Eggs !

Eggs Rated By Shel Silverstein Pg. 149

EGGS RATED

These egg
Are excellent.
I’m not exaggerating.
You can tell by my eggspression
They’re eggceptional--
Eggstra fluffy,
Eggstremely tasty,
Cooked eggsactly right
By an eggspert
With lots of eggsperience.
Now I’ll eggsamine the bill….
Ooh--much more eggspensive
Than I expected.
I gotta get out of here.
Where’s the eggxit?

 

Ok, just one of my favorite kids poems.  I love eggs.  I think they may be one of the most perfect foods.  Totally nourishing but for those of you who have not watched the Food Movies, as my husband likes to call them, there are some problems with eggs these days.  Commercial eggs are just as messed up as other processed foods from the grocery store.  Sorry to break it to you, no pun intended, but they are not a nourishing healthy food if you pick them up from your local HEB or Kroger :(  The hens that lay those eggs are kept in horrible conditions, trapped in cages, many times not even able to turn around and never see the light of day.  It is hen prison deluxe and they are fed rations that are full of genetically modified foods like soy and corn and that is full of antibiotics since those living conditions do not foster hen health in any way :(  This is putting it mildly and if you do some research or watch some of those Food Movies on Netflix, which I highly recommend, you will find out the horrors of how commercial chicken eggs are produced.

 

So what is a person to do ?  I started off this blogging experience with the idea of simply helping people make one choice a week, to substitute an unhealthy food item you consume for a more healthy choice.  I bet you didn't expect to see eggs come up, but they are high on my list for needing a substitution :)  I raise chickens on our farm and we strive to feed them and raise them in the most natural setting possible.  I buy only organic whole grains that I have custom mixed and we do not use soy.  Instead we use an organic fish meal protein and our hens range on pasture all day long eating grass, bugs and whatever I throw them from my garden like kale, chard, lettuces, anything that might not be perfect to sell for human consumption, goes to the girls or the sheep :)  So finding a farmer, or farm that specializes in pastured organic eggs will go a long way to upping the quality of eggs you consume and bring that level up health up to the highest possible standard.  Always ask the farmer, or person selling at the local farmer's market what their birds eat.  If they are feeding them a chicken scratch or pellet from the local feed store or Tractor Supply, it is full of GMO soy and corn etc.  It is very sad to me that this food source has been so tainted when it can be a wonderful source of protein and fat if the hens are fed organically and pastured.  Lately our geese and turkey has started laying eggs that I sell at the market and another local farm sells their duck eggs.  These are all wonderful sources of protein and getting a variety can provide different nutrients for your body.  The duck and goose eggs are also great for baking and make fabulous cakes.

 

To properly cook a boiled egg, just place the egg in a pan and fill with water.  Bring the water to a boil then turn off the heat and cover with the lid.  Set your timer for 15 minutes and you will have the perfect boiled egg.  To get them to peel easily, rinse with cold water and let the eggs sit in the cold water, then crack the shells and change the water one more time and let them sit a few minutes more.  They should peel easily !  Perfect on top of your nice greens and homemade dressing :)

 

To cook scrambled eggs like the Europeans, use a low heat, real butter and cook them slowly for a soft small curd.  I always add a few sprinkles of garlic powder, sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to mine and they are yummy !