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Egg Series Day 3: Eggs for Breakfast

January 21, 2014 by theblogbloom.com 3 Comments

Eggs are great to add to your diet when you are trying to lose weight, especially at breakfast. There are studies that show eating eggs at breakfast can reduce your calorie intake by 400 calories per day. This is because the protein in eggs makes you feel fuller longer and you likely eat less than normal at your next meal.

The protein in eggs also gives you tons on energy in comparison to a carb-ladden breakfast so you are able to take on your day. In the 1960’s there was a campaign by the Egg Marketing Board saying, “Go to work on a egg.” The old adage is true and is something Adam and I have adapted thanks to our continuous supply of eggs.

I love to make omelets for breakfast because they are quick, easy and a great way to get some veggies in the morning as well. (Or, use up left overs from the night before.)

Below is one of my favorite omelette recipes that is super easy to create at home.

Spinach and Feta Omelette

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When I was twenty my family went on a Mediterranean cruise to celebrate my parent’s twenty-fifth anniversary. Everyday was jam packed with sightseeing and beach-ing so this was my go-to at the make your own omelette station on the boat. It was light, yet gave me tons of energy for our busy days. Feta and spinach are often in our fridge (Or garden, if it’s summer!) so not a lot of thought goes into recreating this one.

Omelettes can be intimidating and a little tricky. The way I see it is, if it looses it’s shape and becomes more of a egg scamble, who cares? It all taste the same in the end!

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Crack three eggs in a bowl, add a little S&P, a tablespoon of water and whisk with a fork.

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Melt a tablespoon of butter (Olive or grapseed oil works great too) in a skillet. Add Onions to cook, add spinach after onions begin to become golden. Stir to combine as spinach begins to slightly wilt.

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Add egg mixture to coat bottom of skillet.

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Cook together, peal back sides with a spatula. Once nearly all the egg is cooked and pulls from sides of skillet add cheese.

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Fold over and serve!

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There are so many great combinations of flavors that are great in omelettes. A close second favorite for me? Mexican style with lots of pepper, spice and salsa!

Breakfast of Champions!

Breakfast of Champions!

Filed Under: Plant, Recipes Tagged With: Egg, Egg Series

Egg Series Day 2: Egg Labels and How To Hard Boil

January 20, 2014 by theblogbloom.com 1 Comment

Navigating the wonderful world of eggs these days can be a little crazy. “Cage-Free.” “Free Range.” “Organic.” “Hormone Free.”

Crazy.

Here’s what it all means:

Cage Free– Term established by the USDA meaning the chickens have been raised without cages. They can walk around and flap their wings. But, don’t be fooled: This doesn’t necessarily mean that they have access to the outdoors. They can be “cage-free” in a barn and never see the light of day.

Free Range– Term established by the USDA. Means the birds are cage free, with access to the outdoors but there are no regulations on how long they are outside, the conditions of the outdoors, or what the chickens eat.

Pasture Raised– This is not a term regulated by the USDA. It means the chickens feed in a pasture and eat a diet of bugs and grasses in addition to feed. It might also means that the hens are possibly fenced in or kept in a pen.

Natural– Sounds nice… but this really doesn’t mean anything. All chickens and eggs are natural because they are not a processed food. There are no regulations surrounding this term.

Organic– This is regulated by the USDA and means that the chickens were fed feed that had no contact with pesticides and fertilizers. There are no regulations for the conditions the hens live in. Keep in mind that all egg laying chickens are hormone free. This is based on a USDA regulation. They are given antibiotics if they are ill, but that is all that is permitted.

The eggs from our backyard hens are, by definition, Pasture Range and Organic. They have their coop, but we let them roam throughout the yard everyday. They have feed in the coop but also eat grass and bugs.

Exploring the yard last September.

Exploring the yard last September.

We have five hens and get about four eggs each day. I have gotten in the habit of hard boiling ten to twelve eggs each week. They are so great to have in the fridge for a quick snack or an on-the-go breakfast.

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There is a little bit of a fine science when it comes to hard boiling eggs. If they don’t boil long enough the yolks are runny. If they boil too long the yolks turn green.

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And it may seem super basic, hard boiled eggs… easy, right? But, many of my friends have admitted to not knowing where to begin when making hard boiled eggs. I even had to Google it when I lived in my first apartment.

Older eggs make peeling the shells off easier.  I had to learn this the hard way...

Older eggs make peeling the shells off easier. I had to learn this the hard way…

Thanks to a lot of practice, I think I finally have it down.

I used a dozen eggs we had stocked up in the fridge.

I used a dozen eggs we had stocked up in the fridge.

Place eggs in the bottom of a sauce pan. Cover with about one inch of water and bring to a boil.

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Once boiling, remove from heat, place lid on pan. Let sit for twelve minutes.

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Run eggs under cold water.

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Enjoy right away or place in the fridge. They last about a week in their shells… but ours never make it that long!

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Filed Under: Plant, Recipes Tagged With: Culinary Education, Egg, Egg Series, free range chicken, naturally raised, Organic, USDA

Egg-cellent Egg Series: Day 1

January 19, 2014 by theblogbloom.com Leave a Comment

I started 2014 with a cleanse where I eliminated sugar, alcohol, dairy, grains and starches. I lost six pounds in ten days.

The strong skeptic in me assumes it was because I was saving my daily booze calories… and yes, okay, it was a little drastic. It’s not the best idea to go cold turkey with anything.

But, it wasn’t a huge adjustment for me. I kicked my soda addiction and hopped on the H2O train a few years ago saving myself from sugary beverages. (I was a major Diet Coke lady and this was actually easier than you would think.) Bread has never really been a staple in our house, unless I make my- now famous- Rosemary Focaccia. But, getting out the mixer is a workout in itself so it doesn’t happen often. And Adam and I obviously love, love, love any and every veggie, so incorporating even more into our meals is no problemo at our house.

However, in the spirit of being honest, wine and dark chocolate have been missed.

I actually finally caved and had two glasses of red wine last night. But, in my defense, it’s been nearly three weeks. GO ME! And I have read enough about the heart benefits of drinking red wine that I would basically call it a health food. Basically.

But, what the cleanse really did was make me much more aware of what I am putting in my body when I eat. Yes, I try to eat organic, local and clean. I have for quite sometime now, but I now know so much more about the science behind these and other choices I make.

Sugar has been a big one that I plan to continue to watch. When consuming sugar I want to find it from more natural sources, like fruit and agave. Too much sugar is linked to inflammation and significant signs of aging. Not to mention, many sources of sugar are full of unnecessary calories.

I also plan to put focus on getting a majority of my calories from vegetables and good sources of protein. Fortunately, both of these are found right in my back yard thanks to the garden and chicken’s eggs!

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Over the years, eggs have battled a bad reputation due to their link to high cholesterol and heart disease. I remember “experts” talking about avoiding eggs all together throughout my childhood. But, here’s the deal: Your body needs a good balance with fat and cholesterol. Good fat, like the fat in eggs helps maintain that balance. Fat from fried food? Not so much.

Thanks to the good fats found in eggs it allows for the better absorption of the many other vitamins found in the little spheres, including Vitamin A, B Vitamins, protein and potassium. These nutrients aid in muscle, brain and nerve development. In fact, there are few foods out there that have as many nutrients as a single egg!

The chickens have been major troopers with all the snow and freezing temperatures in Indiana this winter. So, I have decided to showcase them on my little soapbox for the next week to express my “thanks” for their daily gifts: their fresh, nutrient packed, brown eggs.

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Everyday this week there will be a post on Bloom featuring an egg-cellent recipe and some egg-citing facts!

It’s going to be egg-straordinary!

… I crack myself up.

Filed Under: Plant Tagged With: Chickens, Egg, Egg Series, nutrition

Tough Old Birds

January 9, 2014 by theblogbloom.com 5 Comments

Cue Destiny’s Child, ladies and gentlemen, because I’m a survivor.

While Adam was enjoying himself in Tennessee at a bachelor party, I survived the crazy blizzard and bitter cold… Alone. (PS- Trost? Be prepared for our children to hear about this… oh… just about every time it snows.)

And, not only did I survive, but so did our five little hens.

Although, I did have my doubts.

The coop as the snow fell on Sunday.

The coop as the snow fell on Sunday.

Thanks to the research we did about a year ago, I knew that chickens don’t mind the cold. In fact, they prefer it over the summer’s heat.

But, wind chill’s of fifty below? Actual temperatures in the negative teens?

I wasn’t so sure.

On Sunday night, before the Polar Vortex hit, I hopped on the internet. I was looking for the actual temperature that chickens could handle… and some peace of mind.

The first thing I learned was that people in this country don’t know what real cold is. A woman in North Carolina was concerned that the temperature was going to be “pretty cold!” and go below freezing.

That’s Indiana half the year. (… Or so it seems.)

I had visions of all the sad pictures of puppies in the snow saying “This is abuse” all over Facebook. I needed the actual temperature they could handle. I was not going to be responsible for chicken abuse.

Then on Mother Earth New’s website, I read that hens do not “really start suffering until the temperature inside their coops falls to minus twenty degrees Fahrenheit.”

Adam built a great coop for the hens. It protects them from the rain, wind and snow. But, still… minus twenty was too close for comfort.

After about an hour on the web, and nothing in black and white saying, “It will be fine;” I was officially stressed.

Then my mom called. I explained my current predicament and with a little laugh she said, “Oh, my. You are a Momma!”

… Great. So, apparently parenthood is going to be just one big, giant anxiety attack…?

I considered bringing the birds into the house but I had no way to contain them. We don’t have a dog so we don’t own any cages. And they would get into too much that could hurt them in the garage or unfinished basement.

So that was it. There wasn’t anything I could do. I felt helpless.

Adam called to say goodnight and I told him I tried to do everything I could, but I was prepared for them to not make it through the freezing, snowy, blustery night.

I didn’t sleep at all that night. The wind was loud and strong, just driving that wind-chill lower and lower. I kept looking out to the coop, imagining the birds turning into little chickcicles. I was so worried.

… Man, I really do have that mothering gene.

The next morning I sprung out of bed before I even knew what I was doing. I threw on a ton of Adam’s hunting gear and ran out to the coop, in the minus thirty-seven degree wind-chill, looking like a fat camo Eskimo.

I opened the door and there they were, roosting together with their feathers fluffed out… alive!

I could tell they didn’t really enjoy the weather, but I had four eggs in the hen boxes so I knew they weren’t suffering. I told them to hang in there and assured them it wouldn’t be much longer.

By Tuesday morning, they were moving around and each laying an egg. I was beyond relieved and texted Adam saying, “I think we are going to make it!”

Here are a few things I did to ensure they did:

Home is Where the Heat Is:

Shelter for the chickens anytime of year is important.

Adam built a fabulous home for our chickens. Before he did this, he really did his homework.

The coop in the summer... It's hard to even remember the yard looking so green!

The coop in the summer… It’s hard to even remember the yard looking so green!

He knew to make boxes for the hens to lay eggs in and a roost. The roost is similar to a little ladder and the chickens sleep on it at night. The roost is very important in cold weather because it keeps the hens off the ground and they are able to huddle together to keep each other warm. In really cold temps, hens will puff up their feathers on the roost to maintain their heat.

Puffed up and staying warm.

Puffed up and staying warm.

Adam also made sure the coop has good ventilation. He added windows, which are great to add extra air in the summer. But, he also made ventilation slots where the coop meets the roof.

Ventilation Slots.

Ventilation Slots.

Chickens excrete a lot of hot air through breathing and pooping. This can make their coop humid. If it gets cold and the coop does not have proper ventilation, that moist, humid air will freeze causing frostbite on the hen’s combs, waddles, or toes.

To add a little extra heat, knowing that the temperatures would be well below zero, I hung a heating lamp right above the roost so that it could warm the hens as they huddle together at night. Some people view heating lamps as a luxury in chicken coops, but in our case this week, I felt like it was a necessity. (I know chicken’s survived just fine well before electricity… but, cut me a little slack. I am a first-time hen mother.)

As I said "Goodnight" on Sunday night... fearing the worst for the morning!

As I said “Goodnight” on Sunday night… fearing the worst for the morning!

Stay Hydrated

Chickens need water and in freezing temperatures this can be a challenge because it doesn’t take too long before their waterer is a solid chunk of ice. During the day, I took water out to the coop every couple of hours.

I noticed that in my quick ten minute runs out to the coop I became very thirsty in the biting wind-chill. The chickens were no exception. They eagerly hopped off the roost and guzzled up the water every time I came in with a replacement.

Bottoms Up!

Bottoms Up!

Fight Cabin Fever

Our chickens are used to running around and exploring the yard. With fifteen inches of snow, this wasn’t possible. So, in addition to their normal feed, I brought some broccoli stalks into the coop for the hens to pick at. I read online to use a head of cabbage, but I was snowed in and broccoli was all I had.

I feel so much more confident about our chickies for the winters to come. Although, I am going to hope this Polar Vortex is a once in a lifetime kind of thing…

Filed Under: Plant Tagged With: Chicken Coop, Chickens, Egg, Snow, Winter

Egg-citing News!

October 2, 2013 by theblogbloom.com 2 Comments

Yesterday was a Big Day!

I retrieved the first egg from the chicken coop!

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We had been told that it would take five to six months for our birds to begin laying eggs. We brought the few days old chicks home on Mother’s Day, so I knew it was just a matter of time. Adam had also recently switched the birds from Chick Starter Feed to Layer Feed supplemented with oyster shell.

I came home from work and opened up the coop to let the chickens run free in the yard. Side note: We used to let them roam all day, but one day two didn’t come home. (… Can’t help but wonder if a predator was involved somehow.) They still have a fenced in area off their coop they can run in during the day.

Many of the chickens ran out to explore, but one hen hung back. I peered beyond the doorway of the coop to the three roosts Adam had built and sure enough there was a small brown egg. I was excited and kind of in disbelief.

As I stepped into the coop to investigate, it was almost like the hen knew what I was about to do. They normally scoot out of the way of our feet, but she stood her ground.

I felt bad. Was this her showing maternal instinct? I reasoned with my commiserating, female emotion: She didn’t have this maternal instinct thing all worked out. Otherwise, she would have been sitting on this egg. Plus, it wouldn’t matter how long she sat on that egg. She wouldn’t be getting a baby. There was no chicken hanky panky going on.

Shoeing her away with my hands, I made it to the roost and picked up the small, fragile egg. It was a lot smaller than I was expecting, but I read this would be the case in the beginning.

Tiny Egg... Going to need ten of these to make anything...

Tiny Egg… Going to need ten of these to make anything…

I couldn’t help but beam with a little pride as I carried the first of many eggs back up to the house. Once in the kitchen I placed it in a little ceramic egg holder I purchased at Anthropologie right after we got the chicks last spring in anticipation for this moment.

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I laughed.

It was like I had been nesting.

In fact, the whole process of raising a chick to lay eggs seemed a little bit like pregnancy.

The excitement when you first get the chicks.

Seeing them grow bigger and bigger every day.

Getting fun accessories like the egg holder or asking everyone you know to save you their egg cartons because their “coming.”

Then it comes and it’s a lot smaller than you thought it was going to be.

But, it’s wonderful. And fun!

And then you start thinking of all that it could become…

An omlet?

A frittata?

Quiche?

… The possibilities are endless.

Below are some fun shots of the grown ladies. We have seven.

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Filed Under: Plant, Uncategorized Tagged With: anthropologie, Chickens, chicks, Egg, free range chicken, Plant, Roost

Meet Claire

Hi, thanks for visiting! I am Claire and I have been sharing my life and thoughts on Bloom since 2013. Welcome to 2023's project, The Farmers Market and The Library. For more about me...

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