Deconstruction

"The only thing that is always guaranteed to work on an old house is the owner." A friend once told me that, and as the owner of an almost 100 year old home, I reluctantly concur. This place was pretty much a shambles when I set my sights on it, and over the years, we have worked hard to complete several restorations and renovations. However, there are always more tasks waiting on the list. I count myself lucky if the project that I am working on is part of the "want" list and not part of the "have to" list of things that have broken down.

When we first bought this house, we did several cosmetic updates to freshen things up, but knew that real nitty-gritty renovations would be needed eventually. My office/den was one of those band-aid projects. A small room separated from the dining room by French doors, it had been used as a bedroom by the previous owners with a make-shift closet constructed from plywood in one corner. I could just feel the weeping of the original vintage woodwork and hardwood floors due to its presence. We tore that out, refinished the hardwood floors, and with my (then) questionable sense of style wallpapered the original plaster walls. Wallpaper. *shudder*

Over the last several years, the wallpaper began releasing itself from those cold plaster walls, the renovation of the upstairs bathroom rewarded us with a leak in the ceiling, and my scooting desk chair wore away the finish on the hardwood floor. Before the holidays, I had the opportunity to start one of those "want" projects and begin stripping the wallpaper in preparation to do a total gut and redo of that office/den. The plaster walls would be pulled down, the insulation and wiring replaced, the ceiling redone, the floors refinished, and a whole new design implemented with the decorating scheme. Then life hit. Too much to do with too little time to do any of it. The project hung suspended just like the limp, falling wallpaper.

I tried in vain to get back to the project, but the construction was officially paused. Finally, I threw in the towel and called a halt to all work until after the holidays. I wanted to enjoy Christmas without plaster dust and power tools, even if it meant that the walls of that room look like a zebra pelt with only portions of the wallpaper removed before the standstill. De-construction was on hold.

Now that the holidays are over, I am attempting to juggle the schedule and find some time to get back to that project. I haven't been very successful yet, but I have hope that in the near future, there shall once again be deconstruction in my life. In the meantime, I have to settle for a little deconstruction On My Plate.

Egg salad is a favorite quick snack/lunch for me. A friend pulled apart all the essential elements of a simple egg salad and deconstructed them into an almost elegant breakfast sandwich. It is pure genius. Toasted whole wheat English muffins spread with a tangy mustard sauce and topped with slices of boiled egg are beautiful open faced sandwiches. I want to always have time to enjoy a Deconstructed Egg Salad Breakfast Sandwich On My Plate.

Deconstructed Egg Salad Breakfast Sandwich

1 whole wheat English muffin, toasted
1 hard boiled egg, sliced
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared mustard (I like Dijon)
1/2 teaspoon vinegar

Combine mayo, mustard, and vinegar to create sauce.
Spread sauce over each half of toasted English muffin and arrange egg slices on top.
Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. (Serves 1)