We have six kids and since we have a flock of chickens we let each one dye a dozen eggs for Easter and then we have to plan how we will use all the eggs. After breakfast with hardboiled eggs and deviled eggs, our next favorite recipe for using leftover Easter Eggs is Creamed Eggs on Toast.
Recipe for Easter Egg Creamed Eggs on toast
Peel one dozen hardboiled Easter Eggs and rinse thoroughly to insure all the shell is removed. Slice in thin and even slices.
Melt one stick (1/2 cup) margarine or butter in a saucepan. When completely melted stir in the following mixture
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
When completely mixed with sauce pan on medium high heat slowly whisk in 4 cups of milk a little at a time. If you add too much cold milk it will turn the flour and butter mixture into lumps and ruin the sauce for Creamed Eggs. When all of the milk has been added continuing whisking or stirring for 10 minutes or until the mixture is completely thick and bubbly. Remove from heat.
For a Gluten Free Version of the White Sauce Click Here
We serve on toast but have also served it on pasta or rice. If you need gluten free bread check out our Gluten Free Bread Recipe Click Here
We have also added shaved ham or chopped turkey and sometimes left the eggs out altogether.
Several years ago my sister in law started making a potato salad recipe that she found in a magazine. It is made with grated potatoes and has a sweet dressing with hard boiled eggs, chopped celery. Our family loves this recipe and we have made triple batches many times the last three years. We have shared the recipe with dozens of friends. My wife does not like regular potatoes. She doesn’t like mashed potatoes, most French fries, baked potatoes, or any other form of russet potato, red potato, Idaho potato, spuds, or tators. She is not even a fan of hash browns or tator tots. She does love sweet potatoes and yams. For many years sweet potato or yams were only served for holidays since we grew up in the North. However she loved sweet potatoes so much we started making traditional Thanksgiving style sweet potatoes throughout the year. Then we had Sweet Potato Fries at Ruby Tuesday’s and I started thinking about the ways we could use Sweet Potatoes to make dishes that she might really love.
Sweet Potato Variety of Grated Potato Salad
4 Large Sweet Potatoes grated in the Kitchen Aid attachment
Stir in all the sweet potatoes into a 10 cups of boiling water. Boil for 10 minutes or until slightly al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water.
When the sweet potatoes are chilled add:
3 Hard Boiled Eggs Chopped or sliced
1 stalk celery chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar or Stevia
1 Cup Plain or Vanilla Yogurt
1/2 Cup Salsa (choose the level of spiciness you prefer)
“Egg”sactly what is the difference between a store bought egg and a farm fresh egg? It’s a question I never would have thought to ask before moving into the country and raising chickens of our own. Besides, don’t all eggs come from chickens? So, how could there be any difference?
Farm Fresh Eggs
The difference is drastic!! Most store bought eggs come from factory farms where chickens rarely see the light of day and don’t get the privilege of free roaming and looking for their own natural nutrition from bugs and insects outside. Store bought eggs are thoroughly cleaned and often “bleached” to give them a really nice white sheen to them. That cleaning process not only adds unwanted chemicals, but takes away the natural coating on the shell that helps them last longer and stay fresher longer. A very noticeable difference between store bought eggs and farm fresh eggs is the yolk. If you were to crack open a store egg and a farm egg, the farm egg would have a very bright, dark yellow coloring in contrast to the pale yellow coloring of the store egg. You can really see the color difference in the eggs below.
Most store bought eggs will still last about a month; whereas, farm fresh eggs can stay fresh up to 2 months if the majority of the natural protective coating has not had to be washed off. The cleaner you can keep your hens laying bins, the cleaner the eggs will be when you go to gather them. If the egg looks perfectly clean, then simply put it in a carton and directly into the fridge for longer lasting eggs. If you do need to clean them, take a slightly dampened towel and gently wipe the part of the egg that needs cleaning—trying not to wash away any coating on areas that aren’t dirty. Sometimes, it may be necessary to completely wash an egg, but make sure to use that one more quickly.
Hardboiling fresh eggs can be really challenging and nearly impossible with eggs that are really fresh. It is best to use eggs that are a couple days old. Here is a technique that we have found that works the best on farm fresh eggs.
Hardboiled Eggs: Place only one layer of eggs on the bottom of a pan and cover with cold water about an inch over the top of the eggs. Put a lid on the pan. Turn the heat on high and bring the eggs to a rapid boil. Once the water is rapidly boiling, turn off the heat, leave the pan on the burner and set a timer for 20 minutes. Immediately dump off the hot water and rinse with cold water and begin to take the shells off the eggs. Tap the egg gently on the largest end of the egg and peel it under lightly running water. There is a membrane that must be torn that will make the peeling process easier and it is almost naturally broken if you tap it on the largest end of the egg.
So, what are the overall benefits of farm fresh eggs:
