Tag: eggs

Categories
Food Fiction & Essays

The Double-Yolk Egg

double-yolk egg

Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of double-yolked eggs. In fact, one dozen I purchased had more than half of them with double yolks! That lead me to do a little research about the kitchen phenomenon of the double-yolk egg.

double-yolk egg

Double-Yolk Egg Facts

Sometimes, a chicken can get eggs backed up in her oviduct system, which causes two yolks to be encased in one shell. This occurrence is apparently rare, happening in about one out of 1,000 eggs — so guess I’m just lucky of late.

In fact, in my research I read an article where a woman had a dozen with six double-yolk eggs. I guess I got her beat since my dozen had eight!

That said, given how we produce eggs in the Western world — collecting eggs from flocks of hens who are roughly the same age and selecting for the size of an egg — the odds of finding double-yolk eggs is more like one in 30 than one in 1,000.

More often than not, a double-yolk egg is produced by a young chicken, since her reproductive system has not fully matured. However, a double-yolk egg can also come from an older chicken nearing the end of her egg-producing period.

I used to think that a double-yolk egg was a “twin egg.” However, because the eggs you buy at the store are not fertilized, no twin chicks were possible. In addition, most double-yolk eggs come from young chickens before they are ready to produce viable offspring. Again, not likely to have twin chicks.

Rarer than the double-yolk egg is the egg with three yolks. The record so far is an egg with nine yolks!

Double-Yolk Egg Superstitions

When you find a double-yolk egg,

  • You or someone close to you is pregnant, probably with twins. (Nope, not me!)
  • You will be getting married soon. (I got married in October 2016, so I won’t be doing that again any time soon.)
  • You have lots of good fortune coming to you. (That would be nice.)(
  • A death will occur in the family soon afterward. (Yikes! Let’s hope not.)

So, have you found a double-yolk egg? Share your story in a comment below.

Categories
Healthy Living Well Stocked Pantry

High Fat Foods That Are Actually Good for You

eggs

After all this talk about healthy fats, you may wonder, “what are some actual whole foods that contain healthy fats already in them.” It is unlikely that you’ll a healthy fat by itself, and I’m sure you would like to be able to grab a healthy high fat food that will contain your hunger and be quick and easy to eat.

eggsEggs are a great, quick food to eat. While some may be thinking about a raw egg in a smoothie, you may want to rethink that unless they are organic eggs from your own chicken coop. And we’re not talking about egg whites here, either. They are rather tasteless and you are missing the yolk that has nutrients you need. What is meant is that whole eggs can be cooked quickly and make a great meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They contain choline, a B vitamin that helps regulate the nervous system, the brain, and the cardiovascular system. Eating eggs occasionally will help improve your heart.

I like to keep hard-boiled eggs handy in the frig. One can make a tasty, quick snack that gives you the protein and fats you need to make it to your next meal. I also love tossing them into a salad. Yum!

eggs-heart

An egg sandwich is a quick meal, cooking 2 fried eggs (in one of the healthy fats) takes less than 5 minutes, put it on a sandwich with some organic ketchup or salsa and you are good to go. On the other hand, what about an avocado spread on two slices of bread with slices of turkey for a fast sandwich and healthier than using mayonnaise.

Nut butter on a sandwich with sliced banana or strawberries is not only healthy but a comfort food many remember. Whether you use the familiar peanut butter or the more exotic almond or cashew butter, you’ll be eating a protein- and fiber-packed meal. Just be sure to pick all natural nut butter with as few ingredients on the label as possible to avoid added sugar or saturated oils. Speaking of nuts, you can also eat some almonds for vitamin E, some walnuts for Omega 3 fatty acids, or pistachios for lutien that are good for your eyes.

And, lastly, oily fish is another whole food full of Omega 3 fatty acids. Tuna salad anyone? Or a sardine sandwich, or how about salmon salad for lunch? When you want a healthy meal, and one that will see you through until dinner, think healthy high fat foods.

If you are trying to lose weight adding healthy fats to your diet is one way to get your body to start dropping those pounds. Try adding 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to each meal and see what happens!

Previous Articles in the Healthy Fats Series

[divider]

[one_third] Healthy Eating Worksheet [/one_third]
[two_third_last]

Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.

Download Now [/two_third_last]

Categories
Recipes

Mediterranean Peruvian Fusion Scramble

Mediterranean Peruvian Fusion Scramble
Photo provided by Manuel Villacorta

Mediterranean Peruvian Fusion Scramble
Photo provided by Manuel Villacorta
Recipe from Whole Body Reboot by Manuel Villacorta, HCI Books/December 2014 – ISBN: 9780757318214. Read an interview with the author here.

Carma’s Note: The purple potatoes, included in this recipe, are one of many superfoods that pack a lot of nutrition in one simple food. Purple potatoes have two to three times the antioxidants of other potatoes and the plant chemicals that make them purple have numerous health benefits, including anti-cancer and heart-protective effects, as well as a boost for the immune system and protecting against age-related memory loss.

Ingredients:

  • Oil spray
  • 4 small purple potatoes, but into 1/2-inch thick rounds
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/3 cup chopped red onion
  • 2 chicken sausages, sliced
  • 1/4 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes, re-hydrated
  • 1/4 cup sliced Katamata olives
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/3 cup chopped basil

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Lightly spray a sheet pay with oil.
  2. Place the potato rounds on the sheet pan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake until tender, for 30 to 40 minutes.
  3. While the potatoes are baking, make the scramble. Heat the oil in a large saut´ pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and saut´ until softened, for about 5 minutes.
  4. Add the sausage, tomatoes and olives. Saut´ until the sausage is cooked through. Turn off the heat and toss with the feta cheese and basil. Serve warm over the roasted potatoes.
Categories
Healthy Living

Organic Living: 5 Tips for a Healthier Diet

start your own organic garden with radishes, carrots and beets
Bonus tip!

start your own organic garden with radishes, carrots and beets
Bonus tip!
Continuing my Organic Living series, here are five tips to help you live a more healthy and organic life.

1. Start an organic garden.

If you live in a home with a nice big backyard, this can be simple and easy. However, if your space is more limited, you are not out in the non-organic cold. Setting up a vertical garden takes a week or two, but can pay off in organic produce for years. And you can set one up either indoors or outdoors. A vertical garden uses tiers to grow plants from the floor up, rather than taking up a large horizontal footprint. Here are some good resources for learning more about vertical gardening:

Articles:

Books:

Equipment:

 

2. Reduce or eliminate dairy products

Although it is a popular calcium source in the Western world, dairy cannot be properly digested by about 75 percent of the world’s population. This problem is called lactose intolerance and can lead to a lot of discomfort.

But it tastes so good — and is so prevalent in our food supply! What can you do?

Coconut or almond based ice cream is a fantastic way to indulge, without eating dairy. There are also a wide variety of non-dairy milks available on the market. I prefer almond milk, but you can also find soy milk, sunflower seed milk, coconut milk, hemp milk and more. Try them out and see which you prefer.

3. Buy free range eggs.

Alas, most organic eggs come from cooped up chickens fed organic produce. All that stres in the chickens’ lives affects the nutrition of the eggs. For true free range eggs, find a local farmer on localharvest.org.

4. Be aware of what labels mean.

“Organically made” is not the same as “Organic.” “Freely Traded” is not the same as “Free Trade.” Those former foods aren’t certified. Lack of certification can sometimes mean that corners are cut and loopholes are availed.

5. Choose oils wisely

Avoid cheap vegetable oils at all costs. They’re high in Omega-6 and very unhealthy. And, “canola” oil is made from modified rape seeds, so if you have certain allergies, this oil can be very bad for you.

 
Missed previous posts in this Organic Living series? Check them out here!

[divider]

[one_third] Healthy Eating Worksheet [/one_third]
[two_third_last]

Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.

Download Now [/two_third_last]

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