I made my first Classic Deviled Eggs about six years ago on the first Thanksgiving we celebrated in Georgia. I had no idea how to make such a thing! I just knew that it was a family favorite, especially for my brother-in-law, and Thanksgiving wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without them. Beginner’s luck was with me that day because the Classic Deviled Eggs turned out amazing and they’re now a dish I’m asked to bring over and over again to our family gatherings, which is a true honor for an Atkinson by marriage.

I mixed up the very traditional recipe ever-so-slightly by adding dijon mustard instead of yellow mustard and sweet pickle relish instead of dill pickle relish. Topped with pickled jalapeno, my sweet, tangy, creamy Classic Deviled Eggs do not disappoint. 

Classic Deviled Eggs are truly a favorite in our family and I make them for any family gathering year-round, but they are a must-have Holiday appetizer. 

Tips and Tricks for Classic Deviled Eggs

Classic Deviled Eggs aren’t hard to make but they do require time and patience. Perfecting the hard boiling and peeling process takes time and lots of practice! I’ve documented my tips and tricks so you can get it right the first time. 

This first tip is going to come across as odd, but I’m telling you it’s real. I recommend using eggs that have been sitting in your refrigerator for a while (about a week). For some reason, eggs that have a bit of shelf life – obviously not expired – tend to peel more willingly.

I only use organic large eggs for Classic Deviled Eggs (my favorite grocery store brands are Pete and Gerry’s or Simple Truth Organic). Eggs are the star of this dish, so you want the most flavorful, high-quality eggs. In my experience, organic eggs peel better, have a beautiful bright yellow yolk, and have much more flavor. I’m telling you – these are the qualities you want for the star of your deviled egg show!

Even though the term is “hard-boiling” it is actually a very gentle process. Use a large pot (such as one that you would use to make pasta or soup) and gently place the eggs in the bottom covering them with cold water by one inch. Slowly bring the eggs up to a boil over medium / medium-high heat, uncovered. Once they’ve boiled, cover the pot, turn off the heat and let them sit for exactly 12 minutes. Wala! Perfectly hard-boiled eggs. 

There are probably old wives’ tales out there about how to best peel a hard-boiled egg but after making hundreds of Classic Deviled Eggs, I’ve found a tried and true process. Start by rinsing the egg under cool water then tap the egg on all sides breaking up the shell on a hard surface such as your countertop. Gently peel away the shell in pieces being careful not to pull too hard. Once peeled, rinse under cool water, then set on a clean kitchen towel or paper towel to dry.

The filling of a deviled egg is absolutely delicious, but the process of trying to get the filling into the tiny hole of the hard-boiled egg white can be downright excruciating! After using two spoons over and over again to dollop the mixture into the hard-boiled egg white, my husband finally said, “Hey, you should really use a zip-top bag for that – you know like a piping bag.” It was as if he was an ancient philosopher providing the meaning of life. From that moment on I always spoon the deviled egg filling into a zip-top bag, push it all into the corner, snip the edge about ¼ inch deep, and pipe the filling into each hard-boiled egg white. 

These time savers and tips and tricks took me many, many Classic Deviled Eggs to figure out. I’m passing the baton to you! 

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Classic Deviled Eggs

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 8 Eggs Size Large
• 1/2 C Mayonaise
• 2 1/2 Tbsp Sweet Pickle Relish If you cannot find sweet pickle relish, use bread and butter style pickles.
• 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard Use creamy dijon; not grainy
• 12 Pickled jalapeno slices Optional
• 1/2 Tsp Paprika
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 1/4 Tsp Pepper

Instructions

Hard Boil the Eggs

• Add the eggs to the bottom of a medium saucepan. The eggs should be crowded with still some room to move around.
• Cover the eggs with cold water, until the water is approximately one full inch above the top of the eggs.
• Heat the eggs uncovered at medium-high heat until they reach a full boil. This will take about 10 minutes.
• Once boiling, cover the pot, turn off the heat, and let the eggs cook for 12 minutes.

Peel and Prep the Eggs

• After 12 minutes, drain the eggs over a colander. Rinse the eggs with cold water for a few minutes until the eggs are cool enough to be handled.
• Peel each egg by gently tapping the egg on a hard surface, then peel back the shell of the egg revealing the hard-boiled interior.
• Set on a paper towel or kitchen towel-lined baking sheet or bowl to absorb any moisture.
• Repeat the process until all eggs are peeled.

Make the Deviled Egg Filling

• Cut each hard-boiled egg in half lengthwise. Gently push out the yolk into the mixing bowl. Place the egg white on a deviled egg serving tray or platter.
• Once all eggs have been cut and separated, add the mayonnaise, pickle relish, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Mix vigorously with a wire whisk, or the beater blades of a hand-mixer until all lumps are removed and the mixture is homogenous.
• Place the filling into a large zip-top bag, squeezing it to one corner. Snip off approximately 1/4 inch of the corner of the zip-top bag.
• Squeeze the mixture into the center of each egg white, filling it generously.
• One pinch at a time, sprinkle the paprika over each egg leaving a light dusting.
• Optional: Top each egg with a pickled jalapeno.
• Place in the refrigerator to cool for at least one hour before serving, up to four.

Recipe Tips

To prepare a full day ahead, store the filling in a zip-top bag and the egg whites in a container lined with a paper towel. On the day of serving fill each egg and top of paprika and pickled jalapeno, if using.

I’m writing this post right at the beginning of the school year after I’ve been back at work for about three months. Three months. Really? Only three months? In truth, I’ve been avoiding this topic because I don’t really know what to say or offer as guidance. In many ways I feel that I’ve integrated myself back into work really well – I’ve been able to re-establish myself as a leader to my teams and a trusted partner to my department leadership. I’ve been able to work on some very innovative and cutting-edge technology across industries. I’ve been able to help some of my direct reports define pathways for promotion. The flip side to that is how much I miss Hudson throughout the day but know that I cannot do my job with him at home without help. I find myself going 100 miles per hour at all times, exhausted at the end of the day literally wondering how I got here.

Returning to work has been a reminder of how much I enjoy what I do and how grateful I am to be working and be employed, but has been coupled with so many questions for me as a parent and a wife. These questions are not actually questioning if I want to work, because I do. These questions are related to time. Do I spend enough time with Hudson? Did I take time to actually talk to my husband? Have I carved out any time for myself? How will I manage my next promotion if I already feel like this?

There are no right or wrong ways to go about returning to work after maternity leave. If someone tells you that certain things are required or that you should set specific goals, just walk away. Like all things related to this topic, this journey is also about you. So put you at the center of it. 

My things and ways of making this come together may not be for you. Adapt them! Make them your own. Take these things – my advice and my mistakes – and mold them into your world. 

Advice: Things That Have Worked

This is a pretty short and concise list of four key things that have helped me return to work successfully and find some balance. It’s a work in progress, but I believe they can benefit you, or anyone in this situation equally.

1. Routine: I returned to work in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic when daycares were not open. My husband and I operated off of a Google Calendar called, “Two Working Parents and A Baby” for just over a month. One day, I received a call from Hudson’s daycare that they were open. I cried so hard thinking about sending him; I was terrified. However, I gave it a shot. It was horrible. I cried by myself sitting at my desk for 10 days straight. But, do you know what resulted? A routine! This routine created structure and reliability in our days for both me and my husband. With Hudson at daycare, I was able to consistently start my work day at 7:30am and have a solid 9 or 10 hours of availability. It was liberating. It also meant that we each had our roles. I get Hudson’s things ready in the morning and drop him off while my husband kicks-off his day and conversely, my husband picks him up while I wrap up my day. 
2. Me Time: Relentless is a word (not the only word) I’d use to describe being a parent. It is 24/7. Carving out time for myself every day is critical to my well-being and quite frankly my family’s. My husband and I get up at 4am daily. From 4am – 7am we spend our time separately. Three days a week I work out and sometimes wash my hair. The other two I use to read a book and enjoy every sip of coffee or catch up on work. It gives me a moment to feel human and independent.
3. Calendar Management: I don’t know about your work environment, but at mine, any free time starting at 7am and ending at 6pm is fair game for meetings. So managing my calendar transparently and accurately is critical. I’ve blocked out time that I need to spend dedicated to family and regularly send schedule updates to “must-know” team members as things ebb and flow. This has created my own support network at work and has allowed me to push back when things conflict. 
4. Delegation: This is a skill I’m honing at work and in my personal life. At work, it looks like enablement and empowerment; creating opportunities for me to mentor and others to own. This enhances my leadership skills and develops critical advancement skills in more junior team members. In my personal life, this means outsourcing grocery shopping, house cleaning, and leveraging Amazon Prime delivery to the fullest extent possible. This ensures that my free time is truly free time. 

Mistakes: Things that haven’t worked well

Unlike the Advice section above, this list could probably be endless. I’ve narrowed it down to some key items. 

1. Lack of Meal Planning: Prior to having Hudson and prior to COVID-19 I was on the road traveling around the US for work 3 out of 4 weeks a month for at least two days per week. We rarely had food in our house and if we did it was usually questionable. Fast forward to “Two Working Parents and A Baby” in the middle of a pandemic and it turns out this method for feeding ourselves didn’t work well. We found ourselves grumpy, hungry, and living off of middle-priced, somewhat healthy UberEats orders. Not only did this take a hit on our budget, but it also didn’t feel good. Once we started thinking ahead for the week – what we’d want to eat, sides, lunches, etc. we got much more organized. We also decided that we’d treat ourselves to one “dining out” experience a week on Fridays.
2. Eliminating Exercise when Time is Tight: For my husband and me, exercise is a really important part of our lives. While neither one of us is trying to be the best at fitness, we also care about the health of our bodies. We love long walks on the weekends and push ourselves during the week with at-home HIIT and circuit-style workouts. When time would get tight, it was easy for us to cut exercise. That would often lead to eating less healthy, which would lead to less-sound sleep, and being less productive at work. Basically, a downward spiral. So keep your mind right with exercise, and put yourself first. If you need to create pockets of time, look to delegate something. 
3. Not Talking: Since having Hudson and especially since I’ve been back at work, one of the first things that got left out between my husband and I was actually talking to each other. I don’t mean, “how was your day?” or “what do you want to do this weekend?” I mean actually talking to each other. Having a conversation about life, our family, an upcoming trip, etc. Really talking to each other. Finding ways to support each other. It is too easy for us to turn on the TV at night and stare at a show while simultaneously scrolling Instagram and it’s much harder to have a conversation so it’s easy to stop talking. The result is two people who get frustrated easily and are not on the same page. Don’t stop talking to each other and supporting each other. “Two Working Parents and A Baby” is hard enough when you are talking and being supportive of each other. Don’t make it harder on yourself by not doing this.

The bottom line is that I assumed this whole “return to work thing” would be pretty easy because I felt like I was prepared. It’s turned out to not really be the case. Yet another motherhood curveball! There are a lot of growing pains and challenges. I believe that three months into working, parenting, and wife-ing my (and our family’s) ultimate balance is still being worked out. I believe that I am managing the day-to-day well and that I am being successful in both my career and my family. I believe that I will continue to be flexible and adjust as my needs and my family’s needs grow and change. Most of all I believe that this is a really special balance to be in. So while I don’t have this figured out (yet, or at all), it will always be a work in progress. As long as I give myself grace and continue to drive toward my goals I know I’ll be successful in my role as a working mother, a wife, and a career builder. 

Would you describe yourself as conflict-averse? Meaning, when you sense a conflict or a difficult situation coming your way, you back yourself into your corner, shy away, or maybe even just ignore the situation altogether? Years ago I would have been right there with you in both my work and personal life. These days I find myself owning difficult conversations and addressing situations of conflict with ease, especially at work, and in a much more comfortable place not because I care less or find it any less intimidating, but because I’ve learned how to structure my responses and navigate my way through highly difficult or high-conflict situations and conversations in a way that is less emotional and focused on the outcome. 

Here’s a five-step process to structure a difficult conversation due to a high-conflict situation at work or at home in a way that will help to keep you at the forefront of driving and managing the conversation while facilitating and reaching a streamlined resolution that benefits all parties involved.

Step 1: Define what you know.

Use this first step as an opportunity to take a deep breath and identify what you know about the situation. Do this in your most comfortable brainstorming method. For me, this is as simple as a notebook and pencil; for you maybe it’s a bunch of post-its, a journal, or a Google Doc. Whatever your method, write down everything that’s relevant that you know about the situation. This step isn’t always comfortable and almost always generates big emotions for me, especially when it’s home-related (vs. work), but it will clear your head and get your thoughts out in a place where you can see them, react to them, and process them.

Step 2: Bucketize what you know into groups.

(And yes, “bucketize” is a technical term!)

By grouping what you know you’ll start to create categories, which ladder up to the bigger issue at hand and will eventually become your outline for your conversation. Common categories in difficult or conflict-heavy situations in a work setting include things like “issues,” “timing,” “quality,” “resources,” etc. In a home-based situation, the categories look different and might include things like, “money,” “help around the house,” “help with the kids,” etc.

Step 3: Define your ideal outcome.

So now you’ve organized your thoughts and identified your major topics. What do you want to happen as a result of the conversation? Or what must be the outcome once the conflict is resolved? This is a decision that will result in an action. For me, in my consulting world, this is typically a client-driven decision that results in my team being able to execute based on a decided direction. Maybe for you, it’s a clear answer on how to allocate a budget or which person will receive a promotion. At home, maybe it’s an agreement between you and your spouse of how you’ll divvy up home responsibilities or re-allocate monthly funds to be more effective for your family. Whatever it is, make your outcome big enough to drive to an action, otherwise, you’ll find yourself back at step one in no time at all.

Step 4: Create a roadmap.

Whether it’s two steps for twenty-two steps, you need to have a thought-through roadmap to achieve your desired outcome based on the problem you’re addressing and what you already know. At work, for example, if your problem is a delayed kick-off on a project and you know it’s delayed because of budgetary constraints and your desired outcome is to start within two weeks to maintain your original timeline, then your roadmap must include steps to alleviate the budgetary constraints and gain approval to start your project. At home, if your problem is getting your spouse to engage more completely in family activities, then your roadmap needs to articulate when the family activities occur, where he/she could jump in to be more present and how immediately he/she can start exercising these new habits. Be thoughtful and succinct with your steps. It’s all about quality and accomplish-ability without making anyone feel less-than.

Step 5: Build an agenda.

No matter if this is a client-facing meeting, a chit-chat with a co-worker, a conversation with your spouse, a huge presentation to a bunch of senior executives, or a sit down with your mother-in-law, you’ve got to have an agenda. This agenda should be structured as follows: Problem statement (why are we here?) | Intended outcome (what we will achieve) | Recap of what we know (how we got here) | Opportunity to achieve the outcome (roadmap) | Immediate next steps (how we will ensure outcome success). This structure avoids personal nuance and keeps the conversation on the outcome (not the conflict / difficult situation), which will ensure success.

Remember that conflict isn’t a bad thing in any setting or with anyone. Good things come from conflict – innovation, relationships, love, challenges, appreciation – just to name a few. Change your thinking about how to manage and work through difficult conversations and conflict-heavy situations creating opportunities for growth (personally, in relationships, and professionally) well beyond what you could have imagined in a status-quo world.