Ingenious!

If you like to cook, there's bound to be a time when you need to separate the egg whites from the yolk.  While chefs make the task of juggling the yolk between two halves of the shell look easy, the process doesn't always leave me with an undamaged yolk and all of the whites.

I came across this video today and had to share it with all of my egg loving friends from around the world!  The video isn't in English, but it doesn't need to be in order to get the idea.  Here's what you'll need for perfect separation:

• 2 bowls
• Empty plastic water bottle
• Egg

Basically, you crack the egg in one bowl, suck the yolk out with the water bottle, and plop it into the other bowl... pretty sweet!  Check it out...

UPDATE!

After posting about this amazing trick, someone asked if I had actually tried it myself.  I hadn't, but immediately tried it so that I could respond back and IT WORKS!  Super easy... kind of fun too, the way the bottle just sucks up the yolk.  I think kids would really have fun helping with this!  Here are the pics from my experiment.  Take notice of how golden our hens yolks are; they are a rich, dark orange-gold!  YUM!

New Signs!

Our girls are laying like crazy lately and we always seem to have a surplus of eggs, so I made some new signs for out by the mailbox!  I asked Trav to cut a couple of boards for me out of some scrap plywood we had left from building the coop.  A little green spray paint and white exterior paint lettering and there you have it!

Can't wait until Trav gets home to hang them up!  If you're cruising down Ski Slide and see these signs, you'll know you're at our place where some of the happiest hens in town are housed!

Update: The signs have been installed! 

Maple Toast N' Eggs!

My sister-in-law shared this recipe (by the looks of it, she got it from Taste of Home) and it's really tasty!  Anyone who owns laying hens knows what it's like to be constantly on the lookout for good egg recipes and this one doesn't disappoint.

Here's what you'll need:

• 12 bacon stripped (cooked and broken into pieces)
• 1/2 C. Maple Syrup
• 1/4 C. Butter
• 12 slices of white bread 
• 12 FARM FRESH Eggs
• Salt & Pepper

Cook your bacon and break into pieces.  In a small saucepan, warm butter and syrup until butter is melted and mixes well with the syrup -set aside.  Trim the crust off the bread & feed it to your chickens (if you don't have chickens, just toss them) and use a rolling pin to flatten the bread.  Generously brush one side of the flattened bread with the syrup & butter mixture and press into ungreased muffin tin syrup side down.  Divide bacon evenly among cups and break one egg over the bacon.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover with foil, and bake @ 400° for 15-20 minutes or until eggs are cooked just how you like 'em.  If you've got a sweet tooth like mine that just won't quit, use the leftover syrup mixture to drizzle over the top. Enjoy!!

Before, After, & Egg Salad...

Before coloring...

After coloring...

Egg Salad!! 

The HUGE golden yolks from our chickens make a beautiful egg salad!  I'm not much for measurements; I add a little of this and a little of that until it's just right.  My husband and children will let me know if it's edible or not.  This went over well -the only thing I fear is the poison gas that is sure to fill the walls of our little ranch home this evening!

Here's what I added to about 20 eggs:

• Light Mayo
• Salt & Pepper
• Lemon Juice (The juice of 1 small lemon will do-Add some zest too)
• Granulated Garlic
• Paprika
• Dill
• Onion
• Mustard
• Love

Easter Tradition!

I thought I'd share one of my favorite Easter traditions!

Looking at me, you probably wouldn't guess that I'm part Greek.  My great-grandparents came to America, arriving through Ellis Island, from Greece. Growing up, one of my fondest memories of Easter was the egg-cracking game.  As an adult, I've learned more about the symbolism of this tradition and have enjoyed continuing the tradition with my children. The fact that this tradition wouldn't be possible without the incredible, edible egg, makes it even better! 

In the Greek Orthodox Church, Easter eggs are dyed red to represent the blood of Christ, shed on the Cross, and the hard shell of the egg symbolizes the sealed Tomb of Christ— the cracking of the eggs symbolizes His resurrection from the dead.The egg is seen by followers of Christianity as a symbol of resurrection; while being dormant it contains a new life sealed within it.

The Rules:
The game is called tsougrisma (prounounced TSOO-grees-mah & means clinking together or clashing) (τσουγκρισμα in Greek) and it involves two players and red eggs.  Each player holds a red egg, and one taps the end of her/his egg lightly against the end of the other player’s egg. The goal is to crack the opponent’s egg. When one end is cracked, the winner uses the same end of her/his egg to try to crack the other end of the opponent’s egg.  The player who successfully cracks the eggs of the other players is declared the winner and, it is said, will have good luck during the year.  You just keep going until there's one person standing with at least one end of his/her egg still intact! 

In our family, the first person would say, Christos Anesti "Χριστός ἀνέστη!" - "Christ is Risen!" before clinking eggs with his/her opponent and the opponent would respond, Alithos Anesti "Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη!" - "Truly He is Risen!" or "He Has Risen Indeed!

It's a fun way to remember why we celebrate Easter and a great learning game for children.  Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Happy Easter!

Who needs to color eggs when you have chickens that do it for you?!?  We'll still be coloring so the kids can have some fun, but I absolutely love their natural colors.  Do you color your eggs or do you just enjoy their natural color?

Chick 'N Coop Giveaway!!!

Attention my chicken lovin' readers!  Here's your chance to give your chickens a complete makeover!  I wish I could say that I was the one able to give this amazing package away, but the credit here goes to Purina, The Green Chicken Coop, and GRIT!  Register HERE to win a year's supply (28 bags) of Purina Layena Plus Omega 3 poultry feed provided by Purina and the Elizabeth chicken coop from GreenChickenCoop.com.  I know how awesome it would be to win this for my girls, so I couldn't help but share the info with you fine people.  Good luck!  

Here are some of pics of our girls from a couple of weeks ago, enjoying a snack (tomatoes, lettuce & apples) in the yard on a gorgeous 50° day in Wisconsin, in January!!  Now the yard is covered with snow and we're lucky to get to 10° during the day -needless to say, the girls haven't set a pretty foot out of the warmth of their coop in days.  

The Bearded Ladies...Ameraucanas!

Miss Crooked Tail, The Welsummer

Goldie, The Easter Egger & Red, The Barred Plymouth 

 Sparkle, the big-breasted Speckled Sussex.  

Travis always says she'd make good soup-I say, not in my kitchen!

Goldie, The Easter Egger & Sparkle, bringin' up the rear!