Incredible Egg

"What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us."

Henry David Thoreau probably did not mean the incredible EGG but in our effort to produce healthy food we began this great adventure with 30 assorted day-old pullets (baby chicks). These sweet little pullets were loved from the beginning and diligently watched over by the watchful and thoughtful Molly the cat. Our grandson also kept Molly and the pullets in check.

Months later "Roo," who was our one surprise and did not grow up to become a pullet but a Silver-laced Wyandotte "Rooster" and each of the remaining 29 pullets (all named and loved) started producing two dozen fertilized eggs. That's 24 eggs daily. That's a lot of eggs!

The grandchildren took quickly to the chickens, especially ROO!

Each grand child felt like a pirate with hidden treasure whenever a double yolk was found. Not all chickens will lay double-yolked eggs!

Every hen’s reproductive system consists of an ovary and an oviduct.  The ovary contains undeveloped egg yolks — the number of yolks (ovum) are the total number of eggs this chicken will lay during her entire life. One hour after the previous egg was laid, one ovum is released into the oviduct and develops.  Young pullets — a chicken that is less than a year old is called a pullet — who lay double yolks release TWO ovum within a couple hours, and these became our treasured double-yolked eggs.    

Heredity can cause some hens or breeds to have a higher number of double yolks in pullets just beginning to lay.  As our hens matured, they no longer produced double-yolk eggs BUT an abundance of single-yolk eggs approximately every 25 hours, and we ate eggs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner: 

1) scrambled,  

2) poached, 

3) baked, 

5) fried, 

6) boiled as in plain or served hard-boiled with foods as varied as Japanese Miso Ramen or as traditional as Cobb Salad, and of course our family favorite...deviled eggs,

7) eggs make the best sauces, batters, doughs, custards, and more.

We gave eggs to family and friends, who made frittatas, omelets, breakfast burritos, pancakes, crepes, waffles, quiche, homemade bread, soft-boiled egg salad sandwich  —  and ice cream  —  this list could go on and on because we love eggs!

Jacques Pepin said, “I think that the egg is probably one of the greatest foods that we can have in the kitchen, whether we cook it by itself or combine it into a souffle or custard, or other type of thing. For me, I can’t live without eggs.”

We can't live without ice cream! 

Basic Goat Milk Ice Cream Recipe:

2 cups raw Nubian goat milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon extract

The variations of this recipe are endless, but a good base is the perfect starter!

i.e.

Chocolate Raspberry Ice cream

2 cups raw Nubian goat milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon raspberry extract

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Place the goat's milk, heavy cream, and sugar in an ice cream maker such as our Cuisinart compressor ice cream/gelato maker and set to a 60 minute cycle. Allow the mixture to mix for approximately 1-2 minutes then add the extract and cocoa powder. Check flavor and consistency at approximately 35 minutes. The ice cream at about 50 minutes should be ready to transfer to an ice cream container and thus the freezer. For best results chill your storage container prior to putting the ice cream in it so to not shock and melt your chilled ice cream.  

Lemon Ice Cream

2 cups raw Nubian goat milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Zest of half a lemon (optional)

From our kitchen to yours. <3 

Hawk Girl the ultimate survivor and rebel of our bunch. 

Contributors Karen/Diane