Crave Wednesday: Egg Salad Sandwich

Time for a Christmas recap!  Before we hit a full month after the fact.  As usual, we made the trek up to the inlaws.  It was a long car trip.  But the kids found ways to occupy themselves.

Because Christmas fell on a weekend, we decided to head up the Friday before, which actually meant far less traffic than we usually encounter.  We also decided to stay in a hotel.  Which was a godsend.  Funny to think there's more room in a single room for 4 people and a dog than a whole house!

It was also nice because there was a place downstairs where we could grab breakfast in the morning.

On Christmas Eve, we spent the day with Magski and her family in their new place.  We all remarked at how incredible it was that despite only seeing each other a few times a year, Thatkid and Ace fall right into old patterns as soon as they see each other. 

 

The new place has a tire swing in the backyard.  And Ace couldn't wait to show it off.  And Thatkid couldn't wait to join him.  They were pretty good sports about having their younger siblings horn in.

Then it was time to say goodbye and head back to change into our church clothes for Christmas mass.

This is what happens when you ask 2 boys to smile nicely for a family picture.

After church, it was over to Grandma's house for Christmas dinner.  Then back to the hotel to get ready for bed.  While I put Thatbaby to sleep, Thatboy and Thatkid read The Night Before Christmas.

We weren't sure if Santa was going to make it to the hotel, so there was lots of joy and excitement to find presents with his tell-tale wrapping on them in the morning.  "SANTA WAS HERE!" 

In addition to bringing the "Christmas blankets" Thatkid had asked him for, Santa left another special treat - Christmas cookie breakfast cereal!

Once it wasn't an obscenely early time, we headed over to TBIL's house for more Christmas festivities.  Or more sitting around for hours until breakfast was ready (hence filling my kids' bellies up with cereal before we arrived.) and then more sitting around until it was finally time to open presents.  The kids kept themselves entertained during the waiting period.

Presents, presents, everywhere for all my boys.  As for me, I got a special gift from my little guys.  My very own ugly Christmas sweater (sweatshirt).

 We waited so long to open presents, that as soon as we were done we had to get dressed and head over to TSIL's sister's house to spend Christmas with the rest of her family.  Her sisters both have little girls, so my boys were definitely outnumbered.  But they enjoyed playing with the girls, watching them do ballet performances, and everyone joined in the "talent show" of singing their favorite Christmas carols.

The day after Christmas was the kind of day I've come to expect from Thatboy's family.  It was supposed to be our day together, the last day we were there before heading home.  We had made plans to meet an hour away, and even though we called when we were on our way, they waited until we had arrived to cancel on us.  So we drove an hour back to their homes, only to find out that TSIL had taken her kids to see a movie she had seen earlier in the week, and TBIL wanted to stay home and play with his new Christmas presents.  So instead of spending time with them, we spent the day with TMIL watching "Secret Life of Pets."  And the next day we were on the road.


We got home very late that night, without enough time to go shopping, and I worked the next day.  Which meant the next night's dinner was going to have to be something that could be thrown together with things we already had in the fridge.  Things like - eggs.  Because everyone always has eggs right?  Rather than the ever-popular breakfast for dinner, egg salad found its way onto the table.  Sandwiched between some hearty slices of sourdough bread.

I think egg salad is one of those classic childhood dishes.  Or maybe just a classic dish from my childhood.  It's one of the first things I ever learned how to make, since it's really just mashing up hard boiled eggs.  But there are so many variations as to what you put in with the egg.  Personally, I go very light on the mayo, and heavy on the mustard.  This version doesn't skimp on the mayo, but it gets cut with reduced fat sour cream.  Which I love.  It adds an extra tang to an already unbeatable dish.  If you've ever had hollandaise sauce, you'll know how lemon brightens up egg, and this is no exception.  Not enough to make it taste lemony, just enough to give it some zing.

Egg Salad Sandwich (From Cooking Light)

1/4 cup mayo

3 Tbsp sliced green onions

3 Tbsp reduced fat sour cream

2 tsp whole grain Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp grated lemon rind

8 hardboiled eggs

8 slices of bread, toasted

4 Boston lettuce leaves

1. Combine mayo, onions, sour cream, mustard, and lemon rind in a medium bowl.
2. Cut 2 of the eggs in half legnthwise and remove the yolks.  Chopp the egg whites and add to the bowl.  
3. Chop the remaining eggs and add to the bowl, stirring gently to combine.
4. Top 4 of the toast slices with a lettuce leaf and 1/2 cup of the egg salad.
5. Top with remaining 4 toast slices.