Pie in the Sky- picnic at Rock Creek Lake

October 7, 2011

Last week we went on a picnic at Rock Creek Lake. I made Cajun Chicken Fingers, Deviled Eggs and Pinwheel Cookies.  We also took potato chips and drinks and a tablecloth I made long ago of red-checked oil cloth.  The leaves on the trees around the lake were in their best Autumn finery.  It surprised us because around Mammoth where we live, the leaves were barely starting to tuen.  We found a table overlooking the lake and unpacked our lunch.

There were three of us, my husband-Lary, my son-Tim, and myself.  The men disappeared to cast their poles in the water when a large gust of wind picked up the edge of the tablecloth an d turned it over before I could grab it.  Eggs flew off the table.  Wine spilled over the potato chips and the chicken fell off the plate.  Meanwhile the men had returned.  We unfolded the cloth and salvaged what we could.

We managed to save 2 or 3 of the eggs.  The cookies were OK because they were in an air-tight container.  The chips were soggy.  The chicken was mostly saved.  The wine was in small bottles so we lost one of those but opened another.

For the rest of the time we were there, the air was perfectly calm.  We started to attract wildlife.  Birds came first and then a chipmunk.  A Mountain Jay flew off with one of the eggs.  The chipmunk finally got up enough courage to nibble on another and by the time we left, the ground was clean.  They say not to feed the wildlife.  I never intended to do so but this was unintentional.  I have a photo of the chipmunk.  

DEVILED EGGS

12 eggs, hard cooked*

mayonnaise to taste (2-3 rounded tablespoonfuls)

2 teaspoons mustard

Season salt to taste

* To hard cook eggs, place carefullly in a medium saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil- then lower the temperature until just beyond a simmer (small bubbles).  Cook for 6 minutes.  Cover pan with a tight lid and turn off the heat.   Leave in the saucepan 20 minutes.  Uncover. 

Cut the eggs in half.  Set aside the whites.  Mash the egg yolks with a fork.  Add mustard, mayonnaise, and season salt to the mashed yolks. Mix thoroughly.  

Cut one corner of a zip-lock bag to force the yolk mixture through the hole.  Place the yolk mixture into the bag and seal the top of the bag.  Use the bag as you would a pastry bag.  The eggs are not quite as fancy but clean up is easy.  Throw away the zip lock bag when finished.