hunts. One was at school. There was always a golden egg and whoever found it won a chocolate bunny. I found it one year. One of the best days of my life.

We also did a hunt at George & Lucille’s. They’d stuff all us kids in my cousins bedroom and promise to deliver dire consequences if anyone tried to peek through the window. Then we’d be turned loose outside to scour the yard for eggs. There are few joys purer than seeing a bright blue egg peeking out from beneath the shrubbery.

Yesterday we had an egg hunt at church–I was more than happy to help hide the eggs and then give the children clues to help in the hunt (don’t forget to look up!).

Of course, food is an important part of most traditions as well. At home in West Virginia Easter dinner almost always included ham, scalloped potatoes, rolls, deviled eggs, and that ubiquitous green bean casserole my husband has since banned. Never mind, asparagus is nicer and more seasonal.

Of course, the deviled eggs were made from the Easter eggs we’d dyed earlier in the week. Our very own chickens laid them, we colored them, and then Mom peeled and deviled them. Those were the days before things had to be refrigerated.

Deviled Eggs

6 hard cooked eggs (use OLD ones, the fresher they are, the harder to peel)
1 tsp or so of dried, yellow mustard
mayonnaise
sweet pickle juice
salt and pepper

Peel the eggs and cut them in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a bowl with the mustard, a dollop of mayonnaise, and a teaspoon or so of pickle juice for sweetness. Mash thoroughly, adding more mayonnaise until you have the creamy consistency you like. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon yolk mixture back into whites and place in one of those egg plates that aren’t good for anything else. We put the actual sweet pickles into the round in the center. We did NOT sprinkle the eggs with paprika for color. Enjoy!