According to medicine, unlike caffeine or our other usual sources of quick energy, eggs don’t cause blood sugar or insulin to spike and crash.
In other words, eggs are a sustainable source of energy for your body.
In fact, eggs are such a good source of high-quality protein, they’re pretty much the gold standard for comparing ALL sources of protein out there, and something even top nutritionists keep in their fridges.
What?! My hen’s eggs are really that great?
Yup, your hens aren’t just giving you breakfast every day: they’re doing you a MAJOR solid.
We all know that eggs from backyard chickens have way more vitamins than store-bought eggs, but did you know that a single egg contains 6 grams of high-quality protein (it’s not just about protein, but how GOOD that protein is – that’s why commercial protein bars are questionable in more ways than one)?
You can also count on consuming 13 percent of your daily protein need with that same egg, and getting some extra thiamin, riboflavin, folate, as well as two key vitamins responsible for way more vitamins: B12 and B6.
(But be sure to eat the yolks – this is where most of the nutrients are found. Oh, and be sure to eat eggs at breakfast, since it’s important WHEN you eat protein to keep you feeling energized all day.)
So eat some eggs = gardening longer without feeling pooped, especially if, like me, you’re getting on in years.
So, now the big question people ask.
Can eggs help you lose weight?
Possibly.
A study performed in the UK showed that eating two eggs for breakfast might help overweight people lose 65 percent more weight when eaten as part of a healthy diet.
Study participants also said they felt like they had more energy, too.
Maybe this is why grandpa insisted on eggs for breakfast every day?
This article was reviewed for medical accuracy by a licensed physician on 7/16/17.
Maat van Uitert is a backyard chicken and sustainable living expert. She is also the author of Chickens: Naturally Raising A Sustainable Flock, which was a best seller in it’s Amazon category. Maat has been featured on NBC, CBS, AOL Finance, Community Chickens, the Huffington Post, Chickens magazine, Backyard Poultry, and Countryside Magazine. She lives on her farm in Southeast Missouri with her husband, two children, and about a million chickens and ducks. You can follow Maat on Facebook here and Instagram here.
Traditional English egg custard is super simple to make, but gives you an AMAZING dessert to make with all those eggs your flock lays. With this recipe, we’ve turned tradition a bit on its side with our sugar-free English egg custard – and it’s just as tasty!
We’ve replaced sugar with sucralose (you can also use regular sugar or monkfruit) – a carb free option that’s just as sweet as sugar (don’t worry – we have resources where you can buy sucralose below).
Our hens have been laying a TON of eggs, and let’s face it – there’s only so many quiches and scrambled eggs you can make before getting a bit bored. And who doesn’t love dessert?
I love egg custard because the combination of nutmeg and whole cream makes it taste much more decadent than other desserts, and this combination makes it SEEM like a complicated recipe. It’s a way to pamper yourself with a bit of luxury without all the hassle of effort. It’s also great to take to any summer BBQ potlucks because kids love it too!
If you’ve been looking for the perfect summer recipe to use up all your eggs, then here’s how to make Sugar Free English Egg Custard!
Ingredients
Makes 3 servings
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 ½ cups whole milk
1 cup sucralose (buy here)
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
Vanilla bean pod
Nutmeg to taste
Directions
Heat milk, cream, and the vanilla beans together in a pot until just starting to boil. Do not overheat and allow to scorch.
In a second bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, and sucralose.
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
When the cream mixture starts to boil, remove from heat and combine with the egg mixture, whisking the entire time. Add the cream mixture slowly so the eggs do not cook.
Once combined, run the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps of egg.
Pour mixture into ramekins, and top with nutmeg to taste. Place into the oven, and cook until set, typically 30 minutes.
Once set, remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving.
Heat milk, cream, and the vanilla beans together in a pot until just starting to boil. Do not overheat and allow to scorch.
In a second bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, and sucralose.
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
When the cream mixture starts to boil, remove from heat and combine with the egg mixture, whisking the entire time. Add the cream mixture slowly so the eggs do not cook.
Once combined, run the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps of egg.
Pour mixture into ramekins, and top with nutmeg to taste. Place into the oven, and cook until set, typically 30 minutes.
Once set, remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving.
Notes: While this is a sugar-free recipe, you can replace the sucralose with sugar. You can also use honey with my conversion chart here.
Maat van Uitert is a backyard chicken and sustainable living expert. She is also the author of Chickens: Naturally Raising A Sustainable Flock, which was a best seller in it’s Amazon category. Maat has been featured on NBC, CBS, AOL Finance, Community Chickens, the Huffington Post, Chickens magazine, Backyard Poultry, and Countryside Magazine. She lives on her farm in Southeast Missouri with her husband, two children, and about a million chickens and ducks. You can follow Maat on Facebook here and Instagram here.
Can you believe it’s almost winter? I am not ready for the nice fall weather to go away!
December can be a tricky month for shopping at the farmer’s market, depending on where you live. If you live somewhere that gets FREEZING cold in the winter, like I do, you’ll be lucky if you can even find a farmers market.
If you live in a state with mild winters (lucky you) then you’ll likely have a lot more options available in the winter months. So this month I decided to divide up the farmer’s market guide into colder winter states, and warmer winter states.
Our warmer winters states are places like Arizona, Southern California, Florida, and parts of Texas and Louisiana.
While our colder winter states should cover places with cold winters (but not crazy winters). If you’re in Alaska, you’re definitely going to have different options than Kentucky, so keep that in mind.
This is a very GENERAL guide. Just to show you what to keep an eye out for. If you want to know exactly what’s in season in your area, I suggest you use The Seasonal Food Guide.
You can put in where you live and it will tell you exactly what fruits and veggies are in season in your area.
But let’s get going! Here is your farmer’s market guide for December!
Colder Winter States
If you’re freezing cold all winter like me then this part of the list is for you!
Potatoes
Now you’re probably not going to find fresh potatoes in December. But many farmers (at least where I’m from) store potatoes in root cellars, so that they can sell them through the winter. So keep an eye out for some locally grown potatoes in December, so you can make mashed potatoes!
Sprouts
I love using sprouts in my meals. They’re perfect for adding on top of salads or putting on a sandwich!
Turnips
I’ve never been a huge fan of turnips, but this year I’m thinking I’ll have to try this yummy recipe for pan-roasted turnips!
Winter Squash
Winter squash stores well, so you’ll probably be able to find winter squash throughout the season. Which is perfect because winter squash is yummy and good for you!
Some recipes I’m looking forward to trying this year are:
If you’re lucky you might still find some radishes in your area in December. I’m looking forward to trying this garlic roasted radishes recipe!
Sweet Potatoes
I didn’t realize how much I loved sweet potatoes until about a year ago. Now I love using sweet potatoes in my recipes! One of my favorite ways to use sweet potatoes is in soups like this sweet potato and sausage soup recipe!
Radicchio
Radicchio is a new one for me! I’ve never tried it! But I’m looking forward to trying this recipe for Radicchio Salad with Green Olives
Carrots
Carrots are definitely one of my favorite vegetables. I snack on them while I work! I love eating carrots with Homemade Ranch Dressing!
Broccoli
Broccoli is also a dinner staple for me. I love steaming broccoli for a simple side dish to go with my meals. You can also try this yummy Cream of Broccoli Soup Recipe!
Citrus
Obviously, this is not in season locally if you live in an area with cold winters. But I highly recommend trying to find citrus grown from an area near you at the grocery store.
Citrus starts coming into season in December which means that if you buy citrus grown in the U.S. at the grocery store it’s going to taste better this time of year!
Spinach
You may be able to find some spinach in your area in December. Especially if there’s local farmers that are using cold frames. I’m excited to try this bacon spinach salad this year using the bacon I get from Butcher Box.
Warmer Weather States
Now things are a little bit different for those of you who live in states with milder winters. I’m talking about you California, Florida, Texas, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Arizona. All the rest of us are jealous of your nice, mild winters.
There are probably going to be much different things available in your farmers markets than in the rest of the country.
Obviously this depends on where you live in the state as well (Northern California won’t have the same produce as Southern California).
Now there’s probably a lot more produce available than what I’m listing here, but these are some of the main items you’re going to find in the farmer’s markets starting in December if you live somewhere with a milder winter.
Citrus
I’m jealous of all y’all that have locally grown citrus at your farmers markets. Citrus is in season in December, so look for oranges, grapefruit, pomegranates, tangerines, clementines, and lemons.
Y’all know I love apples, and in milder winter states there are likely to still be some local apples around.
Carrots
Like I said before I love carrots! Look for fresh, locally grown carrots at your local farmer’s market and make some yummy Homemade Ranch Dressing!
Broccoli
Also look for broccoli at your local farmer’s market! I love it, and it’s the perfect side dish for dinner! <!– Default Statcounter code for -buy-at-the-farmers-market
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Maat van Uitert is a backyard chicken and sustainable living expert. She is also the author of Chickens: Naturally Raising A Sustainable Flock, which was a best seller in it’s Amazon category. Maat has been featured on NBC, CBS, AOL Finance, Community Chickens, the Huffington Post, Chickens magazine, Backyard Poultry, and Countryside Magazine. She lives on her farm in Southeast Missouri with her husband, two children, and about a million chickens and ducks. You can follow Maat on Facebook here and Instagram here.
Love the creamy goodness of mashed potatoes but hate all the work? Southern-Style Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes with Homemade Gravy is the easiest and most delicious way to make yummy creamy potatoes that you will be proud to serve your family!
If you’re like me, you enjoy homemade meals during the spring and summer months, but try to avoid heating up the house at all costs, right?
Hey it’s Deb stopping by again from Bowl Me Over and I wanted to share a delicious and easy recipe with you today! Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes and what makes them even better?
The gravy is made right in the Instant Pot too – gotta love that right? One dish for cleanup and you don’t heat up the entire house to make a side dish!
These mashed potatoes go fantastic with my fall off the bone Barbecued Pork Ribs – also made in the Instant Pot and finished off on the grill!
Grill until the sauce on the ribs is caramelized!
How long do you cook the potatoes in the Instant Pot?
1 1/2 pounds of potatoes cook on the steam setting in just 12 minutes! Then with a quick release you’ll be ready to mash the potatoes as soon as the pressure is ready to release.
How full can you fill the Instant Pot?
Never fill the Instant Pot above the max fill line. If you’re cooking liquids it should never be above two thirds full. This is for safety to ensure there is plenty of space to allow the pressure cooker to do it’s work.
Grocery List to make Mashed Potatoes in Instant Pot with Homemade Gravy
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
one box stock
cream or milk
butter
flour
I love how easy these are to make and I also love that the entire process doesn’t heat up your house. Living in Fresno with temperatures in the triple digits for weeks at a time, heating up the house is a real issue!
These tasty mashed potatoes come together in a snap for a couple of reasons:
They are made in the Instant Pot (great time saver!!)
When you use Yukon gold potatoes or baby red potatoes you don’t need to peel them! Just give them a hefty scrubbing and they are ready. My personal preference is Yukon gold potatoes because I like the creamy texture, but no reason to buy something special – use what you have on hand.
Using pre-made stock as the base for steaming flavors the potatoes and the leftover liquid makes delicious gravy right in the Instant Pot!
How easy is that?
Steps to make Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes with Homemade Gravy
Scrub and clean the potatoes well.
Cut large potatoes into three pieces
Add the potatoes to the pressure cooker.
Add the stock
Secure the lid. Press the steam setting and set the timer to 12 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking mash together butter and flour completely.
When the timer goes off, remove the potatoes, strain and save the liquid.
Mash the potatoes, seasoning with butter, cream
Return the liquid to the pressure cooker. Change setting to sauté.
When the liquid is boiling, quickly whisk in the butter/flour mixture. Whisk together until the liquid begins to thicken and continue cooking for about three minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
Done! The potatoes are creamy and delicious and using box stock makes a delicious gravy! Gotta love a simple meal!
Ok… a couple of great hints when you’re making mashed potatoes
Don’t over mash them, this will cause the potatoes to become gummy. Adding warmed milk/butter also helps keep them from getting sticky!
What if you get all the way to the end and your gravy has lumps, do you throw it out? Of course not! Just run it thru a sieve to remove the lumps OR tell everyone that’s the way you like it! 😀 Hey life’s too short to sweat the small details, right?
I hope you enjoyed this recipe! I have a bunch more Instant Pot recipes on the blog that I’m sure you’ll enjoy and you can check it out here – Deb’s Pressure Cooker Recipes
Pressure Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Love the creamy goodness of mashed potatoes but hate all the work? Pressure Cooker Mashed Potatoes with Homemade Gravy is the easiest and most delicious way to make yummy creamy potatoes that you will be proud to serve your family!
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
4 cups stock
4 tbsp butter (divided)
1/4 cup milk or cream (warmed)
2 tbsp flour
salt and pepper to taste
Scrub and clean the potatoes well. Cut large potatoes into three pieces and add the potatoes to the pressure cooker.
Add the stock. Secure the lid of the pressure cooker. Press the steam setting and set the timer to 12 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking mash together 2 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons flour. Make sure it’s completely creamy – no lumps!
When the timer goes off, remove the potatoes, strain and save the liquid.
Warm the milk/cream and butter mixture slightly. Just enough to get the butter to melt and the dairy warmed up.
Mash the potatoes, seasoning with butter and warmed cream. Salt and pepper to taste.
Return the liquid to the pressure cooker. Change setting to sauté. When the liquid is boiling, quickly whisk in the butter/flour mixture. Whisk together until the liquid begins to thicken and continue cooking for about three minutes. Whisking frequently.
Taste and adjust seasoning in the gravy and the potatoes. Serve and enjoy!
If you love this meal, I’m going to send you over to the blog for more terrific recipes!
Debra Clark blogs over at Bowl Me Over where she shares her love of all things in a bowl! Soups, stews, salads, Buddha bowls, ice cream you name it! Comfort food that is delicious and full of flavor. Most meals are quick and easy!
I like to think this website shows readers how being healthy doesn’t have to be difficult – which is one of the reasons I came up with this healthier non-GMO DIY pancake mix recipe.
When mornings get rushed and hurried, it’s easy to skip the healthy, all natural step for the sake of convenience – we’ve all been there.
We love a good pancake in our house, and those commercial mix boxes make it really easy to just add a couple other ingredients, mix, and 10 minutes later have a yummy breakfast.
Except those DIY pancake mix boxes you buy at the store are full of stuff we all-natural people are trying to avoid.
I’ve found if it’s easy and convenient to make the all-natural decision, I’m personally more likely to do it, and I hope this DIY pancake mix recipe helps you do the same.
While it will work with any flour, I decided to use Einkorn flour in this mix. (You can buy Einkorn here & get it shipped to you if you don’t know where to buy it).
Earlier this year, we started using it in our baked goods, and it’s easy to work with – no different baking-wise than other wheat-based flours.
If you haven’t heard, Einkorn is an ancient type of wheat – and therefore hasn’t undergone any sort of genetic modification. It’s also almost universally grown without pesticides or other chemicals.
Many people who can’t handle regular commercial wheat have found they can eat baked goods made with Einkorn.
The nice thing about a DIY pancake mix is you can put the dry ingredients together in a large mason jar and then just add milk and an egg (necessary if you want fluffy pancakes), mix, and pour on a hot pan or griddle.
Pour dry ingredients in a mason jar (this DIY pancake recipe easily scales – so if you want to double or triple your batch, go right ahead).
Mix thoroughly, and store on a shelf out of the sun.
To make a pancake stack worthy of Instagram, just add 1 cup of milk or water (we’ve used both successfully) and 1 fresh chicken egg (you can also use 1 duck egg) and mix to combine.
You’ll feel healthier because you know your family is eating a healthy, non-GMO pancake breakfast, and as a bonus, it’s super simple DIY mix to add to your day!
Maat van Uitert is a backyard chicken and sustainable living expert. She is also the author of Chickens: Naturally Raising A Sustainable Flock, which was a best seller in it’s Amazon category. Maat has been featured on NBC, CBS, AOL Finance, Community Chickens, the Huffington Post, Chickens magazine, Backyard Poultry, and Countryside Magazine. She lives on her farm in Southeast Missouri with her husband, two children, and about a million chickens and ducks. You can follow Maat on Facebook here and Instagram here.
The holidays are coming y’all and I am so excited for the food.
I LOVE all of the delicious food that shows up around Christmas and Thanksgiving. Since the holidays can get a little bit crazy, I’ve created a collection of holiday recipes that you can use for any of your holiday recipe needs. I’ve got holiday recipes perfect for kids, office parties, family events and more!
So let’s get going! Here are some of my favorite holiday recipes.
Amish Farmhouse Sugar Cookies
These farmhouse sugar cookies are made with simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Seriously these cookies are to die for! What I love about these cookies are that you can customize them depending on your taste. We used raisins in ours, but if you’re not a raisin fan you can use chocolate chips, nuts, butterscotch chips, or maybe even some toffee.
Having a honey baked ham is a must have for any holiday gathering. But after the holiday party you have to figure out what the heck to do with all of the leftover ham. Leftover ham pasta salad is the perfect solution. Not only is this recipe a huge hit, but it’s simple and easy to make.
Southern Style Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes And Gravy
If you’re looking to keep things simple this holiday season, this instant pot mashed potatoes and gravy recipe is for you. The gravy and the potatoes are both made in the instant pot, so you’re looking at only dirtying one pan! Heck yes. This recipe is going to be my go to for mashed potatoes this Thanksgiving
Everyone goes crazy for anything pumpkin spice in the fall, but did you know you can make your own? I love this recipe for pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice because they’re so versatile for the holiday season. Plus, homemade pumpkin puree is everything. It tastes sooo good. You can use it to make pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, even pumpkin soup!
There’s nothing better than homemade pie. Literally nothing. I have so many pie recipes that I love for the holidays that I definitely couldn’t fit all of them into this blog post. But, don’t worry, I have an entire article that has all of my favorite homemade pie recipes.
If y’all didn’t know, store bought corn syrup is really processed and likely made with GMO corn. Enter my homemade corn syrup recipe. This recipe is great if you still want to make homemade Christmas candy. Because is it even Christmas if there’s not homemade candy? This recipe is a lighter corn syrup substitute that’s perfect for using with your holiday recipes.
I love this Christmas morning pancake mix recipe made with Einkorn Flour. This is perfect if you want to provide a healthier breakfast on Christmas morning (since you’ll probably be having tons of unhealthy foods the rest of the day). Plus you can make this mix in bulk and store it so you have a quick breakfast option for busy mornings! Top these pancakes with homemade lavender syrup or strawberry jam, and you have the perfect Christmas morning breakfast!
These small cakes are bursting with delicious citrus flavor. These cakes can be easily wrapped in a red party favor bag and gifted to friends and family. But make sure you keep some for yourself because these cakes are delicious!
Looking for a yummy comfort food recipe for the holidays? I love making this sugar free English egg custard recipe for an afternoon treat. It’s also great to take to potlucks because the ingredients make it seem much more complicated and decadent than it actually is;)
Aren’t these chocolate cookie mice the cutest? This recipe is perfect for a Christmas treat for the kids. You can make these mice cookies and eat them while you read a Nutcracker storybook. Your kids will love having this tasty treat while hearing about the Nutcracker and Clara fighting the Mouse King (here’s my favorite Nutcracker storybook).
Shortbread is a traditional Scottish recipe that is perfect for the holidays. These cookies literally melt in your mouth and they are perfect for topping desserts. Since these cookies are shaped like buttons, they are absolutely perfect for topping snowman themed cakes or cookies!
Think you’re no good at making bread? Trust me you can make this easy white bread. Homemade bread is perfect for the holidays. I love serving fresh homemade bread with any holiday meal.
These cookies are perfect for a cold winter’s night. They’re the ultimate comfort food for the holidays, and your family and friends will love them! Plus this recipe makes about 60 cookies which makes it a easy recipe to gift to neighbors or take to the office potluck.
Looking to add a little spice to your holiday dessert? This recipe has some kick. I love the combination of sweet and spicy in this chocolate chili recipe. It’s perfect for mixing things up at the office potluck or family Christmas party.
Looking to have a healthier holiday season? I hear ya. I could probably do with less processed sugar in my life. Here are some of my favorite options for substituting sugar:
Maat van Uitert is a backyard chicken and sustainable living expert. She is also the author of Chickens: Naturally Raising A Sustainable Flock, which was a best seller in it’s Amazon category. Maat has been featured on NBC, CBS, AOL Finance, Community Chickens, the Huffington Post, Chickens magazine, Backyard Poultry, and Countryside Magazine. She lives on her farm in Southeast Missouri with her husband, two children, and about a million chickens and ducks. You can follow Maat on Facebook here and Instagram here.
Debra Clark blogs over at 
