Mr. Dolan, I was super eggcited when I read the subject of this post and then eggstremely distressed when it turned out to be far more about chickens than about eggs.
You redeemed yourself, however, with this eggdition's egghilerating poll.
I chose option one, of course. I eat four eggs a day, almost every day. It probably averages out to three a day, which is 1,100 a year—91 dozen eggs!
Wow I have never calculated this, but that's a lot of eggs, isn't it. Feeling proud, I am.
The reason of course is that eggs are DELICIOUS and also cheap protein although as you pointed out and everyone knows, not so much these days thanks to eggflation. I probably spend $1000 a year on eggs.
My friend Aharon who you may recognize from my newsletter is always sending my the latest USDA Shell Egg Index Price reports. Are you familiar? It is the far most intriguing reading on the planet.
Oh man I love a ham and cheese omelet. I love eggs scrambled in lots of butter. I love fried eggs over medium with BACON. I love egg and cheese on a roll! So looking forward to my eggs today.
This is AWESOME. When you shared how often you ate eggs the first thing that came to mind is what does Anne order when at a breakfast with family on vacation? I was guessing french toast or something completely different but you provided four great ways to eat eggs here. I am now guessing Anne orders eggs when out just like usual!!! I may just have to request photos from readers of the best way to eat eggs and make an anonymized collage in Google Photos to share back!!! While not an everyday affair, I awakened this morning (with egg on the head) and made an awesome fluffy scramble -- damn eggs are good -- and for the record, b/c of growing up in WNY and proximity to Canada, I still get canadian bacon in peameal whenever I can. Nothing pops in the pan like REAL CANADIAN BACON
Thank you for posting Anne -- I always love your comments.
Sorry it was not sufficiently focused. The HPAI is interesting to me and is likely going to be similar to humans and COVID. When a virus adapts, it changes everything. Your comment about too much chicken too little egg -- what they have in common with most everything we eat in America is both of them are jusft about the corn.
I am familiar with the egg and other USDA reports. I have a son in an agricultural business in Nebraska. When there is massive oversupply of eggs, the prices are lowest in Nebraska where he lives. The best supermarket price ever was $0.31 a dozen. RIDICULOUS -- Postscript -- Nebraska is where Costco built their largest chicken processing operation. All about the corn..."N" is an economist and he manages hedging for his company that crushes corn into ethanol. You speak consistently of Aharon in your blog and it is ALWAYS positive. A casual observer might think he is an enabler of your egg habit :) Not unlike cigarettes, it sounds like you are managing a two carton a week habit.
If you read carefully, you could be a candidate for Costco eggs. They were about $2.60 a dozen in bulk and prices are falling again. There is hope that the virus is receding. I would imagine very few people who do a food budget pencil in $1000 for eggs each year. You are awesome and FULL of surprises!!!!!
I have a couple of funny stories from "N" and the USDA reports. Maybe a future post.
Instead of ignoring the main thrust of your post and commenting on one minor thing, I'll comment on two.
Paul Newman is such a great actor that I read that line in his voice. What an amazing movie.
I highly recommend Just Egg. As a plant based egg replacement, I think it works wonderfully. The main ways I consume eggs - scrambled - this is all I need. The drawbacks are that you're trading a gram of protein for a gram of carbs, you can't really use it for things like eggs benedict (I've never tried baking with them, though I shall in the future), and, of course, the price. Compared to any sort of organic or free range eggs, they're only mildly more expensive, something in the neighborhood of 12-15 cents more per egg. But compared to normal eggs, they're massively more expensive (about 30 some cents more per egg).
I am going to try the "Just Egg" product. I eat a mostly PBD and this sounds interesting! A while back I did a post about stupid kitchen gadgets but had to admit I do own some including a really cool egg maker. It was fun to write and hard not to chuckle at what humans buy sometimes!! https://markdolan.substack.com/p/i-want-that -- a few minutes you don't get back but easy on the soul.
Thanks for the comment Daniel T! For comment lurkers, his Newsletter is a fun new discovery!
I try hard to link to past posts on this journey. Paul Newman is one of my favorite people in my lifetime! Why??? (1) great actor (2) yearned to learn something new (race cars) (3) his foundation is the epitomy of giving back. If everyone on this earth committed to doing something well with their gifts, was inquisitive to learn new things and focused on paying it forward, it would be a wonderful world!!! I love Paul Newman as a result.
Thanks for the egg substitute tip. I eat less than I used to but like them hardboiled and poached. High maintenance guy is me.
I love eggs and I wish I hadn't read this post! I did not know that male chickens are euthanized and that we've created different species for eggs and meat. One day, I hope to have space to raise chickens of my own. But for now, I suppose I'll just try to consume less eggs. Thanks, as always for your insights!
Oh, I meant that sarcastically. More knowledge is always better, in my opinion. You didn't ruin my experience...you just gave me more information with which to make more informed decisions :)
I eat a couple of eggs nearly every day, and my kids like to bake things that include eggs. We go through approximately a dozen a week. But during a family crisis a few years ago, other family members were living with us and we went through a lot more of everything!
At 5 days a week that is 520 a year so you, if you chose to vote, check in with way more!!! I have always enjoyed eggs. Even though I am trying small changes in my diet, I still enjoy them. I wrote a silly post about kitchen gadgets a while back. My favorite gadget is my egg cooker as I now can made easy and reliable hard-boiled and add them to salads. I am hoping someone will check in and admit the 5 dozen habit. I figure if buying every two weeks so they don't get old a family will need to eat 30+ eggs a week if the 5 dozen pack makes sense! How do you like your eggs Antonia? I like them poached!
I like them poached, too, but that's always a bit fiddly to make. My mornings tend to be incredibly busy getting kids fed and lunches packed and all of us out the door walking to school, but I don't want to miss breakfast or eat junk, so I opt for scrambled with some feta or goat cheese, which I can cook while getting everyone ready without having to watch a timer. But both I and my daughter love soft-boiled eggs, so sometimes we'll do that. Usually if we have some fresh from my brother-in-law's chickens next door.
From the moment I decide it is a poached egg day, 2-7 poached eggs are done with ALMOST NO CLEANUP in my steamer contraption and they are on top of whatever they will be served on in << 4 minutes. It is the COOLEST justifiable contraption and it is NOT FIDDLY. It gets cleaned PERHAPS every two weeks by pouring 4 oz of vinegar on the scalder and wiping with a paper towel. Nothing ever sticks, no pan to clean, the containers wipe clean right after use. While no proof it has to use less than half the energy than a stove or range. Cheap on amazon, picture on https://markdolan.substack.com/i-want-that
I currently have five old hens living in the barn. The Grande Dame (Battercup) is six or seven years old, the kids are four or five, so egg production is down as they enter chicken menopause. Buttercup has laid two eggs so far this year and a couple of the youngsters are definitely gearing down (a couple of weirdly shaped eggs and three micro-mini eggs so far this year - I suspect she's heading into retirement). Since I'm not a real farmer, these ladies are basically pets who happen to give me eggs, so will will get to hang around until they die of old age, at which point they are buried in the chicken graveyard. Mrs. Pennyfeather is the oldest hen I've raised so far. She lived to be 10 years old!
Even with only five semi-retired hens, we end up with more eggs than this family of three adults can eat. My father-in-law is the only one who enjoys eggs as eggs, and his doctor has restricted him to one egg every other day. We use them in baking, but we have limited tummy space, so the egg supply is pretty constant. I give away a bunch of them - my son and future daughter-in-law received a gift of a dozen just this past weekend.
I'm really sorry that I watched that video, though. Poor little chicks. :( This is usually the point where I introduce a few more baby ladies to the flock to ensure that the eggs keep coming... now I'm not so sure I want to buy chicks anymore.
Jeannine -- thanks for commenting. I NEARLY put a more pronounced warning on the video.
I have a couple of friends who raise chickens or have in the past. Yours is a family story of which your birds are part. Change starts with a single person and I think some of what you are doing is how it starts. I also think what you describe is a lot of what 4H instills in young people. Modern egg operations might only have layers for about 15 months now. At some level, using the term layers is harsh in itself.
Mr. Dolan, I was super eggcited when I read the subject of this post and then eggstremely distressed when it turned out to be far more about chickens than about eggs.
You redeemed yourself, however, with this eggdition's egghilerating poll.
I chose option one, of course. I eat four eggs a day, almost every day. It probably averages out to three a day, which is 1,100 a year—91 dozen eggs!
Wow I have never calculated this, but that's a lot of eggs, isn't it. Feeling proud, I am.
The reason of course is that eggs are DELICIOUS and also cheap protein although as you pointed out and everyone knows, not so much these days thanks to eggflation. I probably spend $1000 a year on eggs.
My friend Aharon who you may recognize from my newsletter is always sending my the latest USDA Shell Egg Index Price reports. Are you familiar? It is the far most intriguing reading on the planet.
Another comment Anne -- you set the standard for egg knowledge n consumption. What style of 🥚 is your go-to?
Oh man I love a ham and cheese omelet. I love eggs scrambled in lots of butter. I love fried eggs over medium with BACON. I love egg and cheese on a roll! So looking forward to my eggs today.
This is AWESOME. When you shared how often you ate eggs the first thing that came to mind is what does Anne order when at a breakfast with family on vacation? I was guessing french toast or something completely different but you provided four great ways to eat eggs here. I am now guessing Anne orders eggs when out just like usual!!! I may just have to request photos from readers of the best way to eat eggs and make an anonymized collage in Google Photos to share back!!! While not an everyday affair, I awakened this morning (with egg on the head) and made an awesome fluffy scramble -- damn eggs are good -- and for the record, b/c of growing up in WNY and proximity to Canada, I still get canadian bacon in peameal whenever I can. Nothing pops in the pan like REAL CANADIAN BACON
Thank you for posting Anne -- I always love your comments.
Sorry it was not sufficiently focused. The HPAI is interesting to me and is likely going to be similar to humans and COVID. When a virus adapts, it changes everything. Your comment about too much chicken too little egg -- what they have in common with most everything we eat in America is both of them are jusft about the corn.
I am familiar with the egg and other USDA reports. I have a son in an agricultural business in Nebraska. When there is massive oversupply of eggs, the prices are lowest in Nebraska where he lives. The best supermarket price ever was $0.31 a dozen. RIDICULOUS -- Postscript -- Nebraska is where Costco built their largest chicken processing operation. All about the corn..."N" is an economist and he manages hedging for his company that crushes corn into ethanol. You speak consistently of Aharon in your blog and it is ALWAYS positive. A casual observer might think he is an enabler of your egg habit :) Not unlike cigarettes, it sounds like you are managing a two carton a week habit.
If you read carefully, you could be a candidate for Costco eggs. They were about $2.60 a dozen in bulk and prices are falling again. There is hope that the virus is receding. I would imagine very few people who do a food budget pencil in $1000 for eggs each year. You are awesome and FULL of surprises!!!!!
I have a couple of funny stories from "N" and the USDA reports. Maybe a future post.
Instead of ignoring the main thrust of your post and commenting on one minor thing, I'll comment on two.
Paul Newman is such a great actor that I read that line in his voice. What an amazing movie.
I highly recommend Just Egg. As a plant based egg replacement, I think it works wonderfully. The main ways I consume eggs - scrambled - this is all I need. The drawbacks are that you're trading a gram of protein for a gram of carbs, you can't really use it for things like eggs benedict (I've never tried baking with them, though I shall in the future), and, of course, the price. Compared to any sort of organic or free range eggs, they're only mildly more expensive, something in the neighborhood of 12-15 cents more per egg. But compared to normal eggs, they're massively more expensive (about 30 some cents more per egg).
I am going to try the "Just Egg" product. I eat a mostly PBD and this sounds interesting! A while back I did a post about stupid kitchen gadgets but had to admit I do own some including a really cool egg maker. It was fun to write and hard not to chuckle at what humans buy sometimes!! https://markdolan.substack.com/p/i-want-that -- a few minutes you don't get back but easy on the soul.
Oops I did not respond to this in the thread...
Thanks for the comment Daniel T! For comment lurkers, his Newsletter is a fun new discovery!
I try hard to link to past posts on this journey. Paul Newman is one of my favorite people in my lifetime! Why??? (1) great actor (2) yearned to learn something new (race cars) (3) his foundation is the epitomy of giving back. If everyone on this earth committed to doing something well with their gifts, was inquisitive to learn new things and focused on paying it forward, it would be a wonderful world!!! I love Paul Newman as a result.
Thanks for the egg substitute tip. I eat less than I used to but like them hardboiled and poached. High maintenance guy is me.
I love eggs and I wish I hadn't read this post! I did not know that male chickens are euthanized and that we've created different species for eggs and meat. One day, I hope to have space to raise chickens of my own. But for now, I suppose I'll just try to consume less eggs. Thanks, as always for your insights!
So sorry Jillian as my intent it not to ruin people's experience. I love eggs still and merely eat less of them than I used to.
Oh, I meant that sarcastically. More knowledge is always better, in my opinion. You didn't ruin my experience...you just gave me more information with which to make more informed decisions :)
I am glad I misread it.
I eat a couple of eggs nearly every day, and my kids like to bake things that include eggs. We go through approximately a dozen a week. But during a family crisis a few years ago, other family members were living with us and we went through a lot more of everything!
Thanks for commenting Antonia
At 5 days a week that is 520 a year so you, if you chose to vote, check in with way more!!! I have always enjoyed eggs. Even though I am trying small changes in my diet, I still enjoy them. I wrote a silly post about kitchen gadgets a while back. My favorite gadget is my egg cooker as I now can made easy and reliable hard-boiled and add them to salads. I am hoping someone will check in and admit the 5 dozen habit. I figure if buying every two weeks so they don't get old a family will need to eat 30+ eggs a week if the 5 dozen pack makes sense! How do you like your eggs Antonia? I like them poached!
I like them poached, too, but that's always a bit fiddly to make. My mornings tend to be incredibly busy getting kids fed and lunches packed and all of us out the door walking to school, but I don't want to miss breakfast or eat junk, so I opt for scrambled with some feta or goat cheese, which I can cook while getting everyone ready without having to watch a timer. But both I and my daughter love soft-boiled eggs, so sometimes we'll do that. Usually if we have some fresh from my brother-in-law's chickens next door.
From the moment I decide it is a poached egg day, 2-7 poached eggs are done with ALMOST NO CLEANUP in my steamer contraption and they are on top of whatever they will be served on in << 4 minutes. It is the COOLEST justifiable contraption and it is NOT FIDDLY. It gets cleaned PERHAPS every two weeks by pouring 4 oz of vinegar on the scalder and wiping with a paper towel. Nothing ever sticks, no pan to clean, the containers wipe clean right after use. While no proof it has to use less than half the energy than a stove or range. Cheap on amazon, picture on https://markdolan.substack.com/i-want-that
I currently have five old hens living in the barn. The Grande Dame (Battercup) is six or seven years old, the kids are four or five, so egg production is down as they enter chicken menopause. Buttercup has laid two eggs so far this year and a couple of the youngsters are definitely gearing down (a couple of weirdly shaped eggs and three micro-mini eggs so far this year - I suspect she's heading into retirement). Since I'm not a real farmer, these ladies are basically pets who happen to give me eggs, so will will get to hang around until they die of old age, at which point they are buried in the chicken graveyard. Mrs. Pennyfeather is the oldest hen I've raised so far. She lived to be 10 years old!
Even with only five semi-retired hens, we end up with more eggs than this family of three adults can eat. My father-in-law is the only one who enjoys eggs as eggs, and his doctor has restricted him to one egg every other day. We use them in baking, but we have limited tummy space, so the egg supply is pretty constant. I give away a bunch of them - my son and future daughter-in-law received a gift of a dozen just this past weekend.
I'm really sorry that I watched that video, though. Poor little chicks. :( This is usually the point where I introduce a few more baby ladies to the flock to ensure that the eggs keep coming... now I'm not so sure I want to buy chicks anymore.
Jeannine -- thanks for commenting. I NEARLY put a more pronounced warning on the video.
I have a couple of friends who raise chickens or have in the past. Yours is a family story of which your birds are part. Change starts with a single person and I think some of what you are doing is how it starts. I also think what you describe is a lot of what 4H instills in young people. Modern egg operations might only have layers for about 15 months now. At some level, using the term layers is harsh in itself.
Guilty as charged - 4-H alumna here! 😉
"I pledge my head to clearer thinking,
my heart to greater loyalty,
my hands to larger service, and
my health to better living,
for my club, my community, my country and my world."
The way you live today is a tribute to 4H!!!
Hmmm, do you write an outline before you write, or just go with the flow?
Hi John -- thanks for commenting.
Because I refined my format recently, I now do something closer to an outline. I will share when we meet next time or a separate thread.