About Pullets

My pullets have begun to lay now that they have reached 5 months of age and I have more eggs than I know what to do with.  Pullets are young female chickens.  They are called pullets until they begin laying eggs regularly.  Once the pullets begin laying, their eggs may be a bit unpredictable .  Pullets don’t usually lay everyday and their eggs are smaller and may contain double yolks.  It took my pullets about two weeks to make the transition and now I get big gorgeous brown eggs (two dozen) every day.   So what do I do with all those eggs?  We eat them of course.  I sell them,  store them in a second frig, and  make a variety of egg dishes.

Farm Fresh Eggs

Scrambled eggs can be adapted for breakfast, lunch, and dinner by adding vegetables and different meats. One of our favorites is actually a Spanish dish.   We add grated potatoes to scrambled eggs, along with bacon crumbles, and cheese.  Chopped veggies like sweet and / or hot peppers, mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes each add their own flavor so experiment with your favorite tastes to make a dish your family loves.  Basil, cumin, curry, tumeric, parsley, rosemary and thyme herbs add distinctive flavors beyond the basic salt and pepper additions.

Deviled eggs and egg salad never last long in my house and they make great sack lunch or snack foods.  I always get a bit creative when I make deviled eggs.  I might add mustard, pickle juice, or top with hot pepper flakes instead of paprika.  My family loves spice and the more the better.  Egg salad recipes generally call for chopped celery, onion, and mayo in addition to the chopped eggs.  I might top with green pepper slices, grated radishes, alfalfa sprouts, or cheese.  Pitas are wonderful to make egg salad sandwiches for lunch because the pita holds up to the moisture better.  Eggs are so adaptable!  Its fun to experiment with eggs because they are so versatile.

Custard is a wonderful and light dessert that can be dressed up with sauces, fruit, chocolate, whipped cream, or toasted brown sugar……Creme brulee is one of my favorite desserts.  Custard has few ingredients (milk or cream, eggs, sugar, and salt) assembles quickly and boasts the power of milk.  You must submerge the baking ramekin in water at the level of the custard though to prevent the custard from getting tough from too high of heat.  Eggs don’t like high heat!

I have two recipes for eggs that are used hand in hand.  When the eggs are taking over the refrigerator I make egg noodles.  A companion recipe is Angel food cake.  The noodles use the egg yolks and the cake uses only the whites.  Both are delicious ways to enjoy eggs.  There is something quite special about a home-made angel food cake.

Egg Noodle Recipe

3 egg yolks

1 egg

3 Tblsp cold water

1 tsp salt

2 cups flour

Beat egg yolks and egg until very light; beat in water and salt.  Stir in flour and mix to make a stiff dough.  * I use the kitchen aid mixer or the food processor.

Divide dough into three parts. Roll each part out as thin as possible (paper thin).  Dust the dough and the countertop with small amounts of flour to keep the dough from sticking.  I use a granite rolling pin because the dough is stiff and the weight of the granite helps thin out the dough.  Place each piece of dough between towels until partially dry (It will look like a chamois cloth).

Let dry until completely brittle before storing.

An easy way to cut into noodles is to roll the piece like a jelly roll and cut with a sharp knife into the size noodles you want.  Another way is to use a pizza cutter and slice as it lays on the towel.  Hang the noodles on a drying rack, dry in a dehydrator, or lay between towels to dry.  Once dry break into  pieces and store in a closed container or plastic bag.  Make sure noodles are completely dry before storing them in a container or they will spoil.  Noodles freeze successfully too!  Egg noodles packaged in a cute holiday bag would make a great gift, especially with an attached recipe for chicken noodle soup.

A plastic snack barrel works great to store egg noodles in.

To cook:  Add noodle pieces to 3 quarts boiling water with 1 Tblsp salt added, or use broth.  Cook 10-15 minutes until tender.  Drain. Mix with butter or olive oil.  Noodles can be eaten as a side dish or add them to your favorite recipe!  Tonight I made a gravy with the broth used to cook the noodles; then I added the noodles back in along with some delicious chicken my husband grilled.  It was heavenly!

Eggs are the perfect food for healthy and quick meals from  the kitchen.  They are truly one of Life’s Simple Pleasures.