Tag: ingredient spotlight

The Double-Yolk Egg

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date April 25, 2018

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 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.

Tags eggs, ingredient spotlight

Ingredient Spotlight Well Stocked Pantry

Ingredient Spotlight: Bananas

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date September 21, 2015

Ah, the banana … good for you? bad for you? You’ll hear facts on either side of that coin, but the bottom line is that if you keep your portions controlled (a small banana, no longer than five inches, is about right), bananas are a superfood.

Bananas are perhaps best known for packing potassium, but they’re also good sources of arthritis-fighting vitamin B6, folate, and vitamin C. They are also loaded with zinc, iron, and calcium. They’re easy for your body to digest, and since they’re a great source of soluble fiber, they are an important player in your weight loss efforts, because you feel full after eating one without consuming a large number of calories.

And ladies listen up: Bananas are good for menstrual difficulties, especially for athletes because they can quickly replace what your body loses during your cycle or when you’re exercising frequently. And, if you suffer from diarrhea during your monthly cycle, they are the ideal treatment when eaten in conjunction with apples, rice, and dry toast – more commonly known as the BRAT treatment.

If you suffer from chocolate cravings, eating a banana dipped in melted chocolate can ease that craving while preventing you from over-indulging. If you have a sweet tooth, frozen bananas make a great alternative to a lot of other sugary treats. If you’re trying to cut carbs, bananas can be a good alternative, too.

For active people, bananas are a better option than most sports drinks because they have nutrients and a healthier blend of natural sugars.

I love putting them in my smoothies because they not only sweeten the drink but add bulk so I feel more full. They also taste great sliced and served over your morning cereal or granola. And one of my favorite lunch treats is a banana, peanut butter, and honey sandwich.

Check out the new banana recipe for Banana Coffee Cake I added in honor of this yummy, healthy, yellow fruit.

Tags bananas, ingredient spotlight

Healthy Living Well Stocked Pantry

The Benefits of Purple Potatoes

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date August 31, 2015

Reduced from a photograph taken 28th January 2004 by Stephen Lea and released under the GFDL by the photographer.

I first encountered the purple potato while at a business conference. The buffet lunch provided included baked potatoes medley, which included these deep amethyst curiosities. Then, recently, I received a book to review called Whole Body Reboot, which introduced me to the health benefits of brightly colored foods, including the superfood that is the purple potato.

This week’s featured recipe comes from that book, and inspired me to research what benefits this root vegetable has for us.

The purple color is courtesy of anthocyanin, a flavonoid that has been shown in studies to have anti-cancer and heart-protective effects, the ability to boost the immune system and protect against age-related memory loss. Anthoscyanins may also reduce the risk of Parkinson’s and improve eyesight.

Purple potatoes provide a healthy dose of antioxidants — 4 times as much antioxidants as Russet potatoes and levels equal to kale and spinach — which also help with age-related issues.

What can you do with a purple potato? Pretty much anything you can do with any other type of potato! You can make:

Purple potato salad
Purple hash browns
Country fried purple potatoes
Purple mashed potatoes

The list goes on and on. The only caveat I’d add is that you want to be sure that when you serve it, people know what they’re getting into. The color of food affects people’s reactions to it, so don’t surprise someone with an odd-colored food that might put them off.

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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.

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Tags health benefits, ingredient spotlight, purple potato