Sunday, November 02, 2008

November 2nd-So Much To Celebrate~



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Cool stuff...that describes our month of November offerings.

Today is: Cookie Monster's Birthday...he is one "cool" monster in my book.

Daylight Savings Time ends today......Interesting history here.
http://www.daylightsavingstime/history/

Daniel Boone's Birthday..........Talk about a cool guy!
http://www.earlyamerica.com/lives/boone/

And my favorite day of all..."National Deviled Egg Day."

Cookie Monster and Daniel Boone will have their day and we will move on to the next birthday celebration.

Daylight Savings Time will hang around and remind us of the fact that some changes are just to be.

"EGGS" are one of the most healthy foods we have to pick from.

For as long as there has been a love and appreciation of good food, there has been hens laying eggs for human consumption.

Cultures and some religions have long held the egg as a symbol of life.
Early Sanskrit manuscripts tell of a cosmic egg containing a spirit that would be born, die and be reborn.

Today , there is ongoing research as to whether the hen's ability to pass antibodies on to its egg can be useful to humans, such as the treatment of snake bites and the prevention of tooth decay.

Most of us are only concerned with what we can do with the egg in the kitchen.
And the many uses are never-ending.

All the information here is related to "hen eggs" although there are other eggs to pick from.

(Nutritional facts of the egg.)

For a easy source of high quality protein, look to the egg.
The essential amino acids found in the egg are second only to those found in mothers milk.
Eggs contain varying amounts of vitamins A, D, E and each one of the B complex vitamins, including B12.
They are also an excellent source of Iron, potassium, phosphorus, and zinc.

Eggs contain no carbohydrates and about 59 calories each.

Eggs and Cholesterol.....bad rap.

Recent research has shown that the level of saturated fat in the diet, rather than the cholesterol, that has the most impact on blood cholesterol levels.
And while eggs do contain fat, more than half of the fat is the good mono-and polyunsaturated sort.

( Eggs Composition )

Egg Shell...is brittle and porous, the eggs first line of defence. It's mainly calcium carbonate, and the thickness depends on the hens diet.

Shell Membrane...Inner and outer membranes enclose the yolk and the whites, protecting them from bacteria.

Egg White...also called egg albumen. None of the fat and more than half the protein is found here. A very fresh egg will have a cloudy white, in older eggs the carbon dioxide gas has had time to escape through the shell.

Chalaza...These are the ropey strands of white that anchor the yolk in the centre, and are another indication of freshness.

Yolk...The yellow part of the egg makes up about 33% of the eggs liquid weight.
The yolk contains all the fat, slightly less than half the protein, and all the eggs Vitamin A, D, and E.

As in most things, freshness matters.
Pat attention to dates and use accordingly.

(How to boil an egg )

Soft-boiled requires about 4 minutes of boiling. The yolk will be runny and soft.

Medium-boiled needs 5 to 6 minutes of boiling. The yolk is slightly soft and the white is fully set.

Hard-boiled...needs about 8 to 10 minutes of boiling. Both yolk and white will be fully cooked but still soft.

If you over boil hard cooked eggs they will be tough and not very tasty.

Starting the second week of November look for more egg recipes on the Sage Hill Farms website.

Enjoy and share your favorite egg dish with the blog readers here at the Beatitudes.

Bea Kunz
http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com

A recipe to entice you, and hopefully eggs and herbs will be a staple in your menu.

(Scrambled Eggs and Salmon on Brioche.)

4 fresh eggs
4 tablespoons cream
2 tablespoons real butter
4 1/2 oz smoked salmon-sliced
2 teaspoons finely chopped dill-can use dried (1 teaspoon )
2 small brioche or 2 small croissants-warmed.

crack the eggs into a bowl, add the cream with some salt and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk well.
Melt butter in your favorite frying pan for eggs. ( I use a black iron skillet.)
When butter sizzles, add eggs and turn heat to low.

With a wooden flat spoon push the mixture around until it starts to set.
Add the salmon and dill.

Continue to move the mixture around gently until the egg is mostly cooked.
Remove from heat while there is still a little liquid left, it will continue to cook until the egg is removed from the pan.

Cut the top off the brioche, scoop out some of the filling, then pile the eggs on top,

Serve while hot.

Makes a great brunch or holiday breakfast.

Enjoy!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the egg info! Off to get more eggs today:)
Susan