Frozen Eggs

February 15, 2018/0 Comments/in Cooking, Egg Layers, The Farm

Ah Winter!

On one particularly cold January night, the egg basket sat forgotten in our garage. The result? Frozen eggcycles. Rather than toss almost 3 dozen eggs that could not be sold, I decided to experiment. Would they be any good? Could I use them as usual?

Any eggs with large cracks were discarded as I saw no need to invite unwelcome bacteria into our bodies. Those without cracks were divided into two groups. The first were rinsed and stored in a carton in the refrigerator where, after many days, they finally thawed.

One morning, in an impatient mood, I thought I would try frying a couple. After all, the dog, the cat, and I wanted to eat eggs. The finished product?

As the whites still contained plenty of ice crystals, they took longer than normal to cook. The key seemed to be “Low and Slow.” But as you can see, the end results were just fine.

The remaining eggs were placed in a basket where they sat at room temperature. Although I removed all traces of dirt, I did not soak them. This allowed their protective waterproof layer to remain intact. Thawing, was of course, much quicker and once thawed, the eggs were just…eggs. I cooked and baked with them with no noticeable differences.

So why would you purposefully want to freeze eggs? Maybe you found a great deal on them and want to load up. Perhaps you will be traveling and want to store the contents of your refrigerator until you return. Maybe you want to take some on your camping trip without the mess of broken eggshells. Or, perhaps you are food prepping and would like to freeze eggs in small portions for favorite recipes.

The American Egg Board has compiled an online, alphabetical encyclopedia about eggs. Searching though it, you will find all you could ever wish to know, including how to freeze them. Apparently, eggs can be successful frozen for up to a year. However, because they do expand their contents when frozen, it is better to crack them open and pour the contents into freezer containers. Here are some tips that they offer:

*Freeze only clean, fresh eggs and always label with the date you prepared them.

*For Egg Whites: Separate the eggs one at a time, pour into freezer containers or into empty ice cube trays. If you choose the latter, just empty each frozen compartment into a larger container and label.

*For Yolks: It is a property of eggs yolks to gel when frozen, making them difficult to use in a recipe. To help retard this this thickening, beat in 1 1/2 tsp. of sugar or 1/8 tsp. of salt per 1/4 cup of egg yolk (about 4 yolks). Then freeze in a container and label.

*Whole Eggs: Beat until blended. Pour into containers, or again, ice cube trays. Label with the number of eggs you have prepared and freeze.

To Thaw Frozen Eggs: Place containers of frozen eggs in the refrigerator overnight to thaw (I haven’t tried this but I assume they thaw more quickly without their shells) or under running water. Egg whites will beat better if you then allow them to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Frozen or not, what other questions might you have about eggs? Check out the website of the American Egg Board for answers: https://www.incredibleegg.org. Then contact me for fresh–not frozen–non-gmo, free-range eggs.

Creating your best dishes, starts with the best ingredients.

Robin—Love Led Farm

Balancing My Year

January 31, 2018/0 Comments/in Animals, Egg Layers, Goats, Meat Birds, The Farm

“Balance is not something you find, it’s something you create.” Jana Kingsford

Nature teaches us the truth about balance. God’s plants and animals know that there is a time for growing, producing, harvesting, and resting. It seems that we humans learn a bit more slowly. But when my body and pen were overly taxed, thanks to two back-to-back viruses, January became a time to rest and recoup. Resting the body, however, did not mean relaxing the mind. And so January also was a month of thinking, accessing, learning, and planning.

I am so excited about the months ahead!

The first big news to share with you is that in March, after 11 years, I will be leaving my off-the-farm job to become a full-time farmer. For me, this is a dream come true; for you it means more availability to help with questions and visits. In fact, this summer I will establish weekly”store hours” when someone will be available on the premises to personally help with anything you need.

Here is a summary of 2017 and then a quick peak at a few of the plans we have for 2018:

*Goats – Four herd share customers shared the milk of two goats last year. This year, I have bred a third doe, which means there will be more herd shares available. Call or email me if you are interested. Herd shares will begin in May.

*Eggs – In 2017, we sold 90-100 dozen eggs per month. That’s quite an omelet! We will continue to expand the flock this year, and yes, Oliver does have his famous blue eggs to sell. The roadside sign will probably go up in May. Until then, call or email if you want eggs. We have plenty.

*Meat Chickens – Last year we raised almost 200 delicious chickens. This year, we plan to raise 300. Due to Michigan’s finicky spring weather, we will start the first flock in early May. Pick-Up Days will again be in June, August, and September. Watch future posts for details and start planning your order.

*Hogs – David and Oliver will be raising a few hogs this year. You will be able to order quarters, halves and whole. Their plans are to start the piglets in early April and finish them by November. Let me know if you are interested so that they will raise enough.

*Sheep – This will be my “practice” year as I expand into non-gmo, grassfed lambs. This year’s flock will be small but if you are interested in lamb for your freezer this fall, let me know.

*Turkeys – We have talked about it for years–non-gmo, pastured turkeys. This year, we will add them to the farm. You’ve enjoyed our chicken. Why not buy your Thanksgiving turkey from us, too? Details will be coming, so watch and prepare to order yours.

What an ambitious year! I can feel my impatience, waiting for spring to arrive so we can take off running. But even as I write, I remember the need for balance. So instead of impatience, let me choose gratitude for these cold winter months. I need them, if only to remember that things other than farms are important, too…like the four little people who call us Papa and Nana.

Need Eggs?

September 28, 2017/0 Comments/in Cooking, Egg Layers, The Farm

There was the time that I stood by a nest begging a hen to finish laying her egg. I needed it to fill an order for a customer who was standing in the garage/sales room, waiting for her order. Talk about fresh!

I am happy to report that we now have plenty of eggs for everyone–enough that we have put the roadside sign up again. These are non-gmo (always), free-range, and full of nutrition. You will find them in the blue cooler near our convenient, circular drive. We charge $3.50/dozen–a bargain if you have priced non-gmo eggs lately–and should stay fresh and delicious for 2-3 weeks. With holiday baking just around the corner, you will want to keep plenty on hand.

Delicious results start with delicious ingredients–insist on the best.

We’re Love Led Farm.

The Four Day Chicken–And Then of Course, There’s Soup

August 11, 2017/0 Comments/in Cooking, Family, Health and Nutrition, Meat Birds, The Farm

What would a four-day chicken challenge be without including the comfort of soup? I hardly think I need to include a recipe since everyone has their own version–just like grandma used to make, right? But since boring and bland are not tastes I want coming from my kitchen, I have added a few twists to make this soup oh, so very nice.

For starters, I actually started the soup on Day One of my challenge. After removing most of the meat from my roasted chicken, I put the bones back into my cast iron dutch oven along with the giblets which I had kept just for stock. I added a quartered onion, 2 large stalks of celery cut into large pieces, 2 cloves of garlic, and 2 large carrots cut into chunks. I covered this with water–about 8 cups–and allowed it simmer for a couple of hours. By that time, I was ready for bed so I refrigerated the whole thing.

The next day, I skimmed off most of the fat and removed all remaining meat from the bones. If I only wanted the broth, I would have reheated the pot just until the juices had liquefied, and would then have strained it through cheesecloth in my colander. Then I would have divided the clarified broth into freezer containers for later use.

Some vegetable pastas get mushy when reheated so if you are freezing your leftover soup, remove the remaining noodles. In a later post, I’ll teach you how to freeze and reheat them successfully.

Now that I have reached the end of my four-day challenge, it is your turn. How do you cook your pastured chicken? What do you do with the leftovers? What ideas, tips, and secrets can you share? Cooking and learning together is fun and motivates us all to make wiser, healthier choices in delicious ways.

Curried Chicken Salad–Day Three of the Four Day Chicken

August 10, 2017/0 Comments/in Cooking, Health and Nutrition, Meat Birds, The Farm

Boring food? Not in this house! David and I are admittedly foodies who enjoy a wide variety of colors, textures, and flavors.

When planning my four-day chicken challenge, I wanted to include a salad. But not just any plain salad. No thank you! Ours had to have excitement–some zip and zing. My curried chicken salad fits that description perfectly. It has flavor, crunch, a hint of sweetness, and is just the thing for a warm summer evening.

I served our on beds of dark, mixed greens, but this would also make a nice sandwich filling or would be great on crackers. An added bonus: the longer this sits the more the flavors meld together which makes for some pretty delicious leftovers. Here’s the recipe.

Curried Chicken Salad

4 cups of cooked chicken

1T curry powder–some people like more so adjust to taste

1 cup of raisins or dried cranberries. David isn’t a fan of raisins, so I used the cranberries. He loved them.

2 cups of chopped celery

1 cup pecans or almonds, roughly chopped–I toasted my pecans in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees to give them extra crunch

1 cup mayonnaise

Put the chicken in a large bowl and add the curry powder, stirring to coat. Next, add the cranberries and finally, the rest of the ingredients. Stir to incorporate.

Chill or serve at room temperature.

Yield: 6-8 generous servings

Now I need to tell you about my OOPS! Yesterday, I took some leftover salad to work for lunch. Then, distracted by other things, I mindless stuck it in the microwave. Groaning, I thought, “Well, why not give it a try anyway?” It was delicious–kind of like a curried chicken casserole. I think if I ever made it on purpose though, I would add a bit more curry. You know the old idea…accidents can lead so some pretty great inventions.

Tomorrow I’ll wrap up my four-day challenge with an old traditional standby, Chicken Soup. Send me your recipes and ideas so we can continue to learn together.

And since chicken is on your mind right now, don’t forget to order your meat birds. It’s time to start filling your freezer for the months ahead.

Day Two of “The Four-Day Chicken”: Chicken Enchiladas

August 9, 2017/0 Comments/in Cooking, Health and Nutrition, Meat Birds, The Farm

My husband considers Mexican cuisine to be a food group. So Day Two of my four-day challenge had to feature something spicy. Meet the Chicken Enchilada…a great way to use part of my leftover roasted chicken. I have had this recipe for years and have served it to many guests. It yields a large pan of cheesy, chicken goodness.

Chicken Enchiladas

1 medium chopped onion

4-oz. can chopped green chilies

1 tsp. minced garlic

3T chicken broth

1 T cornstarch (I used arrowroot powder)

1T flour

14 more ounces of chicken broth

2 cups cooked chicken

2 c. shredded mozzerella

10-0z. can diced tomatoes and green chilies (drained)

2 c. sour cream (I use plain yogurt)

1/4 c. chopped, seeded jalapeno peppers, if desired for extra heat

10 flour tortillas

Combine 3 tablespoons of chicken broth, the garlic, and the onion in a saucepan. Cook until soft. Add flour and cornstarch or arrowroot, 14 oz. of chicken broth, and the green chilies. Wisk until bubbly and smooth. Add the cooked chicken and remove from the heat. In a large bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, sour cream or yogurt, and half of the cheese. Then add the heated chicken sauce, stirring to combine. Make the enchiladas by spooning the sauce onto each tortilla, rolling them and placing them in a baking pan. My 11 x 13 pan works well for this. Pour the remaining sauce mix over the rolled up tortillas. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzerella. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Serves about 10 portions.

On Sunday, we served this with chips and a heated seven-layer dip made by my daughter, Rebecca. Yummy!

Then, David and I feasted on the leftovers–which gave us at least two more lunches and certainly satisfied his cravings for heat and spice.

Join me tomorrow for another flavorful idea: Curried Chicken Salad. See you then!

The Four Day Chicken

August 8, 2017/0 Comments/in Cooking, Health and Nutrition, Meat Birds, The Farm

Welcome to a four part mini series on….chicken! Our latest butchering day was Friday, and what beautiful birds they turned out to be. In the infamous words of one happy customer, “Wow!”

Last week, I also offered a challenge: Is it possible to increase the value of my meat by making four meals out of a single chicken?

The answer? Yes, I could…and I did. Over the next 4 days, I will show you how. In the meantime, send me your own ideas and recipes so I can share them.

Delicious nutrition and value for my purchase? Now that’s something to crow about!

Day One: Robin’s Roasted Chicken

Over the years I have learned a few tricks for roasting the perfect chicken. Your bird will turn out juicy and full of flavor, and this is and so easy. Here’s what you will need:

A whole chicken….mine was around 6 pounds

1-2 tsp. 0live oil

Salt and pepper

1 tsp. thyme

2 stalks of celery, including the leaves, cut into large chunks

Perhaps an onion, quartered

An orange and/or a lemon, quartered

The first secret is to season your bird the night before you plan to roast it. Massage the entire bird, including the cavity, with 0live oil and a liberal amount of salt, pepper, and thyme. Place the bird in a pan or large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

On roasting day, allow the chicken to come to room temperature. Meanwhile, set your oven temperature to 450 degrees, and just before roasting, stuff the bird with the celery, onion, and fruit.

The second secret is choosing your roasting pan. Some people place their bird on a rack which rests on a cookie sheet. I have tried that with success but I think it tends to dry out the meat. Now I use a cast iron dutch oven. Not only does the meat stay moist but the iron holds the heat oh so well. I put my empty pot in the oven to heat as the oven temperature rises. When the oven reaches 450 degrees, I add the chicken, leaving the cast iron cover off.

Now, I set my timer for 40-50 minutes, choosing the extra time for a larger bird like this one. I am watch for a nice even browning, and when I see it, I know it is time for the third secret.

After 50 minutes, my chicken is golden brown.

Cover your bird with foil, or in my case, the lid to my dutch oven, and turn your oven completely off. Allow the chicken to rest in your oven undisturbed, for 2 hours. You have essentially created a slow cooker that will gently bring your bird to perfection.

When I cooked Saturday’s chicken, I had vegetables to roast, too. So about an hour before I served dinner, I pulled my cast iron pot out and set it on the stove top (covered of course) while I cooked the vegetables for 30 minutes. Then, I turned the oven back off, put the vegetables on the bottom rack of my oven, and the chicken pot on the top rack to finish for another 30 minutes. It worked well.

Before serving, discard the celery, onion, and fruit. You now have a beautifully roasted chicken that can be used in countless delicious ways. Tomorrow, I’ll share one just one. What will you do with yours?

Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

Real People Want to Make Cheese

August 1, 2017/0 Comments/in Cooking, Egg Layers, Goats, Health and Nutrition, Meat Birds, The Farm

To be able to offer my friends and customers “raw” food basics like chicken, milk, and eggs in their purest, most nutritious state, is a delight. These truly are building blocks for healthy living. But like you, as I hold those eggs in my hand, and look at my milk jug, my mind searches for new ways to use them. And so I scour the internet and talk with others, looking for ideas and recipes.

Often what I find is highly impractical for most folks. Take cheese recipes for example. If you are already paying a golden price for your share of milk, every drop is precious. Who needs a recipe that calls for 2 gallons of milk? Probably either someone who own goats or someone who only wants to make cheese. For many, it seems more practical to drink the milk and buy the cheese.

This leads me to a new resolve: to find and share information and recipes that can be made in any home. So once or twice a month, I will do just that.

To accomplish this goal, I would love your input. What do you do with eggs and milk? How do you stretch your pastured chicken? What new dishes have you tried and enjoyed?

Let’s create a forum for sharing recipes and ideas, using healthy ingredients in practical but delicious ways. Here are the guidelines. Every couple of weeks, I will name a topic. Submit your ideas to me and I will share them, one or two at a time.

Since Friday is our next Chicken Pick-up Day, let’s start us with, “The 4-Day Chicken”. What are four ways you can use your delicious bird? In next week’s article, I will share what I did, and then you can tell us about your cooking magic.

Real ideas for real people…now that sounds downright neighborly.

Furry Varmints!

July 23, 2017/0 Comments/in Meat Birds, The Farm, Uncategorized

Rats! I really mean it! Rats!

Last year, we were invaded by furry little beasts who had discovered a delectable banquet of animal feed to feast upon. Store-bought traps? No effect. Super-cool, Youtube-inspired trapping devices? Nope. Poison? Somewhat. Aha…barn cats!! Now we are making serious progress. This has helped in the big barn. But then there is the chicken barn.

An old worn-out garage houses our up-and-coming hens-to-be and our meat bird brooding pens. Perhaps being pecked and trampled by 36 young hens has convinced the rats to leave them alone. Instead, the pests have set their sights on the babies. And so we are at war.

My husband and Hayden, our new friend and helper, have tried to stay a step ahead by building tightly wired pens with cement floors but…they missed a hole. Only a few hours after introducing our newest and largest flock to their home, I went in to check on the tiny birds and gasped in horror. Our flock had been reduced by over a third.

Muttering, “Oh no! Oh, no!” as calmly as I could, I gently transferred the survivors into a newly finished–and fully protected–pen, and wrote a note to my sleeping husband.

“I Really Hate Rats!” he declared the next day as he grabbed cement and a trowel. I found his reaction to be rather calm…

Not to worry, meat bird customers…the remaining chicks are alive and well; replacement chicks have been ordered; and the hole has been filled with cement–along with every other crack and crevice David could find.

I have two reasons for sharing this sad story.

First, when my web designer and I were setting up this site, she encouraged me to share the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. Since transparency is one of our foundational life principles, I readily agreed. When you own a business, especially a farm, some days are delightful and others are downright nasty. What will you do with such days? Will you throw up your hands and walk away or declare war and grab the cement?

The second reason for sharing is to let you know that we had to make some changes to our September butchering plans. We added a few extra days to allow the remaining flock to settle down and grow. And, we added a fourth Pick-Up Day to accommodate the replacement chicks. We will now have meat chickens available on Tuesday, September 5 and Tuesday, September 19. You will find these changes on our ordering pages.

We have only a few chickens available for August 4 pick up. If you haven’t ordered, now is the time.

And as for you rats, we have planned a secret weapon for you…Manny, the exterminator, is on his way.

Of Chickens and Eggs

July 10, 2017/0 Comments/in Animals, Egg Layers, Meat Birds

So which did come first–the chicken or the egg? I can’t confirm it, but I have a sneaking suspicion it was the chicken. Either way, we have plenty of both right now.

– Our next Meat Bird Pick-up Day is August 4th. We still have few beautiful birds available…order soon.

– On the 18th, our last and largest flock of meat birds will arrive. How many will you need for the winter months?

– Within a month, our 36 newest hens will begin laying non-gmo, free-range eggs. How many do you use each week? Just ask and we will have them waiting for you.

For the chicken or the egg, there’s only one place you need to look. Come and visit us! We’re Love Led Farm.