Dear Friend,
I’ve been thinking of you. The many things that you must be busying yourself with – winterizing your home, cleaning out cupboards and drawers to make room for holiday dishes, decorations, and warmer clothing, and, obviously, this time of year begets the plannings for special gatherings and events, themes of which range from spooking kids to thanking each other, decorating trees and gifts, and finally, making personal-improvement resolutions. Do you remember making any such resolutions 287 days ago? (Don’t give it a second thought).
287 days is 6888 hours – just time.
As we look back, January 1st 2023 seems like eons ago! At that point we had no idea what was in store for us, this long road-trip was barely a plan. Now, on this side of that many hours, all we know for sure is that some things just happen anyway no matter what we do. And we also know that YOU are part of the Goodnesses in life that make this journey sweet!
We are in Northern California visiting with a family in the foothills of the Sierras. Eight chickens are included in this household, though they don’t actually live in the house. They have names and their own coop, and are doted on by several caring humans.
Every morning, these chickens are greeted and freed to run in their yard, and at the end of the day, they return to the safety of their coop for the night. In this brood of laying hens, there are two Leghorns, two Rhode Island Reds, and four Black Marans. As I mentioned, they all have names. The Cronk sisters, Stinky Butt, Cinnamon Girl, Betty, Inga, Dinga-Doo, and Bouncy. They are happy, friendly chickens, very loved.
Their eggs are gathered daily and as a rule, eight chickens equate to about 4 to 6 eggs per day. That bounty adds up quickly and as long as the eggs aren’t washed, they will last, unrefrigerated, for at least a couple of weeks. (Refrigerated, the unwashed eggs will last much longer).
When given a chance, most creatures will happily eat chicken eggs. Nutritionally speaking, eggs are a ‘super food,’ a good source of protein, fat, iron, minerals and antioxidants. And there are hundreds of ways that they can be prepared. Thank you, chickens!
While we are on the subject of eggs and nutrition, I thought I would include EGG OPTIONS, in case you are ever in a situation where a recipe calls for eggs and you don’t have them available, or, for one of a thousand reasons, you’ve decided not to eat them.
Even before kitchens had walls, eggs have been an important world-wide culinary staple. They can be eaten raw, baked, scrambled, poached, hard and soft boiled, sunny-side-up, over easy, over medium, over hard, omelets, deviled, steamed… in savory dishes or sweet, in custards, pastry creams, cakes, cookies, meringues, as a thickener, emulsifier, to stabilize, add volume, color and flavor.
Eggs have become a definite go-to for protein while we are traveling; easily stored in our ice chest, if we have ice, we have eggs. (We’re aware that some chickens are not treated well and that not all eggs come from happy hens so we try to be mindful to support caring sources when shopping).
Throughout history, eggs have been used by artists to ensure long-lasting color. Egg tempera is made with water, egg yolks and a bit of pigment. For a short, informative demonstration, watch modern day Tempera artist, Doug Safranek in this YouTube video by Jeff Sims: EGG TEMPERA WITH DOUG SAFRANEK
And finally, The Eggs at Frank Bevans Photography. Take a moment to visit the imaginary world of Frank and Leslie Bevans… a collaboration of set-building, story-telling, and Frank’s photography. And, stay tuned, THE EGG SERIES is just the beginning for these Adventurers!
I’d love to hear what you think about all things eggs. Contact me and share whatever you have to share about chickens, recipes, tempera paintings...
Frank and I want you to know that we are grateful for you and for the time and energy it takes for you to visit EgretTracks and Tracks by the Post! Thank you for being here!
We wish you a very happy week ahead!
Gently Be,
Leslie and Frank