Pickled Eggs

Today I celebrate getting a part time job! While it has been really fun day tripping to many great places near us, I have been needing something to do while Ian is at work the remaining 5 days of the week. I've been occupying my time by taking care of our dogs and cleaning the apartment and while I have my hobbies like singing and cooking I really need to meet some people out here. We've had a lot of great experiences so far spending time with each other but eventually I think we'd both like to make a few new friends.

Recently, I've been feeling a little lost. I read a few articles recently that discuss how your mind compartmentalizes change. Remember what my client told me before I left my job in Indiana? "They say the three most stressful things in life are getting married, quitting your job, and relocating to another city. And you are doing all three in a matter of a couple of months...good luck."

I don't feel stressed so much as anxious...I'm a little paranoid I might become depressed if I continue to stay uninvolved with so many awesome opportunities out here. So I decided the best thing I can do is stay focused on keeping busy. My goal is to eventually audition for a musical once I have more structure to my weeks. I mean, hell...why not? I'm always happiest when I'm singing and performing on stage. You get to meet new people, make new friends, and exercise your passion for music. Now that I have step one accomplished I will be looking at upcoming auditions in the next couple of months!

So in my celebration today I decided to make something I've always been curious to try: Pickled Eggs. Anyone who knows me completely understands I am obsessed with pickled foods. In fact, I love pickled foods so much that I was devastated the day I found out I was allergic to pickled beets. I considered eating them anyway and then just sticking myself with an EpiPin...seriously.

Any pickled foods I cannot eat because of an allergy makes me angry at my body. I love them, love them, LOVE them! So anyway, I have been super curious to try pickled eggs for a very long time but I haven't because all of the pickled eggs available to buy at a grocery store are pickled with red beets. But I've been dying to try them. (You see what I did there? I made a little punny, didn't I?) They are going to take 8-10 days to pickle and you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be letting you know how they turn out!

Ingredients:

• Dozen Eggs
• Distilled White Vinager
• 1/2 Tbsp of Pickling Spice (I didn't have any in my kitchen so I made my own! Garlic Powder, Crushed Red Pepper, Cumin, Ground Mustard)
• 1/2 Tbsp of Peppercorn (I also didn't have any whole peppercorns so I just used ground peppercorns instead.)
• 1 Tbsp of Sea Salt, divided
• 32 oz. Mason Jar (leftover from our wedding - boo-yeah)
• Toothpick

Cooking Directions:

• Fill a large pot with water and sprinkle with 1/2 Tbsp of salt
• Bring the water to a rolling boil
• Add the eggs and boil for 10 minutes
• Remove the eggs and cool them by running cold water over the top for 2-3 minutes
• Remove the shells and insert a toothpick all the way through each egg and then remove
• Creating a small tunnel with the toothpick will allow the mixture to pickle the egg better
• Place the eggs into the Mason Jar
• In a medium bowl add the vinegar, the pickling spice, the peppercorn, and sea salt 
• Mix together and then pour over the top of the eggs inside the Mason Jar
• You may need to add more vinegar to the Mason Jar in order to completely cover the eggs
• Screw on the lid and place in the refrigerator for 8-10 days