Living It With Lisa

First DON”T boil your egg!  You will have rubbery whites with dry yolks that have a gray/blue edge around the yolk.  That is your clue you have overcooked the egg.  See the post on how to make a Perfect Hard-cooked Eggs or the blog post on how long you can keep eggs.

After  your eggs are done, drain the hot water from the pot used to cook the eggs and shake the pot back and forth to crack the shells. Then plunge them in enough cold water to cover the eggs until they cool down. The water seeps under the broken shells, allowing them to be peeled without a struggle.  Start peeling from the large end of the egg, which has an air pocket. This lets you get under the membrane without digging into the white.

From frozen foods to meatless meals, here are five time-saving strategies to help you prepare nutritious meals quickly and easily.

With all the pressures on our time, many of us cut corners. We resort to fast food, restaurant take-out, and frozen entrées that may be loaded with salt, fat, and calories. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

With a little advance thought and planning, you can prepare nutrition-packed meals even on the busiest of days. Here, then, are some of our favorite time-saving strategies.

Nutrition Tip 1 — Shop the Freezer Aisle
Frozen vegetables are great timesavers. They can be prepared in a few minutes in the microwave or quickly steamed in an inch or two of water. For the best nutritional value, choose frozen vegetables without added sauces and seasonings. You can even select some frozen entrées — if you peruse the nutrition labels carefully before purchasing. Look for products with less than 4 g of saturated fat and no more than 400–600 mg of sodium.

Nutrition Tip 2 — Portion and Prepare Ahead of Time
Buy uncooked chicken breasts, fish, or lean meat at the supermarket. When you get home, unpack and repackage it in freezer bags in the portions you need for one meal. Then add marinade and freeze — be sure to squeeze out as much air as possible from the bag to prevent freezer burn. Label and date the items, too. The night before you want to serve the protein, put the bag in the refrigerator to thaw. By dinnertime the next day, all you’ll need to do is grill or broil the entrée.

Nutrition Tip 3 — Cook Once, Eat Twice
When you’re cooking, make extra for another dinner. It doesn’t take much effort to double a recipe for spaghetti sauce, chili, a casserole, stew, or soup. Freeze the extras in the desired serving size.

Nutrition Tip 4 — Make Eggs the Center of Attention
Eggs are quick and easy to prepare. Try using eggs or egg substitutes as a main dish at dinner. For instance, create an omelet with low-fat cheese, leftover chili, or Chinese food. Use one whole egg and one to two egg whites to get the volume of two eggs for the cholesterol content of just one.

Nutrition Tip 5 — Prepare a Meatless Meal
Dinner does not always have to include meat. Instead, try topping a baked potato with a frozen vegetable, beans, and low-fat cheese. You can quickly prepare white and sweet potatoes in the microwave oven. If you prefer the flavor of potatoes baked in a regular oven, cook them halfway in the microwave and then finish them off in the oven.

Well its that time of year when eggs are being dyed and deviled!  The conversation has come up … just how long is an egg good?  I thought I had the answer but found alot more information on Wiki.com

Here is what they found from their various contributors:

• Eggs can remain edible for even longer than a month, but freshness (egg yolk that sits firm and high, and a thick viscous egg white) will be noticeably less after two weeks.If eggs start out as Grade AA, they remain AA for only two weeks if properly refrigerated. After that, they’ll be Grade A for another 2 weeks.

• Here is a true test of freshness: Get a bowl of cold water. Put the whole egg in the water. If it sinks, it’s fresh; if it floats to the top, it is old. It will kind of lay almost on its side. You can see the age of it by how much it floats. It’s a good idea to do this test before selling any eggs if you suspect they are older than two weeks.However, by putting the eggs in water, you wash away the bloom from the egg, a protective layering that prevents bacteria from entering the egg. Therefore, unless you are not expecting to keep the eggs for very long, you should not put them in water. If you must wash the eggs, use HOT running water.

• Farmers have 30 days from the day an egg is laid to get it to stores. Then, the stores have another 30 days to sell the eggs. The USDA recommends a maximum of 5 weeks in your refrigerator before you discard your eggs. What does this all boil down to? On April 1, you could be eating an egg that was laid on Christmas.

• Many eggs in the U.S. get to market within a few days of laying. If there is a USDA shield on the carton, it must have at least a Julian pack date. A use-by is not required, but if used, it must not be more than 45 days from packing. If the eggs are not distributed interstate, state laws will apply and are variable.

• Keep in mind that farmers generally get their eggs to stores within a week, and both the “pack date” and “sell by” date are stamped onto the carton. The numbers run from 1-365, depending on the day of the year. Lastly, there is a big difference in taste between farm fresh eggs and week-old eggs. If you want the freshest eggs, you can buy from a local farmer.
• There is an expiration date on the carton. If in doubt, put the egg in water. If it floats on its side, do not use it.

Eggs last about 4-5 weeks in your refrigerator. If you don’t know how long the egg has been in the refrigerator, fill a cup with water (enough to cover the egg), and put the egg in the cup. If the egg sinks to the bottom, it is still good to eat, but if the egg floats, it is bad and should be discarded.

Have you ever wondered exactly what the difference is the eggs are at the supermarket?  I ran across this article on Delish.com that should demystify that incredible edible egg! 

Know Your Type

This quick guide breaks down the jargon on your carton so you can choose wisely next time you visit the supermarket. 

• Brown: Eggshell color is determined by breed — brown hens lay brown eggs; white hens, white eggs — and has no effect on an egg’s flavor or nutrition. Brown may be slightly pricier because the dark hens tend to be larger and eat more, and so cost more to feed. 

• Certified organic eggs are produced according to national USDA standards by hens fed an organic diet (free of conventional pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, or commercial fertilizers). They have no proven additional nutritional benefit. And, no matter what a label says, all eggs are hormone free, as the USDA does not permit the use of hormones in poultry. 

• Free-range eggs are produced by hens that have daily access to the outdoors or are raised outdoors (commercial hens are housed in cages within large laying facilities). The eggs cost more due to their low volume and high production costs. 

• Cage-free eggs are laid by hens that roam in barns, not outside. The term is not regulated by the USDA. 

• Fertile eggs come from hens that have mated with a rooster. You’re most likely to see them sold at rural farm stands, because country growers may not separate females from males. 

• Nutrient-enhanced eggs have extra omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, or minerals, or fewer saturated fats, thanks to hens’ enriched diets. At more than $4 a dozen, they’re a pricey way to get a minuscule nutritional boost. 

• Pasteurized eggs are flash-heated to destroy salmonella bacteria. The process does not cook the eggs or affect the nutritional value. They are a good choice for those with com promised immune systems. Cook regular eggs until set (not runny) or until yolks are opaque to kill salmonella.

Get Good Grades

When eggs are packed, the USDA grades them AA, A, or B based on exterior and interior quality. (Grade B eggs are rarely sold at retail.)

Externally, eggs must be clean, free of cracks, smooth shelled, and oval shaped, with one end larger than the other. Interior qualities that determine the grade include the clarity and firmness of the albumen (a.k.a. egg white), the size and shape of the yolk, and the size of the air cell in the egg.Grade AA eggs will have a thicker, firmer white surrounding a round yolk, and a smaller air cell thanGrade A eggs.

Store Smart

• The best place for eggs is in a refrigerator in their original carton — not in the egg holders on the fridge door. The carton keeps them from picking up odors and flavors from other foods and also helps prevent moisture loss. Fresh, refrigerated eggs can last up to five weeks (sometimes longer) and rarely spoil, though they can dry up. If you’re worried that your eggs might be past their prime, crack one in a bowl to give it a sniff test before adding to your recipe — you’ll be able to smell a rotten egg immediately. 

• Cover and refrigerate raw yolks and use within two days. Raw whites can be refrigerated, covered, up to four days. Whites freeze well in a tightly sealed container for up to three months, but yolks become gelatinous (and almost impossible to use) unless mixed with something else, such as salt or sugar (1/8 teaspoon salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar per 1/4 cup yolks).

See Red? Don’t Worry

When the yolk forms, occasionally a blood vessel ruptures, causing a blood spot. These eggs are perfectly safe to eat. You can leave the red dot on the yolk or carefully remove it with the tip of a knife.

Size It Up

Eggs are divided into six categories: jumbo, extra-large, large, medium, small, and peewee. Their size is determined by the weight per dozen. Any egg can be used for everyday cooking such as frying, scrambling, and hard cooking, but most baking recipes are based on large eggs.

Click Delish to see the article and other nutritional tips.