Creamed Eggs On Toast

Creamed eggs on toast was a staple food for my mom growing up in a Mid-Western family. Her Oklahoma born mother fed my mom and her siblings creamed eggs on toast often because it was the perfect comfort food when money was tight, which it always was in the single-parent household. I revamped the recipe a little, but it is still the familiar meal my mom grew up with. 

Creamed Eggs on Toast for 3-4 people

You will need...

• 2 eggs per person
• 2 tbs. butter
• 2 tbs. all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 loaf of brioche bread (white bread is fine too)

Now that you have gathered everything...

1. Fill a stock pot with a couple inches of water, place on the stove and a insert steamer basket. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Place eggs in the steamer basket.(If you are steaming a lot of eggs you will have to work in batches of six so you do no over crowd the steamer). Steam the eggs for twelve minutes.
   
3. When the eggs are done, place them in to an ice bath in order to stop the cooking. Allow them the cool in the ice bath for five minutes.
4. In the mean time start toasting the bread and making the sauce.
5. To make the sauce set a sauce pan over medium heat. Melt the butter and whisk in the flour until all the lumps are gone. Continue whisking until the roux is golden brown.
6. Lower the heat, whisk in the milk and allow the sauce to thicken. Add more milk if you would like the sauce to be thinner.
7. Add the mustard, salt and pepper to taste.
8. Peel and slice the hard-cooked eggs and scatter them over the pieces of toast. Drizzle the sauce over the eggs and toast and serve immediately. 
   

Easter Basket Fruit Salad

This fruit salad can really be made for any occasion but is particularly special for an Easter brunch centerpiece. You can also make some slight alterations to the watermelons shape make it look like a bassinet for a baby shower. Before I dove and made it I thought it would be challenging, but actually it was really easy. Let's get started!

You will need...

• A watermelon (look for one that is oblong)
• Your favorite fruit salad
• A SHARP chef's knife
• A SHARP paring knife
• A non-toxic marker (like Crayola) 

Now that you have gathered everything...

1. Slice the bottom of the watermelon to create a stable surface.
   
2. Draw a line around the watermelon just above the "equator."
   
3. Then find the half way points on the "equator" you just drew and draw two lines equidistant from the center points.
   
4. Carve away the sections you drew out to create a "handle" (don't forget to save the watermelon that you are cutting away to put it in your fruit salad). 
5. Carve the flesh out from under the handle. 
   
6. Use a melon baller or ice cream scoop to hallow out the watermelon and create a bowl. Be careful not to cut through the bottom!
7. Now if you like you can add some decorative flare, I took my pairing knife and carved a zig-zag edge around the bowl and handle.
   
8. Fill your now completed basket with fruit salad and you're done!