Plus a MUST try recipe!

Deviled eggs. You will find them at picnics, potlucks, holiday celebrations, and cookouts. They are so embedded in our culture that they have come to be expected, and if not delivered, the event does not seem complete.

Despite being a signature dish, I never ate them. I never even tried them. I assumed all deviled eggs were made with mustard and I hate mustard! Just so we are clear, I love eggs. I eat them almost daily. Boiled. Scrambled. Omelets. Sunny side up. Egg salad (made with mayo, not mustard). Prepare them how you wish, I will eat it, except when you add mustard.

It was Thanksgiving and I went to my daughter’s Nana’s house who of course had some good ole deviled eggs as part of the spread. As we prepared plates, she offered me one. I cringed at the idea of taking a bite into the bitter tasting egg with all its yellow mustard glory, but because it was offered, I just could not say no. I took the egg. It sat on my plate as the last thing to eat. I was clearly avoiding the devil himself in this egg. As I finished the last bite of sweet potatoes, I then turned to the single egg that sat on my plate. I slowly picked it up and with much resistance, forced myself to take a bite. Then I took another one and another one and then I got some more! What is going on here?? They were actually good, REALLY good. I thought, ‘maybe deviled eggs did not have mustard in them after all.’

I asked Nana how she made them because clearly something this good could not contain mustard. She replied, sweet relish, Miracle Whip, and yellow mustard. WHAT!?! Impossible! Those are the three worst condiments created my man! There is no way such horrible ingredients combined made something so good!

This made me think, how often do bad things come together for our good? We have all heard the saying, ‘No Pain, No Gain’. This saying references the need to go through something uncomfortable or painful in order to experience growth and success. This is true for those trying to achieve any goal in their life. Maybe it is losing weight, getting out of debt, excelling in the workplace, or starting a new business; whatever it may be, the same rules apply.

Reflecting on my own journey to start a new business, to say I have struggled a bit would be an understatement. I thought it would be easy, but boy was I wrong! Like most of us, I was looking for the success without having to do the hard stuff. What I quickly learned is you can’t avoid the hard stuff if you want success because they are necessary ingredients.

What I have found to be the most concrete, fail proof recipe to achieve any goal is the following –

Discipline + Hard Work + Consistency = Success

In order to taste the sweet experience of success, you must add in these key ingredients. Unfortunately, those key ingredients are not favorites on anyone’s list. We do not like them so we avoid them, just like I did when I knew mustard was in deviled eggs. The sad result is a lot of missed opportunities, lost dreams, and untapped potential.

I would never eat mustard by itself or sweet relish or Miracle Whip. The only time I eat these three things is when combined with a boiled egg. No one wants to work hard, just to work hard or discipline themselves, just to say they did, but when you combine all three together and eat them with passion, you will be sure to achieve success EVERY TIME.

I want to encourage you today, to just take a bite. Take one goal and apply these three key ingredients and then prepare to savor in your success.

Now back to deviled eggs themselves; I have since made them more times than I can count for various events and they are a hit every time! Today I share this recipe with you. Enjoy! 

Recipe for the Best Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

• 8 large eggs
• 2.5 tbsp Miracle Whip
• 1.5 tsp yellow mustard
• 1.5 tsp sweet relish
• Salt to taste
• paprika, for garnish

Instructions

1. Bring large pot of water to boil, carefully place eggs in the pot, and then boil eggs for about 15 mins.
2. Drain water from pot and replace with cold water. Let eggs cool.
3. Once cooled, peel them and slice in half lengthwise. Remove the yolk with a spoon, place yolk in a small bowl, and place the egg whites on a plate.
4. Mash the yolks with a fork and add the Miracle Whip, yellow mustard, sweet relish, and salt to taste. Stir everything together.
5. Use a spoon to add a portion of the deviled egg mixture back into the hole of each egg white. Sprinkle on paprika for garnish.
6. Enjoy!