The Chicken and the Eggs

EGGS.

If you feel like this, you may consider another option for breakfast, like the Tofu Scramble on Cooking Naked After 40 where you can get the whole “naked” recipe.

My brother has a few chicks, named Layla, Hawkey, McNugget (isn’t that’s creative?) and KunPao. They walk around.. they let you hold them, and they give you eggs for breakfast.

Kate’s got Layla in one hand and her breakfast in her other hand. Makes you wonder what kind of thoughts are going through Layla’s little head? Do chicken’s think about the “pan“?

Look how bright and orange the yolks are. There is a definite difference, not only in the look but in the taste of fresh eggs vs. store bought eggs. Don’t you just want to dunk some toast in there?

We had a discussion in my brother’s kitchen after watching the behavior of the chickens running and free roaming outside of the house. I guess if there is ever a definition of “CAGE FREE and FREE ROAMING” it would be these lucky chicks. They have “the life”.

They walk around pecking and picking on whatever. Taking notice of what they were doing one day and noticing a noticeable hole in the side of the house, I questioned my brother and sister in law. Apparently they peck on the strangest things…they love to eat the side of the house.  Makes you wonder if free range eggs are really what you want? Chickens eat “whatever” they want, so you may not be getting whatever you want from an egg.

These are by far the freshest eggs you’d ever get. They were still warm when we brought them into the kitchen. That’s kind of ‘eeww”, and I can live without the warm part.

Are “free range”, “wood pecked”, “house sided” eggs the way to go?

A few months ago at a blogging conference, I had the pleasure of a conversation with one of the top  EGGLAND’S BEST guys, Tom. He told me things about chickens.

He told me the same story about free roaming chickens. I was skeptical at the time but this trip to my brothers house proved his story has truth to it. I saw it for myself. (I am paraphrasing here but this is the basis of Tom Eggland’s story) He told me that chickens eat it all. I mean ALL. Use your imagination. So you don’t really want to give them the freedom to do so. If they are somewhat monitored, you can control what they peck on. This assures that your eggs won’t have wood siding from a house or even worse in them.

Eggs seem to be one of those things that cultivate non answerable questions.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Are egg whites healthier than the whole egg? What is the best way to eat an egg; sunny side up, over easy, fried, or dunkin’ (that’s what we used to call them way before there was ever a thought about dunkin’ donuts)? How hard or how soft is too hard or soft? Runny? Too runny? Why do some yolks turn green? Why do some eggs not peel evenly? Why do some eggs sink in water? Why do some not? I mean they raise all levels and sorts of questions… they crack when you don’t want them to, they roll when you aren’t watching, they smell rotten when you want a snack. Refrigerate or not? Organic, free range, cage free, roaming, omega 3, vegetarian fed. I can literally stand in the grocery store obsessing over my pickings for hours.   Eggs are also great for throwing, either at a barbeque tossing game or as an insult. “You egg head, You”!

On the brighter sunnier side of things.
They are easy to make, easy to bake, easy to take, carry and go. A fast meal, a nutritious meal and can be added to just about anything to enhance it.

I’ve got egg research to conduct and egg recipes to concoct. More on eggs in another blog. I have just ordered a gallon of chocolate egg whites. Yes you heard me correctly. Apparently you can drink these babies right from the jug. I have no plans to do that, but I do, however, plan to bake up some delectable treats with these babies. I’ll keep you posted so check back in at COOKING NAKED and see what I concoct. I’ll be cooking and blogging and posting some EGG-selently yummy stuff. Stay tuned in.
Don’t forget to pop over and check out the TOFU SCRAMBLE just in case you know and love Pete (above)(he’s the fried guy). The tofu is quite yummy and really easy to make and you may food even fool the eggiest of connoisseurs.