Superbowl Prep Underway

It's that time of year!   The Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the NFL, first played on January 15, 1967.  Super Bowl parties have been part of the tradition.  Typically, finger food type snacks like chicken wings and chips with dip are served at these parties.  Super Bowl XLIX will be played on February 1, 2015.  We are hosting our annual Super Bowl party, expecting about 20 guests so preparations are underway.

I have a tentative menu:  deviled eggs, Mexican layered dip, nachos & cheese, loaded tater tots, chili, veggie tray with hummus, chili dogs and pulled pork buns.  There is a bit of overlap in the ingredients which lessens the prep while increasing the versatility.  For example, green onions will be used for the Mexican layered dip, loaded tater tots and the veggie tray.  The chili can be served as is, with nachos, as chili dogs or on the tater tots.  Most of the food prep will be done on the Saturday, using slow cookers on Sunday.  The only cooking on Sunday will be the tater tots.

My husband requested the deviled eggs.  I put out a tray for game day last week and they last all of about two minutes.  They were a huge hit!

Deviled eggs are inexpensive and easy to make.  The only problem with making deviled eggs is peeling.  The fresher the eggs are, the harder they are to peel with the shell pulling off chucks of the egg white.  The reason being, fresh eggs are more acidic than older eggs so the shell sticks.  The good news is you know your eggs were fresh.  The bad news is, the resulting peeled eggs are aesthetically unappealing for deviled eggs.  The easiest way to get perfectly peeled eggs with no sticking is to add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to the water when cooking the eggs.  Baking soda will reduce the acidity of the eggs so the shell doesn't stick. 

Chocolate Delight Yogurt

In November of 2013, I embarked on my ever evolving fitness journey.  One of the first things I learned was the importance of protein.  It is important to have clean protein at every meal but no more than 30 g per meal as your body cannot utilize more than that at one time.  Yogurt is typically recommended as a good source of protein especially Greek yogurt that double the protein per serving as regular yogurt.  The problem with commercially prepared yogurts is the added sugar regardless of the type of yogurt you buy.  The work around is to buy plain yogurt, plain Greek yogurt or make your own yogurt.  I love plain yogurt but aside of substituting Greek yogurt for sour cream, my husband insists on his flavoured.  He also doesn't like the texture of Greek yogurt.  Over coming both the flavour and texture of plain yogurt or plain Greek yogurt usually involves adding fruit and/or a sweetener like honey.  The problem is this increases the carbs which may not be desirable for many reasons.  I came up with a tasty alternative.

I used powdered peanut butter (PB2) and cocoa powder to whip up a delicious flavoured yogurt that is sure to please fussy eaters.  Chocolate is a natural with peanut butter and the texture is more like pudding.  My husband actually liked it!  I'm sure it will be kid approved as well. 

Chocolate Delight Yogurt
100 g (1/2 c), 0% Greek Yogurt, Plain
1 tbsp (6 g) , Powdered Peanut Butter
1 tsp (5 g), Premium Cocoa
1/2 scoop Body Fortress 100% Premium Whey Protein - Vanilla Creme [optional]

Measure ingredients into a bowl.  Mix well.  Serve.

This is a very basic recipe that you can easily tweak to your liking.  If you are counting calories, use the powdered peanut butter.  If not, you can use a tbsp of regular peanut butter.  If you are following a low sodium diet, then substitute peanut flour for the powdered peanut butter.  If you want a higher protein serving use protein powder.  Mine came in at 25 g protein per serving but that will vary depending on the brand of protein powder used.

Frico

Cheese lace or frico is simply baked shredded cheese.  Almost four years ago today, I shared how I make cheese lace bowls.  These delicious edible bowls are an ideal presentation for salad.  Frico can be shaped into simple rounds for a low calorie, no carb crunchy snack or the frico can be crumbled to sprinkle on top of salads and vegetables.  They can also be used as a garnish.  Frico are very easy to make!

I made a batch of frico for snacking.  Since I was calculating the nutritional value, I weighed 15 g (about 2 tbsp) of the shredded cheese for each frico.  It was important to weigh the unbaked cheese to determine the nutritional value in the finished frico.  I placed each weighed portion of the shredded cheese on a Silpat lined baking sheet in a small mound that I spread into a circle about 2½ - inch diameter leaving space around each for spreading.  I had a total of six prepared cheese circles.  I baked the frico at 350°F until golden brown, just crisping on the edges.

Any shredded cheese can be used to make frico.  Don't worry about mixing the kinds of cheese either.  It is a great way to use up those little bits of left-over cheese.  You can add extra flavour by sprinkling the shredded cheese with seasoning salt or dried herbs of choice.  If you want a little extra crunch, sprinkle a little chia seed on top.  If you want to form the frico into bowls, double the amount of shredded cheese and spread to about 5 - inch diameter.  Form the bowl as soon as the frico is taken from the oven while still warm.

As the frico bakes, you will notice oil being released.  The oil will pool around the frico and on top.  It is a bit had to see in the picture but the shiny liquid around the edges of the frico is oil.  This is not a lot but this does reduce the amount of fat in the finished frico which in turn reduces the caloric value.  It is important to allow the frico to drain on paper towel to absorb as much oil as possible.  This ensures the frico are crisp and crunchy. 

Once the frico has been cooled and drained, carefully place them in an airtight storage container.  The frico will be brittle to be careful not to break if you want them for snacks or garnish.  You can crush and store that way as well.

I weighed each finished frico.  They were 9 g each so baking resulted in a 6 g weight loss.  Part of this weight loss was oil, effectively lowering the caloric value but part was water.  The 9 g frico has a nutritional val of 33 calories, 0 g carbohydrates, 3 g fat, 2 g protein, 53 mg sodium and 0 g fibre.  The nutritional value will vary slightly depending on the cheese used but not a lot.

Frico are crunchy, tasty snacks that will satisfy your cravings for a salty, crunch snack.  They are surprisingly filling too.  They are the perfect snack for those eating low carb and unlike many snacks have a bit of protein.  Frico are a healthy snack that is sure to please!

Scotch Eggs

A couple of friends of ours immigrated to Canada from Lancashire, England several years ago.  She is an amazing cook who has been involved in the restaurant and food service industry since making Canada her home.  She has owned and operated everything from a canteen to English style pub to café to upper scale  restaurants.  The focus has always been on home style cooking that brings in her English roots.  Both of them are really fun to be around with remarkable senses of humour.  At the one English style pub aptly named Rovers after Rovers Return Inn on the long running British soap opera, Coronation Street (aka Corrie).  My husband and I watch Corrie every day! 

Her English style fish & chips are the best you will ever taste!  Then again her steak and kidney pie is right up there on the delicious factor.  Her husband has a couple of bands, one with his friends and one with his adult kids.  Both are very good.  A couple of weeks ago, he and his friends were playing at a local venue so we stopped in for a night of entertainment.  We didn't realize it was her birthday.  There was a large spread of food set out, most of which she had made herself. 

I spotted a dish on the table I had never seen before so quickly inquired.  She told me the dish was Scotch Eggs and promised to show me how to make them.  Scotch eggs were made by Scottish farmers and shepherds in the Middle Ages as a way to take their meal to the fields, much the same way, much the same way Cornish pasties came to be.  They are hard boiled eggs wrapped in a seasoned sausage then coated with bread crumbs and deep fried.  Bon Appétit calls them a gastropub staple something I am sure we will discover during our visit to England.  According to Jamie Oliver, the Scotch eggs should be eaten warm with the centres hot and oozing a bit and if you really want to make it proper serve with Scottish cheese. 

Now I know what Scotch eggs are, I am planning on making them for our next games night gathering.  I think they will go over rather well.  As pub grub goes, this is a rather simple dish with few ingredients, low prep time and short cook time.  All this makes for an easy dish for games night.  I'll report back on how well the dish was received.

Traceability Codes on Eggs

We spent most of the month of October at our vacation home in Florida then returned home for most of November before returning to our vacation home November 29 to stay until December 20.    One thing I do notice when shopping in the grocery stores where our vacation home is, is the food labelling.  It's not like I don't see food labelling at home in Ontario, it is I see a lot less of it because of our heavy reliance on whole foods home grown, bought directly from the source (eg. farmers, farm markets, orchards, etc.) or bought in bulk from the bulk food stores.

We buy most of our groceries a Publix when at our vacation home.  However, we also occasionally shop at Sweetbay and Walmart for groceries.  Our flight was late on November 29 so we didn't arrive into Tampa until after midnight so didn't arrive into our vacation home community until about 1:30 AM.  We stopped at Walmart which is open 24 hours to pick up a few groceries to last us for a couple of days.  Part of that purchase was a dozen of extra large eggs.

When I opened the eggs a couple of days later, I found one was broke.  Normally, I check store bought eggs for breakage but at 2 AM the old brain was a bit fuzzy.  Each egg had a 'use by date stamp' with a code below it.  I've seen this type of thing on eggs before.   The use by date is the last date you should use your egg for freshness.  The other code is the traceability code.

Traceability codes are on most commercially prepared products, cheeses, some meat products, dairy, some bakery goods, canned and jarred foods, and dairy.  The traceability code is usually found under the best by or use by date.  It is normally a series of alpha numerical characters separated into groups as the one on the eggs.  The groups may be separated by spaces or dashes.  Essentially, the code can gives information from the grower to the processing plant.  This is the code that is used when a food product is recalled which is one reason foods should be stored in their original packaging.  If you have a mobile device, it is easy to check the traceability code while you are shopping before buying.

Here's a short video that explains how eggs are graded and how they can be traced back to the producer.


We bought the extra large eggs at Walmart on November 30 for $2.08.  I pay $2 per dozen from the organic farm and $3.49 at the grocery store for free range eggs at home (Ontario).  I put the code AX-P1306-306 into The Egg Tracker at My Fresh Egg.   This dozen eggs were processed on November 1, 2012 from Cal-Maine Farms located in Bushnell, Florida.  They were Grade A, extra large sold under the brand name Sunny Meadows.  I got all that information just from the code that was on the egg using The Egg Tracker!

What I found concerning was the eggs were already a month old when we bought them.  I wasn't pleased about that.  The use by date was December 15 which means the eggs had a freshness span of 45 days.  When I buy eggs from the organic farmer at home, the eggs were collected the same day so not even a full 24 hours old!  In other words, the eggs we normally use are fresh not days old.  To date, I have not found a source for fresh (hours old), free range eggs at our vacation home.  I have an app on the iPad called Eat Local to find farmer's markets near our vacation home so that has been a huge help as far as finding fresh, local produce.  Now we just need to do a bit of networking to find fresh sources for meats, cheeses and eggs.

Kitchen Quick Tips - Perfect Scrambled Eggs

Whip at teaspoon of mayonnaise into eggs (1 tsp per 2 eggs)  before scrambling them.  They won't dry out or overcook!

Double Yolk Eggs

One of our kids brought me a tray of twenty double yolk eggs.  Double yolk eggs are seldom found in store bought eggs because they are removed during packing.  As a kid, I was delighted to find a double yolk egg.  My Mom bought eggs from the local egg lady who actually delivered them to her door.  Years later I had an egg lady who also delivered eggs to our door and since I still buy eggs from a local organic farmer, I come across double yolk eggs more that some may.

My gosh, it is not often I get to bring my discipline into the conversation on this blog because it is focused on cooking.  For those who do not know, my discipline is medical genetics.  First, many think there is a difference in flavour between white and brown eggs to the point some stores actually charge more for brown eggs.  The egg colour is determined by the chicken breed, with brown chickens laying brown eggs.

Double yolk eggs (right) are almost double the size of extra large eggs (left).  A double yolk egg is essentially a reproduction error.  Eggs are produced via a process called meiosis, a type of cell division that produces gametes with half the number of chromosomes (n or haploid) of the parental cell (2n or diploid).  One parental cell (2n) forms four gametes (n).  Meiosis is a two step process consisting of DNA replication and reduction division (Meiosis I)  followed by the second stage of equational division (Meiosis II).    The eggs we eat are unfertilized (haploid).  What happens to form a double yolk eggs is the failure of the chromosomes to separate at Meiosis I or the sister chromatids to separate at Meiosis II.  Abnormal separation of chromosomes during meiosis is termed nondisjunction.  Now you know how double yolk eggs happen.

Double egg yolks are actually quite frugal if you can find an entire dozen or more.   Store bought extra large eggs are currently $3.47 or  29¢ each.  Double yolk eggs are $6 for 20 or 30¢ each but because they are almost double the size of extra large eggs and have two yolks it works out to almost 15¢ per egg (yolk).  Using double eggs reduces the number of eggs you have to crack (aka saves time) while giving the same results as you would get from using two extra large eggs.

Double yolk eggs are particularly frugal when making homemade pastas using only yolks as well as any other recipe using only egg yolks.  They are great for making omelets and scrambled eggs.  As pictured, you only have to crack one for fried eggs.  Don't they look lovely?

Kitchen Quick Tips - Melting Cheese

Aging affects how cheese melts.  Fresh cheeses resist melting so for best melting properties use hard cheeses like Cheddar or Parmesan.

Cabot Greek Yogurt

We eat a lot of yogurt, mainly homemade.  The yogurt maker is always in operation at home.  I haven't set up a yogurt maker at our vacation home.   The main reason has been we have had too many things to do getting the vacation home up and running to worry about making yogurt.  So, for the length of time we are there I buy plain yogurt.

I discovered Cabot Greek style yogurt made with 10% milk fat.  This yogurt is made in Vermon and 100% of the profits got to their farmers (similar to Fair Trade products) t.  Oh good gosh is it ever good!  The highest milk fat I use at home to make yogurt is 2% but occasionally buy 3% milk fat Greek style yogurt as a starter.  I always buy the smallest size container possible at home.

I often substitute plain yogurt for sour cream because yogurt encourages the growth of beneficial intestinal floral growth that keeps harmful bacteria in check.    The numbers for the 10% milk fat yogurt actually were quite good in comparison to sour cream.  Sour cream is 492 calories per cup with 10 mg cholesterol, total fat of 48.3 g, 7.3 g protein and total carbs of 9.9 g.  The 10% milk fat yogurt is 290 calories per cup. total fat of 36%, 75 mg cholesterol, 18 g protein and total carbs of 12 g.  Since dietary cholesterol really plays a very small role in coronary disease (high cholesterol is mainly genetic), yogurt even at 10% milk fat is a healthier choice than sour cream.

I honestly found the 10% yogurt too rich to eat by itself.  It was extremely rich and creamy lacking much of the natural tang of plain yogurt.  It was a wonderful substitution for sour cream on top of grill baked potatoes though!  It would be really good for cooking as well.

I will certainly be using the 10% milk fat yogurt at our vacation home rather than sour cream.    Hey we can all cut back a bit on calories yet that doesn't mean we have to cut back on flavour.  I really liked this yogurt as a topping!  It would be a lovely substitute for whipped cream too.  The flavour was quite delightful but for me only in small amounts.

Kitchen Quick Tips - Flavoured Cream Cheese

Kick your cooking up a notch by using flavoured cream cheese anywhere you would use plain cream cheese. You can get sweet (fruits) or savoury (onion, herbs, etc.) flavoured cream cheeses for the same price as plain cream cheese and they are now available in store brands for greater savings.

Kitchen Quick Tips - Frothing Milk

Frothed milk is used for specialty tea and coffee drinks.  Skim milk froths better than 2% or whole milk.  It makes a stiffer foam without adding the fat of whole milk.  Whole milk makes a richer but higher fat froth.

Frugal Kitchens 101 - Yogurt

Yogurt is one of the best foods you can eat.  The problem is most people get tied up in buying the expensive individual, not eco-friendly serving sizes.  Despite the fact that one larger company makes unsubstantiated claims regarding the actual bacteria in their yogurt, yogurt with active bacteria cultures (Lactobacillius acidophilus, Bifidobacillus) is should be part of your daily diet.  Yogurt when bought in individual sizes is expensive.  Larger containers are less expensve per unit price and homemade yogurt is even less expensive and with using re-usable containers homemade yogurt is environmentally friendly.  The best part is homemade yogurt is extremely easy to make.  All you need is fresh milk and starter, about 2 tbsp of yogurt with active bacteria.  That's it!  If you want to sweeten it, us raw honey or homemade preserves.  Do not use sugar or any sweetener containing sugar or artificial sweeteners. 

Why yogurt is good for you:

• easier to digest than milk and generally well tolerated by those who are lactose intolerant
• contributes to colon health even reducing the risk for colon cancer
• improves the bio-activity of other nutrients especially absorption of Vitamin B and calcium
• helps to heal intestinal infections by re-establishing the good intestinal flora
• decreases yeast infections
• a rich source of calcium and protein
• it can help lower cholesterol

If you choose to buy yogurt rather than make your own, avoid any yogurt that is:

• pre-sweetened with anything including fruit or artificial sweeteners - Sugar encourages the growth of bacteria whether good or bad but more importantly sugar is the fuel for yeast growth.  Artificial sweeteners have a host of other problems associated with them including being carcinogenic. 
• contains artificial dyes or flavours - Artificial dyes and flavours can cause allergic reactions.  Some have been implicated in ADD/ADHD as well as being carcinogenic. 
• labeled as low fat - Low fat yogurts have been sweetened to make them more palatable. 
• individually packaged - Individually packaged anything including yogurts should be avoided because they are more expensive per unit price as well as being environmentally unfriendly.

Bon Appétit!

How It's Made - Canadian Dairy Farmer

It always amazes me how out of touch with food production many urban dwellers really are.  One of our kids is a primary grade teacher.  Do you know if you ask a child in grade 2 (age 7) where apples come from the first response is the grocery store.  Some of these children have never been to a farm and have no concept as to where their food actually comes from.  Even parents don't think of the farmers who put food on their table.  There is a very good message circulating along the countryside, throughout communities and on lie.  That message is "If you ate today, thank a farmer!"

The plight of Canadian farmers echos what is being seen globally.  Many of our friends and family are farmers - full fledged, that's how they make their living farmers.  One of the biggest problems is their children do not want to stay on the farm when they get older so there is that drain.  Many farmers simply can no longer make a living by farming alone so they and/or their spouse must work off the farms as well.  Farmers are self-employed lacking the employment benefits like CPP, UI, prescription coverage, dental coverage, incidental medial coverage, and retirement plans.  Young folk going into farming as a way of life are few and far between.

I found this great video of a young couple starting out as dairy farmers in 2004.   It is refreshing to hear their optimism.  It is now 2011 so I would be very curious whether they are still dairy farming but with the cards stacked against them it is doubtful.  Dairy farming is an expensive operation and as with any farming endeavor there are risks but it is possible to make a living.  Part of that is due to the price of milk being controlled by the Dairy Board so Canadian dairy farmers are guaranteed a fair price for the milk they produce. 

Dairy cattle produce milk only during lactation so they are artificially inseminated yearly for 6 years.  The newborn calf suckles a couple of days then goes to another paddock to be raised.  A milking cow will produce about 35 L of milk per day for 10 to 12 months.  Associated costs include feed, vet bill, transportation, abattoir, bedding, barn heating/electricity, equipment as well as costs for maintaining equipment.  In addition to that, a dairy farmer cannot simply pick up to go on vacation as the cows need daily attention.  At best a family member or hired hand can help out.  Think of all the dairy you use on a regular basis all possible from the dedication of Canadian dairy farmers, then say a word of thanks!

Kitchen Quick Tips - Reheating Soups and Sauces Containing Sour Cream

Soups and sauces containing sour cream will curdle if reheated in the microwave oven.  Instead, slowly and gently reheat on the stovetop to ensure they stay creamy.

Bacon Mushroom Omelet

Like many home cooks I always find myself with leftover bits and pieces of various foods.  Quite of there may be only a couple of ounces and at best a half of cup but these tid bits down get tossed.  I freeze some of these leftovers if possible for later use.  Others sit in the fridge so I can work them into a soup, stew or other dish within a day or two.

Sunday morning I found myself wanting a hot breakfast.  It was too cold to get dressed to go out for breakfast and besides both of us were tired from entertaining the night before.  At the same time I wanted with a bit less muss and fuss of making bacon, eggs, hash-browns and toast.  Looking in the fridge I spotted a half of onion, 4 fresh whole mushrooms and the eggs.  I took about 3 tbsp of pre-cooked bacon pieces from the freezer.  I cook these ahead of time so always have some in the freezer.   With that I had the makings of an omelet.

My omelets always start with briskly whisked eggs poured into a medium hot pan.  I cook undisturbed until the top starts to set.  Then I add whatever fillings I want.  In this case I added sautéed mushroom slices, onion and bacon pieces.  I cover for 2 minutes to set then carefully pull one half of the omelet up and over to form a wedge shape.  I cover and let cook another 2 to 3 minutes until the centre is fully set.  This omelet was topped with shredded Monterey  Jack and cheddar cheese added after the centre was set.  I removed the pan from the heat and covered to allow the cheese to melt.

How Its Made - Milk

Most milk sold in grocery stores comes from cows but have you ever wondered how that milk got to your table?  The whole process is a lot more automated than you would think.  Long gone are the days of manual milking in all but the smallest of dairy operations.  Larger dairy farms are automated from the time the cow is lactating to milk collection and once collected the process is further automated for transportation to the dairy.  Here is a short video showing the first steps in getting milk to your table.  Notice that the cow herself decides when she is ready to be milked.  This is all possible due to the automation of the entire milk collection process.  Enjoy!

Frugal Kitchens 101 - Butter Verses Margarine

In recent years there has been a huge debate over butter verses margarine.  The primary reason has become health concerns because quite frankly butter is higher is saturated fats (7 g vs 2 g per tablespoon) and cholesterol but butter is higher in trans-fatty acids.  At the same time there is a cost concern for those wanting to save a bit of money in that margarine tends to be cheaper than butter.  Then there is the often misspoken quote from purists that margarine is one molecule away from plastic.  Our preference is for butter for a lot of reasons.  In many ways, butter is the more frugal choice but that depends on how you are using it as well.  This week's Frugal Kitchens 101 focuses on the topic of butter verses margarine and some of the myths.

• the one molecule away argument - I'm sorry but this one really doesn't cut it as an argument.  One could easily argue that wood alcohol (poisonous) differs slightly from grain alcohol (alcoholic drinks) while not a molecule away is very different and quite frankly one molecule can make a difference to begin with.  Many poisonous substances are one molecule away from a non-poisonous substance so really this argument is a moot point.
• calories - An ounce of butter contains the same amount of calories as an ounce of margarine.  Sorry but in this respect there is not a better choice.
• cholesterol - Butter is higher in cholesterol but it is important to realize the cause for high cholesterol levels in most cases in not dietary.  In many cases it does not matter if you eat butter or other high cholesterol foods as you will still have a high cholesterol level due genetics.  In perspective, many with a tendency towards high cholesterol inherit that trait so other than choosing your parents a bit more wisely, dietary cholesterol is not going to change the outcome.
• cost - Oleo, the precursor to margarine became popular during the Great Depression when butter was expensive.  The current price per ounce of butter is still in many cases more expensive than margarine.  Where you save using butter is the flavour.  More flavour means you use less butter similar to using fresh verses dried Parmesan cheese, butter becomes the frugal choice.
• natural vs manufactured - There is no doubt that butter is a more natural product.  It is less processed than margarine but make no never mind it is still a processed product unless you churn it yourself from raw cream.  What is important to point out though is you can find certified organic butter but not margarine, just something to consider.
• baking - Hands down, butter gives the flavour that margarine simply does not have regardless of how much manufacturers try to mimic the flavour.  While this is a personal choice the fact is you can get more flavour using less butter than you can margarine.

The short on the butter verses margarine is in my opinion butter is the frugal choice for us.  We are a margarine free home and have been ever since our kids who are now adults were quite young.  We very seldom use butter as a spread but we do use it for cooking and baking.  Butter gives us that rich flavour which means in the end we use a lot less of it so we are at least saving on calories.  The final answer on the butter verses margarine debate is really to do what works best for you.  Eliminating either as a spread is a good idea anyway.  Then go for flavour and desired results.

Kitchen Quick Tips - Storing Cottage Cheese

Extend the shelf life of cottage cheese by storing the container upside down before and after opening.  

Backyard Chicken Eggs

Our neighbours a couple of doors down have laying hens. I had full intentions of having laying hens this year but decided against it with the house being on the market. Raising laying hens mainly for the purpose of egg production is a growing backyard activity across Canada and many US communities. Some municipalities have enacted by-laws against raising backyard chickens while other are embracing the notion. And why not? Unlike dogs, chickens make very little noise and in fact most times no one will even know chickens are in your backyard. Chickens are easy to keep, low maintenance and don't smell. In most cases your neighbours won't even know you have chickens. A small flock of 4 laying hens will produce about 4 eggs per day so that is a rather good return on your investment. It is a good way to inexpensively add protein to your diet while increasing your self sufficiency.  Many backyard chicken owner get quite attached to their hens, fondly referring to them as their girls.

Backyard chickens will give white or brown eggs depending on the chicken species. The only difference is the colour of the shell. Seriously the eggs taste the same. The real difference is the difference in the taste of backyard chicken eggs in comparison to store bought eggs. The yolk in backyard chickens eggs is almost orange as pictured. It is considerably deeper coloured than store bought eggs. Part of the reason for this is backyard chickens tend to be free range within the confines of the backyard. That means their diet is a lot more varied than chickens producing store bought eggs. Most times backyard chickens are not grain fed other than during winter months and even then only if absolutely necessary.

Pictured are the cracked backyard chicken eggs.  Just look at how beautiful and richly coloured those yolks are.  That depth of colour translates into wonderfully flavoured eggs.  I grew up with farm fresh eggs delivered right to our door every week by the egg lady.  Adjusting to store bought eggs was a bit difficult.  I went back to buying farm fresh eggs every time I got the chance.  When our kids were younger I even had an egg lady of my own who delivered eggs every 2 weeks.  Once you switch to farm fresh eggs you won't go back to store bought unless absolutely necessary.  However, backyard chicken eggs are even fresher.  They can be used in your favourite recipes within minutes of being gathered.

The difference in flavour is undeniable! Backyard chicken eggs like free range chicken eggs have a wonderful flavour that well out weighs store bought eggs.  The reason being backyard chicken eggs are considerably fresher.  Better yet you know what they have been fed.  Backyard chickens tend to be healthier than commercially raised laying hens.

Scrambled eggs are one of the easiest ways to prepare eggs.  I scramble eggs plain with no water or milk added cooked in a non-stick fry pan with just a dab of butter then lightly seasoned with fresh ground salt and pepper.  The beautiful deep yolk colour of the backyard chicken eggs is not lost with cooking.  Let me tell you these eggs were delicious!

Egg Salad Wraps

Sometimes a new spin on an old family favourite is just what's needed to add a bit of spark to the dish.  When it comes to sandwiches it is quite easy to turn them into wraps.  Wraps use flour tortilla shells to form the pocket style wrap.  Flour tortilla shells now come in a variety of flavours ranging from plain to pesto to sun dried tomatoes which really adds to the kinds of wraps you can make.

One of my husband's favourite sandwich fillings is egg salad so I did a little twist on this sandwich. Pictured are the egg salad wraps I made for my husband's Father's Day lunch.  He loves egg salad!  That is a sprig of fresh parsley from the garden as well.  

I use the method for making perfect hard boiled eggs as the base for the egg salad.  Once the eggs are cooked, cooled and peeled I mash them then add finely chopped onions, fresh ground pepper and fresh ground sea salt followed by stirring in Miracle Whip® dressing to get a nice spooning consistency.  The egg salad is then ready for using in sandwiches or wraps.