World Egg Day, an Egg Cookbook for Christmas, and Our Family’s Scarred Eggs

I was going through #Holidays the other day when I found out World Egg Day was October 9, 2026, and it got me thinking about eggs, cooking, Christmas, and a cookbook that would make a wonderful gift for Charlie. Not, only that it took me back to my dad and his Fried, Egg and Bacon Sandwich and my dad teaching my best friend to cook when we was in High School. I miss those times.

Which is why the simplest things in the kitchen are the ones we take for granted. Most of us have eggs in the refrigerator, and we use them for breakfast, baking, sandwiches, and all sorts of family recipes. But if you have a child who is just learning to cook, an egg can be a good place to start.

And since were working on our Christmas Gift Guide/ Wish List, I found a cookbook that caught my attention. It is called The Perfect Egg: A Fresh Take on Recipes for Morning, Noon, and Night [A Cookbook] by Teri Lyn Fisher and Jenny Park, and it looks like a fun gift for somebody who wants to learn more about cooking with eggs.

I haven’t cooked from this book myself, so this isn’t a personal cookbook review. Instead, I’m sharing it as a Christmas gift idea for Charlie, and it gives us a good reason to talk about World Egg Day, teaching children to cook, and one of our family’s favorite recipes.

Of course, when we get to the recipe, we have to talk about scarred eggs. Yes, scarred eggs! Charlie doesn’t want anything to do with the devil, so he doesn’t call them deviled eggs. That’s what happens when you cook with family. You end up with your own names for things!

If your #homeschooling your children I wanted to share how World Egg Day is celebrated on the second Friday in October each year. The international celebration began in Vienna in 1996 to recognize eggs and their importance as a nutritious, affordable, and versatile food. Which would make a wonderful Homeschool Lesson.

In 2026, World Egg Day fell on Friday, October 9, marking 30 years of celebrating eggs around the world. Eggs are used in kitchens across many cultures. They can be boiled, scrambled, poached, fried, baked into casseroles, added to salads, and used in cakes and other desserts. They are also a source of protein and several important nutrients.

I think eggs are especially interesting because they can be one of the first foods a child learns to prepare. You don’t have to begin with a complicated recipe or a kitchen full of fancy equipment. You can start with the basics and build from there. And if you have ever stood in the kitchen waiting for water to boil, you know that it can seem to take forever. A watched pot never boils, or so we say! Laughing out loud.

The cookbook I found is The Perfect Egg: A Fresh Take on Recipes for Morning, Noon, and Night by Teri Lyn Fisher and Jenny Park. Published by Ten Speed Press, the cookbook features 70 recipes that use eggs in different ways, from meals and snacks to desserts. The authors explore recipes influenced by different cuisines, showing that eggs can be used for much more than the usual breakfast scramble.

I think this would make a wonderful addition to our Christmas Gift Guide/ Wish List for Charlie. A cookbook can be a useful gift for somebody who enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, learning new skills, or discovering different ways to prepare familiar ingredients.

And that brings me to another idea. What if we started teaching children to cook eggs so they could help make breakfast for Santa and Mrs. Claus? We all know Santa enjoys cookies and milk on Christmas Eve. But after traveling around the world delivering presents, don’t you think he and Mrs. Claus might appreciate something a little different?

Imagine Santa finishing his cookies and milk, heading back to load the sleigh, and discovering that somebody has prepared breakfast for him and Mrs. Claus! The reindeer are getting ready, the presents are loaded, and there is a plate of something delicious waiting for Santa and his wife. Wouldn’t that be a fun Christmas tradition to start with your children?

Children can help prepare a simple breakfast with adult supervision. Depending on their age and experience, they might help whisk eggs, measure ingredients, prepare toast, or arrange the food on a plate. An adult should handle the stove, hot pans, and boiling water.

You could even make a special breakfast menu for Santa and Mrs. Claus. Maybe scrambled eggs, toast, fruit, and a little something sweet would be just the thing before they settle in for the journey home. And if your family happens to make scarred eggs like ours, Santa might get a plate of those, too!

The point isn’t to prepare a fancy meal. It’s to spend time together, let children practice new skills, and make memories that become part of your family’s Christmas traditions. That is one reason I like the idea of a cookbook as a gift. It can give a family something to do together long after Christmas morning has passed.

Easy Egg-Cooking Tips for Children– If your child wants to learn how to cook, here are a few simple lessons to try together.

• Start by learning how to crack an egg. Crack it into a small bowl before adding it to a recipe. That makes it easier to remove any pieces of shell and check the egg.
• Learn to whisk eggs. A fork or small whisk works well. Show your child how to mix the yolk and white together until they are combined.
• Practice making scrambled eggs. An adult can handle the stove while the child helps prepare the eggs. Cook them over gentle heat, stirring until they are completely set.
• Learn to measure ingredients. A recipe is a good way to practice measuring, counting, and following directions.
• Make an egg sandwich. Children can help prepare the bread and other ingredients while an adult handles the hot food.
• Learn how to boil eggs. Hard-boiled eggs can be used for snacks, salads, egg salad sandwiches, and our family’s scarred eggs.
• Remember kitchen safety. Wash your hands after handling raw eggs, clean the work area, and keep raw eggs away from foods that will be eaten without further cooking.
• Don’t worry about perfection. Your first scrambled egg might look a little funny, but that doesn’t mean you failed. Cooking takes practice, and every attempt is a chance to learn something.

I think the most important thing is to let children participate without expecting them to do everything perfectly. They will learn more if they are allowed to practice, ask questions, and try again. Now, if you are going to make scarred eggs, you need to know how to prepare hard-boiled eggs first.

There are different methods for boiling eggs, but here is one simple approach.

1. Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover them with water.
2. Bring the water to a full boil.
3. Cover the saucepan, turn off the heat, and let the eggs sit for about 10–12 minutes, depending on their size.
4. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water and let them cool for about 10–15 minutes.
5. Gently tap the shell all over, then roll the egg lightly on the counter to loosen the shell.
6. Begin peeling from the wider end, where there is often a small air pocket. Peeling under a little running water can help loosen stubborn shell pieces.

Very fresh eggs can sometimes be harder to peel, so eggs that have been refrigerated for a little while may be easier to work with. There is no guarantee that every egg will peel perfectly. Sometimes the shell comes off in two big pieces, and sometimes it seems to come off one tiny bit at a time. That is just part of cooking! And remember, don’t let the pot sit unattended while you are waiting for the water to boil. An adult should supervise the process and handle the hot water.

Our Family Recipe for Scarred Eggs ie Deviled Eggs

Now we get to the recipe! A lot of families use relish when they make deviled eggs. Some use sweet relish, some use dill relish, and others add different seasonings. At our house, we use mustard, mayonnaise, and Best Maid sandwich spread. And yes, it has to be Best Maid. No, another brand isn’t what we want. We know what we like, and this is how our family makes them! Charlie calls them scarred eggs because he doesn’t want anything to do with the devil. So, around our house, scarred eggs it is.

Ingredients

• 6 large hard-boiled eggs
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, plus more if needed
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard, or to taste
• 1–2 tablespoons Best Maid sandwich spread, to taste
• Salt and pepper, if desired

Directions

1. Peel the cooled hard-boiled eggs and slice them in half lengthwise.
2. Carefully remove the yolks and place them in a small bowl.
3. Mash the yolks with a fork until they are crumbly.
4. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, and Best Maid sandwich spread.
5. Mix everything together until the filling is creamy. Add a little more mayonnaise or sandwich spread if you prefer a softer filling.
6. Taste the mixture and adjust the mustard and sandwich spread to suit your family.
7. Spoon the filling back into the egg-white halves. If you want to make them look a little fancier, use a piping bag or a small plastic bag with a corner snipped off.
8. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Keep the scarred eggs refrigerated and don’t leave them at room temperature for more than two hours, or one hour when the temperature is above 90°F.

There you have it! A simple family recipe made with ingredients we enjoy. And if you are making these with a child, let them help mash the yolks and mix the filling. Those are good ways to participate without having to handle hot pans or boiling water.

If you know David, you know he loves pickles. One of his favorite places to visit in Fort Worth is the Best Maid Pickle Emporium. Best Maid has a long history in Fort Worth, and the company makes the pickle products and sandwich spread that have become familiar to our family.

You can learn more about the company at Best Maid Pickles and visit the Best Maid Pickle Emporium website. You can also look for Best Maid sandwich spread on Amazon. Here is my friendly warning, though: if you take David to the pickle emporium, make sure you leave his wallet at home! Laughing out loud.

I’m kidding, of course, but when a man loves pickles as much as David does, a quick visit can turn into quite a shopping trip. You might walk in planning to buy one thing and walk out with enough pickles to keep the whole family happy. That is part of the fun of having favorite foods and family traditions. Sometimes it isn’t just about the recipe. It’s about the people who enjoy it, the places you visit, and the stories you tell along the way.

We like Best Maid sandwich spread in our scarred eggs because it gives them the flavor we enjoy without needing to add relish separately. You can always adjust a recipe to suit your own family. That is one of the nice things about cooking at home. You learn the basics, discover what everybody likes, and make the recipe your own.

World Egg Day may come around only once a year, but eggs are something we can enjoy in the kitchen all year long. This year, October 9 gave us a reason to explore a cookbook, share some cooking tips, and talk about a family recipe. It also gave us another idea for our Christmas Gift Guide/ Wish List.

The Perfect Egg by Teri Lyn Fisher and Jenny Park is on our list as a possible Christmas gift for Charlie. I haven’t cooked from it myself, but with 70 egg recipes, it looks like an interesting cookbook for someone who wants to explore the many ways eggs can be prepared.

And maybe this Christmas, while Santa is loading his sleigh, we can think about giving him and Mrs. Claus something besides cookies and milk. A little breakfast made with love might be a welcome surprise! Whether you are teaching a child to scramble an egg, preparing a plate of scarred eggs for a family gathering, or looking for a cookbook to put under the Christmas tree, the best part is the time spent together. Because sometimes the simplest things in life become the memories we treasure most.