Sadly this year, Richard and I were sick for New Year‘s Eve and had to decline the invitation to ring in 2011 with some very dear friends. In the refrigerator sat the yummy caviar that is a tradition for our New Year’s Eve celebration. (Richard buys me caviar every year though he won’t touch the stuff.)

The recipe I usually use on December 31 Crisp Potato Galette with Smoked Salmon and Caviar The date on the caviar was January 13. I knew I had to use it and soon. One of our favorite rom-coms is “You’ve Got Mail.” We always joke about the scene where Tom Hanks spoons up all the caviar and Meg Ryan, very annoyed to witness this, nags “That’s supposed to be a garnish!” Well, I decided to heap mine on deviled eggs, and to heck with Meg Ryan.

I used Marian Getz’s “The Immersion Blender Cookbook” recipe for the eggs.

Southern Deviled Eggs

12 large eggs

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tsp yellow mustard

2 TBS pickle relish

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp cider vinegar

Paprika for sprinkling

1) Place eggs and enough water to cover the eggs in a stockpot.

2) Bring to a boil over high heat.

3) As soon as water starts to boil; reduce heat and cook for exactly 10 minutes.

4) Remove from heat and add cool water to the pot to slightly cool eggs.

5) Crack each egg multiple times against the pot.

6) Peel eggs under a stream of cold water from the faucet.

7) Place eggs in a bowl of cold water to cool for 10 minutes.

8) Half eggs lengthwise, remove egg yolks and place into chopper bowl.

9) Rinse egg white halves, wrap them in plastic and chill until ready to use

10) Add remaining ingredients except paprika to the egg yolks in the chopping bowl

11) Blend until smooth.

12) Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

13) Transfer egg mixture in a pastry bag and pipe into egg white halves. ( You can also use a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off.)

14) Sprinkle with paprika.

Push 1/2 tsp of caviar into the yolk mixture of each egg

I put more then 1/2 tsp on each egg half

I’ve alluded to my Omyage bags before and have even written a review of the book on Pattern Review . The book is beautiful and the projects in it are ‘to die for.’ I have two

bags of silk from the Talbot Outlet in Carmel Valley begging for use. While I intend to make everything in the book, I must warn you kind reader, make them up in a cotton first. There are errors in the directions and measurements and I’d hate to see you ruin some expensive fabric.

To get my mind off of not feeling well I made up the first bag in the book called “Marbles”

Ms Sudo speaks about hand sewing much of these pouches and bags. Some of the straight seams and piecing lend themselves to using a sewing machine and any chance I get to use my Bernina 830 I do. I pieced the strips by machine. What I totally loved were Ms Sudo’s directions for making your own cloth beads and using them in interesting places for example, the bottom of this bag.

There is a top casing for a drawstring that Ms Sudo refers to as “the hem” These directions take a bit of trial and error and the measurements may have to be adjusted to fit the bag.

Here the completed bag. I will be making it up in silk pieces soon.