Brown Beauties

Farm fresh eggs are hard to beat. Literally. The yolks of these brown beauties are so thick it takes work to whisk them.

There is a huge difference between store bought and farm fresh eggs. I never paid much attention to eggs until we acquired laying hens and started getting our own eggs. The color of our brown eggs’ yolks is a darker, richer, deep orange-yellow color.

The biggest difference I’ve noticed between ours and store-bought eggs is the rich texture and flavor in my baked goods.

I love having free,  high quality eggs available right at home. I’m lazy enough as it is about going to the grocery store. When our hens stop laying due extreme temperatures it’s hard to have to go buy them. I’ve gotten used to the better quality eggs and store bought ones just seem wimpy in comparison.

I love the odd shaped eggs that our chicken’s lay. Some are huge and have deformities on the shell.

Brown eggs are especially fun to dye at Easter time because the brown shell makes the color of the dye darken on the shell, which I prefer more than the bright colors. Brown eggs make pretty colored Easter eggs, as I’m sure Martha would agree and say, “It’s a good thing,” with that smile of approval of hers. But, as pretty as country Easter eggs are when dyed, it’s hard for me to use my beloved brown beauties for decorating purposes instead of baking with them.

Besides using our eggs for baking, I make breakfasts with them regularly for my family during the week. Eggs are filling and a great source of protein when I don’t have time to cook up sausage or bacon to provide them. I am a firm believer in starting out one’s day with a good breakfast especially for my kids on school days. I make French toast, scrambled eggs sprinkled with shredded cheddar cheese and sometimes an egg bake for my family at least once a week. A filling, protein-rich breakfast is a great way to start out the day and using our brown farm eggs makes our breakfast’s eggceptional.